by kb9vbr | May 1, 2026 | Activation Log
I am a sucker for bags and organizers. Not for the reason that my life is organized. Far from it. But I am always searching for some form of organization. That’s maybe why I have this unhealthy obsession. But after using the Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer, I...
by kb9vbr | Apr 29, 2026 | Activation Log
If you are in the market for a new home, you are going to run into some type of restrictive covenant that could limit your ham radio operation. It’s a fact of life, especially if the house is in a suburban development or planned community. We can yell and scream...
by kb9vbr | Apr 25, 2026 | Activation Log
A hallmark of my channel is I put antennas to the test under real conditions. I set them up in a wild location and put them on the air. You get the chance to see how they operate in the field and get a feeling of their performance beyond the simple numbers of SWR and...
by kb9vbr | Mar 25, 2026 | Activation Log
About a year ago, Radioddity sent me their HF-009 vertical antenna. At the time I didn’t have very high hopes of it, as their previous HF antennas were a bit underwhelming. But in using it I was pleasantly surprised and the HF-009 became a regular part of my...
by kb9vbr | Mar 21, 2026 | Activation Log
I’ve somewhat become a fan of vertical delta loop antennas. Small delta loops consistently punch above their weight, offering low noise on receive while exhibiting an excellent RF takeoff angle on the upper bands. But they are not for everyone. A delta...
by kb9vbr | Mar 6, 2026 | Activation Log
The cool thing about the Parks on the Air program is that it’s deliberately designed for a great amount of flexibility. One of those features is that you can take advantage of activating two or more park entities at once when their borders overlap. I love the...
by kb9vbr | Mar 2, 2026 | Activation Log
I’m all about saving money. What ham radio operator isn’t. I also enjoy the thrill of building something and implementing it into my amateur radio workflow. When I made the switch a couple of months ago to the Koss SB40 headset for my Yaesu FT-891, I was...
by kb9vbr | Feb 20, 2026 | Activation Log
QSO Parties are a lot of fun. They are a low barrier entry into the world of contesting. You can operate casually or go full bore. And the best part is, your efforts are recognized no matter how little or long you operate. With our close proximity to the state of...
by kb9vbr | Feb 11, 2026 | Activation Log
Over the years, I’ve demo’ed countless end fed half wave antennas. Operation on most of them is pretty much all the same. I’ve said numerous times that an end fed, is an end fed, is an end fed. Despite minor differences, you are going to get similar...
by kb9vbr | Feb 4, 2026 | Activation Log
I’ve been doing Winter Field Day, give or take, for about 10 years. There’s been a couple years when I had other things going on and couldn’t participate, and one year the where there was so much snow that we couldn’t get into the cabin we were...
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