Simple Ham Radio Antennas

. This informative and somewhat complex explanation of the Smith Chart from UCLA faculty member Philip Hon explains all you need to know about this useful antenna design tool. Hon illustrates his graphic with an example of a matching network using a single open stub. This video will join my amateur radio reference library. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated frequently. 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! If the video fails to load properly, you can use this youtube address: http://youtu.be/neHB0_C1zYE. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Excellent video tutorial from Randy (K7AGE) on how to build a simple, yet effective antenna for the 6 meter Amateur Radio Band. I have a similar antenna mounted on my garage roof. Although there isn't much 6 meter activity on Hawaii Island, some DX comes through when the sun gets active. Now that most lower television channels have moved away from the 50 MHz band (mostly the old analog channel 2), the band is a lot better for amateur radio contacts. Randy's instructions are clear and easy to follow. 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 email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. You can find more Amateur Radio happenings at my news site--http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! If you have trouble loading the video, please enter the title link in your browser and try again--http://youtu.be/4K5Vj6wtpE0.  Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM

Excellent video from Kevin Reeve (N7RXE) on how to set up a MESH node for Amateur Radio using the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. Kevin says there have been a few changes since the video was produced. In late 2013, a new version of the firmware for HSMM-MESH was released. The name was also changed to Broadband-Hamnet, and there are a few changes from what is described in this video. You can get the changes here: http://hsmm-mesh.org/images/stories/hsmmmesh-step-by-step.pdf. Otherwise, the video is easy to follow and will get you and your MESH Node operating in a minimum of time. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can also follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Another challenging and desperate year for "CQ" Magazine. "CQ" editor Rich Moseson (W2VU) discusses the future of the troubled publication with HamRadioNow reporter Gary Pearce (KN4AQ). Moseson "comes clean" and admits there are no easy solutions to "CQ's" list of problems. As the amateur radio community has reported, "CQ" has delivery problems, unpaid authors, and a disappointed ham community within the United States. Perhaps, "CQ" needs to better identify its audience and seek readers just outside the amateur radio community, such as electronics enthusiasts, "preppers", do-it-yourselfers, computer techs, and "makers." The magazine could also do some more retro articles, focusing on restoration of old equipment and emergency communications. Perhaps "CQ" has lost its way in the rapidly expanding digital communications explosion. ARRL's "QST" has found its niche in contest

I like this antenna idea from AF5DN. If you're stuck in a CC&R/HOA situation, this simple copper J-Pole antenna can get you on 2-meters with out attracting notice from nosey neighbors. Many years ago, I used a "homebrewed" 2-meter J-Pole made from 300 ohm television twin lead. It was ugly, but it worked. I also fitted this quickly-made antenna to a collapsable fiberglass fishing pole for portable or emergency use. AF5DN's craftsmanship and disguise routine are much better than my attempt at a "stealth" antenna. This would make an excellent weekend project. 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 email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. For more Amateur Radio news, visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining me today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Ham Radio Exam Courses : Ham Radio Exam Courses Posted date: February 14, 2015. Ham Radio Exam Courses What is it? Online courses for the U.S. ham radio license exams. How long does it take? Depending on your background and memory, most students pass easily after: Technician (entry-level) class license exam: 10 hours General class license exam: 20 hours Extra class license exam: 30 hours How does it work? Like books, we provide study materials. Like practice tests, we drill the actual exam questions and answers. Our cyber-tutor tracks your progress and focuses on your personal weak areas. It’s a powerful combination. Just ask our students! What does it cost? A 2-year subscription to the Technician course is $24.95. See price list for other courses. We cost about the same as the amateur radio license manuals, and we provide a lot more value. How do I know it works? Read awesome feedback from our students. We have more 5-star user reviews on eHam.net than all ot

Here's a nice experimental monoband antenna that is easy to build and provides a bit more bandwidth than a single wire dipole. Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) reviews the basic theory and construction practices used to build this antenna. All you need is enough 300 ohm tv twinlead to build the dipole for your chosen frequency, some additional 300 ohm twin lead for the feed line, and a balanced tuner or a 4:1 balun to tuner combination to connect the feed line to your rig. I've built a version of this antenna for 40 and 20 meters, supported by a single fiberglass vertical mast using a sloper configuration. The folded dipole makes an excellent portable or emergency antenna. The antenna breaks down easily and can be rolled up and stored in a small plastic bag or container. For more information on this antenna, please visit http://www.sciencewriter.net. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebar. These news feeds are updated daily. You can fo