Tag Archives: commentary

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 »

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

      17 Comments on Yaesu FT-817 & FT-818: 2001-2022.
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 »

BREAKING NEWS. Americans Step Up: Privately Funded Shortwave Broadcasts to Ukraine Will Happen.

Power to the people. A regular Off Grid Ham reader tipped me off about an effort to privately-fund shortwave broadcasts to Ukraine. After a little fact-checking, I have determined that this is not just whimsical talk. It’s going to happen. A lawyer in California has launched a crowd funded effort to… Read more »

The Transmitters of Freedom, Chapter 3: COMMENTARY.

shortwave

A moral imperative. On two previous occasions (here and here) this blog published editorials calling for a shortwave radio broadcast “revival” to oppressed foreign countries with censored internet and no free speech protections. Since then, shortwave broadcasts have declined even more. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and other world… Read more »

The Flame Goes Higher: COMMENTARY.

      10 Comments on The Flame Goes Higher: COMMENTARY.
amateur radio politics.

The frog in the soup pot. I believe the average Off Grid Ham reader has above-average intelligence. They also have a good grasp of what’s going on in the world. While this blog does not often delve into amateur radio politics (and even then we tread lightly), every now and… Read more »

Don’t Let Ham Radio Become A One-Trick Pony.

      15 Comments on Don’t Let Ham Radio Become A One-Trick Pony.
emcomm

Guilt trip. I came across an interesting discussion on an internet ham radio forum. The author, a ham, had misgivings because after being hounded (his term, not mine) to join an local emergency communications (EMCOMM) group, he finally had enough of the nagging and told them to shove it. Afterward… Read more »

Requiem For Radio Shack.

      11 Comments on Requiem For Radio Shack.
radio shack

Special author’s note: The March 19 Off Grid Ham article mentioned Radio Shack only as a minor side story. So many readers commented about their experiences with the fabled electronics retailer that I thought it was worthwhile to address the topic in more detail. I wrote the following article for… Read more »

To Whom It May Concern.

      14 Comments on To Whom It May Concern.
FCC WARNING TO HAM RADIO

A curious trend. Just over two weeks ago, traffic to Off Grid Ham exploded. By January 15, OGH racked up more page views and unique visitors than it usually gets in an entire month. At this writing the website has surpassed its previous monthly traffic record by many thousands of… Read more »

The Ship Has Sailed.

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survival and preparedness

Where have you been? Preparedness and survival  As I write this the outcome of the Presidential election is not known. Depending on who you choose to believe, which candidate is ahead and which is lagging is a wildly open concept. One thing for certain is that there is a sense… Read more »

You’re A Ham Radio Beginner. Now What?

      4 Comments on You’re A Ham Radio Beginner. Now What?
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 »

The Transmitters of Freedom Get A Little Louder.

shortwave broadcasting

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 »

More Fake News, And A Promise.

      8 Comments on More Fake News, And A Promise.

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 »