Morse Code Testing: Irrelevant

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I promised myself that I wasn’t going to write anything else about the FCC’s decision to eliminate the Morse Code testing requirement for amateur radio licenses. The issue has been debated for decades, all of the arguments have been made and I am quite weary of the topic. Then I came across the Long Delayed … Read more

Counterfeit ICOM Handheld Radios

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ICOM has issued a notice on its web site that counterfeit versions of their basic VHF handheld radio, the IC-V8, are showing up at various locations on the internet. ICOM says that “Some of them look almost identical to genuine ICOM products. It has been reported recently that these products are also being sold through … Read more

FCC Drops Morse Code

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Washington, D.C. – Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration (Order) that modifies the rules for the Amateur Radio Service by revising the examination requirements for obtaining a General Class or Amateur Extra Class amateur radio operator license and revising the operating privileges for Technician Class licensees. … Read more

The FCC and the Jamming of Cellphones

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CellAntenna, a manufacturer of cellular radio communications solutions, has filed suit in U.S. District Court to force the FCC to allow broader sale of RF jamming equipment (CNET News.com article here). At first look, the argument is compelling: terrorist bombs can be detonated by remote control using cell phones, so let’s jam the phones. Currently, … Read more

Shuttle Discovery (STS-116) Scheduled to Launch Dec 7th

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The space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch on December 7th with the radio amateurs on board: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB; Christer Fuglesang, KE5CGR/SA0AFS; Nicholas Patrick, KD5PKY. See the ARRL news article here. Detailed information from NASA is available on their space shuttle page. You’ll be glad to know (?) that NASA is improving the quality … Read more

Satellite Operation from Bonaire PJ4/K0NR

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As mentioned in a previous post, I was in Bonaire on vacation, so I took along some ham radio gear and did a PJ4/K0NR Mini-DXpedition. Well, maybe it is more like a Micro-DXpedition. Everything had to be transported via airline, so the radio gear needed to be compact, which included HF and satellite gear. The … Read more