by Thomas (K4SWL) On Thursday, October 29, 2026, I woke up to a beautiful day. The leaves were at absolute peak in terms of fall color here at my QTH’s elevation. As I tell everyone, I believe we have the most beautiful driveway in all of North Carolina. Here are just a few photos I […]
Ham Radio Tech—Why Should You Make Your Own Ham Radio Antennas?
For many amateur radio operators, buying an antenna is the easiest way to get on the air. Choose a model, place an order, assemble it according to the instructions, and start making contacts. Commercial antennas can be well-designed, convenient, and worth every penny. But building your own antenna offers something a store-bought model cannot always […]
Take Some Time to Read the Plaques (and Smell the Wild Roses)
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! by Vince (VE6LK) The general physician I had from age five until I moved out west thirty-five years later once said to me, “Take some time and smell the roses, Vincent. Don’t be go-go-go all the […]
Amateur Radio Buoys—Bringing HF Position Reporting to the Open Ocean
Amateur radio encompasses a wide variety of unique pursuits. While many operators focus on standard HF propagation, satellite communications, or moonbounce, Randy, KQ6RS, pursues a distinct niche: building amateur radio buoys. These buoys transmit their grid squares and geographic coordinates using the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) digital mode on the HF bands. He constructed […]
K5KHK: Earning My Brass Knuckles
by Karl (K5KHK) Have you heard of the Brass Knuckle Gang (or BKG for short)? In a nutshell: Make 2m CW contacts – and get others involved. Plain and simple. I’ve often said – only half joking – that POTA is the program that gave ham radio a new lease on life, or, to put […]
Ham Radio Holiday Gift Guide 2026 Part 2–POTA Presents: Transceivers, Batteries, Books & More
There are legions of ham radio operators who feel Parks on the Air® (POTA) has been a true gift to the amateur radio community. If you’d like to introduce a fellow ham to the magic of activating parks, the holidays are a perfect time to extend to them the gift of POTA. We promise, they’ll […]
The Hidden Woodsmen 2026 Holiday Sale: Deals on Some of My Favorite Pouches and Packs
by Thomas (K4SWL) Our friends at The Hidden Woodsmen are having a sale on many of their pouches. They’re all made in the USA and are very high-quality. The sale prices are an incredible value. Click here to check out the sale. I’m a big fan of several of these pouches and packs. The Possible […]
KI5OEB: My First Walk-In Parks on the Air Activation
by James (KI5OEB) I am about to describe my first walk-in park activation. I was at Roaring River State Park (US-1780) all week, but there was a park inside it: Roaring River Cove Hardwoods State Conservation Area (US-13161). Accessing this location required a hike. Decisions, decisions, decisions on what to bring up the hill to […]
1,000 Feet Above the Wheat Fields: K7TQ’s SOTA Activation of Steptoe Butte (W7W/WE-023)
by Randy (K7TQ) On October 30, 2026, I decided it was time for another SOTA activation. I had already activated Kamiak Butte, W7W/WE-022, the week before and posted a report here on QRPer.com. In that activation, I had handheld my KH1 with only the four-foot whip and 13-foot counterpoise as its antenna. That use was […]
Ham Radio Youth Insights—How to Prep for Your First Multi-Op Contest
With the 2026 CQ World Wide DX Contest SSB completed and the CQ WW DX Contest CW coming up soon (Nov. 28-29), I thought it might be helpful to discuss ways of preparing for a multi-op contest effort if you’ve never been part of one. I first participated in a multi-op contest in February 2024 […]