Category Archives: AMATEUR RADIO

Off Grid Christmas Wish List.

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It’s closer than it seems. Off Grid Christmas Wish List.  We live in strange times. With many products out of stock and long lead times for the stuff you can get, it’s not too early to think about what you’d like to give (or get) for Christmas. An off grid… Read more »

Getting Out of the RFI Maze

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RFI

One of the hardest problems to understand. Amateur radio is full of difficult challenges, but few of them approach the hair-pulling level of radio frequency interference, or RFI. It’s a hard issue to address because there are so many variables. For example, sometimes moving a piece of equipment just a… Read more »

Buying A Ham Radio? Good Luck!

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USED RADIO

Everyone is asking. buying a ham radio As I roam the internet keeping up with others’ thoughts about ham radio, the number one theme that seems to come up, by a very large margin, is “I want to get into amateur radio, but I can’t afford it!”. The sentiment is… Read more »

Be Your Own Radio Shack…Because You Have To.

off grid supplies

The halcyon days. As early as middle school, before I was a ham and still into CB radio, Radio Shack was my haven. They had pretty much anything a teenaged electronics experimenter and ham could ever want. With thousands of locations, they were everywhere. I know I’m dating myself but… Read more »

Learning From Off Grid Mistakes…Part 2.

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OFF GRID MISTAKES

I wasn’t planning a “part 2”. learning from off grid mistakes  Last May’s article about off grid mistakes received a surprising amount of attention. Many months later, it’s still a very popular piece. As a follow up, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the issue and… Read more »

The Secret Life of Multimeters.

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Radio Shack multimeter

As basic as it gets. If you do not own at least one good multimeter, you’re not a serious off grid amateur. If you’re new to amateur radio, ok I’ll give you a pass. For everyone else, multimeters are such a fundamental tool that there isn’t any wiggle room on… Read more »

Discussing Vertical And Wire Antennas.

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vertical and wire antennas

A topic so deep and wide. I messing around with you. There is no such thing as an antenna specifically for off grid radio. But since off grid amateurs tend to be practical, do-it-yourself types, some vertical and wire antennas are more more appealing than others. What are the options,… Read more »

Everything But The Ham.

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unlicensed radio communications

It’s about ham-less options. I’m going to assume that everyone who reads this blog is either a currently licensed ham, or at least vaguely interested in becoming one. With that kind of a demographic, why should I even entertain the idea of covering non-ham radio communications? Well, it’s all about… Read more »

Sorting Out Linear And Switching Power Supplies.

linear vs switching

Two of a kind? Some radio amateurs, especially those who are new to the hobby, may not even know there are two main types of power supplies. They could be forgiven for that. When you need a power supply, you just jump online, pick out that one suits your needs… Read more »

You’re A Ham Radio Beginner. Now What?

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ham radio beginner

Old timers, don’t click away just yet! This article is primarily for those who recently got their radio license, but I hope the old timers will hang around. The goal is to provide direction to the ham radio beginner and give more experienced operators some insight they can use to… Read more »

Survival Skills: When It’s No Longer A Hobby.

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Like it or not, you may become “that guy” (or girl). Amateur radio means different things to different people. Some like to tinker and experiment. Others are into DX or contests, or maybe community service projects. No matter what your motivations are, amateur radio serves a secondary usefulness that goes… Read more »

Go Box Zen 2.0

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Has it really been that long? I didn’t realize it’s been over three years since the last time Off Grid Ham specifically addressed go boxes. If the internet discussions and on air chatter are any indicator, it’s a very popular way to operate. It’s way past time to revisit the… Read more »