A majority of off grid amateur radio involves portable operation with small systems. There are many reasons for this: Many people cannot afford large scale fixed solar; some are held back by homeowner association rules or want to incorporate amateur radio with camping & hiking activities. Other amateurs are motivated… Read more »
A little less than a year ago I published an article about Google Project Sunroof, what it means to off grid hams, and general observations about the initiative and its implications. You can read the original article here. At the time I could find no way to remove oneself from… Read more »
It’s always some variation of “How big of a battery do I need to run my (fill in the blank) radio?” It comes up a lot, not just in my email but also on the various forums and blogs I visit. The question is too open ended and comes with… Read more »
Radio utility monitoring may seem like just a hobby, but there is great practical value in keeping tabs on the airwaves outside of the ham bands. In an emergency or SHTF situation, traditional media may be offline or unreliable. Utility radio monitoring is the perfect “plan B”. This time around,… Read more »
I do very few product reviews here on Off Grid Ham because there isn’t much that hasn’t been reviewed elsewhere a zillion times already. I also want to avoid the conflict of interest that comes from accepting free stuff in exchange for reviews. AS Tool, a small Taiwan-based operation trying… Read more »
So you’ve had your fun with small single solar panels and are ready for a larger multi-panel system that can handle beefier loads. Hopefully you’ve read previous Off Grid Ham articles and have your system all planned & spec’d out. There’s one important detail we haven’t covered on this blog… Read more »
Field Day 2018 is almost here. It’s a contest, readiness drill, science fair, publicity stunt, geek festival, and party all rolled into one. It’s the Grand Poobah of amateur radio events. And this year my challenge to Off Grid Ham readers is not to fly solo. The task is simple:… Read more »
It came a little late for some of us, but spring and warm weather has finally arrived. If you were laying low and avoiding radio activities over the winter because of the weather, then your chance to get out and do some portable off grid ham radio operating has arrived…. Read more »
Amateur radio is full of rules. Many of them are unwritten, others are quite clear. Some rules are not about manners or operating protocol, but instead were created for the very practical purpose of safety and standardization. NFPA-70, also known as the National Electrical Code, is the accepted standard of… Read more »
I always seem to find the coolest stuff when I’m looking for something else! While researching for a future Off Grid Ham article I happened across two on line propagation calculators that can determine what HF bands are best for any time or operating condition. There are many other similar… Read more »
You did your homework, absorbed all the great advice here on Off Grid Ham, and put together an off grid amateur radio setup that works well and serves your needs, at least in theory. What now? To continue with a theme from my last article about Winter Field Day, here’s the… Read more »