r/amateurradio 4d ago

General Weekly Information / Mentor / New License Thread

4 Upvotes

This thread is used for those who just passed their tests to introduce themselves, a place to ask questions that you think don't deserve its own thread and a place to brag!

Posts will be sorted by new!

Before posting, please make sure to read our Rules, FAQs, and look over our Wiki Page as your question might have already been answered. Also, check out our guidelines about posting personal information.

Weekly Nets And Chat Rooms:

  • DMR Net: 0000 UTC Tuesday (Monday night US, 8pm Eastern). No net control. Brandmeister TG 98003. Also linked via echolink. More info can be found here.
  • HF Net: 01:30 UTC Monday Morning (Sunday night US). Coordinate via IRC, no net control. Information can be found here
  • CW Noob Net: 02:30 UTC Saturday Morning (Friday night US). Coordinate via IRC, no net control. Information can be found here
  • Official IRC Channel - #amateurradio on Geekshed. Link to web-based client is here but feel free to use whatever client you like.
  • Official Discord Server - /r/amateurradio is on discord. Click here to join
  • Collegiate Ham Radio Groupme is here
  • Young Amateurs Communications Ham Team EchoLink Net 19:00 Central Saturday Night
  • /r/amateurradio group on the Brandmeister network - TG 98003 - Listen Live - This talkgroup is bridged to AllStarLink node 48224 and Echolink node W5RI-L and on D-Star via XLX216 Module E
  • North American Traffic and Awards Net Nightly at 22:30Z on 7.185.
  • If you'd like to join a weekly net for new and returning amateurs, check out the details at http://ftroop.vk6flab.com, the net runs every week on Saturday, from 00:00 to 01:00 UTC on Echolink, IRLP, AllStar Link and 2m FM via various repeaters. You can also listen via the brandmeister hoseline! Link on homepage.

r/amateurradio 21d ago

General 2024 Amateur Radio Gift Guide

19 Upvotes

There are many people that come into the sub during the holiday season looking for gift ideas for the amateur radio operator in their life. Starting off with last year's list and will add/edit to it based on comments.

Please use this thread to give ideas. Provide a link to the product (avoid link shorteners and referral links as they will be removed). This sticky will be updated as items are added. Prices Listed Subject To Change


Free

  • Get licensed! - If someone close to you is an active amateur radio operator, obtaining an amateur radio license would make them very happy. In the United Staes, it's a 35 question, multiple choice exam. The study material is free using http://www.hamstudy.org and/or /u/dan_KB6NU 's Tech (PDF) Study Guide. The exam could also be free (under laurel VEC) and you have the option of taking the exams online (for a fee). FCC has implemented a $35 application fee in 2022 but there are reimbursement programs if you are under 18. (For other countries, check out our wiki for more information about getting started).

  • Lend a helping hand - There are times where hams need a hand when it comes to installing an antennas, towers or other various projects. There are also events called contests where some people need operators to be on the air. You don't really need a license in the US (however, some rules do have to be followed). Let them know you can help out. (Credit /u/kb2s)


$20USD And Under

  • GPS Time Sync Dongle - $11.99USD - Some modes such as FT8 need to have accurate time on their computer. With this dongle (and 3rd party software), it's possible to sync the computer's time using GPS satellites. This is excellent for those doing digital modes while out in the field (POTA/SOTA) or have limited internet (time sync) connection. (Credit to /u/MonkeybutlerCJH)

  • Go QRO or QRT T-Shirt - $18.95USD - Hams have been abbreviating text on CW (Morse Code) well before it was done with texting. We use "Q" Signals. Basically this shirt says "Go High Power Or Get Off The Air". Nice shirt for those who use large amplifiers. QRO = Increase power, QRT = Stop Transmitting. (Credit to /u/groovecookie)

  • Custom Wooden Callsign Plank - $20USD (ETSY) - Hams love personalized gear. This would make a nice addition to any ham radio operators shack. 2nd source for $27.95 (Credit /u/grendelt)


$21USD to $50USD

  • Signal Stick Replacement Antenna - Approx $22USD to $29USD - Excellent replacement antenna that can help boost a signal. Please note there are different connectors so you'll have to lookup the radio the person is using. Also helps support hamstudy.org and exam.tools

  • RTL-SDR Dongle - $31.95USD - It's a wide band SDR receiver that can listen to all sorts of communication from around 27MHz to 1750MHz. SDR# is a popular software that will support these dongles. See /r/RTLSDR

  • Custom Azimuthal Map - $12/29USD - If the amateur radio operator you're buying for has rotatable antennas, this is a perfect accessory for the shack. This helps the operator point their antenna to where they would like to communicate. (Editors Note: you can generate a free map and if you have access to a printer, you can print it out yourself https://ns6t.net/azimuth/). (Credit to /u/arkhnchul)

  • PINECIL Portable Soldering Iron - $26USD - Nice little portable soldering iron using USB. Excellent for field work or even a quick solder job at the bench. See https://www.pine64.org/pinecil/ for detailed information. Might require proper USB power supply and USB-C cable (Credit to /u/Fr0gm4n and /u/R4D4R_MM). Also available on Amazon (support the source!)

  • Custom Lighted Callsign Plaque/Light - $35USD (ETSY) - Nice gift for an operator to put in their shack. Best if you obtain their callsign (license) used when on the air for personalization. (Credit to /u/Cthulu2020NLM)


$51USD to $100USD

  • Lilygo T-Echo Meshtastic Device - $55USD - An off-grid communications device that you can use to send messages over the air using LoRa. Even possible to form a mesh network using multiple devices. Even though this unit can use amateur radio frequencies, 915MHz is more popular with the meshtastic community here in the US. There are other similar devices that are cheaper and more expensive depending on the chipset (ESP32 or nRF) and other features such as batteries, GPS, temp/humidity sensing and others.

  • NanoVNA - Approx $65USD - Handheld vector network analyzer. Excellent tool for those who make antennas and RF circuits that need testing. (Edit: Shipping times unknown, possible arrival after the holiday season, also shipping is $30) There are units available on Amazon (firmware/version varies). Also In stock with R&L (US Supplier)

  • The ARRL Handbook For Radio Communications - 100th (Special 2022) edition - $79.95 - This is a technical reference manual used by many amateur radio operators. This year's revision is their 100th edition which the ARRL released a collector's edition handbook with a textured finish and silver foil embossing. (Credit /u/eugenemah )

  • TinySA - Starting at $60USD - Handheld spectrum analyzer. Prices vary depending on source and features (bigger screen). (Credit to /u/kc2syk)

  • (tr)uSDX HF transceiver - $93 (Kit) / $144 (Assembled) - This is a multi band (frequencies), multi mode (SSB, CW, DATA, AM/FM) amateur radio transceiver. If the person you're looking to buy for enjoys electronic kits, this would be nice. End result is a tiny radio that can do many things and would be perfect for operators who like to operate while out and about (Parks on The Air, Summits On the Air)


$101USD to $500USD

  • Mitexla Precision Clock Kit - 100GBP - GPS syncd clock kit that is helpful in the shack as amateur radio operators need to be aware of the time while operating. The time will give the operator an idea of what band of frequencies to be on and used to help with logging details of a contact. Free worldwide shipping. (Credit to /u/equablecrab)

  • Kent Hand Key Kit - 103GBP/111eu - Kent makes excellent keys. They are offering up a kit that requires assembly of their straight key. Great gift for the operator who likes CW (Morse Code) and enjoys building kits. (Credit to /u/equablecrab)

  • QMX 5 Band Kit - $115 W/ Case, $166 assembled w/ case) - This is a neat little 5 Band, 5W, multi-mode radio (CW (Morse Code)/ Digital) radio kit. The kit version is perfect for the amateur radio that is into electronic projects. Involves soldering through hole components and winding toroids. For an additional $50 you can order the assembled version. Due to their popularity in 2023, it may or may not make it to your door before the holidays.

  • HackRF H4M - $152USD - A neat RF analysis device capable of many things using SDR (Software Defined Radio). It can transmit and receive signals from 1MHz to 6GHz (not designed to be used as an amateur radio) with a bandwidth up to 20MHz. It can be used for signal research. It's not designed for amateur radio operator but many hams use them.

  • Naval 24 Hour Radio Room Nautical Clock - $250USD - Back in the day, shipboard radio operators used this to monitor 500khz in Morse (the red sections on the quarters of the hour) and 2182khz for voice (the green sections at the top and half hour), also has a UTC hand for setting UTC time. The 8.5" dial is $275 and the 6" dial is $250. They are handmade by the Chelsea Clock Company in Chelsea, MA. (Credit to /u/autistic_psycho) Cheaper version here

  • Geochron Digital Atlas 2 - $500USD* - Geochrons are world clocks that show the time and sun position around the world. Some people consider these units a work of art and are coveted. Geochron has released a digital version of their famous clocks that utilizes a 4k television. Their digital version offers various overlays that can give the amateur radio more detail about conditions. * Price doesn't include the purchase of a 4k television. (Credit to /u/FlummoxedOne)


$501USD And Up


Websites to consider

  • The Sign Man - $$ - Various personalized items for the radio amateur. Signs, hats, keychains, lanyards, custom panels and more. If they don't have it, you don't want it!!! (Credit /u/runway0530)

  • Etsy - $$ - Various people/businesses crafting items for the amateur radio operator. The ham in your life will love most of these items.

  • Ham Crazy - $$ - Has various personalized hats, name badges, those light up call sign displays, decals for cars, even case plates for Apache cases (the Harbor Freight Pelican knockoff). Just steer clear of the whacker stuff. (Credit to /u/autistic_psycho)

  • Ham Tees by K0PIR - $$ - Various T-Shirts, sweaters, coffee mugs, stickers and other things.


Still don't know?

  • Ham Radio Outlet Gift Certificate - $$ - Still don't know what to get? You can take the easy road and get the ham you know a gift certificate to Ham Radio Outlet (HRO). That way they can purchase (or put it towards) something you'll know they'll use

  • DX Engineering Gift Card - $$ - Another popular website/store that sells products related to amateur radio. They offer gift cards for that special ham in your life!


All prices subject to change. This thread is just to give ideas.


r/amateurradio 1h ago

General What do we do when we forget a mast?

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Upvotes

Use the other antenna, of course! It was a cold and successful activation yesterday. Started by hunting CW then SSB on 20,17,15,12, and 10 and that's where it stayed parked for the rest of the activation. Had a blast today and worked Australia, Santiago Chile, and our Canadian neighbors up to BC. Which leads me to a question... Do you consider Canada DX? Does it depend on where in Canada? Alternatively, if you're Canadian, do you consider the USA as DX?


r/amateurradio 14h ago

General Has anyone here successfully lobbied their state or town to ease restrictions on ham radio antennas?

36 Upvotes

I want to lobby my city government to make it easier for hams to attach antennas to their homes without red tape. Much of the town is either in an HOA or a historic district. Good luck getting a "certificate of appropriateness" for an HF vertical even if your house was built in the 1960's.

The ARRL has some sample ordinances and I'm reading through those. I like the idea of being able to deploy an approved height of tower without town interaction. Having a legislative template is only part of the battle. I need to communicate effectively with a politician, who is not guaranteed to be either technical or especially bright. Getting him to understand hams are useful in emergencies is probably the harder part.

I've never lobbied for so much as a ham sandwich. I have no idea what I'm doing. Has anyone here done this successfully? What was the process like? From the first email or phone call to your town councilman to the ordinance getting passed, how long did the process take?


r/amateurradio 1d ago

MEME I guess we all can relate, right?

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412 Upvotes

r/amateurradio 18h ago

General What does "impedance matching" actually look like? (electricity waves)

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55 Upvotes

r/amateurradio 1h ago

QUESTION Antenna

Upvotes

Hi, i have a RTL SDR (soon maybe I’ll upgrade to a SDRplay RSPdx) and i want a antenna for Ghz, i already have a Diamond X300 for listening to 2m/70cm and a dipol antenna for 40m SWL, so whats the best antenna for listening to Ghz (1.100Ghz - 2Ghz)? Nagoya, Diamond or Comet?

(Sorry if thats the wrong subreddit)


r/amateurradio 12h ago

GENERAL Reading ARRL book and need some help.

6 Upvotes

Edit/update: Thank you all for your answers. I will follow the suggestions and treat the handbook as reference material and switch up my study guides. Much appreciated!!

I do not have any science or electrical background but have been interested in ham's and morse for quite a few years. I recently started watching some videos and purchased ARRL handbook as I want to pursue this hobby and get a license.

I went through the first into chapter and the second chapter is about electrical fundamentals. It looks like a daunting task and I am wondering if I have to go through every single thing in the book from each chapter or are there specific topics I should focus on and not get scared away from the hobby?


r/amateurradio 2h ago

QUESTION Advice on Next Steps for FT8?

1 Upvotes

I’m currently a Technician and have found myself enjoying receiving and reporting FT8 signals. I’d love to work up to transmitting on 10m and eventually add more bands once I get General.

I’d love some advice on my next steps. Right now I’m running an RTL-SDR to a Balun One Nine v2 connected to my rain gutter and a ground stake through braided speaker wire. Probably a laughable setup but I’ve been able to receive signals from over 11,000 miles so I guess it’s decent enough.

I don’t believe the Balun One Nine will support transmitting from what I’ve read, so I’d like to find a better antenna that would support transmitting and eventually find a way to transmit FT8 without a full rig if possible. For now this is just a passive hobby for me so I don’t want to invest in a rig just yet if I can avoid it.

Any suggestions on where I could go from here?

I’ve been considering the HOA Buster as a first step, would that be wise? Are there any alternatives to transmitting low power FT8 without a rig?

Thanks!


r/amateurradio 11h ago

General HT Recommendations - Possibly looking at a new HT around $175ish

5 Upvotes

Hi All,

I'm looking at potentially getting a new HT.

I've got a couple of Baofeng UV-17R units that work, but the battery is toast on one of them and it's about as much to buy a battery as it is to buy an entirely new HT.

I see HT's in all price ranges - $20 all the way up to $500 for a nice Yaesu FT5DR. I'm willing to spend a bit of coin to get a higher quality unit - but I rarely use my HT. Maybe I don't even need a new HT - maybe it's an Amazon gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

One thing that is kind of steering me toward looking at a new HT is getting into DMR. If I had to guess, it's just like YSF/WiresX - which I hate the sound quality of - and I suspect I can probably explore all this with my hotspot if I can ever get around to working on that.

Is there really a big difference in performance between the $25 Baofeng rigs I've been buying and say one of the Anytone/Radioddity units for $175ish - aside from DMR? I see a Baofeng that is offering DMR for around $90 - but requires a pretty steep learning curve, but I'm pretty technical and I could probably overcome that.


r/amateurradio 3h ago

EQUIPMENT To Flex or not to Flex

1 Upvotes

Throw away account.

I’m looking at biting a new radio. I have narrowed it down to two options.

Flex 8400 (when it launches) and Icom IC-7100.

Now I know they don’t even compete with each other, but that is the choice I need to make.

The plan for the Flex is having it in my utilities closet (properly grounded, don’t worry). Have a tablet on my desk to operate the flex or use my computer.

The IC-7100 if use the remote head with a very long network cable (insulated and shielded, dont worry) and have just the head and the mic on my desk. I have no use for 2M/70CM however.

Which would you recommend? Get the IC-7100 or get the Flex and use that nice Waterfall to my benefit?


r/amateurradio 3h ago

General Windows SDR with web interface - looking for assistance

1 Upvotes

Ill keep this short, but will update with common questions.

I have a cheap SDR I run on a windows PC at my desk, which I use to scan to see what's around.
mostly in the 100 and 400 ranges

I don't use it all the time, and would like to offer it up for people in my club to use, even just for a play around.

I use SDR # as its the best for what I use it for, but I dont mind swapping software to something else when im not using it.

The problem is I can't find anything windows based for a remote SDR, like how KiwiSDR does it.

The closest I have found is PhantomSDR, which loads but shows no data.

Or using a SpyServer and giving instructions on how to connect SDR# to the remote server, but thats not as user friendly as just saying "Load this website"

Does anyone have any good SDR software, for windows, which allows for a web based connection to control?


r/amateurradio 16h ago

QUESTION How to record from my UV-K5 (or any HT really) without muting the internal speaker?

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10 Upvotes

r/amateurradio 19h ago

General Passed my tech in October. Passed my general in November. Thought yesterday, maybe I’ll test for extra at an event in January.

12 Upvotes

Yeah, I’ll be taking my time lol, nevermind.


r/amateurradio 1d ago

EQUIPMENT Yes, Yes I Did, And I Have No Regrets Good Sir.

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204 Upvotes

r/amateurradio 16h ago

General Hardware/Software recommendations for SDR?

5 Upvotes

I'm thinking of using SDR to revive NOAA satellite images and I'm wondering what hardware would work for that, and what the best software for recording and decoding the transmissions are? I'm a fairly new ham operator, so something intuitive for the software would be preferable.


r/amateurradio 8h ago

General KMS

0 Upvotes

Anyone still using KMS on Windows 11 with an older Kenwood rig? I tried with my TS-450 and every time I changed the bits to 2, it kept resetting it to 1 and couldn't detect my rig.


r/amateurradio 8h ago

General Talkpod A3SE to hf

0 Upvotes

Bonjour tout le monde j'aimerais savoir si quelqu'un sait si on peut hacker la radio talkpod a36se pour émettre dans le band hf pour communiquer avec un cb


r/amateurradio 12h ago

QUESTION Counterpoise for G7FEK antenna

2 Upvotes

Hi guys i need an advice for my G7FEK antenna. I want to put not tuned counterpoises underground but i need to know how many should i put there and how far away should they go. 1/4 lambda?

If u want just draw schematic. Thanks


r/amateurradio 9h ago

General Beginner Questions

2 Upvotes

I got my first HT for Christmas and while I study for my technicians license I’m trying to listen in to activity around me and have some beginner questions. I’ve read that the FT65R can transmit on 144-148 and 430-450 MHz and receive on 136-174 and 400-470 MHz. Part of why I want to get into amateur radio is for emergency preparedness, and I found the frequency list for my state’s SAR. One of the frequencies is 155.160, but when I enter that on my HT I hear a tone and it changes to 155.162. It happens with all of their other frequencies as well. Can someone explain why that’s happening?

Second question, if I’m unable to transmit on those frequencies and an emergency happens, how can I contact SAR or another agency for help assuming there’s no cell service?


r/amateurradio 1d ago

General Came across this handheld transceiver, what would I need to program this?

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85 Upvotes

r/amateurradio 10h ago

General FT5DR Antenna

1 Upvotes

Anyone here think the stock antenna should be upgraded to another antenna and know that another antenna is better than a stock antenna? If I was to upgrade the stock antenna I would probably buy three types of antennas. One stub, one whip and one regular. What do you guys recommend if upgrading is worth it.


r/amateurradio 11h ago

General VR-N76 noise issue

1 Upvotes

I got a VR-N76 for Christmas and people are saying they are hearing an end of transmission tone, kinda like the baofeng beep and I cannot figure out what setting is causing it. The only time I here something really noticeable is when preamble is on for APRS, but I don’t understand why that would mess with regular transmission.


r/amateurradio 14h ago

QUESTION Noaa transmission location identification needed

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2 Upvotes

I need help in identifying the place the noaa 18 satelite transmitted (sorry for the bad quality I was using the kit dipole i got with the RTLSDR)


r/amateurradio 11h ago

General HF equipment question

1 Upvotes

What HF transceiver is best and easiest to add an IF tap for an external SDR. I understand that there are external antenna "switchers" that will let you receive on the SDR and transmit on the transceiver, but then the SDR doesn't have access to all of the high-quality, fancy amplifiers and filters supposedly supplied in the HF transceiver.


r/amateurradio 18h ago

General How to get actual DXCC award certificate after lotw credits granted

4 Upvotes

My DXCC credits were granted over a month ago and this is reflected on LOTW, but I have still not received the actual certificate in the mail. I have enough for a mixed award. I don't see anything else that I can do via LOTW to request the actual paper certificate, and I paid the fees for it at the time of submission of the application. What am I missing? Thanks!


r/amateurradio 21h ago

General FT8 et yaeso ft840

6 Upvotes

Bonjour, j'aimerais savoir de quel matériel j'ai besoin pour pratiquer le FT8 avec mon yaeso ft840. Merci d'avance pour vos réponses. J'ai également le xiegu g106 et l'interface mais il n'est pas repris dans la liste des transeiver de wsjt-z