21 Things to Do: Buy QSL cards

21 Things to Do After Getting Your Amateur Radio License

Once you start making contacts, other amateurs will want to swap QSL cards with you, even if you just talk to them on the local repeater. The purpose of a QSL card is to confirm that you had a contact with another amateur. For sure, you’ll want to … [Continue reading]

21 Things to Do: Buy a DMM

dmm

A digital multimeter, or DMM for short, is the most basic piece of test equipment you can own, and every ham should have one. With a digital multimeter (DMM), you can make voltage, current, and resistance measurements. Some multimeters do even more, … [Continue reading]

21 Things to Do: Join SkyWarn, ARES, or RACES

21 Things to Do After Getting Your Amateur Radio License

One of the principles upon which the amateur radio service is founded is that, when needed, amateur radio operators will provide public service and emergency communications. Part 97.1 (a) reads: Recognition and enhancement of the value of the … [Continue reading]

21 Things to Do: Get on the air

Once you’ve acquired a radio, the next step is to get on the air. You’re now an amateur radio operator, not an amateur radio listener. If your first radio is a VHF transceiver, the first thing to do is to find the repeaters in your area.  One … [Continue reading]

From the trade mags: modern transceiver design, twisted pairs

Here are a couple more articles from the engineering trade magazines. High-performance HF transceiver design. This article describes some of the decisions that an engineer must make when designing a modern amateur radio transceiver. It also sheds … [Continue reading]