by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina for the week, trying to fit in as many Parks on the Air activations as possible while my wife and I ran errands and worked through a handful of projects around town. That afternoon, we found ourselves in North Raleigh, and […]
Month: January 2026
Ham Radio 101: The Origins and Evolution of Q-Codes
Who or what is Q? In James Bond films and novels, he was the head of Q Branch, which developed all the cool gadgets that Bond used in his missions. Remember the laser Rolex, Dentonite toothpaste explosive, and “Little Nellie,” a compact helicopter equipped with heat-seeking missiles? All these solutions helped keep 007 alive while […]
Trying to Choose Between the Elecraft KH1 or Elecraft KX2? Here Are Some Questions You Should Ask Yourself.
By Thomas (K4SWL) One of the question I’m asked often by readers—especially those looking for a highly capable, do-it-all field radio—is this: “Which radio should I buy: the Elecraft KH1 or the Elecraft KX2?” I’ve talked about this briefly in some of my activation videos over the years, but usually in passing and often while […]
Building a Portable Station that Can Also Be Used for Base Operations
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in ham terms, did you build a base station that you made portable or vice versa? *** Every day I talk to ham radio operators about various rabbit holes that make up our hobby. There are many holes one can choose to explore, and there’s no […]
Tested: “The Surprising Flaws in 18650 Lithium-Ion Batteries”
Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) for sharing this recent episode of Adam Savage’s Tested, where he and his guests (Alex Hao and Andreas Bastian of Lumafield) take a close look at CT scans of 18650 lithium batteries, uncovering battery manufacturing defects and quality control inconsistencies: Click here to view on YouTube.
Ham Radio Youth Insights: Notes from an American Student Participating in the Worked All Germany Contest
I began my student exchange year in Germany last August. I had no idea how active I’d be in amateur radio through the ten months I would spend there. It turns out the answer to that question is “very active.” I arrived with my host family in the last few days of September. The next […]
KB2PIZ: Greenhalgh Trail BLM — A Lightly Activated POTA Site
by Mark (KB2PIZ) After finishing one of the most amazing, serendipitous activations in Jerome State Historical Park, our journey had us heading up 89A towards Kanab, Utah. Looking at the map, five minutes from where I was going to work was the Greenhalgh Trail BLM Recreation Area (US-5986). Not only was this a POTA spot, […]
Ham Radio Manufacturer Spotlight: What’s New from Yaesu?
Today’s post is for anyone looking for a serious performance upgrade at their station. John Kruk, N9UPS, National Sales Manager of Yaesu, recently sat down with Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, to discuss a number of topics, including Yaesu’s philosophy of building systems that feature quality audio performance; are easy to use, versatile, and […]
Hidden Woodsmen M55 Haversack & FT-818 Field Kit Test: POTA at William B. Umstead State Park
by Thomas (K4SWL) Earlier this month, my wife and I dropped our daughters off at their universities to start their spring terms, then decided to spend a week in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. While we did have a few projects to tackle during the week, it also opened the door to quite a […]
It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from DXCC Entities on the Air in February 2026
While the much-anticipated, DX Engineering-sponsored 3Y0K Bouvet Island activation looms large on the DXing calendar for February 2026, there are a few other opportunities next month to satisfy your itch for some serious HF excitement. We’ve highlighted a few of them in today’s OnAllBands post, along with QSL cards earned by the skilled operators at […]