Odd propagation A couple of weeks ago, I turned on the rig, tuned up on 30 meters, and called CQ. The first station I worked was KB8FCG. According to QRZ.Com, KB8FCG is 28.8 miles away from me. The signal was S9 here in Ann Arbor. That seems a little too far for ground wave, but a little too close for sky wave. The second station I worked that even was S57V. QRZ.Com says that S57V is is 4,600 miles away. He gave me a 579 report. Is zero beating a lost art? Zero beating is the practice of matching your transmitting frequency to that of the station you’re calling or are in contact with. Because ..read more

One of the things on my ham radio bucket list was to learn how to use KiCAD and design a PC board. Being a newbie at PC board design (when I was an engineer, we had PC designers do the actual layout), I decided to do something simple. Since I teach ham radio classes, I decided to design a board based on the circuit in Figure T-1 of the Technician Class question pool. This diagram illustrates a couple of ideas: How schematic diagrams represent electronic circuits. How a transistor is used as a switch. Designing the board Since I already had the schematic, the first step in designing th ..read more

In this episode, I join Martin Butler M1MRB, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest amateur / ham radio news. In this episode, we discuss: Internal Heating Element Makes These PCBS Self-Soldering Amateur Satellite FalconSAT-3 Nears Reentry DX-Unlimited, Arnie Coro, CO2KK — SK Grid Hunters who Use Satellites Risk Losing an Important Resource Natural Phenomenon Affects Radio Waves and Helps Science The episode’s feature is Workshop Experiments.   The post ICQ Podcast Episode 395 – Workshop Experiments appeared first on KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog ..read more

On Twitter, one of the accounts I follow is Michigan’sPast. His tweets are always interesting, and I’ve learned a lot. One of his recent tweets included this photo of the display of Michigan license plates at the R. E. Olds Museum in Lansing, Michigan: What jumped out at me was the W8AHV license plate in the third row. I didn’t know that Michigan offered ham radio license plates that far back. I re-tweeted this, and a fellow named Rory replied, “According to this article. 1939 may have been the first year in Michigan. http://www.pl8s.com/hams.htm” This article, written by Mike, W1DGJ, who is ..read more

Safari, the web browser that I use most often, has a feature called the “reading list.” It’s like a bookmark, but much more temporary. The list is meant to be a parking lot for sites that you want to read, but not read over and over. Once you’ve read it, you’re supposed to delete the site from the list. Of course, a lot of sites get stuck on the list, so periodically I actually go through it and read some of the sites on the list. Here are three that I think hams will be as interested in as I am. The Inner Beauty of Basic Electronics Many components are not only marvels of electronics engineer ..read more

Oddly enough, Morse Code has been in the news lately. Here are three articles that I’ve run across recently……Dan This article appear in the  January/February 2023 issue of Smithsonian. Looking to Ditch Twitter? Morse Code is Back For almost 20 years, Steve Galchutt, a retired graphic designer, has trekked up Colorado mountains accompanied by his pack of goats to contact strangers around the world using a language that is almost two centuries old, and that many people have given up for dead. On his climbs, Galchutt and his herd have scared away a bear grazing on raspberries, escaped f ..read more

Ham Radio in Montana This documentary has been praised by many in the amateur radio community. Here’s how Montana PBS describes the film: Join us as we investigate the culture of Montana Amateur Radio Operators, or “hams”, as they recount their admiration for the global Amateur Radio community.  This niche hobby has produced long-lasting friendships between radio enthusiasts around the globe, and has been a pastime of choice for much of their lives.  Produced as part of a new Certificate in Documentary Film program, by students in the School of Journalism and the School of Visual ..read more

I called CQ on 30 meters a couple of evenings ago and got a surprise call from R1DX in Saint Petersburg. What was notable about this contact was the auroral flutter on Vic’s signal. I wish I had recorded it. The sound is very distinctive, though, and Vic even commented on it. Here’s the great circle route between Ann Arbor, MI and St. Petersburg: It doesn’t seem like that route goes north enough to be affected by aurora, but I suppose that it could be. The signal may have also taken a more northern route and been affected by the aurora. If you’re a propagation guru, I’d like to hear what you ..read more

“What’s the frequency, Kenneth?”: Watertown Amateur Radio Club celebrates 40th anniversary WATERTOWN, WI – The Watertown Amateur Radio Club is putting out the call for new members. Founded in 1982 with members from Watertown and the surrounding communities, the group of radio enthusiasts enjoy communication using shortwave radios for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, contesting and emergency communications. The club has more than 30 members from all around the Dane, Dodge, Jefferson and Waukesha county areas. …read mor ..read more

In this episode, I join Martin Butler M1MRB, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. We discuss: 70MHz, 4 m band released in Switzerland German Hams – Temporary Band Access Extended An Award for Hams who Help Others Reach DXCC Bill to Replace Symbol Rate Limit with Bandwidth Limit Bill to Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio Yaesu Discontinue Models Who says CW ops don’t have a sense of humour? The feature is “Radio Tips to Start 2023.” The post ICQ Podcast Episode 393 – Radio Tips t ..read more