Index

We’ve added a couple of new things to WA2HOM, most notably our new QSL display and we’ve finally gotten our maps framed and hung.

The QSL display is shown at right. What they did was to put a plexiglass frame over the railing separating the station from the ramp. This allows museum visitors to get a closer . . . → Read More: New Additions to WA2HOM

Here in the U.S.—where we still measure length in feet—468 is a magic number.  Why? Well, the formula for calculating the length, in feet, of a half-wave dipole antenna is:

L (ft) = 468 / f (MHz)

If you do the math, a half-wavelength is actually 492/f, so where did the number 468 come from? The explanation most . . . → Read More: 468: Ham Radio’s Magic Number

Here’s a press release that I received today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2010 ?News Media Contact: Moira Vahey at 202-482-0147 or press@ntia.doc.gov

BOULDER, CO — The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), a division of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, today released a collection of online training and educational videos . . . → Read More: ITS Launches Telecommunications Science Video Series

While I enjoy all the technology we get to play with as amateur radio operators, I enjoy just as much the people you meet on the bands. In the last week and a half, I’ve had three QSO that are worth blogging about.

One of the items making the rounds on the HamRadioHelpGroup mailing list is this video on the Sea Water Antenna:

At first, I thought, “What a novel idea!” Of course, as the Bible says, there’s nothing new under the sun. PA1AP noted, “Reinventing the wheel I would say. There is prior? art for this and cannot be . . . → Read More: Sea Water Antenna?

I’m happy to report that I’m now on 17m.  I don’t know really what took me so long—especially since I enjoy working 30m so much—but I finally put together a dipole for 17m and hung it up yesterday.

Yesterday evening, the band seemed to be hopping. The first station I copied was CE3FZ at about an S5. . . . → Read More: 17m!

I’ve blogged about finding hams in your area before:

A recent thread on the HamRadioHelpGroup mailing list prompts me to revisit this topic, though. The replies list four different websites that you can use to find out this information:

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a week in a cabin on Elk Lake, MI. Over 25 members of my family congregated for this annual event., including my three sisters, a passel of nieces and nephews, their spouses, and kids. It’s a beautiful spot, and we have a great deal of fun.

As I have for . . . → Read More: Vacation Pics

Yesterday, down at the museum, we got a whole pack of Cub Scouts on the air, thanks to Ovide, K8EV, my ever-ambitious “kid wrangler.” No sooner had I managed to make a decent contact than he lassoed a group of five Cub Scouts from Detroit. Fortunately, conditions held out so that I could give them all . . . → Read More: WA2HOM Introduces Cub Scouts to Ham Radio

The ARRL recently posted the article, “K2BSA: Amateur Radio Fun in the Warm Virginia Sun,” which discusses amateur radio activities at this year’s National Scout Jamboree. It reports:

…nearly 6000 youth scouts — 13 percent of the total Jamboree attendance — received thorough exposure to ham radio, touring the K2BSA station and getting on the airwaves. Six . . . → Read More: Ham Radio at This Year’s National Jamboree