Foundations of Amateur Radio

Today I'm going to talk about SWR or Standing Wave Ratio. As amateurs we use this term all the time, we expect to see it on a meter or display near our transmitter, we b…

One of the tick boxes we're required to deal with is the one titled "Station Security". As licensed amateurs we're required to secure our station from use by unauthorise…

Radio Waves travel in straight lines. They go from point to point and that's it. Except that Radio Waves also reflect off certain surfaces, like light does.

So, Radio W…

To do the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome is the definition of insanity; so how do you avoid making the same mistakes on-air in Amateur Rad…

There was a time when I took my computer out into the field to do my portable logging. That's still true for contests, but when I'm hunting for an elusive DX station, I …

Today I'm going to talk about magic. In the past I've made mention of the magic that is Amateur Radio. There are those who think that our hobby isn't magic and that ever…

This technology driven community of radio enthusiasts makes me laugh on occasion. Today I had to laugh when I realised that we spend an awful lot of time talking about a…

There is a curious phenomenon related to how we operate that is pervasive within our community. As an inexperienced ham, I would turn on my radio and tune around and hea…

The thing I like about our community is that there is always something new brewing, someone is inventing something, making something or doing something. It amazes me tha…

When you use your trusty multi-meter to measure resistance across a 50 Ohm resistor, it shows 50 Ohm, but when you use it across a piece of 50 Ohm coax, you see either i…

Today I'm concluding my breakdown of the contest that I participated in recently as a mobile station.

I planned to make my contacts on one band and I did that. Feedback…

Today I'm going to look at the actual on-air activity of the contest. Previously I've talked about the preparation and planning, as well as the doing, in terms of mechan…

Today I'm going to talk about the doing of a contest. Previously I discussed the preparation and you can go back to that and have a listen online, search iTunes for my c…

Training is a word that is steeped in tradition, it conjures up images of classrooms, teachers, chewing gum stuck to the bottom of your desk and being called upon to att…

Today I'm going to talk about getting started. In the past I've mentioned that it's a good idea to find a community, a club or a local mentor to get you going in this ho…

This crazy hobby keeps sending curve balls to me. You've heard me talk in the past about missed opportunities. There are times when you look back and ask yourself: "What…

Have you ever had your radio on, listening around, say on 40m and heard the following:

"CQ, CQ 40m, this is VK6FLAB, calling CQ 40, CQ 40m, calling CQ"

Apart from the …

Today we enjoy radio using all manner of different so-called modes. The ones that most people are familiar with are FM and AM. In fact digital radio DAB+ is another exam…

Today I'm going to talk about housekeeping, that is, the things you should be doing while you're doing the things you like doing, like making noise on air.

The topic of…

There are things to say and things not to say as a radio amateur.

Let's start with swearing on-air. Each jurisdiction is different and changing. The Australian Radiocom…