Category Archives: General

A place to put things that don’t fall into other categories.

General

Radio Giveaway! (10k YouTube Subscriber Celebration)

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UPDATE – The winner is Harry Kidder – N8PSI.  Many thanks to the 602 people who participated in the drawing. And even more thanks for your feedback in telling me the types/topics of videos you’d like to see me make in the future!

Yesterday, my YouTube channel crossed the 10,000 subscriber boundary. To say thanks, I’m giving away one of my personal QRP radios… my Youkits HB-!B. The random drawing will be held on Friday, May 10th, 2019 @ Noon central time. [The original post contained a link here to a Google Form to enter the drawing.]

NOTE: Please forgive the left-channel-only audio on this one! I recorded my lav mic directly to the DSLR camera (I normally use an external recorder) and I forgot to tell my video editing software to render the audio as Monophonic.

Contests, CW, General, Operating

Why You Should Join the SKCC

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In this video, I tell you why you should join the Straight Key Century Club. It’s a great place to have contacts with other Morse Code people who aren’t speed demons! This is a great group of guys who like to use Straight Keys and the speed is usually somewhere between 12 to 17 wpm. So, for anyone who’s just learned Morse Code, this is a great place to get your feet wet! Join the SKCC at http://www.skccgroup.com

The video also includes Bonus Footage that shows my office and gear used to shoot this video.

General

Propagation Prediction with VOACAP.com

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Sure, you can turn on your radio and spin the dial to see who you can hear right now.  But, WHO SHOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HEAR?

The voacap.com website is an amazing tool. Use it to find out who should be able to hear you right now. Want to know the best band and time of day to contact a certain location (or DXpedition)? Watch this video and you’ll never play radio in-the-dark again.

CW, General, Operating, Portable Ops, Radios

Four Days In May – 2016

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I recently returned from the Four Days In May QRP event in Dayton, OH. Here are some thoughts on the fun of meeting QRP rock stars, seeing the debut of the Elecraft KX2, and hanging out with like-minded QRP Nerds.  I also share a couple of interesting QRP contacts.

Bottom Line: Plan to attend FDIM next year!

QRP ARCI: http://http://www.qrparci.org/
Elecraft KX2: http://www.elecraft.com
Steve WG0AT: https://www.youtube.com/user/goathiker
QRPMe: http://qrpme.com

Digital, General, Radios

Getting Started with Digital Modes

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Want to get your head around the concepts and hardware needed to start using some of the amateur radio Digital Modes? You’ve come to the right place!  This comprehensive video will tell you everything you need to know to get started and it lays the groundwork for a series of upcoming in-depth videos on RTTY, PSK31, JT65, and Winlink.

The following questions are answered in this video:

  • Why Digital?
  • What is Meant by Digital Modes?
  • How Does Digital Work?
  • What Kind of Radio is Needed?
  • What Kind of Computer is Needed?
  • Do I Have To Make My Own Cables?
  • What Cables Are Required?
  • What About Push-To-Talk?
  • How Does A Signalink Box Make Things Easier?
  • How to Connect Radios to a Signalink Box? (FT-817 and KX3)
  • The Importance of Setting Optimal Audio Signal Levels

CW, General, Portable Ops, Radios

Using the Mountain Topper QRP Radio

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I got the last Mountain Topper QRP radio of 2015 from LNR Precision (according to Ryan).

I’ve been having a ball with this gem for the past 10 days.  In this video, I tell you about the radio and then show you how to use nearly every feature.  It’s a long video that I made for those who may be interested in this jewel-like little rig… which should be EVERYONE!