Cold weather changes everything. It’s December, and for most of the USA we are heading into seriously cold weather. Cold has a lot of negative effects on off grid power and amateur radio gear. If you have not properly accounted for cold weather, then your equipment will let you down… Read more »
A hot topic. My May 5, 2019 commentary, The Transmitters of Freedom Should Be Turned Back On, unexpectedly generated a great deal of attention. It quickly became one of the most reposted and shared articles on this website. It’s encouraging that so many people care about this issue. It warrants… Read more »
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 »
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 »
Well, it’s happened again. Along the same lines of the hysterical hair on fire “they’re taking two meters away!” fake news from last summer, the latest amateur radio rumor mongering originates from the state of California. It seems that ham radio repeaters are being kicked off government-owned towers, particularly repeaters… Read more »
It’s hard to follow. One issue that seems to come up a lot in the off grid radio realm is proper system grounding. The rules and expectations are hard to follow. There are a lot of opinions out there. Many of them are accurate, others are not. Today we’ll go… Read more »
Beyond OPSEC. Last month we discussed operational security (OPSEC) and why it’s important to off grid hams. As a follow up to that, it’s worthwhile to talk about how to keep your communications private. After all, operational security is very difficult without also having some form of communications security. The… Read more »
You can’t unpull the alarm. All the things that make the internet fantastic can also be to its detriment. Looking up a callsign, for example, is as easy as tippy-tapping a few keys. None of us who were there miss the days of flipping through a three inch thick $29.99… Read more »
It seems so innocuous. Have you ever spotted an impressive antenna on someone’s house and thought, “wow, now there’s a kickass setup!” Or maybe you have a neighbor who goes for a one hour jog at the same time every day. What about that house up your street that is very… Read more »
In search of the “perfect” antenna. A lot of off grid amateur radio involves compromises. We don’t have the same resources as grid-connected hams. Many off grid hams operate portable stations, which presents even more givebacks. One of the most common compromises is the antenna. When trying to go portable,… Read more »
Revisiting a classic. It’s been three years since I presented an article about the DIY portable DC power pack. It’s still one of the most popular articles here on Off Grid Ham. Almost every radio amateur has some version of this gizmo. Over the winter I had the itch to… Read more »
Where am I going with this? This article will be outside the mission of Off Grid Ham but I hope you’ll stay with me. I’m going to drift away from my usual schtick and use my substantial internet platform to bring attention to this neglected issue. My point can be… Read more »