(You may have been directed here from www.ke0og.net) You’ve landed on my ham radio home page. I’m KEØOG, an Extra-Class ham radio operator. I’m active on HF, 2-meters, and 440 MHz. I use this page as an index to ham-radio-related material on this site.
What is ham radio? Watch this video from the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)
Current Geomagnetic Conditions for HF Bands
This chart shows various geomagnetic indicies and what the sun looks like now. These indicies show what HF propagation is like right now. You can use data like this to help you find a good HF band for operations. You can refresh this page to get the latest data.
Courtesy Paul, N0NBH, www.hamqsl.com
Becoming a ham radio operator
- The three amateur (ham) radio license classes. Some background material on license grades, the difficulty of the test, and the operating privileges.
- Videos to aid your self study for your ham radio Technician Class license: Technician Class Ham License – On-Line Help for Your Self Study, which you can also access directly from
www.ke0og.net/training. The purpose of this series of videos is to talk you through the self study you’ll be doing with the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. There’s one video for each section of the book, on the theory that it’s easier to study if someone’s given you a little overview. - A similar set of videos for General Class
- A similar set of videos for Amateur Extra Class
- Randy Cassingham’s intro to ham radio
- How much does it cost to become a Technician Class (entry level) ham?
- How much does it cost to upgrade to General or Extra Class and get on HF radio?
- What do I do once I become a ham?
- Wouxun KG-UV3D: Inexpensive Dual Band HT
- BaoFeng UV-5R+ ham radio — incredibly inexpensive dual-band handheld
- Programming the Wouxun KG-UV3D and the Baofeng UV-5R+
How I do it (which will be different from the way you do it, but it’s sometimes nice to have something to compare to)
- Using a rubber stamp to turn a spiral-bound notebook into a logbook.
- My new Yaesu FTdx3000. I review my new FTdx3000. Great radio!
- New addition to my shack: Oak Hills Research OHR100A 5-watt (QRP) CW 20-meter-only transceiver. See my notes and review here.
- Ten-Tec Jupiter: My 2001 review
- Ten-Tec Jupiter: what I think of it after ten years
- The 12 vdc system at KEØOG
- Hy-gain 14-AVQ—My First Amateur Radio HF Antenna
- The MFJ-993B IntelliTuner
- HF Antenna Repairs
-
Getting the 80-meter Loop Back in Shape
- Creating antenna masts using chain link fence top rail
- My single point ground
Getting on HF with your General Class License – a look at station necessities
- Ham radio 40-meter dipole: your first antenna
- Ham radio power supplies: 12 vdc (or 13.8 vdc)
- ICOM 9100—New HF/VHF/UHF Radio
- Kenwood’s Ham Radio HF Lineup
- Yaesu’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup
- Icom’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup
- Tuning HF SSB Signals. Tuning HF voice signals (SSB) can be a little daunting the first time around. Here’s a video that shows you how.
Special Techniques
- Packet Radio
- APRS
- APRS (and motorcycling) with pictures of my APRS tracker
- APRS vs handheld GPS location discrepancies
- Using the Wouxun KG-UV3D with TinyTrak4 APRS unit. Provides costs for each item.
- Using the Baofeng UV-5R+ with TinyTrak4 APRS unit
- APRS: Making UI-View and Weatherlink Cooperate
- Interfacing the Byonics TinyTrak4 (TT4) with various handheld radios. Pays special attention to JP8.
- Software-Defined Radio
- A presentation I gave at the Nov, 2013, meeting of the Montrose (Colorado) Amateur Radio Club on software defined radio, specifically the FiFi.
- Fox Hunting (hidden transmitter hunting)
- Byonics PicCon Fox Controller
- Circuit diagram for hidden transmitter hunting (my Fantastic Fox Finder), circuit by Dave Sharpe, KIØHG
- Hidden transmitter hunting links and sites
- HF Digital Modes
- The JT-65 digital mode: my first QSO. (For some background, see this YouTube video in which Joe Taylor, Nobel Laureate, discusses his invention of JT-65, JT-9, and other digital modes.)
Computer Issues
Miscellany
- Cool QSL cards from www.hamtoons.net. Jim is a cartoonist and can make colorful custom QSLs just for you. Here’s the one he sent me. He’s got a cool website worth looking at.
N2EST is a cartoonist and makes custom QSL cards. This is the card he sent me.
- App to create azimuthal maps based on where you live. Reader Rob, M6KOT, provides this link for those who want to make an azimuthal map based on your location. An azimuthal map shows the direction (azimuth) from your station to any place on earth and is handy if you want to know where to point your beam.
- Logging and QSLing for the Radio Amateur in the Electronic Age (narrated slide show). I gave this presentation on 20 Feb 2015 at a meeting of the Montrose Amateur Radio Club held in Olathe, Colorado. I added a narration to cover the main points and put it on YouTube.
- A list of things to bring next year for Field Day!
- Chronology of ham radio history, used for a presentation given at the Montrose Amateur Radio Club.
- Radio Frequency Interference in your Ham Shack: A Case Study
- A close-up view of an Electro-Bug Jr., apparently made in 1927
- ACP 131 lists all Q and Z signals. This is my old copy from when I was in the Air Force. I’ve put high-quality scanned, text-selectable pages here.
- An SET is a Simulated Emergency Test. I tried one out for the first time, and here are my notes to myself. They may help you be prepared too!
- Bob Schaeffer, KJØG, recalls early history of Montrose Amateur Radio Club
- Communicating is a critical element of preparedness (link to news article)
- Trebuchet for Punkin’ Chunkin’—Royce Seymour’s (AAØJD) 2010 PieceMaker at the Olathe (Colorado) Punkin Chunkin event
- And here’s Royce’s 2011 entry at the Olathe (Colorado) Punkin Chunkin event!
- Emergency Communications: Alternatives to Ham Radio
- NVIS Links from Dave Coombs, KØEUS
- Ham4Ham, a site set up by John Borchers, KC3ASE, for those interested in software development for ham radio.
On-the-air Activities on the Colorado Western Slope
- VHF/UHF Repeaters (voice)
- Standard packet radio, as found on 145.01 MHz
- APRS (Amateur Packet Reporting System), as found on 144.39 MHz
- HF NVIS
- The Montrose Amateur Radio Club (direct link to club website)
- 2010 Field Day with the Montrose Amateur Radio Club (photographs)
- 2010 Montrose Amateur Radio Club Field Day (video)
- A Montrose Amateur Radio Club antenna repair party. We repaired and upgraded the antennas for Field Day use.
- 2014 Field Day with the Montrose Amateur Radio Club (video).
- Near Real Time F2 Layer Critical Frequency (useful for NVIS propagation prediction—if the freq shown on the website is a bit more than the NVIS frequency you want to use, you’re in business. If less, well, try a lower frequency.
LDS (Mormon) Church ham-related activites
- Our monthly “First Sunday” net (anyone can join) Net more or less permanently in hiatus
Interesting post! I sometimes read your blog and find out
for myself something new. I think I need to share this in facebook.
My friends will also be interested. Thank you.
Yes
In your video showing how to manufacture a 6 meter wire antenna, you mentioned shortening and lengthening the antenna. What does the end of an antenna look like which allows lengthening? Does one loop the end around an insulator and then wrap the remaining wire around the antenna wire running the end back toward the feedline?
Hi Dave ,I enjoy and have learned much from your videos.I have a question about station grounding. How far from the wall ,where my antenna and ground come in can I have my 2meter radio ,I have a copper bar on the back of my desk to connect radio and such to with that connected to my ground wire coming in through outside wall.
Thank You
Yes, there are several schemes for how to phase them together to provide directionality.
Hi Dave, big fan here. So my question is about antenna arrays. Can you get better reception on hf be setting up some sort of multiple antenna system?
Hi Dave
I have enjoyed most of your videos but 2 of them have me worried just after the fcc Dropped the code requirement I started working on my ham Lic and have been lic since 2008 I Remember years ago there were plans to build a launcher ( using a tennis ball Cannon ) making a video of that would be great if you have that info
I Have a Question about 2 of your videos on YouTube you had a guest talking about coax said his website was usacoax.com He says Chinese Coax is no good and talks about Times microwave is good American coax so I went to there website well at the to of there page they say click here to visit are site in China it sounds like there coax is also made in China also and all this was a sales campaign
I Hope you will responded to this and leave it on your website but I’m expecting its going be deleted
Dave,
I am using you as my teacher as I study for my Tech test June 2nd. I am cramming quickly, and not as prepared as I would like to be. I grew up watching, and listening to my dad be an excellent ham. He was a very quick study, and spent hours having fun on projects of all sorts. There was nothing that he could not accomplish. Oh, yes he was also an engineer who enjoyed the beauty of a challenge. Maybe that helped too. My dad and I talked about the someday when we would work on my ham license. But time ran out about 10 weeks ago, and now I am working solo in his honor. When I pass my test I will carry over his call sign.
Your videos have taken the place of finding a real person to study with as everybody here is too busy, or too far away.
Now, I am hoping to get my license if I can get this studying down. There seems to be so much – and I have no experience with math, circuits, etc.
So anymore ideas you can give me is very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Jackie
To the item Hazardous material – aluminium
or as You say it Aluminium – is Bauxitoxide
Al2O3 and Al2SiO3 and is poisonous. You get the same sympthoms as the welding on zink plated metall (galvsnisated steel/iron )
Bauxitoxide (Al) was suspected to trigg s.c Alzheimers decease (discuss is still actual)
Never touch aluminium if it has larg oxide
on it – and be sincere to wash You hands and
face before eating! If You get sick of Al203
Bauxitoxide – you get like a flu and severe headache. So beware of You health if You
touch or handle Aluminium metal!
Precausion is the Best!
Then You mentioned BeO2 Beryllium Oxide
if You get it into Your body – preferreably your lungs – since the particels is small and poisonous – cancerrisc.
DO NOT OPEN ANY ELECTRICAL GEAR with
labels that it contains Beryllium Oxide!
It is a carcinogen – It can and will cause
cancer in your respitorial system!
Places where it can be found Transistorized
HF Power amplifiers 150W/300 Watt f.i.
I follow all Your items on Youtube. I was
“licensed” March 9th 1983 VHF/UHF and
certified (certifiable who isn’t!) Sept 1st 2006
on HF – EHF without CW (I know other things
instead of that!).
You need NOT to mention my name just that You got a information of these substancies
ARE SERIOUSLY POISONOUS AND SHALL NOT
BE HANDLED BY LAYMEN!
73’s de Gunnar sm6oer
Carl-Gunnar Hillefors
Sm6oer@gmail.com
sm6oer@ssa.se
Poetgatan 22
S42255 Hisings Backa
Gothenburg HNE
SWEDEN EU
Ph +46 31 581447
Fax +46 31 581447
Dave
First, thank you for all the effort you put into your videos. They are great.
I just passed my Tech test last week so now I am researching radio’s and antenna’s.
My question is about antenna’s. I have room on my property for a long dipole. The issue is that the property slopes about 15-20 feet over a 100 foot run. So the question is: do I string up the wire to be parallel with the earth or parallel with the sloping land?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Pierre, passing the tech should also give you General privileges automatically. If your VEs can’t answer your questions, try calling the ARRL. Good luck and see you on the air!
Sounds frustrating. It’s something in the settings in WSJT-X somewhere. Persevere!
Thank you!
Dave,
First of all, many thanks for your contribution to helping me get my General Class and Extra Class Tickets.
Secondly, I value you so much that I became a $5 Patreon subscriber a couple of months ago as a way of paying it forward. I want to help others advance in the art of ham radio. I don’t know but I might be helping develop a radio communicator that may save a life in an emergency.
You are making an impact developing the ham community by grow its skills.
Dave, when I open WSPR 2.0 by K1JT it works as expected – I can receive and transmit. My rig is a Kenwood TS+480SAT and I am using a Signalink USB interface. However, when I open WSJT-X v1.8.0 by K1JT and choose WSPR as the mode, I can receive but not transmit. Any suggestions?
Beautifully taught lecture series. As good as my best engineering professors. Returning to Amateur Radio after a 25 year hiatus. I was an Advanced License holder and just past my technician. It is not clear to me if thi gives me General Class privileges. Can you clarify?
John, welcome to ham radio and congrats on your upgrade! Thanks for the kind words about the videos, and thanks for your continuing support on Patreon! 73, Dave
Hello, Dave,
I am indebted to you for helping me learn what I needed to get my ticket. I was a novice in high school and got my license around 1970. After several decades away from ham radio, I decided to get back into it around Christmas last year.
With your amazing video introductions and the ARRL study guides, I passed the Tech in January, the General in February and the Extra just today. Your commitment to being an Elmer to the world is a truly wonderful service to the hobby. I cannot imagine all the effort going into those videos and to revising them every time the study guide changes, but you seem up for the challenge.
Now that I’ve got the tests behind me, I dug out the old Heathkit code oscillator and J38 key (I did pass the 5WPM code test back then…) and will begin following your code practice sessions when I can.
Thank you for all you do. I’ll sign up as a “patreon” to help fund your new “not orange and not blue” shirt 😉
All the best!
John
kc1iyc
The antenna pattern is not affected by the power fed to the antenna. The antenna you describe could perform better if you get that apex up to 33 feet. In the meantime, the pattern will be higher, but certainly not straight up like NVIS. NVIS is not practical on 20 meters.
Dave:
I want to thank you for providing the videos on all the Technician, General, and Extra exams. They were very helpful in obtaining my Amateur Extra License this February. For all of you looking to get into the ham radio hobby, Dave have be a great “Elmer” for passing your exams.
Thanks again Dave! 73
Mike Weller
W2MMW
Hi Dave,
Just wanted to leave you a message and tell you thanks for the Extra Class videos.
I have watched them all many times throught and and have found them invalueable.
I passed my extra class license on February 13th 2018. I am sure I would not have made it with out you instruction.
Thanks again and 73.
KE0KRO Jeff
Greeting Dave,
I love you videos. thank you for such a great resource! I do have a question for you.
I have a 20 meter inverted Vee antenna at about 20 ft in the air at the apex.
I believe it’s acting more as an NVIS antenna than anything. Does increasing the power help or hurt with an NVIS antenna? Will increasing power do more to sent signals out into space.
Granted the most I can transmit is 100 watts not counting for losses of course.
Thank 73
Luke – N5JHR
Dave,
Great Videos on the Tube!
Just finished watching # 106 the difference between a Dipole and a vertical antenna.
I have had both all home brew.
But my question is this.
What is the difference on the antenna modeling software between an Inverted V and a Vertical. where the dipole gain is broadside to the wire in a flat top configuration.
I currently have up a three band inverted V ( Fan Dipole) 80, 40, 30 meters, with the feed point at 47 feet up the tower.
The angle is approx 45 degrees on the legs from the vertical.
Would love to see this addressed on your You Tube page.
Hi Dave,
About two lifetimes ago I had a 1st class FCC eng. lic. and maintained marine and navigation radio/radar equip. There’s a tiny island in Long Island Sound with a VLF radio beacon. The antenna was over a hundred yards long with the transmitter shack built on stilts in the middle of the antenna. The ends of the antenna were attached to wooden power poles concreted into the ground. To keep the antenna tight in all types of weather without exerting enough force to break the wire, they supported the wire with a leader run through a pulley and down to a 5 gallon plastic bucket with about a hundred pounds of concrete in the bucket. When high winds blew the antenna it would bow and pull the bucket up the poll. I’ve always thought this was a very simple and ingenuous way to keep a constant tension on a very long wire.
Hi Dave,
I am also Mormon and a new ham. I love your videos. The best I have seen. I have a TYT 8000e with a problem. Cannot get into VFO mode using the # key. It responds with “error”. Cannot seem to get a hold of the manufacture. Can you help?
Doug,
I looked at the web page and have to say I’m extremely skeptical about their claims. If in fact their radiation elements are made of nichrome, you should know that’s what portable heaters are made of. Nichrome wire will heat up nicely and keep your room toasty. Of course, all the power that goes to heat can’t be reflected, so the SWR will look good.
I looked at the way the elements were constructed. Fishy.
I’d stay away from these people. Look at the Buddistick website or MFJ’s loops or Cushcraft or Hy-Gain.
Call DXEngineering.com. They’re really into antennas and can probably point you toward something good.
And don’t forget the simple dipole.
Good Morning, Dave . . .
I recent came across an antenna, described in the patent as a “Nichrome resistive active element broad band antenna.” It reported to cover all bands from 6 meters to 160 meters without a tuner and with a SWR of 2.1:1 or less on all bands.. The website is http://www.FatSpectrumAntenna.com
Would really like to see a review from you on this before I plink down $400 + shipping.
Thanks, Dave . . .
Robb, lots of hams use the RG6 cable because it is so much less expensive. It may raise your SWR some, but not usually too much.
Todd, congratulations!
Hi Dave
Great Videos, really inspiring
I passed my first test back in 2000, KB9YSZ, then moved over seas and obtained a call with all privliges A92GW, in Bahrain. (Still on QRZ.com) Since then my US Lic Expired and I did not renew, now looking to retest and get bk into the hobby…
Thank you for putting all this info out there and propagating the Hobby
Fantastic
73′
Tom
Dave,
I want to thank you for your excellent set of videos on the Amateur Extra Class series. I viewed and studied each video and along with Ham Tests Online I was able to pass my Amateur Extra Class test today!
Thank You,
Todd
hi Dave,
I have a question. I have been researching double bazooka antennas and am thinking of building one as outlined in http://www.hamuniverse.com/bazooka.html.
My question is: will the coax cable used for cable tv work for the double bazooka antenna? I believe tv coax cable is 75 ohms, but I often read that all dipoles are 75 ohm. I don’t know. It’s get confusing.
I do know the tv coax is double shielded and has a sticky substance coating each shield layer…it’s messy to work with. I’m thinking I can clean it up for soldering with alcohol, but that is yet to be determined.
Thanks
73
Robb KC9NNT
I suspect the only way to know will be to try it. You present a complex scenario. I suspect you’ll find that your antenna does pretty well.
Hi Dave,
In your antenna video you emphasise the need to have an antenna as high as possible.
My antenna is mounted on a 10 foot pole which is mounted on the 3rd floor of my home.
How does one measure the height, from the roof level I.e. 10 feet, or the height above ground 24 feet down? Will the re-bar in the concrete roofs make a difference?
73s Chris de 9h1bw
Dave,
I watched all of your videos to help me prepare for the Amateur Radio License Exam. This morning, I passed part 2, 3, and 4!
Thanks so much for your thorough and well produced videos!
Hey Dave. I would like to thank you for all your hard work in presenting all this imformation. Without you I couldn’t have passed my tech exam. That said, it’s now time for me to head up the upgrade trail and take my general exam which brings me to my question. While I’m studying, I’m also looking for a good HF rig to get me started. I’m looking at new ones because I don’t want to inherit someone else’s problems. What I would like to see is a video about choosing a first rig. There are so many choices I don’t even know where to begin. What should I look for/avoid? Thanks again for all your great work.
73
Jason, km4fpz
Hi dave, i moved and just put up my g5rv i am using a 1:1 balun between the window line and rg58 coax, but the anteanna wont tune up, can you tell me what you suggest, thanks,
You have done a very good job on the production of the videos. So much so that I will be using then with my radio club in the school {KN4LHS}.
KM4MTH
Hey Dave, enjoy your videos, always informative. I’ve been playing around with using my gutters as a way to get on HF. My current set up seems to be working rather well. Have you ever thought of doing a video or series on using ones house gutters as a HOA HF antenna? Thanks and 73 de KD4CR
This concerns electrical grounding. Despite reading dozens of threads and watching many videos, I have not found a direct answer to this question. I do not want to be electrocuted. (Shocking, eh?) My station consists of a Powerwerx SS-30DV power supply (like yours) and a Yaesu 450D transceiver. The Powerwerx has a three prong plug and my house is wired to support the three prong system. Assuming everything is connected correctly, the three prong system on the Powerwerx should protect me from electric shock from the power supply. The Yaesu is connected to the Powerwerx via a 2 wire power cord. The big question: Can I run a wire from the ground post of the Yaesu to the (round) ground portion of one of my house electrical outlets in order to achieve an electrical ground of the Yaesu? Is there a compelling reason I should not do that? (I am using a balanced antenna – an Alex Loop – so RF grounding is not an issue, as noted at http://www.arrl.org/grounding.) Thank you for this and your excellent videos.
Hi Dave!
I got licensed on november 2016 and got ready to transmit a few months ago.
Tou have been so inspiring and your videos were so helpful! Your English is very easy to understand, even for an italian audience, and I just wanted to tell you that.
I just want to say thank you for spending your time helping other ham radio operators.
You make me want to go deeper and deeper in this wonderful ham-world !
Hi Dave,
My name is Ruel DW1VGX from Pasig City. I have been watching your videos all the time. I am currently a Tech and working for my General ticket. I find it very helpful to watch your videos first prior to reading the manual/handbook. Then watch it again after reading. The principles are all the same except for our rules and regulations. 73!
Roger, there’s an item in the menu to select audio input, either mic or data. Make sure it’s set to data, which allows the rear connector audio to drive the radio. Hope that helps.
Dave,
I think I read somewhere that you are using your Ten-Tec Jupiter on digital using Fldigi. I am unable to control the transmit audio with my MFJ USB radio interface. Is there a secret? The control on the front seems to make NO difference. I have considered buying another sound card interface like SignaLink. I have tried changing the levels of mike, etc. Maybe I haven’t found the right combination or my interface is defective. CW works ok.
Thanks for any insight you may have.
I enjoy your YouTube videos daily.
Sincerely,
Roger Ehlert K4ODC
Thank you and good luck in your studies!
Dave my name is Don i am work on getting my licence just wanted to say i love thr videos and all the info thank you very much