Tag: rag chew

As I’ve mentioned countless times, what I love most about the Elecraft KH1 is how it has become my EDC (Everyday Carry) radio. It’s the perfect companion for those impromptu activations I manage to squeeze into my daily routine. Take Thursday, December 5, 2024, for example. Around 3:00 PM, fresh from a physical therapy session … Continue reading Twofer: Impromptu Trail & Parkway Activation with the Elecraft KH1 →

It’s a question as old as time itself: “What radio should I take on vacation?” This month, we’re heading out for a short vacation, and while I think I’ve already answered this question for myself, it’s always fun to explore the possibilities a bit further. As you probably know, I’ve accumulated a fair number of … Continue reading The Eternal Question: Which Radio Should I Pack? →

Many thanks to David (K2WNW) and Pete Polanyk, who share this brilliant documentary from the BBC World Service: Morse code: Ready to transmit The Documentary Podcast At the world Morse Code championships in Tunisia, competitors must battle to be the fastest and most accurate at sending and receiving Morse code. https://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/https/vpid/p0k8y5rz.mp3

Activating on the Road:  Stealth Activating with the AX1 Antenna System by Brian (K3ES) As I prepared my radio gear to do Parks on the Air (POTA) activations across the states of the American West (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road), I knew that I would need to operate in a wide … Continue reading K3ES: Stealth Activating with the AX1 Antenna System →

I’ve received eight messages from people who would like to give a special ham radio person—their spouse, partner, parent, child, or friend—a gift but don’t know what. I get these messages every year, and while I’m typically busy in December, I enjoy answering them because it means that I can take a gift decision in … Continue reading Affordable, Last-Minute Quality Gifts for the Field Radio Enthusiast in Your Life →

By Teri KO4WFP Last December, I set a goal of 60 new Parks on the Air (POTA) valid activations by the end of the 2024. When I sat down to calculate this goal last December, I figured one park a week was easily attainable. In fact, in my article about Jack Hill State Park, I … Continue reading The POTA Babe Reflects On Her Goal →

On Friday, November 15, 2024, a window of opportunity opened up for me to fit in a POTA activation—and I couldn’t be happier I took it! Life in Swannanoa is gradually normalizing after Hurricane Helene, but free time remains scarce. I imagine my neighbors would echo this sentiment, especially since so many of our local … Continue reading Turning Half a Watt and the Tiny AX1 Antenna into a Proper POTA Adventure! →

Over the past few weeks, my buddy Mike (KE8PTX) has quietly made several YouTube videos I thought I’d share here on QRPer.com. By the way, Mike is the fellow behind the new Explorer POTA20 Carbon Fiber Mast Ground Spike. You may have seen me use this in a recent field report and activation video. Ground … Continue reading Videos: Mike’s Insights on the POTA20 Ground Spike and a Clever Tripod Antenna Hack! →

Yesterday morning, I replied to a message from a reader planning to obtain a vanity callsign. He asked, “Which [suffix] letters would make an easy callsign to send [in CW] and copy in your experience?” This is a great question. I do have a few suggestions. My previous call I suggest avoiding ending your callsign … Continue reading Choosing the Perfect Vanity Callsign: Tips for CW Operators →

Many thanks to Jonathan (KM4CFT), for sharing 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.  CFT1 Field Kit by Jonathan (KM4CFT) I thought I would supply my own field … Continue reading Field Radio Kit Gallery: KM4CFT’s CFT1 Field Kit →