A CW memory keyer can be a ham’s best friend in the heat of a Morse code contest, where every second counts. You can read about these useful devices along with a lot of other great information in this article from Ward, N0AX, “CW Pileups for Beginning Ham Radio Contesters.” DX Engineering is pleased to carry one of the devices mentioned in the above article—the upgraded XT-4 MK2 CW Memory Keyer from Unified Microsystems. (Image/DX Engineering) This small, lightweight battery-powered CW memory keyer is a great choice for Field Day, POTA, SOTA, DXpeditions, mobile ops, and multi-operator scenari ..read more

It’s May 20, the Monday after Dayton Hamvention 2024. Do you know what that means? Only 360 or so days until we meet again in Xenia, Ohio, to immerse ourselves in the world’s greatest hobby! If you were unable to make this year’s event, we’ve put together a brief rundown to get you thinking about the fun you’ll have if you can join us in 2025. Stay tuned. We’ll be posting much more about Hamvention in the days ahead. *** Four Days in May The week’s festivities kicked off the evening of Wednesday, May 15, with Four Days in May—the annual celebration of QRP operation held by the QRP Amateur Radi ..read more

Story by Paul Sakalas, KJ8EEP As anyone who’s ever been will tell you: You’ll see a lot of awesome stuff at the annual Dayton Hamvention. And if you need proof, check out this stunningly restored 1964 Ford Econoline van wearing vintage Collins Radio livery and crammed with period-correct Collins S-Line Ham equipment. With the antennas deployed, this incredible van served as both a product demo tool for Collins Radio equipment and an EMCOMM station. (Image/OnAllBands) The van was part of the Collins Amateur Radio Club display and better yet, we were able to talk with Ted Craven W0TCW, a former ..read more

Last year it became illegal to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in your hand, lap, or other part of the body while driving on Ohio roads. If an officer sees a violation, they can pull you over. Drivers over 18 years old can make or receive calls via hands-free devices, including a speakerphone.   Ohio’s new distracted driving law can be found in Section 4511.204 of the Ohio Revised Code. It started in April 2023 with only warnings issued. Full enforcement of the law began in October 2023. Penalties can consist of: First offense in two years: two points assessed to driver’s l ..read more

After months of preparation, countless volunteer hours, and anticipation by thousands of hams who have had the dates circled in red for months, the wait is almost over! The gates are set to open on Dayton Hamvention at 9 am on Friday, May 17 and close on Sunday, May 19 at 1 pm. The result of all the behind-the-scenes work is a celebration of amateur radio like no other—three days jampacked with the best ham radio has to offer, whether you’re looking to score a vintage rig at the flea market, take home a brand-new transceiver, or walk away with information you can use from many educational foru ..read more

If you’re looking for proven, highly transportable, and easy-to-deploy options for getting on the air during the 2024 ARRL Field Day (June 22-23), you can’t go wrong with any number of portable HF antennas available at DXEngineering.com. This article represents just a sampling of what you’ll find online. Let’s begin our survey of Field Day antenna options with the amateur radio pros at Chelegance, who offer several excellent choices for POTA, SOTA, Field Day, and other outdoor activations: *** JPC-12 Portable HF Vertical Antenna The JPC-12 (40-6M) is built for easy assembly and excellent perfo ..read more

Four Days in May (May 15-19), the annual celebration of QRP operation held by the QRP Amateur Radio Club International, is almost here! For a gathering that’s all about promoting low-power operation, you can almost feel the high levels of energy building as the date nears. Irony aside, this event once again promises to be filled with fun, homebrew competitions, learning opportunities, vendors, and door prizes, including ones donated by DX Engineering. You can still register for FDIM at the event, held at the Holiday Inn Fairborn (about 20 minutes from Dayton Hamvention), the evening of Wednes ..read more

Bolivia QRV in May 2024 The multi-operator CP7DX DXpedition from Bolivia is scheduled to be active until May 19. Chasers hoping to capture an ATNO or fill bands with this landlocked country in western-central South America will have an excellent opportunity on 160-6M in SSB, CW, FT4/FT8, and satellites (SSB and FM). The Argentinian operators will be employing a range of gear, including Icom transceivers (IC-9700 VHF/UHF/1.2 GHz and others), Yaesu and Elecraft rigs, and Ameritron amplifiers. Bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to th ..read more

May is the season of making “eyeball” QSOs. That’s because the Southeast Ohio area—only about three hours south of DX Engineering headquarters near Akron—transforms into the center of the ham world around the third week of the month. Three annual events make the Buckeye State amateur radio central for a handful of action-packed days: Four Days in May (May 15-19), billed as the biggest and best QRP event in the world Contest University (May 16—registration open until May 7, or when capacity has been reached), a full day of good fellowship and insights on boosting your contesting scor ..read more

In 2023, DXers got their shot at a host of rarely activated locales, including Swains Island W8S, Bouvet Island 3Y0J, and Crozet Islands, which dropped from #3 to its current position of #31 thanks to the one-man FT8WW DXpedition by Thierry Mazel, F6CUK. This year is already shaping up to be a worthy predecessor in the “expect-big-pileups” department, as many amateurs hoping to work the world have already reached Clipperton Island TX5S and are chomping at the bit to check off DXCC entities like Jarvis/Palmyra Islands—scheduled for activation during the N5J Rig in a Box operation in August 2024 ..read more