Two Meter Band Chart Used in Ask Dave 209

Posted on July 11, 2019 by dcasler

Posted in Ask Dave, Ham Radio blog entries | Tagged | 2 Comments

The GOTAHAMS Ham Club Gets Hams on the Air!

Posted on July 6, 2019 by dcasler

I met Ken Mixon, KC6WOK, and his wife Kathi, KD6CAF, at the Quartzfest hamfest at Quartzsite, AZ, last January. His wife took the picture shown below.

What’s interesting about a letter he sent me prior to Field Day is information about a club he formed called GOTAHAMS. GOTA is the abbreviation, taken from the Field Day rules, that stands for “Get on the Air!” This club is focused on getting people on the air. This is a fascinating case study in how much good two very good people can do in the Amateur radio community!

Below is a photo of the club members. Their website is GOTAHAMS.com and is a pattern to emulate. Can you put together an organization like this in your area? Sure you can!

The GOTAHAMS group. Photo courtesy Ken Mixon. I love their club logo!

Dave Casler, KEOG, and Ken Mixon, KC6WOK, at Quartzfest 2019. Photo courtesy Ken Mixon.

Posted in Ham Radio blog entries | 2 Comments

NASA Soldering Instructions

Posted on June 15, 2019 by dcasler

An Oggie who wishes to remain unnamed sent me this extract from NASA soldering guidance circa the Apollo moon project. The big difference between normal techniques and this one is that NASA recommends clipping the leads prior to soldering. It makes for interesting reading. See PDF: NASA Student Workbook Hand Soldering Excerpt

Posted in Ham Radio blog entries | Tagged | 2 Comments

Icom IC-7300 Review Notes

Posted on May 10, 2019 by dcasler

Yesterday I posted a review of the Icom IC-7300, Ask Dave #201, which you can see on YouTube (click here).

Here are my review notes, written on my 79-year-old typewriter.

Posted in Ham Radio blog entries, Product Reviews | Tagged | 4 Comments

Unlock Key Code for Anytone AT-D878UV

Posted on May 4, 2019 by dcasler

I received an email to Ask Dave inquiring about the key sequence to unlock the keyboard. The radios come from the manufacturer with the keyboard locked so that it complies with FCC rules for those outside ham radio who are not allowed to program their own radios. Hams, however, are permitted to program their own radios.

The instructions are found on Page 38 in the manual. You press the Menu and Star keys together. Here is the relevant extract from the manual.

Extract from Anytone D878UV manual describing how to unlock the keypad. First, press and hold the Menu Key. While holding the Menu key down, press the star key. This should unlock the keyboard.

As far as I can tell (and I could easily be wrong about this), once the programming is unlocked the radio stays unlocked.

Posted in Ham Radio blog entries | 1 Comment

Market Comparison Chart that Accompanies Ask Dave #199

Posted on April 25, 2019 by dcasler

Here’s the chart I used for Ask Dave #199. It shows the offerings from Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu as well as Alinco and Elecraft and how they’re positioned pricewise. Dollar figures are street prices from Ham Radio Outlet, DX Engineering, and Universal Radio. Prices subject to change.

Chart from Ask Dave #199

Posted in Ask Dave | 2 Comments

Drawings Used in Ask Dave 7

Posted on March 23, 2019 by dcasler

Oggie Mike, K9MK/5, has asked for the charts used in Ask Dave 7, an introduction to antennas for difficult situations.

The charts can be downloaded in ZIP format by clicking here. The charts are images in PNG format.

Posted in Ask Dave, Ham Radio blog entries | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Announcement: Tech Videos (4th Edition) Now Available on Thumb Drive

Posted on March 18, 2019 by dcasler

The Technician training videos on YouTube are now updated for the 4th edition of the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. In addition, by popular demand, I make them available on a USB Thumb Drive for US$29.99, postpaid anywhere in the United States. See here for details.

This is good news for those who can’t always get online to study, such as those with poor Internet connectivity, commuting on trains or busses, etc. This thumb drive with all the videos would also make a great gift for those of your friends or family who would make great hams once they get their license!

You are welcome to use the videos during club meetings or for training classes. See the details on the purchase page.

Posted in Technician Class License Training | Leave a comment

OG! Logo

Posted on March 16, 2019 by dcasler

OG! official logo, copyright © 2015 Dave Casler

Colors (RGB): Blue filler, 219, 219, 255. Red letters: 204, 0, 0. Black: 0, 0, 0.

Posted in Ham Radio blog entries | 2 Comments

Updated Log Stamp with Date Added

Posted on February 17, 2019 by dcasler

Here’s an update from Don Degidio with space for the date added:

Updated from Don with sharpened lettering

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