Truth be told, I have milliwatted but a long time ago. It was actually a fluke but I will leave that story for another day and another thread.

Stupid question I am sure, but are there QRPP HF contests out there? The problem is obviously that as soon as a bigger station comes back, the other milliwatters would never get in. So I guess it would…

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I’m actually split. Sometimes I hear words, other times I hear letters. For instance, friends’ callsigns I hear as a word. Most Q-codes also. I also hear words towards the end of a sentence. I find myself listening to the first few letters and then ‘expecting’ certain words. Same applies to sending code. Q-codes, CQ, my callsign, all these…

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I was driving past a tall tower yesterday and the most trivial thought came to mind. I wonder how high the highest installed amateur radio antenna sits? Like, is there an antenna at the top of any New York skyscraper. I’m curious both about VHF/UHF repeater antennas and good old, simple HF antennas. I’m not yet talking about whether this is…

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We all know the drill: the radios work, the antennas are tuned, and the generator is gassed up. But do we actually have a place to set up?

For those who leave the home shack for Field Day, Winter Field Day, or special events, outdoor site acquisition is often the most stressful part of the planning phase. We look everywhere:

• Public…

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Trying to renew my license… no luck. Had a heck of a time getting the ‘sign in’ code to even log in. Now trying to access the ULS system with no success. If you read the Reddit or FB threads, you’ll see that this has been on and off for months. We landed on the moon!

Hi Lind. Yup, there is. Just sent you a private message. You should get a notification. BTW, not happy with the current direct messaging system. Thinking of changing it. Jim.

PS. If you look at the bottom right of your browser, you should see the Messages/Groups buttons.

To all who attended the 2025 Emcomm Station Meet at JHU/APL in Laurel, MD, thank you for coming out. For those who could not join us, you were missed.

(INFORMAL) AFTER ACTION REPORT

• The weather cooperated. The Tº was comfortably cool and the rain missed us.
• The location was perfect; abundant open space for portable stations, great parking area…

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BUMMED. We decided to postpone to the rain date because the models showed there was a chance of rain in the mid-morning. Well, turns out that the models – every one of them – were inaccurate. At this point looks like if there is any rain whatsoever, it’ll come mid- to late-afternoon.

😠

Absolutely… here goes. Note that as I type this, the page is still under development. It should be complete by COB tonight, tomorrow latest.

https://ham.community/emcomm-2025

This thread is for those who wish to discuss the Emcomm Meet planned for 27 September 2025 at APL/JHU in Laurel, MD.

I’ve tried to look up the possible discrepancies. I hope that these new instructions are correct. Again, if not, my apologies.

1. My Call Sign

   [MENU] → SET → My Station → My Call Sign

   Enter up to six callsigns; Terminal mode (ID‑52A PLUS) has separate TM call sign setting.

2. Enable Digital Repeater Auto‑Set (Optional)

   [MENU] → SET → DV Set → Digital…

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Sorry about that 🙁 I don’t have mine anymore so I can’t check which ones are wrong. I’ll try to get my hands on a manual and recheck. Again, apologies.

Ask around: “Is Field Day a contest?” My very personal feeling is that if looks, walks, and quacks like a contest, it’s a contest. We are literally in the midst of hours of discussion on how we can improve our ‘non’ contest score; what gives?

I get that the amateur radio powers-that-be (read ARRL/RAC) posit that it’s supposed to be…

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More to follow, but joined the FTDX-10 gang (my 891, which I love, is very jealous; it told me so!). I really wanted a mid-level, highly-rated, contest-worthy rig and after much soul-searching, went for it. Will revert after I have a few hours under the belt with it but I honestly think I’ll be happy. I’ve operated it before, notably thanks to …

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RE the 7300, it feels like almost a decade old, wait, it is! Incredible how time flies. As for the 705, I’ll tell you what I like: there’s a singular sensation associated with accomplishing the harder tasks in life and QRP is one of those. The feeling of going out into one’s garden—never mind the highest peaks—and cranking out five minuscule…

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That’s it, I fell prey. At Hamcation this February I bought an Icom IC-705. I made my first QSO on the first day from my balcony with 5W; contact was in Missouri on 20M! Thrilled. I am now going to try it out on the back end of a RM Italy ±350W linear. Will revert with details. Anyone else have a 705? Anyone considering one?

Who’s coming? Ham Community will be there! We will be in booths 1907 and 1908 in Building 1 (Maxim). This is the first year we have two booths! Unfortunately Alan W4DOI will not be coming with me this year after suffering some health issues. Anyone want to join in the fun let me know! And if you’re just visiting, drop by!!!

Can’t wait to show…

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How do you feel about the perception of amateur radio operators by professional first responders whether law enforcement, fire, EMT, military and other? Do you get the feeling that they look at us as a nuissance, useful, qualified, problematic, etc…?

I’m curious to know how returning amateur radio operators feel about the overwhelming influx of new technology, including menu-driven rigs, digital modes, a plethora of software applications, and an explosion of amateur radio-related content on YouTube, social media, and even within Ham Community.

Every time we lament that amateur radio is “aging out,” are we missing the vibrant, youthful digital revolution taking shape?

For decades, seasoned operators have grumbled about the hobby nearing the end of its golden age. Yet look around—there’s a growing wave of young hams embracing digital modes, software-defined radios, and modern…

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Hybrid setups are reshaping our approach to radio design. Has anyone experimented with blending classic tube circuitry or analog filters alongside modern digital signal processing? What unexpected improvements or challenges did you encounter when merging these two worlds?

Many have purchased, and continue to purchase, the ICOM IC-7300. As one of the first SDR rigs, it was, and continues to be, wildly popular despite some complaints regarding the rig’s front-end performance. What are your thoughts? Specifically, I’d like to hear about your experiences with:

1. Strong Signal Handling: How does the IC-7300 perform…

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I absolutely love stories of generational passion. I’m happy to call you a friend Bobby.

Leon’s tenure is a rather impressive accomplishment but also I wish to commend you on the overall level of activity of the group. The newsletter clearly demonstrates how active MERT has become and remains. Indeed, it should be an inspiration for all emcomm groups around the country, whatever their affiliation whether that be ARES, MARS, or even…

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One more thing.

As an early adopter of XYZ, Ham Volunteers & Ham Community become ‘supporters’ of XYZ by offering whatever support it can, e.g. server, domain, start up funding, etc. This also means that we can solicit support/funding/etc. from others who now become early, as said, adopter/supporters of XYZ.

As we discussed in, I believe, our first meeting, how does Ham Volunteers fit into the XYZ project? Quite simply, it’s the first user. Let me explain.

• XYZ is the software that allows for the management of any and all resource units.
• Ham Volunteers is a site that manages the ‘membership’ of volunteers who then ‘volunteer’ for events that may or…

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I will admit my ignorance, I had heard of JOTA but not of SCOTA. What’s more, I don’t think I have that on the poster, so I’ll add it for this next version and for the new metal poster that’s coming out. Thanks for this!!

Wow. I had no idea the history of the merit badge was so rich, and the PDF is insanely detailed; quite impressive.👍

What a fascinating post! I have to admit, I had never even considered the idea of taking ham radio on a cruise ship, let alone all the challenges and nuances involved. Your experience really highlights how unique the hobby can be, and I imagine it requires a lot of preparation and flexibility.

I was especially intrigued by the rules you…

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Done. Decided to edit it 😎

Hi Bobby. We have our own Ham Boutique magnets now also; see below.

As for 146.59, knowing Lind, that was just a typo. Lind is an old wolf who knows his stuff well I was going to edit it out but decided it was obvious.

Here’s the link to the magnets…

https://hamboutique.com/products/146-52-mhz-car-magnet

Renamed it and updated the description. Better? Thoughts welcome 😎

RIP to our dear friend Frank AA4ZS. He truly was a lovely soul who did bring so many people together. Net runners, as I call them – operators who have the dedication needed to keep a net alive – are few and far between. Frank was one of them indeed.💌

So, truth be told, I’ve been wrestling with this one for a while. As I’ve tried to find a new and more useful mission for Ham Community, I’ve had to decide what I wanted to keep, what it is I wanted to add, and what I wanted to delete. The new mission, as I currently envision it, is to work to create a place that is focussed on ham…

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By the way, don’t forget to sign your support on

146.52 MHz Simplex Petition

Hi Lind.

Sorry for the lengthy reply, but it’s a really good question and many hams aren’t familiar with the concept.

The feature you are referring to is commonly called “dual watch”, “dual receive”, or “priority scan”, depending on the specific implementation and the manufacturer’s terminology. Here is a breakdown of these terms:

Dual Watch:…

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Hey Lind. Good point. Let me think about this for a minute and revert.

That’s a really great point Bobby, that there is a cutoff date to effortless learning. Another great point is that it has to be fun. Gets me thinking that even I have been focussing on the wrong age group. I think that we tend to default to teenagers assuming that the younger ones don’t yet have the necessary foundations. And yet, time and…

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