HF

Digital Voice at Pacificon

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Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Pacificon amateur radio convention in Santa Clara, something I have been trying to do for several years now. It is a great event, with good technical programs and a super venue. The most interesting presentation I saw was the one on digital voice (DV) technology by Bruce Perens … Read more

Trying Out the Buddistick Antenna

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At the Dayton Hamvention, I had picked up the Buddistick™ Deluxe Package portable HF antenna. This antenna is very popular with the Summits On The Air crowd and other QRP enthusiasts. Usually when I am doing SOTA activations, its all about VHF. But being a self-proclaimed HF Slacker, I might get on HF sometime from a … Read more

Get Ready For Field Day

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Attention all radio amateurs, this weekend is ARRL Field Day! Don’t forget to get on the air. Field Day is a flexible event, so it can be anything you want it to be: camping weekend, stay at home, participate with your club, go mobile, whatever you desire. Remember to season to taste. One more thing: … Read more

HF Slacker Works the CQ WPX Contest

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This past weekend, I had a great time working the CQ WPX (SSB) Contest. I am pretty much an HF Slacker but I do like getting on the air once in a while for these contests. The attraction seems to be the opportunity to make lots of contacts in a short time and picking up a few new … Read more

How to Get a $10,000 FCC Fine

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The ARRL web site reported on this Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture from the FCC. That’s government talk for “we are fining you.” In case you are wondering how you can get fined by the FCC, here’s the sequence of events that resulted in a $10,000 fine for this person: Get a Technician License and … Read more