This past summer (July 25-Aug. 1, 2026), I had the opportunity to attend the YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) camp held in Wagrain, Austria. I’ve attended YOTA camps in IARU Region 2 for a few years now and even joined committees that helped plan and execute these gatherings, so I was interested in learning about […]
KB2PIZ: A “Mini” Activation of the National Mall Park (US-0655)
by Mark (KB2PIZ) Because of work, I had an overnight in Washington, DC. I had the TX-500 in the car but really did not think we would have time for an official activation. My wife and I spent the day walking around Washington, seeing the Smithsonian and enjoying a pleasant fall day in Washington, DC. […]
Today: Join Me on the RSGB Tonight @ 8 Livestream!
by Thomas (K4SWL) Hello friends, This evening, Monday, November 2, I’ll be joining the Radio Society of Great Britain’s Tonight @ 8 livestream for a presentation called “One Pack, Any Condition: Building a Versatile QRP Field Radio Kit.” I’ll be sharing some thoughts on putting together a portable field station that can adapt to different […]
New Products Spotlight for November 2026—POTA Packages, Satellite-Friendly Antennas & More
In this season of giving thanks, OnAllBands would like to give a major shout out to the amateur radio innovators who are constantly looking for ways to enhance our enjoyment of the world’s best hobby. From the small company that produces spool-type portable antennas to the ham radio giants who are shepherding transceiver technology into […]
The Rove Continues: Meeting Jason and Bugging-Out at Charlotte Hawkins Brown (US-6836)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On October 13, 2026, I set out that morning to drive from the mountains of North Carolina to Raleigh. I decided it would be fun to do a Parks on the Air rove en route, so I planned to hit three different state historic sites, all of which are fairly close to […]
Ham Radio Portable Operating Insights—Combining POTA with the Pennsylvania QSO Party
One of the high points of my ham radio year is the time spent in Pennsylvania with my friends. It’s a tradition that began 40 years ago with a tent camping trip to Indiana County, PA. Over the years, we moved to other counties. The longest stretch was in Jefferson County, which ended after the […]
KI5OEB: My DX Commander Expedition Build and Field Modifications
by James (KI5OEB) I want to begin by stating that I bought a new antenna, the DX Commander Expedition. But first, I had to sell one of my DX Commander Classics to a fellow ham. I have been contemplating vertical antenna builds since the day I received my General Ticket, /AG in July of 2022. […]
Extend Your Range—Getting in Touch with Cross-Band Repeat
I have been trying to figure out a way to increase some usage on our local repeaters. I have a 2 meter and a 70cm repeater fairly close by. I have no problem hitting them from my shack on low power. But my antennas are 50-plus feet in the air. When I switch to a […]
N2YCH: Hiking the Hanging Hills for POTA and SOTA
by Conrad Trautmann (N2YCH) Back in late 2023, I wrote about a joint POTA/SOTA activation I did here in Connecticut. It was the first one of the four peaks in the SOTA program in the Hanging Hills range in Southern Connecticut, W1/HH-0002, which is also Sleeping Giant State Park, US-1717 in the Parks on the […]
Pedestrian Mobile Ham Radio: You Can Take It With You
Most hams think of mobile operation as getting into a vehicle, turning on the radio, and heading down the road. Choosing portable operation means carrying a radio, battery, and antenna to a campsite, park, mountain, or other convenient operating location. But many of us forget another option: pedestrian mobile (PM) operation. Pedestrian mobile means operating […]