SWR, also known as Standing Wave Radio, is an important concept for ham radio operators. SWR is what allows us to know whether our antenna is performing as designed. If you have a good SWR reading, you can rest easy knowing your antenna is receiving and transmitting the best that it can. What is SWR?…
Author: K0LWC
USFS portable repeater vandalized in Rocky Mountain backcountry
Vandals took aim at an unlikely target last week in Grand County, Colorado. Firefighters’ battling the 14,000+ acre Williams Fork wildfire suddenly noticed their radios stopped working. The size of the fire is so large simplex communication wasn’t feasible. The U.S. Forest Service deployed a portable repeater to allow firefighters in the field to communicate…
Baofeng saves the life of ham radio operator
Ham radio is often portrayed as irrelevant. A dying hobby in the age of the cell phone. Ham radio operators know nothing could be further from the truth. One operator who would be the first to back that up is Alden Summers Jones, KC1JWR, from Vermont. During the Summer of 2020, Alden decided to take…
M17 project aims to kill off DMR, YSF and D-Star on ham bands
One of the most significant challenges digital has in ham radio is the multiple modes across manufacturers. D-Star, DMR, C4FM, P25 are all on the amateur bands across the United States, but could these digital modes we all know and use come to an end? If a new startup project has anything to say about…
Kenwood D710G Programming: How to program memory channels
Are you wondering how to program memory channels into the Kenwood D710G? Thankfully, it’s really easy. The Kenwood D710 is the easiest mobile radio to program from the keypad that I’ve found. Here is how you do it. How to program the Kenwood D710G
BridgeCom Systems SkyBridge Hotspot Review
Are you a ham radio operator interested in DMR? Getting started can be intimidating, but not with the SkyBridge Hotspot DMR Plug N’ Play package from BridgeCom Systems. BridgeCom’s SkyBridge dual band hotspot is the latest hotspot on the market for amateur radio operators. What makes it such a compelling buy is the ease at…
New Ham Radio Onboard The ISS Is On The Air
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team has announced the new ham radio FM repeater is now active aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as of September 2, 2020 at 1:02 GMT. Ham radio and the International Space Station Ham Radio operators have enjoyed making contact with the ISS for many years….
Top 4 ham radio HTs for new ham radio operators
New ham radio operators have a lot of questions to figure out. Where can I put up an antenna? Will my neighbor disown me for appearing to try and make radio contact with aliens in outer space? The most critical question you need to answer is, “What should my first ham radio be?” It’s not…
Ham Radio Basics: What is a repeater?
Ham radio continues to grow in the United States. That’s great news as we have more operators getting on the air. That can mean many are wondering how to get started with some ham radio basics. Getting started When you finally earn your technician license, you’ll run out and purchase your first VHF/UHF handheld radio….
FCC wants cold hard cash from ham radio operators
Ham radio operators have enjoyed a cheap pathway into the hobby for decades, but that may soon come to an end if the Federal Communications Commission gets their way. The FCC is proposing a $50 fee for applications submitted to the agency by amateur radio operators. The new fee being considered for amateur radio operators…