By Conrad Trautmann (N2YCH) QRPer.com is a great resource for all of us field activators. Thomas (K4SWL) posts about all kinds of nifty tools and things to help us while doing our field activations. He recently posted a story about Red Oxx bags (I think I need one), also a recent post about insect repellents, […]
Youth Ham Radio Insights: Making Friends Through Amateur Radio
Being someone many of my peers would consider to be “a nerd,” I don’t have an extravagantly large friend group at my small high school. A few months ago during the ARRL School Club Roundup event, I was on the air with my physics class. When some of my friends from the Youth On The […]
James’ first POTA activation with the IC-705
Many thanks to James (KI5OEB) who shares the following field report: My First POTA Activation with a New Radio by James (KI5OEB) I decided, thanks to the influence of many people, mainly Thomas K4SWL and Steve KM9G, to purchase my first-ever new transceiver. I purchased an ICOM IC-705 from a retailer that had an open […]
A Guide to June 2025 Ham Radio Contests—Field Day Edition
Also, 13 Colonies is less than a month away. Are you ready for a clean sweep? Is ARRL Field Day a contest? Technically yes, but those who have spent decades lugging gear and setting up temporary stations in the summer heat know there’s a higher purpose behind the QSOs and friendly competition. The contesting aspect […]
Scott Compares the FTX-1 and IC-705
If you’re curious about the new Yaesu FTX-1 field radio and how it compares to the Icom IC-705, Scott (KK4Z) has been doing a deep-dive series over on his blog. So far, he’s taken a look at form factor, connectivity, and power requirements, but he will add more. You can check out all of Scott’s […]
It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from Top Ten Most Wanted DXCC Entities – Part 3
In our overview of the rarest of the rare DXCC entities, today we’ll be looking at number six on the Most Wanted List per Clublog: Johnston Island. OnAllBands asked the team at DX Engineering to scour their QSL card collections for contacts made with this seldomly activated location—and they delivered. With years of DXing conquests […]
Steve’s MTR3B-V4 Field Kit in a Rothco Shoulder Bag
Many thanks to Steve (KV4AN), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. KV4AN’s MTR3B-V4 Field Kit by Steve (KV4AN) The convergence of Solar Cycle 25, lots […]
Bitten By the Bug? Staying Safe from Ticks, Mosquitoes, and Other Blood-Sucking Nasties in the Field
If you’ve been following my field reports for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of activating in wooded, remote, and sometimes… bug-infested places. But one thing I never take lightly is protecting myself—and my family (including Hazel!)—from ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs that can really ruin an outing or worse. […]
New Xiegu WR12: Add Wideband RX (to 1 GHz) to Your X6200
If you own the Xiegu X6200, there’s a new add-on that might interest you: the Xiegu WR12 Wideband Receiver Module. For $69.99, it adds continuous receive coverage from 54 MHz to 1 GHz, giving you access to HF, VHF, and UHF signals—including ham bands, shortwave broadcasts, and potentially aviation and marine comms. It’s designed specifically […]
Ham Radio Contesting 101: The Contest Station Is Never Done
Editor’s note: OnAllBands is pleased to post a series of articles written by accomplished amateur radio contester and DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist Kirk Pickering, K4RO. The articles, originally published in the National Contest Journal and updated with current information, offer valuable insights for both contesters new and old. *** Our first three columns focused mainly […]