Equipment

Confirming K0NR Does Have HF Gear

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A few days ago, someone told me that a rumor is circulating that I don’t own any gear capable of operating on the high-frequency (HF) bands. I laughed out loud, wondering where this came from. Actually, I know where this comes from: most of my postings here at k0nr.com are oriented towards VHF operating, often … Read more

Three Useful HT Accessories

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Here are three affordable accessories that can help round out your VHF/UHF handheld transceiver (HT) kit. These items can significantly improve the performance of your radio and make it more useful. 1. A Halfwave Antenna for 2m I’ve already written about the RH660 antenna, which is a huge improvement over a typical rubber duck antenna. … Read more

The Future of Emcomm

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Here comes Starlink! I’ve been reading a number of reports from the areas affected by the two major hurricanes (Helene and Milton). The North Carolina experience is particularly interesting because people have experienced the loss of communication and electrical service for several weeks. I can imagine this same thing happening in other parts of the … Read more

Handie-Talkie or Walkie-Talkie?

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In ham radio, we often use Handie-Talkie or HT to describe a compact, handheld transceiver. My first exposure to the term Handie-Talkie was when I became a licensed radio amateur in 1977. As a student at Purdue University (W9YB), the absolute coolest VHF radio to have was the Motorola HT-220. Even a used one commanded … Read more

Common Ham Shack Radio Configurations

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Amateur radio transceivers have improved dramatically over the decades and they pack a lot of capability into relatively compact radios. In this post, we will take a look at the typical configurations and how they may impact setting up a flexible amateur radio station today. This discussion is focused on currently available new gear, with … Read more

An Easy HF Antenna

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When radio amateurs get ready to put an HF station on the air, they often have questions about what antenna to use. The good news is that there are many options to choose from. The bad news is that there are too many options to choose from. It can be overwhelming. This post describes an … Read more