A portable SWR meter can save us from the extra weight and bulk of an antenna analyzer and the heartbreak of blown finals.
Category: Gear
The station itself. Think antennas, batteries, radios, coax, and keys.
An inexpensive, lightweight, and effective solution to the FT-818 filter problem.
Hans Summers’s QRP Labs transceivers are incredible pieces of equipment. I’ve built several and below details my build of his newest offering: the QMX for 20 through 10 meters. I won’t reiterate all the details of the radio which you can find on his website. Instead, I’ll offer all the photos and limited commentary of […]
I’ve built a vertical antenna for 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, and 20m. This is accomplished through a series of links which create a resonant quarter wave for each desired band.
As a ground plane, I have put down sixteen 10ft radials. These radials come out to just over two wavelengths on 20m, the lowest band of operation for this antenna.
Current chokes help a random wire antenna greatly. But how much? So much so that they allow for operation on new bands?
How well does a 29ft wire work with a 9:1 unun and an L-match tuner? Which bands are available?
The random wire antenna is among the more popular options for portable operating in ham radio. Here, I scratch build the 9:1 unun and L-match tuner within a single enclosure in order to further explore which lengths of wire are best portable random wire operating.
This dummy load, designed by Dave Cripe NM0S and offered by the Four States QRP Group, is an easy foray into the world of kit building with SMD components. It will handle 10 watts and incorporates a basic power meter as well. At just over $15 shipped, it is a deal that’s hard to pass up.
This basic homebrewing tool kit will allow you to build kits, experiment with antennas, and dip your toes into scratch building your own radios from schematics.
Plan for success by having a checklist so that critical pieces of gear aren’t left behind.
Amateur Radio Station WB0ISG 