My new end-fed half-wave (EFHW) antenna consists of a 132-foot radiating wire fed via a 49:1 matching transformer. The transformer brings the impedance of the wire to 50 ohms, more or less. It’s definitely “more or less.” EFHWs are high impedance antennas and their characteristics are sensitive to their surroundings. My store-bought EFHW came with a small in-line coil six feet out from the matching transformer. That coil is there to add a small amount of inductance to lower the antenna’s resonant frequency on 10 meters. This is a tried and true approach to getting an EFHW antenna to cover […]
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Around the Shack de N4GG April, 2025
As with ham radio in general, this column has readers at all levels of technical expertise. Ohm’s law might seem basic to many, but to others it’s seldom used and in the category of “once learned then forgotten.” As a practicing EE, Ohm’s law is second nature to me. It’s one of the lenses through which I view the everyday world. I can’t see a transceiver, or a power supply, or an antenna, or power lines, or a toaster without thinking about how many amps, volts and/or watts are involved. Meanwhile, most of us are not EEs. The good news […]
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Telnet and how it is used today
Scope: This article focuses mostly on CW and N1MM logger since that’s what I mostly operate. What is Telnet? Telnet was developed in 1960 and is one of the first internet standardized utilities by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It was used extensively for mainframe and Unix system maintenance in the early days of computers by sending commands. Unfortunately, Telnet transmits all information including usernames and passwords in plain text, so security is a big concern. The utility is built into almost all DOS and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The Telnet program is the standard used by many logging […]
Continue readingW6GB Estate Sale
Items from Gary Bush, W6GB’s estate are now being offered for sale to the ham community. The sale is being handled for Gary’s family by North Fulton Amateur Radio League. Bidding will open to those who are willing to expeditiously pay and pick up item(s) in Roswell, Georgia. All sales cash only. No checks please. Some smaller items may be considered for shipping. E-payment fees, packing and postage costs will be added to final sale price. Items sold as is, mostly untested – please feel free to inquire about the items and we will do our best to provide additional info. The […]
Continue readingW4QO Estate Sale
In December of 2021, we lost a dear friend and a great man, Jim Stafford, W4QO. Words here cannot describe what a fine gentleman Jim was, and the far reaching and positive impact he had on the local and national amateur radio community. Items from Jim’s estate are now being offered for sale to the local ham community. Bidding will open to those who are willing to expeditiously pay and pick up item(s) in Roswell, Georgia. All sales cash only. No checks please. Some smaller items may be considered for shipping. E-payment fees, packing and postage costs will be added to final […]
Continue readingARRL Book: Getting Started with Ham Radio
Get on the air now! A guide to your first amateur Radio station. Select radios and antennas. Explore operating modes: voice, Morse code, digital and more. Assemble your station. Have your license? Get radio-active! Now you can get on the air with confidence. Here, in one place, is help getting started in just about any ham radio activity. Contents: Your First Radio. Advice on choosing a transceiver and power supply that fits your budget and operating style. The Antenna–The Most Important Part of Your Station. Practical information to help you choose and install economical, yet effective, antennas. Propagation–The Science of […]
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Obituary to Our Founding Fathers
By Jim Stafford, W4QO Coverage of the lives of our ARRL president and vice president from the pages of April 1936 QST magazine. It will have some things you “did not know”. More …
Continue reading100+ Things To Do in Ham Radio
Have fun with Ham Radio doing these things Action or Activity Comment 2M SSB or CW Working the “weak signal” bands can be fun! 6M – what a great band! Operate the “magic” band on SSB or FM 10M – This band can really jump Join 10-10 international and KEEP THE BAND OPEN! 75 Meter Roundtables Sometime called the groan and moan nets! 160M – Get on the band The Gentleman’s Band – May need a different antenna AM – Operate this “old time” mode Join the AM net each Wednesday AMSAT – Join and work the universe Operate one […]
Continue readingEMCAR
by Bob Freeman, KI4SBL SK EMCAR is the Enhanced Machine Controller-based Antenna Range. This set of codes and documentation is intended to assist the interested party in setting up an automated antenna measurement capability (i.e. Antenna Range) using non-specialized hardware and free software. more …
Continue readingIt’s Midnight. Do You Know Where Your Radios Are?
By Tim, WK4U Article 5 in a series of 5 While it’s midnight here in Atlanta, it’s only 9pm on the West coast. Many folks are still awake in North America. Some stations are still broadcasting our way. Maybe favoring the “left” side if possible. It’s an interesting time. Not too many people to broadcast in their evening hours right now. Use any gray line program to see for yourself. Many broadcasts are either domestic, North American, or mostly towards Eastern Africa and the Middle East right now. So Tim, if I’m up this late, what are some of the […]
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