Over the past few months, I’ve received a steady stream of emails and comments that have all landed in the same place in my mind: just how much the field radio space has changed, especially in the last five or six years. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that field operating […]
Ham Radio Portable Operating Insights: Winter POTA Considerations
As we head into the winter months here in Ohio, I would typically put away my “POTA Hat.” I have always said I am a fair-weather POTA operator. I like going out in the sunshine surrounded by nature and making contacts around the globe. As I get older, winter is just not my jam. This […]
Elecraft KH1 Firmware Version 1.27 Adds SOTAmat Functionality and Morse Audio Feedback
Many thanks to Steve (KV4AN) and Dan (N7CQR) who note that Elecraft has just issued a firmware update that adds new functionality to the Elecraft KH1. Steve notes: Thomas, Elecraft has released Firmware Version 1.27 (see PDF) for the KH1, in case QRPer readers are interested. Attached is the change description. In summary, the updated […]
Ham Radio Youth Insights: Bridging the Gap Between Generations of Operators
It’s no secret that the majority of amateur radio operators fall into one demographic category. This fact prompts questions that fill the forum halls of hamfests and often get asked of the young people who are stepping into the world of amateur radio: How do we get young people interested in the hobby? How do […]
Century 22: Mike’s “Barn Find” Radio!
by Mike (VE3MKX) A ham radio “barn find” is discovering vintage piece of amateur radio gear (transmitters, receivers, test equipment) in barns, garages, attics or closets ! This story isn’t anything out of the norm, just a fluke. It was a regular day at home, surfing the net while having breakfast. I eventually surfed onto […]
Dating Your Vintage Bug Made Easy: A New Tool from W6JSV
Many thanks to Jay (W6JSV), who recently created a useful tool for those of us with vintage bugs. He notes: I also wanted to write you about a website I made that you might find useful: https://www.bug.date/. I got tired of looking up serial numbers on a PDF and figuring out which model I was […]
New Product Spotlight: The Icom IC-7300 Gets an Upgrade with the IC-7300MK2
Ask anyone who has operated Icom’s beloved IC-7300 HF Plus 50 MHz Transceiver and they’ll tell you it packs a lot of punch for the moderate investment. A game-changer when it was unleashed on the market in 2015, Icom’s first RF Direct Sampling System entry-level SDR altered the HF transceiver landscape with a highly affordable, […]
A Window of Fine Weather: Early Morning Pedestrian Mobile on the Beach at Fort Fisher SRA
by Thomas (K4SWL) As I mentioned in recent field reports, my family and I took a weeklong, off-season vacation on the North Carolina coast a couple of weeks before Christmas. I’ve already published two field reports from Carolina Beach State Park, but there were several other nearby parks I’d hoped to activate during our stay. […]
It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from Desecheo Island…Soon to be QRV After 17 Years!
DX Engineering has provided a range of equipment—including best-of-class DX Engineering coaxial cable assemblies—for the upcoming remote activation of this rare entity in January/February. *** Ready to record your first All-Time New One for 2026? You won’t have long to wait for the opportunity, but, rest assured, you won’t be alone in your pursuit. The […]
I was going to write a field report this morning…
…but instead, I’ve decided to hit the field! I’m in Raleigh, NC today and had planned to spend the morning putting together a field report and activation video. Instead, I looked outside, saw the sun (after quite a lot of driving in the rain yesterday), and decided my time would be better spent on the […]