by Michael Martens | Aug 5, 2013 | Scanner
A recent weekend excursion took us to the far northwestern corner of the state of Wisconsin to visit the city of Superior. Superior, WI is nestled on the western edge of Lake Superior and shares one of the busiest shipping ports on the Great Lakes with its neighbor...
by Michael Martens | Jul 28, 2013 | Antennas
Antenna mounting can be a tough subject. We want multiple radios on the air monitoring different frequencies and bands, yet we are limited by the amount of space available to place antennas. A common question I receive is how close can I mount this antenna to my other...
by Michael Martens | Jul 10, 2013 | Amateur Radio, emcomm
As an avid cyclist, I like to help out when the annual Great Annual Bike Ride Along the Wisconsin River or GRABAAWR ride comes through town. As a past participant in this and other week long bicycle adventures, this is my way of giving back to the cycling community....
by Michael Martens | Jun 26, 2013 | Amateur Radio
How’d your Field Day operation go? I’m glad to say that for the local club I’m involved with, the Wisconsin Valley Radio Association in Wausau, WI, we have another successful Field Day in the books. While we may not have had the most contacts, or hit...
by Michael Martens | Jun 13, 2013 | Antennas
Are you looking for an inexpensive way to mount your J-Pole antenna or other lightweight amateur radio antenna? The Digital Broadcast Satellite (DBS) dish antenna mounts are a great way to mount your antenna to a house, mast, tower. And the best part is with a little...
by Michael Martens | Jun 1, 2013 | ARES/RACES
I’m frequently the person behind the microphone when the skies turn dark and a severe weather net is in order. While I enjoy being out in the field spotting, sometimes running the show and keeping everything in order can be even more challenging and exciting. I...
by Michael Martens | May 26, 2013 | emcomm
Summer time usually gets pretty active in the life of an emergency communications volunteer. When we don’t have severe weather to capture our attention, we are out volunteering our services as communicators for community events. One such event I help out with is...
by Michael Martens | May 20, 2013 | MURS
Growing up in the country we had a long, wooded driveway. You’d never know who was coming up the drive: could it be a delivery person, the mailman, or perhaps someone wanting to cause mischief. I wish we had a product like the Dakota Alert Driveway Monitor to...
by Michael Martens | May 12, 2013 | Antennas
Last fall, my good friend and great amateur radio operator Dennis, W9PBB passed away. In his will he donated all his amateur radio and electronic gear to the local amateur radio club. We helped the family clean out his house last fall, but had to leave the tower until...
by Michael Martens | May 5, 2013 | ARES/RACES, emcomm
What a great day to get lost. It was warm and sunny spring day during a Boy Scout Camporee when 4 Scouts got lost. Of course the boys were lost on purpose as part of one of the largest Search and Rescue Merit Badge clinics in the history of the Scouting program. The...
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