Social media and blogs

Everything has a presence online, and ham radio is no different. Just search for ham radio on Facebook, for example, and you’ll find dozens of possibilities, ranging from general-interest clubs to emergency communications to license-exam practice to contesting — and more.

Here are two popular streams of information about amateur radio:

• Twitter: twitter.com/amateurradio (@Amateurradio) or search for ham radio topics at https://twitter.com/search?q=ham+radio
• Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio and www.reddit.com/r/hamradio

The Internet is full of misinformation and, ham radio being a technical hobby, it can be hard to tell the helpful from the inaccurate. If something seems a little too simple for a complicated question, or if you just don't understand the claims, get some second opinions. Check with the ARRL’s web pages (arrl.org), or just keep searching and see if others give the same advice before trying it yourself.

Focused online communities like Google Groups (groups.google.com) offer more than just email distribution. They also offer file storage, a photo-display function, chat rooms, polls, and excellent member management. To take advantage of these services, create a personal Google account; then search the service for amateur radio or ham radio groups. More than 1,000 ham radio groups are running on Google Groups, for example.

Hams are chatty and have taken to the blogosphere like ducks to water. As a beginner, these can be very valuable in finding answers to common questions. One blog that’s very helpful for newcomers to amateur radio is KB6NU’s Ham Radio Blog (www.kb6nu.com). Run by Dan Romanchik (KB6NU), it offers study guides and news. Dan writes books and guides for newcomers, too.

Videos, podcasts, and webinars

There’s nothing quite like a demonstration to find out how to do something, such as put on a connector, make a contact, tune an antenna, or assemble a kit. Many video and photo websites are available to speed you on your way to ham radio success; YouTube (www.youtube.com) and Instructables (www.instructables.com) are just two of the options. Instagram (www.instagram.com) and Vimeo (www.vimeo.com) have quite a few ham radio sections, too.

Also available are several nicely produced talk show–style programs that have large followings. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Ham Nation on TWiT.TV (twit.tv/shows) covers operating and technical topics in an informal and fast-paced format. A new show airs every week.
• Ham Radio Now TV (www.hamradionow.tv), hosted by Gary Pearce (KN4AQ), is a weekly podcast that tackles all sorts of interesting topics. Pearce’s web page (www.arvideonews.com/hrn) lists many other audio and video programs. While you’re online, check out K7AGE’s YouTube channel and WB9VPG on Amateur Radio Newsline (www.arnewsline.org).
• A favorite technical program is SolderSmoke (www.soldersmoke.com), a monthly podcast that covers topics associated with building and repairing your own equipment. It’s great to download and listen to in the car.

Finally, webinars (online video seminars hosted by an instructor) are becoming common. Many of these events are archived, such as those hosted by the World Wide Radio Operator’s Foundation (wwrof.org). A webinar is the next-best thing to your mentor being there in the room with you.

It’s hard to use a dictionary to look up a word you don’t know how to spell! It can be the same with ham radio. If you don’t know the right name for something, your online search can be pretty frustrating. You can use the Google Images service (images.google.com) to help, though. If you have a mental picture of what you’re looking for, describe it in the images search window and click on some images that look right. Then follow the links to the web page the image came from.

Email reflectors

The first online communities for hams were email lists, known as reflectors. Reflectors are mailing lists that take email from one mailbox and rebroadcast it to all members. With some list memberships numbering in the thousands, reflectors get information spread around pretty rapidly. Every ham radio interest has a reflector.

Table 3-1 lists several of the largest websites that serve as hosts for reflectors. You can browse the directories and decide which list suits your interests. (Be careful, though, that you don’t wind up spending all your time on the reflectors and none on the air.)

Because my main interests are operating on the HF bands, contesting, and making DX (long-distance) contacts, for example, I subscribe to the TowerTalk reflector, the CQ-Contest reflector, a couple of the DX reflectors, and the Top Band reflector about 160 meter operating techniques and antennas. To make things a little easier on my email inbox, I subscribe in digest format so that I get one or two bundles of email every day instead of many individual messages. Most reflectors are lightly moderated and usually closed to any posts that aren’t from subscribed members — in other words, spam.

As soon as you settle into an on-the-air routine, subscribe to one or two reflectors. Reflectors are great ways to find out about new equipment and techniques before you take the plunge and try them yourself.

Web portals

Portals provide a comprehensive set of services and function as ham radio home pages. They feature news, informative articles, radio buy-and-sell pages, links to databases, reflectors, and many other useful services to hams. The best-known portals are eHam.net and QRZ.com.

QRZ (the ham radio abbreviation for “Who is calling me?”) evolved from a call-sign lookup service — what used to be a printed book known as a callbook — to the comprehensive site (www.qrz.com) that you see today. The call sign search features are incredibly useful, and the site offers a variety of call sign management functions.

eHam.net (www.eham.net) provides forums, articles, reviews, and classified ads for equipment sales. You will also find real-time links to a DX-station spotting system (frequencies of distant stations that are currently on the air) and the latest solar and ionospheric data that affects radio propagation.

DXcoffee.com (www.dxcoffee.com) is typical of a site with a theme. This site is all about the fun of DXing or trying to contact distant stations. There are hams traveling to exotic locations all the time. By watching a site like this, you’ll know when they’re going and their plans for operating. (DXing is discussed in more detail in Chapter 11.)

As with all public websites, not everyone behaves perfectly, but I recommend that you bookmark these sites, which offer lively collections of news and articles along with useful forums and features.

Finding and choosing a club

Here’s one way to find ham radio clubs in your area:

1. Go to www.qrz.com/clubs then select one of the following ways to search:
2. Select your state or other location to find a list of radio club websites.
3. Enter the name or partial name of a club.

4. Enter your city or zip code to locate nearby clubs.

   For an example club listing, see the nearby sidebar “Checking out a club.”

The ARRL, covered later in this chapter, also has a directory of affiliated clubs at www.arrl.org/find-a-club.

If more than one club is available in your area, how do you make a choice? Consider these points when making a decision:

• Which club has meetings that are most convenient for you? Check out the meeting times and places for each club.
• Which club includes programs that include your interests? On the club’s website or newsletter, review the past few months’ programs to see whether they sound interesting.
• Which club has activities for new hams? General-interest and service clubs often have activities designed specifically to educate, train, and welcome new hams. These are good starter clubs for you.
• Which club feels most comfortable to you? Don’t be afraid to attend a meeting or two to find out what different clubs are like.

You’ll quickly find out that the problem isn’t finding clubs, but choosing among them. Unless a club has a strong personal-participation aspect, such as a public-service club, you can join as many as you want just to find out about that part of ham radio.

Are you a college student or looking for a college radio club? Check out the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/ARRLCARI) to find college clubs and see what they are up to.

Participating in meetings

After you pick a general-interest club, show up for meetings, and make a few friends right away, your next step is to start participating. But how?

Obviously, you won’t start your ham club career by running for president at your second meeting, but ham clubs are pretty much like all other hobby groups, so you can become an insider by following a few easy first steps. You’re the new guy or gal, which means you have to show that you want to belong. Here are some ways to get acquainted and fit in:

• Show up early to help set up, make coffee, hang the club banner, help figure out the projector, and so on. Stay late and help clean up, too.
• Be sure to sign in, sign on, or sign up if you have an opportunity to do so, especially at your first meeting.
• Wear a name tag or other identification that announces your name and call sign in easy-to-read letters.
• Introduce yourself to whomever you sit next to.
• Introduce yourself to a club officer as a visitor or new member. If a “stand up and identify yourself” routine occurs at the beginning of the meeting, be sure to identify yourself as a new member or visitor. If other people also identify themselves as new, introduce yourself to them later.
• After you’ve been to two or three meetings, you’ll probably know a little about some of the club’s committees and activities. If one of them sounds interesting, introduce yourself to whoever spoke about it and offer to help.
• Show up at as many club activities and work parties as possible.
• Comb your hair. Brush your teeth. Sit up straight. Wear matching socks. (Yes, Mom!)

These magic tips aren’t just for ham radio clubs; they’re for just about any club. Like all clubs, ham clubs have their own personalities, varying from wildly welcoming to tightly knit, seemingly impenetrable groups. After you break the ice with them, though, hams seem to bond for life.

When you’re a club elder yourself, be sure to extend a hand to new members. They’ll appreciate it just as much as you did when you were in their shoes.

Getting more involved

Now that you’re a regular, how can you get more involved? This section gives you some pointers.

ARRL’s benefits to you

The most visible benefit of ARRL membership is that you receive QST magazine in print or digital format every month (see Figure 3-1). The largest, oldest, and most widely read ham radio magazine, QST includes feature articles on technical and operating topics, reports on regulatory information affecting the hobby, the results of ARRL-sponsored competitions, and columns on a wide variety of topics.

Along with the print magazine, ARRL maintains an active and substantial website, providing current news and general-interest stories; the Technical Information Service, which allows you to search technical documents and articles online; and several free email bulletins, online newsletters, and social media services.

Why does W1AW transmit bulletins over the air in this day and age of broadband connectivity? Bulletins may sound old-fashioned but they offer an opportunity to test equipment, assess radio propagation, and practice copying Morse code.

ARRL also manages the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), which helps hams organize at the local level. ARES teams support local government and public-safety functions with emergency communication services. They also perform public service by providing support and communications services for parades, sporting events, and similar events. You can find out more about ARES in Chapter 10.

In addition, ARRL is the largest single sponsor of operating activities for hams, offering numerous contests, award programs, and technical and emergency exercises.

ARRL’s benefits to the hobby

By far the most visible aspect of ARRL on the ham bands is its headquarters station, W1AW (see Figure 3-2). Carrying the call sign of ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim, the powerful station beams bulletins and Morse code practice sessions to hams around the planet every day. Visiting hams can even operate the W1AW station themselves (as long as they remember to bring a license). Most hams think that being at the controls of one of the most famous and storied ham stations in the world is the thrill of a lifetime.

The ARRL is a volunteer examiner coordinator (VEC) organization. You may take your licensing test at an ARRL-VEC exam session. (See Part 2 for information about the licensing process.) With the largest number of volunteer examiners (VEs), the ARRL-VEC helps thousands of new and active hams take their licensing exams, obtain vanity and special call signs, renew their licenses, and update their license information of record. When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could no longer maintain the staff to administer licensing programs, ARRL and other ham organizations stepped forward to create the largely self-regulated VEC programs that are instrumental to healthy ham radio.

One of the least visible of ARRL’s functions, but arguably one of its most important, is its advocacy of amateur radio service to governments and regulatory bodies. In this telecommunications-driven age, the radio spectrum is valuable territory, and many commercial services would like to get access to amateur frequencies, regardless of the long-term effects. ARRL helps regulators and legislators understand the special nature and needs of amateur radio.

ARRL’s benefits to the public

Although it naturally focuses on its members, ARRL takes its mission to promote amateur radio seriously. To that end, its website is largely open to the public, as are all bulletins broadcast by W1AW (see the preceding section). The organization also provides these services:

• Facilitates emergency communications: In conjunction with the field organization, ARES teams around the country provide thousands of hours of public service every year. While individual amateurs render valuable aid in times of emergency, the organization of these efforts multiplies the usefulness of that aid. ARRL staff members also help coordinate disaster response across the country.
• Publishes the ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications: First published in 1926, “The Handbook” is used by telecommunications professionals and amateurs alike. Information about the current edition is available at www.arrl.org/arrl-handbook-reference, including a link where you can get your own copy.
• Provides technical references: The league publishes numerous technical references and guides, including conference proceedings and standards.
• Promotes technical awareness and education: ARRL is involved with the Boy Scouts’ and Girl Scouts’ Radio merit badge and with Jamboree-on-the-Air programs. It also sponsors the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology to train and license primary and secondary educators.

Competitive clubs

One type of specialty club is the contest club. Members enjoy participating in competitive on-the-air events known as contests or radiosport (see Chapter 11). These clubs challenge one another, sponsor awards and plaques, and generally encourage their members to build up their stations and techniques to become top contest operators.

Contest clubs tend to be local or regional due to the rules of club competition. You can view an extensive list of clubs that compete in the ARRL club competition at www.arrl.org/contest-club-list.

No less competitive than contest operators are the long-distance communications specialists, or DXers, who specialize in contacts with places well off the beaten track. The quest to work ’em all (contact every country on every ham band) lasts a lifetime, so DXers form clubs to share operating experiences and host traveling hams, fostering international communications and goodwill along the way.

Many contesters are also DXers, and vice versa. Because of the international nature of DXing and contesting, clubs that specialize in these activities tend to have members sprinkled around the globe. You can find lists of these organizations at www.dailydx.com/clubs.htm.

Handiham

Ham radio provides excellent communication opportunities to people who otherwise find themselves constrained by physical limitations. Handiham (www.handiham.org), founded in 1967, is dedicated to providing tools that make ham radio accessible to people with disabilities of all sorts, helping them turn their disabilities into assets. The website provides links to an extensive set of resources.

Handiham not only helps hams with disabilities reach out to the rest of the world, but also helps its members link up with other members and helpful services.

Even if you’re not disabled, Handiham may be a welcome referral for someone you know, or you may want to volunteer your services.

The CQ Communications family of print and digital magazines (see Figure 3-3) provides a lot of good information on ham specialties. CQ focuses on general-interest stories and news, product reviews, and columns on technical and operating interests. CQ Communications also publishes books on a wide range of topics and offers a good-looking yearly calendar each fall.

AMSAT

AMSAT (short for Radio AMateur SATellite Corporation, www.amsat.org) is an international organization that helps coordinate satellite launches and oversees the construction of its own satellites. Yes, Virginia, there really are amateur radio satellites whizzing through the heavens! The first one, launched in 1962, sent a Morse code beacon consisting of the letters HI (in Morse code speak, “di-di-di-dit, di-dit”), known as “the telegrapher’s laugh.” The first, OSCAR-1 (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio), was about the size of a briefcase.

The big news in amateur satellites these days are the nano-sized satellites known as CubeSats (www.cubesat.org). Pioneered by amateurs, hundreds of these satellites are launched every year by NASA, the ESA, and JAXA. These are often constructed by university student teams (see Figure 3-4) and use amateur radio as their means of communication to send data. Some CubeSats include a repeater or translator so that hams can communicate through them.

Radio operation via satellite is a lot easier than you may think, however, as you can find out in Part 4 of this book. All you need to make contacts through — or with — satellites is some simple equipment. Figure 3-5 shows Sean Kutzko (KX9X) using a handheld radio and a hand-aimed antenna to make contacts through satellite AO-27.

TAPR

Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR; www.tapr.org) has been instrumental in bringing modern digital communications technology to ham radio. In return, TAPR members created several innovative communication technologies that are now commonplace beyond ham radio, such as the communications system known as packet radio, which is widely used in industry and public safety. Recently, TAPR members have been involved in modern digital communications technology by developing software-defined radio (SDR) components, as shown in Figure 3-6. TAPR also sponsors conferences and publications, working with other organizations such as AMSAT to help develop state-of-the-art digital communications technology for amateur radio.

If you have a strong computer or digital technology background, TAPR is likely to have activities that pique your interest.

YLRL

The Young Ladies’ Radio League (YLRL; www.ylrl.org) is dedicated to promoting ham radio to women, encouraging them to be active on the air, promoting women’s interests within the hobby, and providing a membership organization for female hams.

The organization has chapters in many countries, some of which host conventions, thereby creating opportunities for members to travel.

The YLRL’s website provides a list of activities and member services. The organization also has a vigorous awards program; it sponsors on-the-air nets and on-the-air competitions for members throughout the year.

QRP clubs

QRP is ham radio shorthand for low-power operating, in which hams use just a few watts of power to span the oceans. Like bicyclists among motorists, QRP enthusiasts emphasize skill and technique, preferring to communicate by using minimal power. They’re among the most active designers and builders of any group in ham radio. If you like building your own gear and operating with a minimum of power, check out these clubs and other groups of QRPers.

One way to find QRP clubs is to visit www.arrl.org/find-a-club and search for QRP.

The largest U.S. QRP club is QRP Amateur Radio Club International, known as QRP ARCI (www.qrparci.org). Its magazine, QRP Quarterly (see Figure 3-7), is full of construction projects and operating tips. The club sponsors numerous low-power activities and achievement programs such as the 1000-Miles-Per-Watt award.

Many QRP clubs have worldwide membership. One of my favorites is the British club GQRP. (G is a call sign prefix used by stations in England.) You can find the GQRP Club website at www.gqrp.com.

IOTA, SOTA, and NPOTA

With the recent introduction of superb quality low-power radios and portable antennas, operation from the field has really become popular. The Islands On the Air program (IOTA; www.iota-world.org) encourages hams to operate from salt-water islands and the less-common rocks and reefs are highly sought after. The enthusiasm extends to dry land as hams clamber to the tops of mountains to put small stations on the air for Summits On the Air (SOTA; www.sota.org.uk). For the 2016 centennial of the U.S. National Parks, the ARRL sponsored the National Parks On the Air award (NPOTA; www.facebook.com/groups/NPOTA) that extended to memorials, trails, and other sites administered by the National Park Service. That program proved so popular that activity continues today. What do all these programs have in common? That “OTA” or “On the Air,” which is what hams like doing best. Why not combine OTA with your favorite outdoor activity?

Finding and preparing for hamfests

In the United States, the best place to find hamfests is ARRL’s Hamfests and Conventions Calendar (www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar). Search for events by location or ARRL section or division. The calendar usually lists about 100 hamfests. Most metropolitan areas have several good-size hamfests every year, even in the dead of winter.

After you have a hamfest in your sights, set your alarm for early morning, and get ready to be there at the opening bell. Although most are Saturday-only events, more and more are opening on Friday afternoon.

Be sure to bring the following things:

• An admission ticket: You need a ticket, sold at the gate or by advance order through a website or email.
• Money: Take cash, because most individual sellers don’t take checks or credit cards.
• Something to carry your purchases in: Take along a sturdy cloth sack, backpack, or another type of bag that can tolerate a little grime or dust.

• A handheld or mobile rig: Most hamfests have a talk-in frequency, which is almost always a VHF or UHF repeater. If you’re unfamiliar with the area and don’t have a GPS unit to guide you, get directions while you’re en route.

  If you attend with a friend, and both of you take handheld radios, you can share tips about the stuff you find while walking the aisles.

• Water and food: Don’t count on food being available, but the largest hamfests almost always have a hamburger stand. Gourmet food is rarely on hand; expect the same level of quality that you’d find at a ballpark concession stand. Taking along a full water bottle is a good idea.

Buying equipment at hamfests

After parking, waiting, and shuffling along in line, you finally make it inside the gates, and you’re ready to bargain. No two hamfests are alike, of course, but here are some general guidelines to live by, particularly for hamfest newcomers:

• If you’re new to ham radio, buddy up with a more experienced ham who can steer you around hamfest pitfalls.
• Most prices are negotiable, especially after lunch on Saturday, but good deals go quickly.
• Most vendors aren’t interested in trades, but you do no harm by offering.
• Hamfests are good places to buy accessories for your radio, often for a fraction of the manufacturer’s price if they’re sold separately from the radio. Commercial vendors of new batteries often have good deals on spare battery packs.
• Many hamfests have electricity available so that vendors can demonstrate equipment and maybe even a radio test bench. If a seller refuses to demonstrate a supposedly functional piece of gear or won’t open a piece of equipment for inspection, you may want to move along.

• Unless you really know what you’re doing, avoid antique radios. They often have quirks that can make using them a pain or that require impossible-to-get repair parts.

• Don’t be afraid to ask what something is. Most of the time, the ham behind the table enjoys telling you about his or her wares, and even if you don’t buy anything, the discussion may attract a buyer.

• Be familiar with the smell of burned or overheated electronics, especially transformers and sealed components. Direct replacements may be difficult to obtain.

• If you know exactly what you’re looking for, check auction and radio swap sites such as www.eham.net and www.qrz.com before and even while attending the hamfest if you have a smartphone. You can get an idea of the going price and average condition, so you’re less likely to get gouged.
• The commercial vendors will sell you accessories, tools, and parts on the spot, which saves you shipping charges.

• Don’t forget to look under the tables, where you can occasionally find some real treasures.

Finding conventions and conferences

Conventions tend to be more extravagant affairs, held in hotels or conventions centers, that are advertised in ham radio magazines as well as online. The main purposes are programs, speakers, and socializing.

The two largest ham radio conventions are the Dayton Hamvention (www.hamvention.com), held in Ohio in mid-May, and the Internationale Exhibition for Radio Amateurs (www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en), held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in early to mid-summer. Dayton regularly draws more than 20,000 hams; Friedrichshafen, nearly that many. Both events have mammoth flea markets, an astounding array of programs, internationally known speakers, and more displays than you can possibly see.

ARRL national and division conventions (listed on the ARRL website at www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar) are held all over the United States. Radio Amateurs of Canada (www.rac.ca) also hosts a national convention every year. These conventions typically attract a few hundred to a few thousand people and are designed to be family friendly. They also provide a venue for specialty groups to host conferences within the overall event. These smaller conferences offer extensive programs on regional disaster and emergency communications, direction finding, QRP, county hunting, wireless networking on ham bands, and so on.

Some conventions and conferences emphasize one of ham radio’s many facets, such as DXing, VHF and UHF operating, or digital technology. If you’re a fan of a certain mode or activity, treating yourself to a weekend convention is a great way to meet hams who share your tastes and to discover more about your interests. Table 3-2 lists a few of the specialty conventions held around the United States each year.