by Michael Martens | Feb 25, 2015 | Amateur Radio
I love satellite communications. I get a certain thrill when I hear the satellite come up above the horizon and the static from the receiver all of a sudden swell with voices, beeps, and other noises. Likewise I feel a little sad when the pass is almost complete and...
by Michael Martens | Feb 6, 2015 | News
Radio Shack: that ubiquitous technology store that we all love to hate. How many disparaging names have you used to describe the place: Rat Shack, Radio Scrap, Radio Crap, etc. . . I’m sure there are many more. But the bigger question is, how will we fill that void....
by Michael Martens | Jan 28, 2015 | Amateur Radio
As ham radio operators, we’re always looking for a way to save a buck. I’ll frequently dig through a free bin of part, hoping to scavenge something for the next project. This scavenger mentality extends to coax feed-line. High quality coax cable can be expensive....
by Michael Martens | Dec 27, 2014 | Amateur Radio
In my annual retrospective, I get a chance to look back at all my articles on this blog and highlight the most popular selections. In publishing a new article every 1-2 weeks, there was plenty of content to choose from. What I find interesting are the types of...
by Michael Martens | Dec 24, 2014 | News
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from KB9VBR Antennas. May your holiday season be filled with peace and joy and plenty of rare DX. Did you get a new radio for the holidays? Don’t forget the antennas. The KB9VBR 2 meter J-Pole antenna or 2 Meter Slim Jim Antenna are...
by Michael Martens | Dec 1, 2014 | Amateur Radio
Shopping for your friend, family member, or significant other bitten by the ham radio bug can be challenge. Ham radio is such an encompassing field, that if you’re not in tune with their particular interests, you run the risk of getting them the wrong thing....
by Michael Martens | Nov 23, 2014 | Amateur Radio
Hamfests, the flea market of the amateur radio world, are part buying expedition and part social affair. Shopping a hamfest can be great way to outfit your shack, plus if you’ve been involved with ham radio more than a few years, a great way to connect and reconnect...
by Michael Martens | Nov 15, 2014 | Amateur Radio
We’ve all done it. Standing on our tippy toes. The dance, slowly swiveling around, alternating holding our arms up in the air and hands close to our ears. I’m talking about the weird contortions we do until we get the best signal out of our handheld radio. HTs bring...
by Michael Martens | Oct 27, 2014 | Scanner
I love listening to the scanner. In fact, it was a scanning around in the late 1990’s that led me to find the amateur radio frequencies and my eventual getting my ham radio license. But I certainly haven’t let go of my scanner roots, I’ll often have...
by Michael Martens | Oct 20, 2014 | ARES/RACES
Every year in mid October, Wisconsin ARES/RACES, the state’s amateur radio emergency communications group holds its annual conference. While open to anyone with an interest in Emergency Communications, the conference gives ARES leadership an opportunity to...
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