500 Parks on the Air Activations!

500 Parks on the Air Activations!

In the little over five years that I have been active with the Parks on the Air program, I’ve just accomplished my 500th POTA activation (502 to be exact). There are many that have more activations under their belt. Program wide, I am in about 280th place of the...
The Amazing Magnetic Loop Antenna

The Amazing Magnetic Loop Antenna

Magnetic Loop antennas get a bit of a bad rap. Nay-sayers will frequently latch on their shortcomings: low power capability, tight bandwidth, dropping efficiency. Personally, I think they are just misunderstood. Magnetic Loops have a small footprint, excellent size to...
Why you need this budget SWR meter

Why you need this budget SWR meter

A couple of months ago I purchased the Surecom SW-28HF power and SWR meter. I needed a small and inexpensive meter to test the power output of my tiny (tr)USDX transceiver. I wasn’t expecting much, but this little thing totally exceeded my expectations. You can...
CW POTA Activation: You can do it too

CW POTA Activation: You can do it too

A couple of months ago Joe, KD9CJX, asked me what’s the best way to learn CW. Like me, he’s been off and on the CW horse a few years now, but lacking the commitment to get code comprehension to a point where he feels confident to make a contact. I told him...
The Hamstick PERformer Antenna

The Hamstick PERformer Antenna

I keep a notebook full of video ideas. In it you will find little notes jotted down from interactions with viewers, things I’ve read or seen online, or from a brainstorming session. This is the first step in my production process. The idea from this video came...