by Michael Martens | Aug 18, 2014 | Amateur Radio
Getting your antenna in the air can sometimes be challenging. Not all of us have unlimited real estate and 120 foot towers at our disposal to hang any radiator on that we please. We all have to work within the confines of our situation, meaning limited space, property...
by Michael Martens | Jul 24, 2014 | ARES/RACES
Nobody told me that being net control operator would involve so much paperwork. With a constant barrage of radio traffic and seemingly endless bits and pieces of information to keep track of, how do we keep our nets running efficiently without letting any of that...
by Michael Martens | Jul 9, 2014 | ARES/RACES
During a weather net or other type of ARES/RACES activity, I’m typically the the person behind the microphone, operating as net control and keeping things running smooth. In my years as a net control operator, one skill I’ve picked up is the use of break...
by Michael Martens | Jul 2, 2014 | Operating Events
In the 15 year’s I’ve held my amateur radio license, I’ve hardly ever missed a Field Day. I also thought I had seen just about everything that could happen or go wrong at a field day site. I’ve experienced brutal hot weather, endless bugs, rain...
by Michael Martens | Jun 18, 2014 | emcomm
I must make a confession. I was never proficient at knots. I used to tie things up with a big ‘goober’ knot of twine. If the knot slipped, I’d just add more twists and loops. The knots weren’t pretty, they seldom held, and heaven forbid you try...
by Michael Martens | Jun 11, 2014 | Antennas
As the late spring and summer months heat up, six meters comes alive. Known as the Magic Band, the six meter band can be mysterious, unpredictable, and downright fun. You never quite know when the band will open and where it will take you. Every year our club’s...
by Michael Martens | May 20, 2014 | ARES/RACES
Recently our ARES/RACES group provided communications for two day motorcycle rally. Titled the MDA ride, it is a fundraiser for muscular dystrophy. The communications needs for the ride may sound simple, but due to the scope of the event, it involved a comprehensive...
by Michael Martens | May 12, 2014 | Amateur Radio
This article is a little bit of a departure for me. Typically I write about VHF/UHF communications, but I’m dipping my feet into the microwaves and have thrust headfirst into the world of Broadband-Hamnet. Broadband-Hamnet, formally known at HSMM ham radio, is a...
by Michael Martens | May 1, 2014 | emcomm
The cross-band repeat function; you’ve probably seen that feature listed in the operation manual as a function of your dual band mobile radio, or saw it as a feature in a VHF/UHF amateur radio advertisement. But what does cross-band repeat do, and how can you...
by Michael Martens | Apr 4, 2014 | Getting started
I’ve always said that ham radio would be so much more fun if it weren’t for all the wires and connectors. It always seems that there is always a cable coming loose, causing the whole mess not to work. But connectors are an important component of ham radio,...
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