Simple Ham Radio Antennas

The 2015 ARRL Field Day is this weekend (27-28 June 2015) and thousands of amateur radio operators will be setting up portable ham stations to practice emergency communications skills. I've found several videos of well-organized amateur radio clubs which show how a Field Day Site should be organized and managed. This video clip from Christopher (VE7ALB) is a good example of a radio club working together to get the best signals possible from their temporary location. This video was taken on 28 June 2014 at the Field Day site of the West Coast Amateur Radio Association in Victoria, British Columbia .  If you have trouble viewing this clip, please insert this URL into your browser search box:  http://youtu.be/N-DLoFWZwxA.  Christopher does an excellent job of capturing the spirit and mood of this Field Day Site.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  You can follow our blog community with a fr

Thanks to John Gay, you can now get a free download of Joseph Carr 's "Antenna Toolkit, Second Edition."  I have a print version of this useful and extensive reference volume. Carr , a well-known electronics and amateur radio author for over 50 years, has assembled an easy to understand and practical handbook of antenna theory , design, and construction. The print version contains some useful CD software, which the downloaded version doesn't have. None the less, the downloaded version is still worth having because of Carr's excellent presentation and useful diagrams, photos, and schematics.  You can get a free download of this "antenna toolkit" by visiting:  http://tinyurl.com/ob4w7qm.  A print version with all of the CD software is available from Amazon.com.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily.  You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by

Well-done video tutorial on a basic problem many of us face when we repair older or vintage radios--this jammed up or immovable telescoping FM/shortwave antenna. In this simple video tutorial, Matt shows us several ways to "unstick" small radio or television set telescoping antennas without damaging the antenna or the receiver in the process.  This video will come in handy for those who enjoy restoring vintage commercial or amateur radio gear.  I tried some of Matt's suggestions on an old Micronta (Radio Shack) VHF weather band radio.  I managed to salvage the antenna with out any damage.  The old weather band radio has been returned to service in my radio room.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are update daily.  You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed.  Thanks for joining us today!  Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles Buil

If you have trouble viewing this video, please enter the following URL into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/WQLpT1m4ZK8. A good, basic tutorial from Andre Fourier on how coaxial cable affects antenna performance. The main points are pretty simple:  choose a quality brand of coaxial cable, use "decent", well made connectors, and check for cable loss.  Use the best coaxial cable you can afford from a reputable dealer.  This is another case of getting what you pay for.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed.  Thanks for joining us today!  Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles Today in Computational Necromancy: This maniac built a 10base5 Thick Ethernet network. In this century. Question about Comcast Business Retro Edition: The LAN Before Time Cisco Bringing 10 G

A MF and LW demonstration / outreach opportunity during ARRL Field Day 2015 : A MF and LW demonstration / outreach opportunity during ARRL Field Day 2015 Greetings! Several amateurs with Part 5 experimental licenses will be transmitting Field Day greetings on medium wave and long wave throughout the ARRL's Field Day, June 27 and 28. These station include but are not limited to: Callsign State kHz Mode ERP Amateur Call sign EAR Canada 188.83 QRSS30 VE3EAR WG2XKA VT 472.5 CW 1W WA3ETD WG2XJM PA 473 CW 20-30W NO3M WH2XND AZ 473.5 CW 5-7W NI7J WG2XIQ TX 474 CW 5-7W KB5NJD WD2XSH/20 OR 475 CW 20W N6LF WG2XSV WA 475.5 CW 1W W0YSE WG2XXM OK 474.2 1510Hz WSPR2 5W K5DNL WH2XRR MD 476 CW .025W N3CXV WH2XHY WI 476.5 CW 1W WD8DAS WE2XPQ AK 478 CW 25W KL7L WA2XRM CO 480 CW .5W W0RW Updates will be posted at http://njdtechnologies.net/mf-and-lf-demonstration-opportunity-for-arrl-field-day-2015-the-field-day-greetings/ Stations at Field Day sites are encouraged to