By Scott Nacey (KK6IK) October 10, 2025 / November 9, 2025 It’s a little-known fact outside the San Francisco Bay Area, but fall is really our summer – don’t tell anyone. The weather is warm and sunny, perfect for hiking and being outdoors. Although we are blessed with many coastal parks near San Jose, Wilder […]
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KD9ZAB’s Quick QRP Escape: POTA at Fults Hill Prairie State Nature Preserve (US-4124)
by Adam (KD9ZAB) Sometimes radio isn’t just about the contacts — it’s about the excuse it gives us to put life on pause, breathe some fresh air, and disappear into nature for a bit. Friday, November 14, 2025, was one of those days. I slipped away from work for about two hours and headed to […]
Keeping Your Cool: Avoiding Heat Problems with Ham Radios
Every ham operator knows that heat is the silent enemy lurking behind every transmission. Whether you’re rag-chewing on 80 meters, running digital modes on FT8, or calling CQ in a weekend contest, your equipment is working hard—and when it gets hot, bad things can happen. Overheating causes erratic performance, shortens component life, and in extreme […]
Rain, Tea, and Morse Code: A Relaxing QRP Activation Under Shelter at Lake James
On my way back from visiting my father–driving through heavy, unrelenting rain–I decided to stop for a reasonably quick POTA activation at Lake James State Park (US-2739). It was the sort of day where windshield wipers struggle to keep up. I chose Lake James specifically because I knew they had a solid, roomy picnic shelter […]
16 New Products at DX Engineering for November 2025
If you’re a ham looking for serious shack upgrades, November is the perfect time to give thanks to the manufacturers who keep producing equipment that can take your station to the next level. This month OnAllBands is featuring 16 products you can now find at DXEngineering.com, including a switch mode power supply, hex beam antenna, […]
Rediscovering the Elecraft K2: Why This Classic Kit Radio Still Shines in 2025
If you’ve been following my field reports lately, you may have noticed that I’ve been using the Elecraft K2 quite a bit. Part of that is because I took it along on a recent trip where I completed several activations, and I’ve been posting those activations over the past couple of weeks. But the truth […]
Ham Radio Holiday Gift Guide 2025 Part 2: Gifts for the Portable Operator
If you have an amateur radio operator in your life who is passionate about going portable, we’ve got some great gift suggestions for the holiday season available at DX Engineering. The Gift of Patience Remember that shiny new banana-seat bicycle that had to sit dormant through the winter because it was no fun pretending to […]
Ham Radio Satellites 101: How to Talk to the Birds—an Introduction, Plus Many Resources to Get You Started (Videos)
Making contacts with other hams through amateur radio satellites is one of the most exciting aspects of being an operator. Even if you only have your Technician license, you’re permitted to “talk to the birds” which are traversing the atmosphere at more than 17,000 MPH in various orbital patterns and heights above the Earth’s surface. […]
Five Watts and a Bit of History: Activating Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, we were in Greensboro, North Carolina, on our way back home to the mountains after visiting my daughter at college. We decided to stay overnight in Greensboro mainly because I wanted to fit in a POTA activation the following morning. Usually, when we pass through the area, […]
Learn About the Military Radios in This Ford M151 MUTT from an Army Veteran & Ham Operator
Though the iconic military Jeep certainly proved its mettle during World War II, the Ford Motor Company set out to make an even better version in the postwar era. Starting with a clean sheet of drafting paper, Ford engineers created a vehicle that shared similar external dimensions with the original Jeep, yet had several key […]