Amateur (ham) radio, VHF/UHF, portable operating, backcountry adventure and technical stuff
It wasn’t that long ago that I commented on the state of digital voice on the VHF/UHF ham bands: Digital Voice Balkanization. We have three main competing (incompatible) standards in the running: D-STAR, DMR and Yaesu System Fusion (YSF). At a high level, these three formats all do the same thing but there are significant differences in implementation (See Comparison Continue reading The Cacophony of Digital Voice Continues (Part 1)
Anyone with a VHF or UHF handheld transceiver (HT) probably uses the standard “rubber duck” antenna for casual use. I often refer to the rubber duck as The World’s Most Convenient Crappy Antenna. To be fair, all antennas are a compromise…the rubber duck optimizes small size and convenience at the expense of performance. The Wikipedia entry describes the rubber duck Continue reading What’s In Your Rubber Duck?
As we approach the end of the year, it is fun to look back to see which blog posts were read the most. WordPress has some great tools that make this easy to do. The most read post on k0nr.com concerns the use of amateur gear outside the ham bands: Can I Use My Ham Radio on Public Safety Frequencies? Continue reading Top Five K0NR Blog Posts from 2015
This is an update to one of my most popular posts. We have quite a few licensed radio amateurs that are members of public safety agencies, including fire departments, law enforcement agencies and search and rescue. Since they are authorized users of those public safety channels, they often ask this question: Can I use my VHF/UHF ham radio on the Continue reading Can I Use My Ham Radio on Public Safety Frequencies? Updated
It’s always interesting to see which of my blog posts are getting the most attention. According to my website stats, these posts got the most views in 2014. It turns out that most of these were written before 2014 but they are still getting lots of hits. The top post was 2012 Jeep Wrangler Radio Install. When it comes to doing Continue reading Top Five K0NR Blog Posts from 2014
Reporting on more critical information spewing forth from the interwebz, here’s some stuff you just can’t live without. In a surprise move, Baofeng introduces yet another dualband HT, but this one might be the best yet. Maybe. See the PD0AC first impressions of the GT-3 Mark II. Yaesu has announced a new dualband HT, the FT2DR, that has a Big Honking Continue reading This Spewed Out of the Internet #30
Joyce KØJJW and I were headed to the Duke City Hamfest in Albuquerque when we decided to make a side trip up Sandia Crest for a low overhead (read: slacker) Summits On The Air (SOTA) activation. Sandia Crest pokes up 10,678 feet, towering over Albuquerque at roughly 5000 feet. Although the weather was rainy, we enjoyed the drive up the Continue reading SOTA Summit Activation: Sandia Crest (W5N/SI-001)
More important things have spewed forth from the interwebz: HamRadioNow interviews the Ham Hijinks guys and has the nerve to actually publish the video. Later the Hijinks crew posted this article about changes being made to Field Day. Baofeng is going to change its name. Or is this just another Ham Hijinks article? WE2F writes: 146.52 Reasons to Monitor VHF Simplex Continue reading This Spewed Out of the Internet #28
I’ve had several opportunities to take amateur radio along on vacation and do a little radio operating from other countries. I try not to focus too much on ham radio during such a trip, as it has a tendency to create marital discord and can suck the fun out of the vacation. Some people call this a “holiday style” DXpedition, Continue reading The KP2 Slacker DXpedition Guide
Here’s the top 5 blog postings for 2013 on the K0NR Blog, based on number of views. 1. The Updated Incomplete List of Ham Radio iPhone Apps – my short list of preferred iPhone apps for ham radio use 2. Digital Voice at Pacificon – a report on a few of the presentations at the Pacificon ham radio convention in Continue reading Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2013
Here’s another update of interesting important stuff spewing forth from the internet. The Ham Hijinks crew continues to pound out some provocative ham radio reporting. I can really relate to this story: Man Climbs Tower, Won’t Come Down Until Family Leaves. It was great to hear about this breakthrough: World Issues Solved On Local 2m Repeater. This one is destined Continue reading This Spewed Out of the Internet #26
Here’s another update of interesting important stuff spewing forth from the internet. I put my two presentations from HamCon Colorado out on the web: Practical Amateur Radio Measurements and Mountaintop VHF in the Colorado High Country . Also, check out Kelly N0VD’s blog posting on the event. Having trouble finding a repeater to use on VHF? Check out my Shack Talk article on Continue reading This Spewed Out of the Internet #25
There is a more recent article on this topic. Please see: Can I Use My Ham Radio on Public Safety Frequencies? Updated We have quite a few licensed radio amateurs that are members of public safety agencies, including fire departments, law enforcement agencies and search and rescue. Since they are authorized users of those public safety channels, they often ask Continue reading Can I Use My Ham Radio on Public Safety Frequencies?
A few weeks back, I was wasting time doing important research on the internetz when I came across the Baofeng UV-5R Dualband Handheld Transceiver. This radio seemed to have a boat load of features but the sale price was $65. So I am thinking to myself, just how good is a $65 radio? The last time I went out to a Continue reading The World’s First Disposable HT