u/Hamdaddy1976

You can create your own map by adding your location grid. You can see where to point that Yagi and how to orient your dipole to reach certain countries by avoiding the nulls. You can also print it out a version that can be used with older models antenna rotator switches. Azimuthal Map

The website also has other tools like a gray line real time map. If you re looking for that special DX and wanna take advantage of the grayline propagation just make a few changes to its settings and can see where and when the sun is coming up. Grayline map

Btw- Dave Cassler has a big library of vids to answer any questions a new ham might have, very knowledgeable, an engineer by trade if I’m not mistaken. Very smart fellow when it comes to ham radio math and engineering.

Let’s settle the old radials debate once and for all! Hope this helps a few of yous to understand vertical antennas a little bit more!

Great project to make your own wolf river coil like antenna. Very cheap and very easy.

Today I’ve been diving deeper into filters and LC circuits. Eventhough I never had a chance to study electronics, as a kid my brain understood electricity so I went to electrician school. Now my brain understand this but I’m too old to enroll in college. Just wish I would’ve had the chance to take a stab at it in college. I truly love these stuff!

A few things you have to learn to pass your Extra class exam. Lots of ham radio math. But once you learn it and understand it home brewing antnna tunners it’s a breez if that’s something u r interested in. Also bandpass filters become easier to understand the why and the what and building them would help if you are interested in contesting.

This is what happens when you transmit with a dirty radio. He is transmitting on 2 meters and you can hear the radio on the second harmonics. Be careful with this Baofeng radios fellas. With a Baofeng UVR5 when u transmit on 145.00 you will also be heard on 290mhz 435mhz 580MHz, 725MHz, 870MHz and so on and so forth depending how high up you are transmitting from. In some small towns first responders still use the 440 band for their emergency services. Just be conscious when you use your Baofeng radios.

Great vid explaining the how to of testing your radio‘s signal purity using a Tiny SA, I think it’s a worthwhile investment. They are an affordable option that can help you and save you quite a lot of money from any issues that arise from dealing with any out of band transmission.

I know it’s not fancy but at least I’m practicing. I just stared learning so I figured spending any big money on some paddles or key its foolish.

I once posted a warning for a new ham Baofeng user letting him know that if his radio with or without him knowing was causing any interference with Gov or a private company’s radio service long enough the FCC would get involve and they would find him, very easily I might add. Those radios tend to transmit on all of the harmonics making him transmit out of band. The comment was not meant to be a lecture, it was just a lighthearted simple warning to a new licensed ham. Then one of those “Ackchyually” know it all guys got all mad and offended for some reason and told me to… “stop making crap up, the government is not going to get involved or even care about a FKN 5 watts radio. Anyway… just be careful out there guys. FCC fines are very very expensive!!!