Category: Articles
An automatic packet reporting system is a system used for real-time digital communications, employed amateur HAM radio in particular. However, this is used in a very different way as compared with your typical amateur music station! Likewise, it’s not something you’ll be able to listen in on using a police …
Most of us don’t think of much when we hear the word radio. The radio is what we use to listen to local radio stations – to hear some music and to get the news – often with somewhat poor reception! But this is a very limited and limiting view …
When you work with a two-way radio or another radio, there are two ways that you can use them. One is to simply follow the instructions, press some buttons, and let them do their thing. This is how most of us will use a walkie talkie for instance. The other …
The term homebrew can mean a lot of different things to different people. For instance, in the world of beer, homebrew can literally mean a home brew. That is a beer that has been brewed from home by an amateur. In the indie gaming scene, homebrew is just another slang …
If you are just now exploring the amazing world of amateur radio and marveling at all the different types of signal that you can intercept, then you might find yourself hungry for yet more exciting opportunities. One such fascinating option is maritime mobile. Maritime Mobile – An Introduction Maritime mobile …
Packet radio is an early amateur radio technology that dates back to the early 1980s – a time when a lot of technology was really just finding its feet. Just as many people enjoy listening out for messages via digital police scanners or communicating via two-way radio to create their …
In HAM radio, a special event station is a special operation that will be either in observation or commemoration of a historical event. These have a special 1×1 call sign or a vanity call sign, and they will usually operate for a short time with collectible QSL cards to commemorate …
In this day and age, there are countless different ways to put yourself out there and to share your skills and hobbies with the world. The internet means that practically anyone can become a celebrity and start creating content for a large audience. But this has actually been the case …
When you think of a two-way radio, you likely think of a walkie talkie. And unless you work in an industry where you use business two-way radio – such as construction or security – then chances are you might think of toy walkie-talkies and baby monitors. Thus, you probably think …
Amateur radio direction finding (ARDF) is also referred to as ‘radio orienteering’ and is another form of radio sport. This is a pastime that many HAM radio operators may partake in, and that requires a basic understanding of how two-way radio operates. Sometimes, we might feel as though life is …
In today’s digital world, we are completely surrounded by amazing technologies that help to make our lives easier. The strange thing is that many of us have very little idea of how a lot of this technology works – we just kind of accept it! For instance: do you really …
Automatic Link Establishment, also known as ALE, is a de facto standard used for digitally connecting to HF radio channels. ALE is a feature that is found in nearly any HF radio station, HF being high frequency. This protocol is used in order to rapidly connect and call regardless of …
Decades ago, we discovered that by manipulating ripples through the ionosphere – the electromagnetic field that blankets the entire planet – we were able to send messages back and forth across the planet. Since then, hobbyists (HAM radio), professionals, researchers, and more have found endless fascinating and exciting ways to …
In amateur radio (HAM radio), it can seem as though there is an almost endless number of different terms and jargon, each referring to the many different ways that the hobby can be enjoyed. So what is QRP? Essentially, this is a short hand for reducing powder. The Q is …
Skywarn – sometimes written in all-caps – is a program run by the US National Weather Service with the intention of collecting reports of localized severe weather, which can then be used to help improve forecasting and the issuing of weather watches and warnings. Skywarn is run by a network …
If you are investing in a new two-way radio, or if you are simply interested in the topic from a hobbyist perspective, then you might find yourself wondering what the limitations of this technology are. What kinds of things can you pick up using a radio? What kinds of things …
In order to listen in on HAM radio, all you need is a police scanner or a two-way radio capable of picking up the shortwave frequencies. You’ll need to either know the frequency you want to listen to, or just spend some time searching the airwaves to see what you …
If you own a two-way radio, then you may have noticed that it stops working from time to time, or that the signal is no longer coming through quite as well as it once did. If that is the case, then this suggest that you need to do a little …
Talk-back channels are an exciting and unique discovery when you’re looking at frequencies with a police scanner. Read on to find out more about what these are and why they’re so interesting! When listening to a police scanner, it is always highly exciting wondering what conversation you’re going to stumble …
The IRLP is a closed source project intended to link various amateur stations around the world via VoIP – essentially combining technologies to build a more robust and powerful network. Here, each gateway will consist of a dedicated computer that will run custom software connected simultaneously to the internet and …
Hamfest might sound like an event for meat lovers, but for amateur radio operators, it is of course something far different. Hamfest of course refers to HAM radio. This is amateur radio operation, which can be used in order to broadcast messages to others, or to listen out for signals …
In some ways, becoming a ham radio operator is a little like becoming a wizard. There’s this entire world right under our noses that many of us are completely unaware of! With a police scanner and just a little bit of understanding about how two-way radio works, you can discover …
When it comes to radio jargon, there is an awful lot of terminology to sift through. What is a police police scanner? What’s a trunked radio? What does HAM radio do? If you’re researching all this for the first time, then it can sometimes seem like a daunting task. The …
A radio scanner is a device that allows you to listen in on numerous frequencies and thereby pick up a number of different conversations. A scanner – which can also be referred to as a police scanner – is a device that allows you to tune or scan more than …
A push-to-talk radio is any two way radio that requires the user to push down on a button in order to transmit on their frequency. Push-to-talk is a useful feature as it can prevent radio jams and facilitate smoother communication when using a walkie talkie. This becomes important in emergency …
There are countless cool things you can do with two-way radio. You can use it for a walkie talkie – in order to stay in touch with someone while you are hunting (called a hunting two-way radio), while playing paintball, or generally while partaking in any activity where you will …
An amateur radio operating award is a type of award given to HAM radio operators in acknowledgement of their technical skills. Ham radio is of course a form of amateur radio – a hobby that involves broadcasting to a large area, or listening out for messages across distances. With a …
The amateur radio operating scene is a thriving and highly exciting community that is likely taking place literally under your nose right now! As you read this, countless messages are being transmitted and received all around you – rippling through the electromagnetic fields that are found all over the planet …
Getting into HAM radio can feel a little bit like entering a secret club! You’ll be communicating on channels that only those in the know will be listening to, and you’ll be partaking in a tradition that dates back to pre WW1! Another cool facet of amateur radio, is that …
HAM radio is a form of radio that has a rather interesting history, not to mention a fascinating modern cultural position. In one way or another, HAM radio has been around since the discovery of radio waves by Heinrich Rudolph Hertz in 1888. This is a place where people can …
The world of two-way radio is a complicated one. While the average consumer will simply buy a walkie talkie set and not give much thought to the way it works, or what it does, hobbyists, specialists, and businesses will need to give a lot more thought to what they’re purchasing. …
The word ‘digital’ has somehow become nearly synonymous with modernity, technology, and better performance. These days, we expect everything to be ‘digital’ from our radios, to our alarm clocks. Analog is messy and low-quality. Digital is crisp and new. Right? Wrong! In fact, all digital actually means, is binary. Digital …
Two way radio systems – colloquially referred to as ‘walkie-talkies’ – are useful tools for communicating with another person located within a modest radius (although long range walkie-talkies can work across fairly significant distances). These tools enable us to stay in touch regardless of available cell signal, and in a …