Bob K0NR

Which HT For High RF SOTA?

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On some SOTA summits that are established radio sites, there can be significant RFI on 2 meters. I recently wrote about that here: RFI on SOTA Summits. There have also been discussions from time to time among VHF SOTA activators on which handheld transceiver (HT) has the most robust receiver for use in high RF … Read more

My Comments On The Proposed FCC License Fees

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You have probably heard about the FCC proposal to establish a $50 application fee for Amateur Radio licenses. This is part of an overall redesign of the FCC’s fee structure, affecting many radio services, not just amateur radio. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is found in Docket 20-270.  The public is invited to … Read more

RFI on SOTA Summits

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One thing to watch out for when doing SOTA activations is the presence of strong Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) on some peaks. The typical scenario is that the summit is also an established radio site with transmitters that interfere with your ham radio operations. I use the VHF/UHF bands for SOTA, so I am writing … Read more

New SOTA Mountain Goat: Joyce/K0JJW

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Congratulations to my wonderful spouse and favorite hiking partner, Joyce/K0JJW, for achieving Mountain Goat status for Summits On The Air (SOTA). On August 10th, she reached 1000 activator points while activating Pikes Peak (W0C/FR-004).  She had quite the pileup on 146.55 MHz.  Her best DX for the day was WY7ATH near Cheyenne, WY at a … Read more

Simplex Channel Confusion on 2 Meters

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I often get asked questions about the band plan for 2 meters (144 to 148 MHz). Usually, this is about choosing a suitable simplex frequency, because the repeater frequencies are already coordinated and visible. I’ve written about 2m band plans before. This article attempts to cover the topic in a way that applies across the … Read more