Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Part one of a two-part series on HF propagation. Although I've been unable to find Tyler's (N7TFP) second chapter of the series, the first video is more than adequate in explaining the basic theory behind HF propagation. This tutorial is well-produced, easy to understand, and informative. This video would make great supplementary study material for those taking a Technician Class Amateur Radio Course. Perhaps, someone has found the second part of the series...I surely hope so, because the first video is especially well done. For the latest in 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 email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. You can find more Amateur Radio happenings by visiting my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

TVTechnology: Low-Level RF Signals Allow Hackers to Grab Data From Laptops : "Low-Level RF Signals Allow Hackers to Grab Data From Laptops. No Wi-Fi required. As anyone who has tried to use a portable AM or shortwave radio near a computer knows, computers emit a variety of RF signals over a wide range of frequencies. The emissions can extend into the VHF bands. Although these emissions are considered noise or interference, the reality is they contain information about what's happening inside the computer. Researchers at the George Institute of Technology are studying these emissions to help hardware and software designers develop strategies to plug these RF data leaks. Alenka Zajic, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, explains, “People are focused on security for the Internet and on the wireless communication side, but we are concerned with what can be learned from your computer without it intentionally sending anything

A very simple, stealth antenna that produces good results without being seen by nosey neighbors. Basically, Tony has built a 3-band vertical with all elements connected to a single SO-239 connector and a radial ground system. Tony's antenna resembles a vertical fan dipole, with the radial system supplying the "missing half" of the antenna. I've built several antennas following Tony's basic design. They all work very well and no one in the neighborhood knows the antennas are there. Of course, there are tradeoffs. This antenna won't bust a pileup or get you 59+ reports all the time. But it does work. And, sometimes that's all you need to get on the air without being noticed by the HOA/CC&R "police." Good luck! For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. For more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today!

Working satellites with a simple handheld VHF/UHF transceiver is loads of fun, especially if you can do it without spending a lot of money. David Mercado (KK4MND) shows how he made contact with the popular SaudiSat SO-50 with just an inexpensive Baofeng UV5R and a MFJ Dual Band Antenna from Amazon. You don't need a lot of space to set up a temporary antenna for these low earth orbit birds. Have fun! For the latest in Amateur Radio news and events, please visit the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . For more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining me today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles Global Hourly HF Propagation Maps The February Issue of Digital QST is Now Available LoRa - low cost long distance telemetry Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines - Depa

Nicely paced video from author/instructor Gordon West (WB6NOA) on mobile HF antennas . Gordon does a good job of covering the basics of mobile operations, including the type of HF mobile antennas available, the importance of grounding, and how to get a match close to 50 ohms for your rig. Much of what Gordon discusses here can be applied to other compromised antenna situations, such as HOAs and CC&Rs. If you live in this type of situation, some of the mobile HF tips suggested by Mr. West could give you a way of getting on the air with a good signal and still remain mostly hidden. In fact, you may want to design your home antenna around a mobile antenna. Some of the newer mobile antenna designs are quite stealthy and put out a good signal. Perhaps a "Little Tar-Heal Antenna" or an ATAS-120 would get you on the air with a minimum of space and nosey neighbors. It's worth a try. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. T

One of the popular transmitters used by newly minted novice amateur radio operators in the 1960s and 1970s was the Knight Kit T-60. It was fairly cheap ($49.95) and could be operated in either AM phone or CW. As I remember, the T-60 had four tubes--6HF8 (oscillator), 6DQ6 (power amplifier), a 6DR7, and a 12AX7. The rig had a bad chirp on CW, most likely caused by improper loading of the plate circuit. That defect resulted in many FCC pink tickets and OO reports for new licensees. Although I never owned one, I used the rig a few times during field days and other portable operations. When I was first licensed as a novice in 1977, I was offered an old Heathkit HW-101 and that pushed the T-60 project out the door. This video does a good job of describing the functions and quirks of this early ham radio transmitter. Here are two places where you can find out more about this "classic" novice rig: http://www.ehmam.net (07 January 2015) and w9zt.webs.com. For the latest Ama

The ALEXLOOP antenna is a well-made HF portable antenna designed for emergency and portable use. The ALEXLOOP Walk ham radio antenna is well-respected by the QRP community and is gaining in popularity as an emergency antenna for home use. This video by Randall (N4SAX) is hillarious and a bit "off center", but the message is clear: The ALEXLOOP magnetic portable antenna is a real gem worth keeping. Although I prefer to build my own wire antennas, I may deviate from that principle and buy one of these "effective solutions" for my own portable use. Great video! For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebar. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. For more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).