If you want to truly level up your HF station, you can’t rely on luck,
power, or wishful thinking. HF success comes from understanding how
every part of your station works together. In this video, we break down
the Five Pillars of HF Operation — the core fundamentals every HF
operator should master to work more DX, improve signal quality, and get
more out of the bands.
Whether you’re a new General class or a seasoned HF veteran, this guide
will help you understand the why behind the what of HF radio.
Are COAX cables really worth the hype? In this video, we’re going
to debunk the myths and misconceptions surrounding COAX cables in
just a few minutes! From their supposed “low loss” capabilities to
their alleged “reliability”, we’re putting COAX cables to the test and
separating fact from fiction. Whether you’re a new ham, an experienced
operator or just someone who wants to know the truth about COAX cables,
this video is for you! So, sit back, relax, and let’s get ready to
debunk some COAX cable myths!
Steve, KM9G, encourages new hams to experiment and ignore negativity.
We discuss paradigms, cognitive dissonance, and the importance of
innovation in ham radio. Keep hope alive!
What can we come up with to use as an antenna? Let’s play!
As amateur (ham) radio operators, we like to experiment. Come along
with me for this series of videos while I find random objects to use as
antennas and try and make contacts on the air.
This video features KE4JT.
Remember—if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
This video is geared toward the new ham who wants a better understanding
of the NanoVNA. Maybe you are kind of familiar with the NanoVNA but some
stuff doesn’t make sense to you yet. Maybe you would like to know what
else you can use a NanoVNA for other than use it as an antenna analyzer.
I will cover the stuff that is not explained in other videos you find on
the NanoVNA and hopefully in a more understandable way.
GMRS continues to grow with lots of new licenses being issued every
month. There are a couple of things that you need to be aware of to
avoid the disappointment that comes when you discover your expectations
and the reality of this poplar radio service are misaligned.
In this video we’ll look at the top 10 things you need to know as you
consider becoming a part of the GMRS community.
What can we come up with to use as an antenna? Let’s play!
As amateur (ham) radio operators, we like to experiment. Come along
with me for this series of videos while I find random objects to use as
antennas and try and make contacts on the air.
Remember—if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
In this RATPAC Amateur Radio video Travis Johnson, KE5FXC,
an Emergency Communications Coordinator with the Cyber Security and
Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—speaking in an unofficial
capacity as KE5SXC—addresses communications plans for large-scale
events and presents the framework that he personally uses for
communications planning and discusses some of the ideas behind it.
First Responders, Amateur Radio Operators, and members of the public who
are interested in becoming SKYWARN® storm spotters—and current
spotters who wish to refresh their skills—must do so by watching the
NWS WFO Grand Forks 2025 SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Training video.
⚠️ In-person SKYWARN® Storm Spotter training will not be conducted in 2025.
Training Video
ℹ️ Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about
SKYWARN, and NWS contact information, are available on the NWS WFO
Grand Forks, ND SKYWARN page.
Spotter Registration and Updates
New SKYWARN® Storm Spotters—and current spotters who need to
update their information—who are 16 years of age or older and in
the NWS Grand Forks forecast area should visit the NWS Grand Forks
Spotter Registration page to register as a spotter or update
their information.
“This information will never be shared with anyone and is only used so
the NWS can contact you in severe weather situations, or allow the NWS
to easily plot your information when you report severe weather.”1
NWS Grand Forks Forecast Area
About Spotter Training
This training video is about 80 minutes long and is available free of
charge to all interested parties. Viewers will learn about:
Identifying & reporting severe weather
Spotter safety
Severe weather climatology in ND/MN
Thunderstorm structure and threats
And more…
The instructors are NWS Meteorologists.
About SKYWARN®
In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning caused hundreds
of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damages. To
obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS)
established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is
a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe
weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities
safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the
National Weather Service.
Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all
types of weather hazards, the focus is on reporting severe local
thunderstorms. In an average year the United States experiences more
than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000
tornadoes.
Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by
SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved
satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and
accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.
SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form
the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be
no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given your family
and neighbors the precious gift of time—minutes that can help save
lives. 2
Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions About SKYWARN® section of
the NWS WFO Grand Forks, ND
page for more information about SKYWARN®.
This is a demonstration of the minimal setup to download SSTV images from the International Space Station ISS. I use a Quansheng UV-K5 set to 145.800 an sql at 0. It is then decoded on the fly using an android tablet with the Robot36 app. You may also record the audio and later decode using Robot36, MMSSTV on your computer or your other favourite decoder.
Of course a fancy self tracking YAGI array would provide better quality, but the basics may also work just fine.
When the AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (AO-7) amateur radio satellite was launched in
1974, its expected lifespan was about five years. The plucky little
satellite made it to 1981 when a battery failure caused it to be written
off as dead. Then, in 2002 it came back to life. The prevailing theory
being that one of the cells in the satellites NiCd battery pack, in an
extremely rare event, failed open — thus allowing the satellite to run
(intermittently) off its solar panels.
A recent video by [Ben] on the AE4JC Amateur Radio YouTube
channel goes over the construction of AO-7, its operation, death
and subsequent revival are covered, as well as a recent QSO
(direct contact).
The solar panels covering this satellite provided a grand total of 14
watts at maximum illumination, which later dropped to 10 watts, making
for a pretty small power budget. The entire satellite was assembled in a
‘clean room’ consisting of a sectioned off part of a basement, with
components produced by enthusiasts associated with AMSAT around
the world. Onboard are two radio transponders: Mode A at 2 meters and
Mode B at 10 meters, as well as four beacons, three of which are active
due to an international treaty affecting the 13 cm beacon.
Positioned in a geocentric LEO (1,447 – 1,465 km) orbit, it’s quite
amazing that after 50 years it’s still mostly operational. Most of
this is due to how the satellite smartly uses the Earth’s magnetic
field for alignment with magnets as well as the impact of photons to
maintain its spin. This passive control combined with the relatively
high altitude should allow AO-7 to function pretty much indefinitely
while the PV panels keep producing enough power. All because a NiCd
battery failed in a very unusual way
My Thoughts on: FCC Deregulation - Delete, Delete, Delete
There are lots of stories going around about this FCC Deregulation
document. Here are my thoughts on this subject—I will be following
this story to see where it goes.
FCC Reviews: What Changes Could Impact Amateur Radio?
The FCC is gathering feedback on potential regulatory changes impacting
telecommunications, public airwaves, and amateur radio. We explore
what these proposed reviews mean for amateur radio enthusiasts and the
greater marketplace landscape.
FCC's "Delete Delete Delete" - Is Ham Radio at Risk?
Is the FCC’s new Delete, Delete, Delete agenda sounding the
death knell for amateur radio? In this video Jim N4BFR breaks down
the FCC’s latest public notice and what it really means for hams.
From the very real threat of spectrum auctions to possible changes in
antenna regulations (PRB-1) and license fees, we’re connecting the
dots on how this might affect your privileges on the air.
While amateur radio isn’t disappearing overnight, there’s plenty
you should know about—plus ways to make your voice heard. Share your
feedback with the FCC (preceding number 25-133) and reach out to your
congressional representatives.
Spectrum Wars: The Battle for Wireless Frequencies
Discover how the intense demand for wireless spectrum is reshaping
industries. With billions at stake and upcoming auctions on the horizon,
we delve into the potential risks for amateur radio and the lucrative
market for wireless carriers.
President Trump has revealed a humongous new FCC deregulation
initiative. In this video, I break down what this ham radio development
means for broadcasting, communications, and more. As a result, the
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a public notice recently titled
Re: Delete, Delete, Delete, seeking for the public to comment in an
effort to identify FCC rules to alleviate regulatory burdens that are
unnecessary. This deregulation initiative has the potential impacts to
change infrastructure deployment, digital equity, and media company
regulations.
John Nass KI6NAZ presents his thoughts about the FCC’s re: DELETE DELETE
DELETE
docket in this 13 minute video on the Ham Radio Crash Course Youtube Channel.
The FCC says “We’ll do it live” in taking your feedback in
regards to where they should deregulate!
Minimalist radio fun in the form of a challenge? Yes please.
When
@HamRadioCrashCourse
proposed the 1 lb POTA Pack Challenge, he had to have known I’d take
it as far as I could. An upcoming work trip presented the perfect
opportunity.
I prepped the “Classic Band” modified truSDX with audio amplifier
circuit, larger display, and thinner/flatter filter design, and paired
it up with a minimalist EFHW built from an SMA connector, custom PCB,
FT37-43 toroid, and 140 ft of 36 ga PTFE insulated copper wire. A 300
mAh 3s LiPo fed it the rig power. I used the internal mic and the
rig’s now amplified speaker for phone operation, a capacitive touch
key installed in the rig for CW, and a custom audio adapter made it
possible to run digital modes.
Some people consider ham radio operators to be the original hackers.
In this talk, Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, will discuss some of the cool
development projects that ham radio hackers are working on and talk
about how you can get your own hacker, errrrr ham radio license.1
This talk was presented at HOPE XV at St.
John’s University in New York City on July 12, 2024.
You can check out all the talks from HOPE XV on the
2600’s YouTube channel.
The channel has videos from all of the HOPE conferences dating back to 1994.2
