Tag Archives: how to operate ham radio

How to Make First Contact on 2 Meters (Repeater/Simplex/Voice)

So, you’ve got your radio. Now what? It’s time to get on the air…. the question, however, is just how do I do that? This video gives you the basics of how to find someone to talk to for that … Continue reading

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Ham Radio Basics: How to Build a Dipole Antenna

This episode covers how to build an inexpensive dipole antenna. Specifically, it is a 40 meter dipole… however the principal is the same for any dipole. Using inexpensive materials, you can get this dipole in the air for very little … Continue reading

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Ham Radio Basics: How to Solder PL259 Connector to Coax

When I was first licensed in the mid 1990s I was scared to death of cutting an end off of a cable. As a result, some of my mobile installations were less than ideal. Had I known how to solder … Continue reading

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Ham Radio Basics: How to Solder Wires Together

Another episode in the Ham Radio Basics series. This episode expands on our last episode, which can be seen HERE. Today we learn how to effectively solder two wires together. This is a handy skill to have. Perhaps you’ve broken … Continue reading

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Parks on the Air: POTA Activation of Holly Springs National Forest K-4496

It was a cold day, but productive one. We activated the Holly Springs National Forest for the POTA program. It was a great activation, and my daughter decided that she was going to upgrade to her general license.

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TID Radio DMR/Analog DP-580 Review

Hamradiomall.com was nice enough to send me one of these units to review. Overall, not a bad little radio… with a few little quirks. Check out the video below.

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Our First Parks on the Air (POTA) Activation at John W. Kyle State Park, K-2540, in North Mississippi

We finally got everything put together and ready to go for our first POTA activation. We have wanted to do this for a while, and finally made it happen. It was a great time with 60 contacts. We had to … Continue reading

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How to Choose Your First Ham Radio

Today we are discussing how to choose your first amateur radio. The decision of what radio you go with as your first is a big one. Whether you are looking to drive your vehicle and chat, talk to distant stations … Continue reading

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How to Adjust the Analog Squelch on a DMR Radio

I was kicking back in the parking lot of Wal Mart while my wife was doing some shopping. Rather than suffer through the trials and tribulations of that place, I decided to do some ham radio in the truck. While … Continue reading

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