Tag Archives: blogs about ham radio

The Off Grid Ham 100 Watts For $300 Solar Project -2023 Update

A classic never goes out of style. Way back in 2016 I posted the Off Grid Ham 100 Watts for $300 Solar Plant. Even today, that article is still hugely popular and one of the most viewed posts on this website. In a 2020 update, the $300 threshold not only… Read more »

Wind Turbines For Off Grid Radio: Pros and Cons.

wind energy

The unloved child. Lots of hams are very successful with solar. It seems to be the “go to” off grid power source. I don’t have firm numbers, but anecdotally it appears solar is more popular than even gas generators. Of course, solar is not the only game in town. Wind… Read more »

Lithium Battery Fire Risks: Sorting It Out.

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lithium battery fires

Exponential market growth! Lithium battery technology has made exponential market penetration in the last decade or so. Once an exotic and expensive platform, today nearly every battery-powered device uses lithium. Along with increased market acceptance comes attention, both good and bad. Most of the bad news circulating about lithium batteries… Read more »

Turn Thinking Into Doing (But Do Some Actual Thinking First).

It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. It’s been quite a summer! Flooding, extreme heat, wild fires, and (at this writing) a hurricane just tore up the Western USA and another storm is churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Every time… Read more »

Perovskite Solar Update.

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The “holy grail” of solar energy? It’s been over six years since Off Grid Ham first covered perovskite solar. For the unfamiliar, perovskite solar is a new type of photovoltaic technology that is based on perovskite-structure crystals. There are several advantages. First, is efficiency. Perovskite solar is far more efficient… Read more »

Battery Isolators, Separators, and Combiners.

When you want to expand your battery capacity. Off grid ham radio has an addictive quality about it. You tell yourself, “I’ll get a modest battery and solar panel and just fool around a little bit. I’m not too serious about this,” thinking that’s as far as you’ll ever go…. Read more »

A Ham Radio Memorial Day -COMMENTARY

ham radio Memorial Day

Radio philosophy. If you see amateur radio as being greater than the sum of its parts, then you already understand where I’m about to go and will find affirmation in this article. If you value amateur radio solely for its utilitarian (communication) purposes, then you’re missing out. There is personal… Read more »

Planning For Off Grid Home Solar.

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off grid home solar

Wish list. Most off grid hams are off grid only for portable operations. Many of them would like a larger, permanent home system but don’t know where to start or what such a project involves. If having an off grid home solar power system has been a longtime wish, this… Read more »

Series and Parallel Battery Connection Techniques.

Graduation time. A lot of if not most off grid hams have only one battery in their system. Connecting a single battery is more or less self-explanatory. What should you do when you expand your system to include multiple batteries? Should they be in series? In parallel? Is one way… Read more »

Batteries: Your Weakest Link.

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batteries

It cannot be avoided… Batteries are arguably the weakest link in the off grid radio chain. Solar panels, controllers, connecting cables, and almost everything else can last years, even decades. But batteries are a consumable product and no matter how good yours are, it’s almost certain they will not last… Read more »

QRP Alternatives: After The Funeral, What Comes Next?

QRP alternatives

Let the dead rest. Now several weeks out from being the #1 ham radio news story, the Yaesu FT-818/817 product sunset has faded from attention. Anyone not already on the Yaesu platform will have to seek QRP alternatives. Most hams were surprised, some were disappointed, and some were strangely…glad? One… Read more »

Yaesu FT-817 & FT-818: 2001-2022.

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FT-817 & FT-818

The news wasn’t shocking. One would have to be living deep in a cave not to have heard the news. Just before the new year, seemingly out of nowhere, Yaesu announced that it was discontinuing the venerated FT-817 & FT-818 radio. Although the news came as a surprise, anyone with… Read more »