tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86817069889198454972026-04-06T02:35:25.633-04:00A blog by Greg, K4HSM discussing mostly amateur radio and FCC issues.K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-52572784441182436922026-04-06T02:35:00.000-04:002026-04-06T02:35:25.626-04:00

Over the last few weeks as the weather has warmed up I have been trying to get outdoors more and operate Parks on the Air (POTA).Besides the VHF/UHF operations during Simplex Saturdays (now over) I began doing HF POTA as well. Recently I went to Mt. Roosevelt WMA in Roane Co near the Time Zone line between Eastern and Central time, on the Cumberland Plateau. This was also on a Simplex

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-62556427295367316712026-04-06T00:01:00.000-04:002026-04-06T00:01:18.859-04:00

Over the last few months, I've been participating in Parks on the Air (POTA) and Simplex Saturdays (sponsored by TARA) and the antenna I've used is the Comet UHV-4, a quad-band antenna that works with my FT-8900 radio (10m, 6m, 2m, and 70cm).It's a great antenna, and it's nice to have one antenna to rule them all, but one disadvantage is that its profile is not the most conducive for

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-38177563509898655082026-01-27T03:33:00.002-05:002026-01-27T03:33:25.362-05:00

Meteorology has become way more advanced and technologically superior to previous generations of what was used even 20 years ago. Supercomputers have taken on a much larger role of forecasting weather from a few hours to a month out. Forecast models can often give a broad idea of what could happen in a week or two, and has been used to forecast tracks of hurricanes (called a "spaghetti" model) to

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.965266 -83.9233047.6550321638211543 -119.079554 64.275499836178852 -48.767054tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-75007177230047943082025-12-22T21:13:00.004-05:002025-12-22T21:13:42.922-05:00

 I took another trip up to the Foothills Parkway for Simplex Saturday. After a 1-week hiatus I trekked back up the parkway in gorgeous weather conditions to make a few contacts. I made 15 contacts total, 14 for POTA, one while mobile on my way to the Parkway.The weather was fantastic and clear. I installed my Yaesu FT-8900 Quad-band radio onto the battery box to help with portability. It did

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Foothills Pkwy, Tennessee, USA35.7045504 -83.81467317.3943165638211568 -118.9709231 64.014784236178855 -48.658423099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-14262186170697404362025-12-15T12:39:00.001-05:002025-12-15T12:39:00.117-05:00

Over the last few years, Youtube has become the standard for content creation, with people making interesting, entertaining, and informative videos on a wide variety of subjects.I've been trying to create some informative ham radio and weather-related content but my choice in using intro/outro music is a problem for Youtube. I've been creating videos off and on for Youtube since 2006 and these

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-51236829775787526482025-12-14T12:39:00.004-05:002025-12-14T12:39:47.883-05:00

Here's a video I made on what you should have in your vehicle, home, and farm for preparing for winter weather.  

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.965266 -83.9233047.6550321638211543 -119.079554 64.275499836178852 -48.767054tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-66067033250107129622025-12-01T01:55:00.005-05:002025-12-01T08:26:57.138-05:00

I would like to share this song I heard by a German ham (Hartmut, DK4BE) who created this upbeat song with a lot of jargon we should know quite well. YLs, field day, moonbounce, QO-100, etc.The video is insanely over the top. Some original video of actual ham radio activity, mixed with completely unrelated Adobe Stock/AI generated goofiness that makes no sense. Look for the woman 

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.965266 -83.9233047.6550321638211543 -119.079554 64.275499836178852 -48.767054tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-62881360890539732772025-11-29T01:10:00.001-05:002025-11-29T01:10:11.164-05:00

 Thought I would submit a video to discuss various ham radio topics including echolink, repeaters, the power of a telescopic HT antenna, and Thanksgiving. Don't know if I'll make a habit of this but it gave me something to do while sitting in my hotel room bored. I rerecorded about four times to try and get it right, and I'm still unhappy with it because of all the "uhhhhhs" and "

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Aurora, CO, USA39.7294319 -104.831919511.419198063821156 -139.9881695 68.039665736178847 -69.6756695tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-37653552702680252242025-11-09T03:54:00.001-05:002025-11-09T03:54:10.966-05:00

 For the 6th week in a row I made an appearance for Simplex Saturdays, sponsored by TARA. For all but one of those weeks I went up to the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to operate. The over 2000' elevation certainly is advantageous when trying to get a large footprint on VHF/UHF simplex.This week I had company as three other hams came up to operate and to

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0M39P+P4 Top of the World, TN, USA35.6693193 -83.914625635.557763093115113 -84.0519547015625 35.780875506884882 -83.7772964984375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-20815910147333076292025-11-09T01:20:00.001-05:002025-11-09T01:20:07.028-05:00

I made an appearance at Scoutfest in Monroe County on 25 October representing East Tennessee SKYWARN. Hundreds of scouts from around the region came out for a weekend of camping and learning about various trades, skills, and ideas that may help them become better people tomorrow than they already were today.The Smoky Mountain Amateur Radio Club, RACK, and Monroe Co. ARES&

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-61779256587180505262025-10-16T22:07:03.683-04:002025-10-16T22:07:53.759-04:00

GoFundMe is being used by many for recovering from disasters, helping to pay for unexpected expenses, or to assist with costs from a life-threatening accident. Some even use it to help pay for trips and vacations. Whatever the need, it has been a great way for people around the world to help those in need.But apparently GoFundMe wants to expand their reach and not let those affected know about it

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-77630409484246491432025-10-06T22:26:00.000-04:002025-10-06T22:26:49.772-04:00

The ARRL has teamed up with Texas HAM PAC to allow ham operators to send a message to their US Congresspeople to encourage passage of  H.R.1094 (US House of Representatives) and S.459 (US Senate) which would make Homeowner Associations (HOAs) relax restrictions on antennas and towers in communities to allow for emergency communications. All across the US, HOAs have

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-47629821860662841492025-10-06T11:35:00.047-04:002025-10-06T11:35:00.118-04:00

The Tennessee Amateur Radio Association started up a special event that began last Saturday (4 October) where Tennessee stations can make contacts on VHF and up simplex frequencies (6m, 2m, 23cm. and 70cm):Participants can download the log sheet (as an .xlsx) and then log their contacts, then upload them here to become eligible for prize drawings (prizes TBD) in April. I decided to head

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Foothills Parkway Southwest Parking #8, Foothills Pkwy, Maryville, TN 37803, USA35.6707204 -83.9034897.360486563821155 -119.059739 63.980954236178846 -48.747238999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-20306200006218302892025-10-04T09:00:00.001-04:002025-10-04T09:00:00.122-04:00

The need for emergency power is something every ham operator should take into consideration. Over the last few years, batteries have become more affordable, longer-lasting, lighter weight, or a combination of these qualities. The latest battery craze is for LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries, a growing favorite among many makers and tinkerers for their light weight, long charge

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-57597240311428006472025-10-02T23:55:00.001-04:002025-10-02T23:55:42.042-04:00

A little over 3 years ago I posted a teaser about an audio rack that I wanted to use for ham radio functions...all it said was "soon...".Well, I guess I SHOULD provide an update after 3 years! And what a jouney!I had parts and equipment to put together a "go-box" or "kit" as I'll call it, for portability and convenience, so I began the process of putting together a kit that would allow me to get

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-34570093070102259552025-04-08T19:06:00.001-04:002025-04-08T19:06:25.262-04:00

Well I picked a good time to revisit my blog after a nearly 2-year hiatus...Citing "increasingly strained" relations between the US and Canada and other issues completely unrelated to amateur radio, the RAC (Radio Amateurs of Canada) have "unanimously" agreed NOT to attend the Hamvention in Xenia for 2025.I double-checked and sure enough, April Fool's Day was last Tuesday.See for yourself below (

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-24192839640677155622023-02-16T18:44:00.001-05:002023-02-16T20:57:33.945-05:00

All this commotion about the so-called "Chinese Spy Balloon" has been truly incredible to watch. There is a lot of information we are NOT getting from the military or our intelligence agencies. While that is not unusual, this leads to a lot of speculation about what's happened and a lot of room for innuendo and hyperbole on how serious the situation was. And now a fun part of ham radio may be the

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-81441404801195930402022-09-13T16:01:00.004-04:002022-09-13T16:01:59.407-04:00

On a personal level, Tim Berry is one of those you should be privileged to know and lucky to have on your side when you need someone to lean on for technical expertise or just a friendly ear.Not only is Tim a ham operator, he's an Engineer for radio stations, Technical Director for the Vol Network, and owner of several repeaters in East Tennessee.In this interview he talks about his early start

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-23885591939766619542022-07-19T20:57:00.002-04:002022-07-19T20:57:26.075-04:00

 Soon...

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-17562223586006028862022-06-30T10:30:00.001-04:002022-06-30T10:30:00.181-04:00

I posted this nearly a decade ago, still holds true today...I have to wonder if this type of conversation happens on your area's repeaters (the exact conversation and names have been altered to protect the guilty):Ham1: "Hey guys, I'm from out-of-town and need directions to the gas station as I'm on fumes. I'm currently at (any location). Can anyone tell me how best to get there?"

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.9606384 -83.92073927.6504045638211551 -119.0769892 64.270872236178846 -48.7644892tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-88221433953177451582022-05-29T15:07:00.001-04:002022-05-29T15:07:19.793-04:00

From many accounts it looks like Hamvention®'s return post-COVID has been a success, with over 31,000 attending the big event in Xenia. pic.twitter.com/QT5yH9v6cw— Dayton Hamvention® (@hamvention) May 27, 2022 From many Twitter accounts, however, it looks like COVID may be alive and well in whatever variant that it's currently undertaking.A search on Twitter using tags "hamvention" and "

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-48116246055734668712021-12-29T04:31:00.007-05:002021-12-29T04:34:42.741-05:00

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team is supporting slow-scan TV transmissions from the International Space Station over the holidays. The images will be related to lunar exploration. Transmissions are available worldwide on 145.800MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD120, and started on 26 December 2021and will end on the 31st at about 1705UTC. The signal should be receivable

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.9606384 -83.92073927.6504045638211551 -119.0769892 64.270872236178846 -48.7644892tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-119945612126474742021-08-15T00:58:00.000-04:002021-08-15T00:58:17.468-04:00

This is Crystal, and she has been our cat for 15 years. She came to us from the neighbors who were making her an outdoor cat, and she kept "invading" our home. We adopted her and kept her indoors and she would still love to go in and out at her leisure and cruise the neighborhood. Some crazy cat lady apparently would feed her when she wandered down to her house and we didn't know this and

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Knoxville, TN, USA35.9606384 -83.92073927.6504045638211551 -119.0769892 64.270872236178846 -48.7644892tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-52732356383810092382020-12-15T18:30:00.009-05:002020-12-15T18:30:08.209-05:00

Last Sunday, Jes and I hiked the 7 mile road to Clingman's Dome, then trekked the 1/2 mile up to the Dome from the parking area. We're both still sore from the journey but feel very accomplished and it was a beautiful day and could not have asked for a better time (other than the sore feet/back/knees...)

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.comClingmans Dome, Forneys Creek, NC 28713, USA35.5627546 -83.4984980999999927.2525207638211526 -118.65474809999999 63.872988436178844 -48.342248099999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681706988919845497.post-59086748344488775392020-10-25T01:56:00.003-04:002020-10-25T02:35:11.392-04:00

For our recent anniversary, my wife and I travelled to Myrtle Beach, SC. I decided to attach the dashcam and record the journey! The video (below) is sped up about 32x normal speed, but still took just under 12 minutes for the full video journey to play! The way the dashcam worked, it records in 5 minute segments. So imagine trying to edit 7-8 hours of videos in 5 minute chunks!

K4HSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180270566330669617noreply@blogger.com0Myrtle Beach, SC, USA33.6890603 -78.88669435.3788264638211558 -114.0429443 61.999294136178847 -43.7304443