How to Really Up Your POTA Game (and why you shouldn’t)

Propagation conditions are tough. It used to be so easy to set up in a park and make your minimum 10 QSOs for a valid activation in as little as 10 minutes. I know, I have done it many times. Now we are at, or near, the peak of solar cycle 25; the Sun is … Continue reading How to Really Up Your POTA Game (and why you shouldn’t) →

The Sinatra Method for DIY Ham Radio Projects

I recently watched G0UPL Hans Summer's presentation at Hamvention 2024 on YouTube. Hans talked about 10 of his junk box projects. As you probably know, Hans is the owner of QRP Labs, a small company that makes excellent QRP radios and accessories and sells them for an unbelievably low price. I really enjoyed the presentation, … Continue reading The Sinatra Method for DIY Ham Radio Projects →

Surviving the Great Solar Storm of May 2024

We just can't win when it comes to propagation conditions. When the Sun is quiet during the bottom of the 11-year solar cycle, HF propagation conditions are challenging. So we all look forward to the days when the Sun is active and the bands are open again. But when we hit the top of the … Continue reading Surviving the Great Solar Storm of May 2024 →

Has QRP Ruined Ham Radio?

No wait! Before you and the boys load up your guns, jump in the truck and come-a-huntin' for me, that's not what I really meant. I love QRP. Well most of the time. Admittedly I had one of those "but it was fun anyway" days yesterday - i.e. I got skunked; no contacts, not a … Continue reading Has QRP Ruined Ham Radio? →

I waited 6 months for my factory assembled QRP Labs QMX to arrive – was it worth the wait? Really?

Was it worth the wait? Oh, yes! Let me say up front that I could have ordered the kit version and received it much faster, but my aging eyes just aren't up to the job of all that delicate soldering work. But, eventually, it arrived and I couldn't be more pleased. So how am I … Continue reading I waited 6 months for my factory assembled QRP Labs QMX to arrive – was it worth the wait? Really? →

5 Tips for Field Expedient Radio Operations in the Big Blue Sky Shack

I first became interested in operating amateur radio in the great outdoors (aka the Big Blue Sky Shack) over 20 years ago and since that time it has become a passion. The passion is partly inspired by the exploits of secret agents behind enemy lines during the Second World War. These people didn't have to … Continue reading 5 Tips for Field Expedient Radio Operations in the Big Blue Sky Shack →

A Versatile Solution for Backpacking with the QRP Labs QMX

Solar cycle 25 is rapidly approaching its peak. That means propagation conditions are very favorable for QRP operations again. Add to that the ever increasing popularity of outdoor operating programs like Summits on the Air (SOTA) and Parks on the Air (POTA) and there has never been a better time to hit the Big Blue … Continue reading A Versatile Solution for Backpacking with the QRP Labs QMX →

Turkish Delight – QRP Style!

It was a long, long wait. I ordered my QRP Labs QMX factory assembled radio on the 9th of October 2023 and received it on the 4th of April 2024 - a wait of a little under 6 months. I guess I shouldn't complain, a fellow club member waited 18 months for his Elecraft KX2 … Continue reading Turkish Delight – QRP Style! →

Venturing Outside the Box with the End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna

So many words have been written about the popular End-Fed Half-Wave antenna that you would think it would be "settled science" by now. For several years I have been building EFHWs according to accepted wisdom, but my inquisitive mind always seeks to question why they are built that way and could they be improved? You … Continue reading Venturing Outside the Box with the End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna →