by Michael Martens | Jul 23, 2015 | Ham Radio Q and A
You’ve heard a lot of people recommend putting a few loops of coax near the feed point of your antenna to keep the RF energy out. How does this work and why is it needed. Watch this episode for more information on common mode currents, baluns, and RF chokes....
by Michael Martens | Jul 4, 2015 | Operating Events
Field Day. Is it a contest? An emergency preparedness exercise? Or a ham radio reunion? I like to believe it’s a bit of all three. My Field Day participation has definitely spanned all three descriptions, and I tend to feel most comfortable with the third. After last...
by Michael Martens | Jul 1, 2015 | Ham Radio Q and A
What’s the best type of coax cable to purchase for my antenna system? Watch this episode of Ham Radio Q and A to find out. Thank you to everyone that gave me the positive feedback on the first episode of Ham Radio Q and A. I will admit that the first episode...
by Michael Martens | Jun 15, 2015 | Ham Radio Q and A
Ham Radio Q & A is a new type of amateur radio themed online show were I’ll answer your ham radio questions. You too can get your ham radio question answered, just send me an email to kb9vbr@jpole-antenna.com or leave your question in the comments below. Do...
by Michael Martens | Jun 6, 2015 | emcomm
How’d you like to deploy 50 feet of coax with just a flick of the wrist. Watch the video below and I’ll show you how. Has this ever happened to you? You grab a cable, be it an extension cord or piece of coax and start to unwind it. Suddenly you have a snarled mess of...
by Michael Martens | May 23, 2015 | News
In a Report and Order released on May 21, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the elimination of the regulatory fees for the amateur radio vanity call sign program and the GMRS licenses. Their reasoning: economics. From the FCC FY 2015 Report...
by Michael Martens | May 6, 2015 | emcomm
“Will work for T-shirts” That’s a popular saying by hams that like to get involved with volunteer activities. I can’t recall how many shirts I’ve collected over the years from the various walks, runs, bike ride, ski events, and marathons I’ve been a part of. Suffice...
by Michael Martens | Apr 29, 2015 | ARES/RACES
I’ve been a severe weather spotter for close to fifteen years. I’ve had my share of close calls, and even more so, I’ve experienced plenty of boredom. Being out in the field often is long stretches of nothing peppered with bits of extreme excitement. But for the last...
by Michael Martens | Mar 25, 2015 | Getting started
What’s the most popular band and operation mode in amateur radio? If you guessed 2 meter VHF FM, you would be correct. As new hams, our first radio is usually a small handheld model. This is a great way to get started in ham radio and connect with other local hams....
by Michael Martens | Mar 17, 2015 | Operating Events
Next to Field Day, my favorite operating activity is the Wisconsin QSO Party. Who wouldn’t love an event where your station becomes the sought after entity. So, for the 2nd Sunday in March, I fire up the rig and see how many other Wisconsin and out of state stations I...
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