It’s Amateur Radio Day!

If you are licensed, get on the air!!!

If you are not licensed, but would like to be, go ahead and read “So You Want to Be a Ham…and Don’t Know Where to Start?”

If you are just plain curious, hop on over to “CQ, CQ, CQ…”

73’s

Last week, I posted about Radio Direction Finding. It is an activity within ham radio which uses techniques to track down the sources of radio transmissions using radio equipment. Since it generally only involves receiving transmissions, (and not making them,) anyone…even those who are not licensed…can participate and practice these skills. Continue reading “Tape Measure Antenna Plans” →

Sooooo…..one may ask what this may have to do with prepping?

There is a wide diversity of activities found within amateur radio. The average person is likely not aware that such versatility even exists. Slow-scan television (SSTV) is such an activity, and storing and retrieving messages from satellites may be another. To be honest, the topic of ham radio is so broad that most hams have only experienced only a fraction of what amateur radio has to offer.

One of these activities is known as Radio Direction Finding.

Radio Direction Finding (RDF) is also known as transmitter hunting or “fox” hunting. What exactly is Radio Direction Finding? It is the use of radio equipment to seek and find the source of a given transmission. The transmitter that is being sought is often referred to as the “fox,” and participants must use their radio equipment and their skills to try to pinpoint its location. Sometimes the “hunt” is within a small area such as a park where the seekers search for it on foot. Other times, the pursuit may be in a region as large as a city where the participants must drive around and use their equipment to track down the point of transmission. Think of it as electronic “hide and go seek.” It is enjoyed by many hams as a hobby, and it is seen by some as a viable sport. I have found this to be a very rewarding activity where I have not only learned about this aspect of ham radio, but I have used this as an opportunity to increase my emergency communications skills overall.

So…again, how might this relate to anything to do with prepping…or emergency communications for that matter? Continue reading “Radio Direction Finding” →

I’ve neglected you all for far too long…

It’s been awhile since I posted last. (Bad petite…BAAAAD petite…) Truth be told, my real life took precedence over my virtual one.

Anyway…in the interest of bringing you some new content to ponder, it’s back to business…

In my exploits into emergency communications, I find that having references on hand helps me tremendously. I simply just can’t remember everything all of the time. Just…can’t…do…it.

So I make references for myself to have on hand if and when my brain decides to have a blank moment…which seems to happen more often as I get older. (*sigh*)

Here is one of those references. It is a bookmark displaying the ITU alphabet. Feel free to print a copy. You may print as many as you would like. The only thing I ask is that you do not make a profit off of these. Fair enough, right?

Enjoy…and 73’s

Save

This has been on my mind a lot lately.

It may be because I’m in the process of building a few.

It is also because it has come into real sharp focus for me lately. It’s an important lesson to learn: Without the proper gear, you may not get the job done. Although that’s true with many aspects of preparedness, it happens to be very true with emergency communications. Yes, skill matters more, but all the skills in the world will not compensate for the wrong gear for the job in many situations. You may be the best informational communicator out there…but that means nothing if no one can hear you.

Continue reading “Do You Have the “Right Antenna” for the Job?” →