Off Grid Ham is not even a year old and has already become a popular destination for the amateur radio and survival/prepper community. I’m sincerely thankful for the huge wave of goodwill, support, and kindness. Because of the warm response, I’m branching out with an all-new Off Grid Ham YouTube… Read more »
There has been a lot of on line chatter about how the public communications network (i.e., “the phone company”) fits into off grid ham radio and survival/prepping plans. After listening to endless anecdotes, half truths, misunderstandings, and in some cases amazing fiction, I will attempt to clear up a few… Read more »
Radio amateurs who never drift outside the ham bands and don’t see a need for a scanner receiver to monitor other services are cheating themselves out of a very valuable resource. Not only is monitoring non-ham communications interesting and fun, it can give you a huge advantage in a shit-hits-the-fan… Read more »
A recurring theme at Off Grid Ham is the importance of going out and testing your ideas and projects in real world operating conditions. Very few of my schemes have ever worked exactly as planned the first time I tried them. Most needed modifications; a few were complete flops and… Read more »
There are not too many options for radio amateurs who want portable DC power beyond the batteries in their devices. The Off Grid Ham 100 Watts For $300 Solar Power Plant is one alternative, but that can be too much for the ham who only needs to run a handheld/QRP… Read more »
Even many experienced ham operators will approach a table full of coax cable reels at a swap meet or stare at on line listings and feel lost in all the options, then out of confusion will default to buying whatever the vendor suggests or whatever is cheapest. They end up… Read more »
Advances in technology has made off grid ham radio a lot easier and more enjoyable. One of the most exciting developments is the relatively new lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. New technology requires new knowledge, so we’ll be exploring LiFePO4 batteries and where they might fit (or not fit) into… Read more »
Go boxes are a well worn subject in ham radio circles. On prepper/survival internet forums in particular, the topic has been beaten beyond death. In nearly all of these discussions, there is a lot talk about the how, but not much on the why. When reasons are given, they are… Read more »
It’s extremely rare for an aftermarket amateur radio product to be so well done that when installed it looks and functions like an OEM factory part. The Portable Zero 817 Escort is exactly such an accessory. If you run your 817 as a portable, then the Escort is a must-have…. Read more »
Good operating practice states that radio amateurs should use the minimum transmitter power required to maintain effective communications. In most cases that would mean to QRP (reduce power), yet in reality pretty much everyone runs their HF rigs at full power, all the time. There are two big reasons why… Read more »
One of the big thrills of amateur radio is working DX. There’s a lot of excitement in contacting that “Holy Grail” station on the other side of the world and earning bragging rights on local FM repeaters. But crisis communications necessitate that amateur radio operators trade DX glory for close… Read more »
It’s a given that a multimeter is one of the radio amateur’s best friends. The device is so fundamental that you can’t be a serious ham without one. Yet, most hams don’t know much about their multimeter, or how to select a good one. I will explain the various aspects… Read more »