There’s nothing wrong with being called an amateur in the ham radio world. After all, in many circles, ham radio is actually known as amateur radio. It is called amateur not because of any lack of talent but because these radio frequencies are not used commercially but for recreational and service purposes. That aside, you still don’t want to come across as a complete greenhorn to the hams who could all be listening to what [...] Read more »
As you build up your ham radio operation, make sure you get a quality antenna. Like amplifiers and receivers, an antenna is a necessary and integral part of the whole operation. You can’t use a radio at all without some kind of antenna, and if you want it to work well, you had better get a good one. For quality usage of a shortwave receiver and overall ham radio operation, you need a quality antenna. [...] Read more »
So you want to join the club of ham radio enthusiasts. I don’t blame you. It really is a fun hobby, after all. At this point though, you’re probably wondering what is the first step into your new hobby. Some may tell you to start buying equipment and gadgets, but at least in the United States, this is not the first step at all. You will need to pass a test in order to get [...] Read more »
While the ham radio can be a fun and exciting hobby, there are also serious reasons that many people are aware of when they take up the hobby. Other hams (what ham radio operators call themselves) learn about the serious side to the hobby after they pick it up. Whether you’re new or old to the hobby, you might like to know about some of the life or death reasons that ham radios are a [...] Read more »
If you’re going to be operating a ham radio, then you’re going to need an amplifier to work with your receiver. Every radio, amateur or otherwise, needs an amplifier, just like every sound system. It’s an integral part of the design. Whether you purchase that amplifier as part of your receiver or separately (or if you want to design and build it yourself!), that’s up to you. An amplifier is a device which is rather [...] Read more »