Strictly speaking, QRP is defined as low-power operating. It comes from the CW Prosign QRP that means either “Shall I reduce power” or “Please reduce power,” depending on the punctuation that follows it.

QRP today usually refers to operating with power levels of 5W or less on CW/Digital, and 10W or less on SSB. Some advantages of low-power operating, are:

• The equipment (rig, antenna, batteries) can be smaller and lighter, making it much easier to carry a complete station with you.
• Even the smaller batteries can last longer between charges.
• A QRP station is generally less expensive to set up.

Operating QRP can be more of a challenge during rough band conditions, but it’s a breeze during good conditions. The easiest way to get started in QRP is to use the equipment you already own and just reduce the power level. Most HF transceivers produced in the last 50 years have the means to reduce the power to QRP levels.

There are dedicated QRP rigs out there. A quick internet search will find lots of models to choose from. Thanks to Software Defined Radio (SDR), there are more QRP radios on the market than ever before. Try not to overlook the older QRP rigs either. Some of them are still popular after many years. QRP is almost a hobby unto itself, so you will not find a shortage of choices for equipment.

Antennas for QRP can be simple affairs. Since they are designed for lower power, smaller gauge wire and components can be used. One of the simplest antennas for the activator is the dipole antenna. It is easy to build, doesn’t need great heights to be effective, and stows nicely. Another easy antenna for portable activations is the End Fed Half Wave (EFHW). It works well on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Some hams attach longer wires on their EFHW to allow them to add 80 meters.

If your style is to roll into a park, set up quickly, and operate from inside (or close to) your vehicle, look into using a mobile whip. Sometimes referred to as hamsticks, these work well mobile or portable. Editor’s note: You’ll find some models available from DX Engineering here.

A portable mount can be fashioned so you can use the antenna away from the vehicle. When using it in this configuration, you will probably need some radial ground wires, or “magic carpet” to replace the vehicle ground plane. The magic carpet resembles a piece of window screen that you can spread out underneath your antenna. It seems to be well thought of and is available from multiple sources, including your local home center.

A mini dipole mount can be used to create a hamstick dipole on a tripod where a pair of whips are attached horizontally.

For more money, you can also look at “screwdriver antennas” like the Yaesu ATAS-120A. They’re motorized for easy remote tuning from inside or close to your vehicle.

At QRP power levels, you can use almost any feedline you want. There are lots of opinions online about which feedline to use, but I believe the best feedline for your activation is the one you remembered to bring with you.

We’ve all been there—you travel to a park only to discover that some crucial part of your station (like your feedline) has been left behind. One fellow on Facebook recently improvised a feedline from a length of electric cord. He deserves bonus points for improvisation.

Your feedline can be as short as 10 feet or up to 30 feet or more. Below 30 MHz, most hams will agree that the attenuation on a short piece of feedline isn’t a big deal. RG-8X or RG-174 cable will be a useful addition to your Go-Box. But again, use what you have and take care of it. Under field conditions you’ll find that your gear, especially feedline, needs regular repair and maintenance.

To power your QRP station, a small 5Ah battery should be sufficient. But as with antennas, use what you have. Having a 20Ah backup battery available is never a bad idea.

A solar panel can be a good investment, especially if you like to camp. You can use it to charge your battery or even run the rig while the battery is charging. The choice of solar panel for your situation can be an article in itself.

Lastly, QRP can be a lot of fun. Making long-distance contacts using only a few watts can be exhilarating. I hope that you try it.

Till next time, get out there and activate something. But remember to leave nothing but footprints in your parks and wildlife areas!

73 DE WG8X

The post Ham Radio Portable Insights: POTA QRP Fun appeared first on OnAllBands.

Choose from amplifiers in a range of prices and features to meet your goals and budget—from UHF, VHF, and UHF/VHF models to legal-limit game-changers that’ll help you bust through pileups and capture that rare DX.

It’s imp0rtant to note that when you upgrade to a more powerful amplifier, there are other parts of your station that may need upgrading as well. Talk with one of the experts at DX Engineering for assistance.

We’re beginning our amateur radio amplifier guide with ACOM—a company that has been manufacturing high-performance, battleship-quality-built vacuum tube and solid-state amplifiers since 1998. Innovations from the company include the development of fully automated tuning, sophisticated protection circuits, LDMOS solid-state technology, remote operation via web interface, and others.

Watch this tour of the ACOM booth at Dayton Hamvention® 2025:

All ACOM amplifiers from DX Engineering come with pre-wired plug (240VAC or either 120VAC/240VAC depending on model). Plugs are expertly installed and tested at DX Engineering before the amplifier is shipped to your door.

Let’s start with two of ACOM’s latest models. Please check DXEngineering.com for current availability.

ACOM 1003 1,000W HF+6 Linear Amplifier

With less than 80W input, the ACOM 1003 delivers 1,000W PEP output or 900W continuous carrier using a single ceramic/metal power triode (3CX800A7). The model features two new front panel relay switches—one to select from three antenna outputs and another to quickly engage and disengage an input attenuator for rapid tuning without transceiver adjustment. Among its many advanced features is a True Resistance Indicator bar scale meter that simplifies accurate adjustment of plate-load impedance controls. Size: 16.6“ W x 7.6” H x 15.6“ D; Weight: 46.3 lbs. 

ACOM 1400S Solid-State 160-6M Linear Amplifier

The 1400S Remote Control Unit’s (RCU) edge-to-edge color touchscreen provides an information display and amplifier operation on the desktop. Designed for simplified operation, the 1400S’s RCU menus are intuitive and easy to follow, and no special skill is required when changing frequency bands. When connected to a transceiver with CAT capability, the amplifier tracks the operating frequency and changes bands automatically. Even when not interfaced to CAT, the amplifier monitors the input signal frequency through the built-in frequency counter and automatically switches bands. The ACOM 1400S-240 version achieves 1,200W output power, PEP, or continuous carrier. The 1400S-120 version for 120VAC operation achieves 600W. Size: 14.7“ W x 6.7” H x 16.5“ D; Weight: 32.2 lbs. 

***

Choose from these other ACOM linear power amplifier models at DX Engineering:

• 500S 160-4M Solid-State Amplifier, 500W (120VAC or 240VAC)

• 700S HF+6M Solid-State Amplifier, 700W (120VAC or 240VAC)

• 1010 160-10M Amplifier, 700W (120VAC or 240VAC)

• 1000 HF+6 Amplifier, 1,000W (120VAC or 240VAC)

• 1200S HF+6M Solid-State Amplifier, 1,000W (120VAC or 240VAC)

• 1500 HF+6M Amplifier, 1,500W (240VAC)

• 2000A Automatic 160-10M Amplifier, 1,500W (240VAC)

• 2100 HF+6M Linear Amplifier, 1,500W (240VAC)

• 2020S Automatic HF+6M Solid-State Amplifier, (240VAC)

The 2020S-20AT package comes with amplifier and ACOM 20AT Automatic Antenna Tuner and Switch.

OnAllBands will be featuring other amplifier manufacturers available at DX Engineering in future posts:

• 4O3A Power Genius XL
• Icom IC-PW2
• Palstar
• OM Power
• RM Italy
• Toptek (VHF, UHF, VHF/UHF)

The post Guide to Amateur Radio Amplifiers 2026: Part 1, ACOM Linear Power Amplifiers appeared first on OnAllBands.

After three years of planning and the support of the amateur radio community (including DX Engineering), the international 3Y0K team is encamped on Bouvet Island, where they have been operating for more than a week. You can get up-to-date information on the DXpedition by visiting the 3Y0K 2026 Facebook page and official website.

Looking Back

Bouvet Island, a 19-square-mile glacier-covered Norwegian territory about 1,100 miles north of mainland Antarctica, has been available on the amateur bands only a handful of times since it became a DXCC entity in 1945.

Infrequent opportunities for DX chasers to snag Bouvet Island have included the DXpedition which preceded 3Y0K (DX Engineering-sponsored 3Y0J, February 2023, 19,000 QSOs); the surprise 3Y0C three-month operation by NASA astronaut Dr. Charles “Chuck” Brady, N4BQW (SK), who traveled to the island as part of a research team in December 2000, logging 17,000 QSOs; and 3Y5X in December 1989/January 1990, a 16-day, five-operator venture that netted 49,000 QSOs.

The first DXpedition to Bouvet Island was the four-day, 5,000-QSO operation by legendary peripatetic ham Gus Browning, W4BPD, in November 1962. The ship that Browning hitched a ride on, a South African icebreaker tasked with setting up a weather station, embarked from Cape Town like 3Y0K, but it faced the icier waters of an early Antarctic spring as it reached its frigid destination.

You can read about the activation in Browning’s own words in his October 1967 article from “73” magazine (starts on page 85).

In this excerpt, Browning describes Bouvet Island’s brutal, penguin-friendly climate:

“It took about two hours of hard work for us to go the 1,000 feet or so from where the ship was anchored to where we wanted to land. The temperature, I estimate, was about 20 degrees, and the wind was absolutely murder when it struck me in the face. I had on the following clothing: regular undershorts and shirt, then two pair of those red, long, insulated underwear, a flannel shirt with long tails, two pairs of woolen pants, one pair of regular socks, and then a pair of woolen socks coming about six inches above my knees, then a very heavy turtleneck sweater. I also had a wool headpiece covering all but my eyes, and a big heavy overcoat, and last but not least, a pair of fur-lined gloves coming almost to my elbows. And I was still cold!”

A Very Rare QSL Card

Wayne, K8FF, DX Engineering customer service/technical support specialist, received the below QSL card from the historic LH4C 1962 Bouvet Island DXpedition. Editor’s Note: K8FF joined the DXCC #1 Honor Roll for Phone (all 340 current DXCC entities) on Christmas Day 2025 by reaching Ivaylo, LZ1AAW, who was operating from the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands.

“I was 16 years old and had very basic equipment,” K8FF recalls about making contact with Bouvet Island. “Probably a Heathkit transmitter and a Hallicrafters receiver with a 40-meter dipole antenna. I was only able to work him (Gus Browning, W4BPD) once on CW, but it still counts.”

More than 63 years after the single-operator LH4C activation, Bouvet Island is serving as the temporary home for the intrepid 3Y0K operating team who have brought along years of expertise, loads of gear, and a helicopter to transport operators and equipment to the island.

DX Engineering Gear Plays a Critical Role

Here is some of the gear DX Engineering contributed to make this activation possible:

• Coaxial Cables: 3Y0K is relying on high-performance, best-in-class coaxial cables from DX Engineering, including 400MAX PL-259 Low-Loss 50-ohm Coaxial Cable Assemblies.

• DX Engineering Radial Plates (DXE-RADP-3)

• DX Engineering Phased Array Quarter Wave Tuned Cables
• DX Engineering TFS4 Series B Transmit Four Square Systems

• DX Engineering Audio and Keying Cables
• DX Engineering Foot Switches (DXE-FS-001)

• DX Engineering RF-PRO-1B^® Active Magnetic Loop Antennas

• DX Engineering Ultra-Grip 2 Large Ratcheting Crimpers with Dies

DX Engineering is also covering the talkgroup and airtime costs of Icom IC-SAT100 satellite push-to-talk (PTT) two-way radios that were used during the 3Y0J DXpedition.

OnAllBands will be posting more on 3Y0K in the days ahead. Stay tuned and best of luck filling bands or logging that elusive ATNO!

The post It’s All in Cards! QSL Cards from Bouvet Island appeared first on OnAllBands.

Making friends with other young hams solves a significant portion of the problem but poses new challenges, especially since most amateur-radio-based friendships span a significant geographical distance.

I earned my amateur radio license in 2019. Soon afterward the world began to shut down for COVID, which meant that nearly every in-person event was on hiatus for the first few years of my amateur radio “career.” As I made friends within the amateur radio community, we had to get creative about staying in touch and building friendships since it was not possible to meet in person due to travel restrictions and the cancelation of most hamfests and conventions.

To overcome this struggle, we opted to take online Morse code classes together (something that is certainly still benefiting all of us today), send letters and postcards back and forth, and check into nets. I can remember frequently checking into the YACHT (Young Amateurs Communications Ham Team) net while we were all stuck at home during the pandemic. We used the time after the formal net had concluded to share the things that interested us, including CW, Raspberry Pi, DXing, and even playing games of online chess. That being said, there really is no limit to the ways in which young hams can build and maintain friendships with each other. It just requires a little bit of creativity and thinking outside the box.

Getting on the air is, of course, a good start. Participating in an operating event or contest together can be quite fun, whether it’s a few-hour sprint or a 48-hour weekend event. If you live relatively close (or have remote capabilities that let you both use the same station), then a multi-op contest may be a good option. If the two (or however many) of you do not live close to one another, then doing the contest and keeping an eye on the scoreboard or staying in touch during the event may work as well.

Another good option for those who live close is attending local events like club meetings or amateur radio volunteer opportunities such as 5K races and other sporting events. This is a great way to help your community while spending time with your amateur radio friends. Even better, you typically only need a Technician license to help with communication at these events.

For long-distance friendships, meeting friends at hamfests and other in-person events can let you stay in touch. Catching up with my ham friends at these gatherings is one of the highlights of my year. This is true for many young hams.

There are numerous events that could be a meeting point across the U.S., including Dayton Hamvention®, HamCation, YOTA Camp, SEA-PAC, HamExpo, and others. Traveling to various conferences as a young ham under 18 can be challenging, though, especially if your parents are not involved or interested in the hobby. So even if it’s not possible right now, you can put it on your must-do list for later.

If you can’t travel to conferences and meet up with friends in person, there are still options for strengthening your friendships virtually and on the air. Checking into the same net together provides a routine time to catch up with friends. This helped me connect with many young hams who I would never have had the chance to meet.

It’s also important to remember that when making friends via amateur radio as a young person, your safety should be a top priority. This is true in general, particularly when you’ve never met the people you’re interacting with. This applies whether you live nearby, are meeting in person at hamfests, or your friendship is solely over the internet and ionosphere. The vast majority of the time, the people you meet through amateur radio are good people, but being cautious is always a good idea, just as you would be in non-amateur-radio communities.

Trying to maintain long-distance friendships as a young ham can be challenging. It can almost make you feel like you’re juggling two worlds of friendships—ones in your everyday life and ones from amateur radio. However, with some creativity and dedication, the friendships you form through amateur radio can be just as strong as those you’ve made with your other non-ham peers. 

The post Ham Radio Youth Insights: Maintaining & Enjoying Friendships with Amateur Radio Friends appeared first on OnAllBands.

Recently, DX Engineering CEO Tim, Duffy K3LR was featured in “RadCom” magazine, the official monthly publication of the Radio Society of Great Britain. With the permission of the RSGB, we’re sharing the article with you here.

If you’d like to learn more about the magazine and organization, we strongly encourage you to check out the RSGB website here.

***

Outside the UK there are a number of significant contest stations that regularly appear in our contest logs—many are in the USA. “RadCom” talked to Tim Duffy, K3LR about the “Superstation” he has built in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania.

The K3LR team is one of the most celebrated and technically advanced collective efforts in the world of amateur radio contesting.

The station is primarily designed for competitive entries in the Multi-Multi (M/M) category, where a team of operators will make QSOs on six bands simultaneously. This requires a massive logistical effort and a cohesive group of competent operators (all on site) to maintain peak performance over 48-hour contest periods.

From Back Garden Ham to “International Superstation”

Tim’s adventure in amateur radio started in 1972 at the age of 12 (then WN3SZX to WA3SZX). His interest was sparked by assembling a Quaker Oats crystal set and he operated a simple station with wires and a small tri-bander at his parents’ house.

When he was 16, Tim built a station with his friend AF3P. They had three towers with mono-banders. And that put K3LR on the map. His early fascination with radio quickly evolved into a lifelong passion for competitive radio contesting. He gained the call K3LR in 1977 while he was a junior in high school.

Still at first high school, then college, Tim became chief engineer of a local AM/FM broadcast radio station. His education and enthusiasm led to a career in cellular telephony and wireless, then later to a commercial role associated with amateur radio.

Tim cut his teeth contesting at famous Multi-Multi stations like W3AU, W2PV and K2GL (N2AA). The idea that Tim’s K3LR station might be engineered for Multi-Multi grew from a suggestion by his lifelong friend, Scott Jones, N3RA.

“Scott suggested that we go ‘big’ at K3LR. Don’t build a multi-single station—go for the biggest class and build a massive station for Multi-Multi,” Tim recalls.

In 1986, aged 27, Tim bought his current home. Remembering Scott’s words of encouragement and based on his earlier experiences, Tim transformed his hilltop property into what is today a ‘mega station’ currently featuring 14 towers and 11 to 12 operating positions.

As well as building and operating, Tim is a central figure in the contesting community. He is the Chairman of Contest University (CTU) and the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF), organizations dedicated to training new operators and supporting the infrastructure of major contests.

As the CEO of DX Engineering, Tim bridges the gap between commercial radio technology and amateur radio sport, ensuring the K3LR station remains at the cutting edge of performance. His extensive experience with executive roles in the wireless technology sector has made him ideally qualified to lead and inspire.

Tim is a member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame and the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He was named the 2015 Amateur of the Year by the Dayton Hamvention and is an accomplished single operator who has competed five times as part of a World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) team.

He is a member of the First-Class Operator’s Club (FOC) and has been an RSGB member for 25 years. He is also a member of ARRL and DARC.

The K3LR Station

The K3LR facility is engineered for maximum performance, utilizing a 16-acre antenna farm designed to make the most of every decibel of the received and transmitted signals.

The station currently includes 14 towers supporting over 50 different antenna systems.

The 20, 15 and 10m towers feature four full-sized, custom-built OWA Yagis spaced one wavelength apart, allowing operators to select various phased combinations to target Europe or Asia with precision. There is also a three-high stack on 40m, with the top antenna at 80m high.

The Yagis are Optimised Wideband Arrays (OWA). The OWA was developed by Jim, WA3FET and this technology was first applied to Yagi antennas at K3LR around 1990.

For the 160m band, Tim designed a massive vertical Yagi with four switchable vertical ‘T’ wires acting as reflectors and directors to steer the beam in four directions. For 80m there is a Large Phased Two Four Square eight vertical array.

The station uses innovative HI-Z 8-circle and HI-Z 4-square receiving arrays, loops, low dipoles and the DX Engineering NCC-2 to optimize weak signals from atmospheric noise.

If mains power to the site is interrupted, K3LR has a 50kW on-site generator that comes on line automatically, seven seconds after a power outage.

Hardware & Software

The radio shack is equipped with outstanding technology, engineered for high reliability and—most importantly—to handle the extreme RF environment of a Multi-Multi operation. The station uses Icom IC-7851 transceivers, chosen for their superior receiver performance and outstanding reliability in multi-user settings. With 13 IC-7851s at K3LR, there has not been a failure to date.

Each band is powered by a K3LR custom-built, single-band amplifier using single 8877 tubes, capable of running “full legal power” (1,500W) with high reliability and a 100% duty cycle.

In 2025 the team started using HamSet headsets from Italy, a custom combination of Bose noise cancelling headphones with an adjustable microphone.

Green Heron RT-21 rotator controllers and custom RF switching systems allow for rapid reconfiguration of the antenna arrays. K3LR uses DX Engineering rotators and K7NV prop pitches. Every antenna can be rotated for best performance. Six independent receivers from Italy are always on, sharing the K3LR antennas with the world using the CW Skimmer software and links to the Reverse Beacon Network.

Team Composition & the Multi-Multi Environment

The K3LR Multi-Multi effort is not just about having the best radios and antennas. Success is also dependent on the competence and team ethos of the operators. For major competitions, the station hosts around 12 operators.

Over 200 different operators have been a part of the K3LR team over the years and the K3LR station has hosted operating events using other callsigns such as the ARRL call W1AW.

How Does the K3LR Station Operate in Practice?

In the Multi-Multi category, the station operates up to six stations on the air simultaneously using the following approach:

Each amateur band (160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10M) is activated by a two-person team. While one operator ‘runs’ (calls CQ and manages the pile-up), the second operator listens for new multipliers or ‘search and pounce’ opportunities.

To comply with contest rules and prevent interference, the transmitters are electronically interlocked so they cannot transmit at the same time on the same band, requiring precise timing and coordination.

The team is built on a foundation of long-term loyalty. Operators such as George Gross, N3GJ and Phil Koch, K3UA, have been part of the K3LR backbone for 30 years and over 100 contest weekends.

K3LR Strategy

Success at K3LR is the result of intentional planning and a strategy that includes:

• Operator Scouting; Carefully selecting and recruiting top radio contesting talent from around the world. Each operator at K3LR has a strong contesting resume and a track record of working well in a
  team environment.
• Proof of Performance: The K3LR team conduct a systematic test procedure to ensure every piece of hardware is functioning perfectly before a contest begins. Everything is logged into the K3LR station notebook to keep track of parameters that may aid in performance improvements in the future.
• Post-Contest Analysis: This means studying logs and propagation data to optimize performance for future years. Tim meets with the operators frequently to understand their input—to suggest changes and improvements—to always make the station better.
• International Operators: A typical example being Sandy Raeker, DL1QQ from Germany. She is an operator with extensive experience and is able to work at a rapid rate with high accuracy speaking both English and German languages.
• Great Food and Accommodation: The K3LR campus has four locations for housing operators and frequently has Sal, WM2H from Houston, Texas to handle the catering.

What has the K3LR Contest Station Achieved?

The K3LR team is a dominant force in the four major annual contests—CQ Worldwide Phone & CW and the ARRL International DX Phone & CW but also other contests are entered regularly. The team has won more USA Multi-Multi #1’s than any other team or station (in the USA) as of January, 1 2026. If you participate in any of the major international contests you will be familiar with K3LR (if you don’t find them, they will find you!).

The K3LR team holds the USA records in CQWW Phone & CW, ARRL DX CW and CQ WW WPX Phone & CW contests. K3LR has completed over one million QSOs in 33 years of Multi-Multi team operations. All QSOs are loaded on ARRL LoTW, Club Log and QRZ.com. K3LR also sends and receives paper QSL cards on request.

The Western Pennsylvania K3LR team’s competitive spirit is fueled by rivalries with other Multi-Multi teams, such as with W3LPL in Maryland, K1LZ in Maine and KC1XX in New Hampshire. In 2025, a friendly “rivalry match” against the ND7K team in Arizona saw both stations break previous WPX records, highlighting the current high level of attainment.

Mentoring the Next Generation

A core part of the K3LR philosophy and mission is “passing the torch” to younger amateurs. Tim has hosted all-youth teams, such as Team Exuberance in the 2019 CQ WW WPX SSB contest at the K3LR station. These teams, comprised entirely of operators under age 21, are mentored by the veteran K3LR crew but the youth are responsible for making every contact themselves.

In 2025, young operators like Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, participated in multi-op efforts at K3LR, gaining experience in propagation analysis and high-speed rate radio operating.

Through a combination of world-class engineering, a “Formula One” approach to operation and a deep commitment to community and youth, the K3LR team continues to set a standard for what is possible in amateur radio contesting.

HamSCI Activities at K3LR

Not just a contest station, K3LR engages with HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation), a program which links amateur radio with scientific education and investigation. The recent installation of a magnetometer and SDR for HamSCI at K3LR demonstrates that the station engineering is appropriate for research, not just contesting.

The station design, therefore, is dual-purpose: HamSCI carried out a field exercise at K3LR in August 2025, installing a Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) including a ground magnetometer and a wideband SDR, and laying cables. This also provided insight into the topography’s role (how the land around the station influences HF propagation) as part of K3LR’s engineering rationale.

HamSCI determined that the RF environment at K3LR is very “clean,” likely due to the careful engineering and maintenance of the K3LR installations. HamSCI will return to K3LR in August 2026 to continue its research.

***

Find more contesting articles from “RadCom” magazine here.

The post DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR, and his Superstation Featured in “RadCom” Magazine appeared first on OnAllBands.

***

My original premise for this article was simple—build an inexpensive dipole antenna suitable for a first-time activator. But as I started writing, I found more advantages for this antenna that can benefit any ham:

• Besides being inexpensive to build, the antenna is lightweight enough that you can toss it into a go-bag or backpack. This makes it a solid choice for those times when you want to get on the air quickly from some out-of-the-way location (i.e., POTA, SOTA, camping, etc.).
• You can build and tune this antenna in a single afternoon using simple tools. I used a soldering iron and a pair of wire cutters. While it’s not required, an SWR analyzer does speed up the tuning process.
• You can easily deploy it by tossing a line over a convenient tree branch. It can also be hoisted up a telescopic mast.

When I think of an easy antenna for portable ops, the 1/2-wave dipole is usually the first one that comes to mind. For this project, we’ll use the Single-Band Low-Power Dipole Kit (DXE-DWK) from DX Engineering. It’s priced very affordably—all you add is the wire, some rope, and your feedline.

The kit includes a center insulator which doubles as a winder. There’s also a pair of end insulators. The parts are made from PC board material. There’s lots of useful information silkscreened on them to help you build and tune your antenna.

I cut my wire according to the chart printed on the center insulator, adding about six inches to allow for tuning. Any extra wire can be doubled back on itself and secured with a zip tie or tape.

The center insulator has connection points that will accommodate any wire up to 14 gauge. I tried both 14-gauge high-visibility and 18-gauge silicone wire. I much prefer the 18 gauge as it’s easier to work with, winds up well for storage, and doesn’t tangle as easily as other types of wire I’ve used.

This antenna is a pretty easy build. In fact, the hardest part (if you could call it that) of this kit is soldering the BNC connector onto the center insulator board.

In keeping with the portable and low-power premise of this antenna, I fed it using a 50-foot length of Hi-Viz RG-174 Coaxial Cable from DX Engineering (DXE-174VDB050) with BNC connectors attached. It winds well and stows easily. Plus, the increased loss over my usual RG-8X was not noticeable.

Remember that this is a low-power antenna. I’ve no doubt that this antenna would work well up to 100 watts CW. I cannot recommend going much above that, though. My experience has been that 30 watts is more than sufficient in the field.

Here in Ohio, most park personnel do not get upset if we hang the center of our antennas over a convenient branch. An arborist weight tied to a piece of paracord and a few moments of practice are usually all you need to get your support line over a limb.

The dipole ends can be secured to a pair of trees. If that isn’t practical, try a four-foot step-in fence post. These are commonly used on farms to secure electric fences. They’re really affordable too; you can pick them up at your local farm supply store.

If hanging antennas from trees is not practical, you could also try a telescopic mast. There are several types of fiberglass telescopic masts available. Finding one that will support a lightweight dipole is easy. Successful activation doesn’t require a lot of height. It’s possible to work the world using only a dipole 10 to 20 feet off the ground running modest power.

This kit lends itself well to club projects like class or group builds. They are easy to build and have a high chance of success. The builder also has the satisfaction of creating a usable antenna.

Lastly, as POTA activators we must remember that we are visitors in the parks. Please remember to leave nothing but footprints after your activation. Now, let’s get out there and activate something!

73 DE WG8X

The post POTA® Operating Insights: Building an Inexpensive & Effective Dipole to Activate a Park appeared first on OnAllBands.

While we’re accustomed to low temperatures and snow well into April and beyond around DX Engineering headquarters in northeast Ohio, it must be noted that the official first day of spring 2026 in the Western Hemisphere is Friday, March 20. Let the hills (and fields) be alive with the sound of CQs!

Getting excited about outdoor operating? Check out this excellent POTA video from DX Engineering media partner Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio:

Celebrate the Spring with New Gear

We all know better than to stash our winter boots in the back of the closet just because we spied the first crocus poking through the frozen earth, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream big about the outdoor operating adventures ahead. With this in mind, here are a few products at DX Engineering to jumpstart your spring activities.

DX Engineering Low-Power Portable Dipoles and Winder Kits

These kits provide the parts for a fun DIY build of a lightweight resonant HF antenna designed for fast portable operations on 40 meters or higher. Making your own single- or dual-band linked dipole is easy. Once it’s built, you can repeatedly and quickly unwind the dipole, install it for POTA or other activities, make contacts on the air, wind it up when you’re done, and take it home for the next adventure. Here’s what you receive:

• Center insulator with a 1:1 low-power balun
• 24-gauge stranded hi-visibility yellow insulated wire; 80 feet (two 40-foot sections)
• Four link insulators
• Four alligator clips (two per link)
• Four clip hooks for user-supplied rope
• Snap hook to support the center insulator balun on a Nomad Portable Mast
• Three easy-to-hold DX Engineering red winders 
• BongoTies to secure wires onto winders

Armoloq Tactical Protective Armor Modular Radio Mounting Frames

Armoloq makes tough-as-nails modular manpack solutions for hams. Developed from real-world military and amateur radio experience, the Tennessee-based company’s premium mounting frames enhance the deployment and protection of radio equipment in any operating environment. Armoloq’s Tactical Protective Armor (TPA)—a rugged, two-piece frame made from CNC laser-cut 1/8-inch 5052 aluminum—securely mounts to the radio’s chassis.

Digirig Digital Mode Interfaces, Kits & Digital Mode Transceiver Interface Cables

If you’ve ever been frustrated dealing with a mess of wires for your digital operations, Digirig has the solution. They offer a wide selection of devices, kits, and accessories designed for simplified digital amateur radio communication. The super-compact Digirig Mobile unit (1.5″ x 1″ x 1″) has a built-in USB hub that includes a CM108-based sound card for audio processing and a CP2102-based serial port bridge for CAT control and programming. The Digirig Mobile features a single USB connection to the computer, consolidating all digital functions.

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Now let’s kick off the spring season with these March ham radio contests!

• Novice Rig Roundup (NRR), March 7, 0000Z to March 15, 2359Z. The annual roundup is a super-cool blast of nostalgia for hams who want to go on the air with the old-school rigs they used when they were Novices, or with the wish-list radios of their youth that they now own.
  
  It’s the perfect opportunity to hop in the way-back machine, set the dial to your early ham shack, and enjoy leisurely, stress-free CW operating like you did as a teen, with all the “whoops,” “chirps,” and “drift” of days gone by. Find complete rules, suggested frequencies, loads of vintage rig photos, and how to receive your lifetime NRR membership number. 

• South America 10 Meter Contest, March 14, 1200Z to March 15, 1200Z. The contest’s objective is for amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10M band. Contacting South American stations from outside the continent will earn you double the points per QSO.

• TESLA Memorial HF CW Contest, March 14, 1800Z to March 15, 0559Z. Hosted by the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia, this annual event honors the legacy of Serbian-American electrical engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla.

• Stew Perry Topband Challenge, March 14, 1500Z to March 15, 1500Z. Hams can enter this annual 160 meter, CW-only contest as “single operator or multi-operator; high, low or QRP power. Low power is 100 watts or less output. QRP is 5 watts or less. High power is 1,500 watts output or whatever you can legally run in your country, whichever is less,” per the Stew Perry website. The challenge uniquely awards QSO point values based on distance between stations. Click here for complete rules.

• EA PSK63 Contest, March 14, 1200Z to March 15, 1200Z. This contest—organized by the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE, or Spanish Amateur Radio Union)—is all about using BPSK63 to make QSOs on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M bands. Both single- and multi-operator contesting categories are offered. Founded in 1949, the URE represents the interests of hams and shortwave listeners in Spain.

• AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, March 21, 1400Z to 1700Z (144) and March 21, 1700Z to 1800Z (432). This annual event is hosted by the German Telegraphy Activity Group.

• Sasquatch Stomp, March 27, 1900Z to March 28, 0300Z. Sponsored by the Pacific North West QRP Group, this CW-only event is designed to inspire operators to get on the air and have fun. From the Sasquatch Stomp website, “The event is scored, but unlike other contests the final score for each participant will be a negative number with the object being to get the lowest number below zero.”

• Africa All Mode International DX Contest: March 28, 1200Z to March 29, 1200Z. Per the contest website, the goal of this single- and multi-operator event is to encourage contesting from Africa. Stations worldwide may work any African DXCC entity during the 24-hour contest period on SSB, CW, or RTTY. Find complete rules here.

• FOC Bill Windle QSO Party, March 28, 0000Z to 2359Z. This event is held twice a year by the First Class CW Operator’s Club. Open to amateur operators worldwide, it is held in memory of Bill Windle, G8VG (SK), past chairman of the FOC. Participating stations should call “CQ BW” from 015 to 040kHz on all bands, excluding the WARC bands. Read more contest details and information about the FOC here.
  
• CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB, March 28, 0000Z to March 29, 2359Z. The objective of this 48-hour contest is for contestants to contact as many amateurs and different prefixes as possible.

Also check out these State QSO Parties for March 2026:

• Idaho: March 14, 1600Z to March 15, 0400Z and March 15, 1400Z to March 16, 0200Z
• Oklahoma: March 14, 1500Z to March 15, 0200Z and March 15, 1500Z to 2200Z
• Wisconsin: March 15, 1800Z to March 16, 0100Z
• Virginia: March 21, 1400Z to March 22, 0400Z and March 22, 1200Z to 2400Z

The post Guide to March 2026 Amateur Radio Contests—Spring is Almost Here Edition appeared first on OnAllBands.

For many casual operators, contesting is simply an occasional pastime—something to do as a pleasant distraction from life’s routines and worries. It occupies a small part of their lives, and little thought is given to the work involved behind the scenes. For others, contesting takes on a more important role in their lives. They start to care about the community and wonder if they might have a role in helping it.

As they become more involved in the world of contesting, they start to look for concrete ways to contribute something back to the sport. Fortunately, there are many avenues available to those with the volunteer spirit.

The simplest (and perhaps most enjoyable) way to contribute to contesting is to simply get on the air and make QSOs during a contest. Contest operators like nothing more than to have more stations to work. Getting on the air and making QSOs makes the contest more fun for everyone involved. It’s truly a “more the merrier” situation. By getting on the air and operating, you will not only bring more joy to the operators, but you will be contributing to the contest itself. Contest sponsors like nothing more than to see their participation increase.

It also helps the contest sponsor a great deal when you submit your log. Your log submission helps to build the database of active stations in the contest. Your log provides the contest sponsors with a very important set of data which they can use during the log-checking process. By operating and submitting your log, you not only increase your chances of winning an award, but you are also increasing the fairness of contest adjudication. That’s what I call a win-win situation.

Clubs & Organizations

Joining a contest club is a great way to get involved in the community of contesting. In the last issue, we discussed how to start a contest club if there is not one available in your area. Joining a contest club can provide many opportunities for giving back. Most clubs have several duties that need to be performed. Be one of the 20% who steps up to the plate and helps to get the grunt work done. Becoming part of a contest club will also expose you to other aspects of the contesting community. It’s a great way to learn about other opportunities to contribute. Every club needs a “cheerleader.” Pick your favorite contest and try to drum up some activity as the date nears.

Elmering/Mentoring

Being a mentor is one of the most important roles you can take on. If it were not for the consistent encouragement and help from AA4NU in my early days, I would probably not be an avid contest operator. Introducing folks to the contesting sport helps to ensure the future of contesting perhaps more than anything else you can do. New contest operators can be old or young, newly licensed or a QCWA member. Find someone and share your enthusiasm. It’s contagious, and you might even make a lifelong friend or two. You can also help the new op with technical advice, station improvements, and loaning or donating equipment.

Sponsoring & Managing Awards

Most contests have some type of award system, whether it is certificates, plaques, or tasty treats from the sponsor’s local area. Someone has to create and distribute these awards, and the work involved can be considerable. Unsung heroes like W5GN took it upon themselves to manage, print, and distribute awards to hundreds of recipients. There is a considerable amount of work involved in distributing awards, and any volunteer help is greatly appreciated. The certificates and plaques cost money, and someone needs to pay for them. Sponsoring a contesting award is a great way to give something back to contesting, and it can be done by individuals or clubs.

Editor’s Note: Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, is founder of Contest University and chairman of the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF), the engine behind some of competitive ham radio’s largest radiosport contests. Take a moment to watch K3LR being interviewed by Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio about the important roll the WWROF plays in giving back to the contesting and ham radio community.

Managing a Contest

Many of the most successful contests are the result of great management. There is a lot of work to be done behind the scenes. Some of the tasks include design, organization, promotion, log collection (and re-typing, in some cases) log checking, results generation and publication, and awards management and distribution. The late K4OJ was simply unparalleled in his ability to promote the Florida QSO party. N6TW was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in part for his countless hours spent tirelessly checking CQWW logs. There are many people working hard to make sure that the contests we love to operate exist year after year. Stay tuned for a future article from someone who manages a contest.

Field Day

I would be remiss to not mention Field Day, which is perhaps our greatest opportunity to expose the general ham radio community and the public to the experience of contest-style radio operating. Get out there and help operate the next FD. Share your enthusiasm for contesting with the folks around you. Many contest operators got their first taste of operating at Field Day. You never know what might be going on in the mind of the person watching you.

Hosting Guest Operations

If you enjoy building a station and don’t mind letting someone else operate it, consider hosting a guest operation. Whether a single or multi operation, you can provide new contest operators the thrill of actually having answers to their CQ-CONTEST calls. Some contesters prefer the challenge of building a “bullet-proof” station for others to operate and find the station design and construction even more fulfilling than operating it themselves. Some of my most enjoyable experiences in contesting have been as a guest at multi-ops, and I’m grateful to the hosts who made it possible.

Writing Software

Many of the latest innovations in the ham radio contesting world have come from software programmers. From real-time logging software to log checking analysis software, there have been great contributions from code jockeys worldwide. The efforts of K1EA, K8CC, N6TR, N1MM, and countless others have made contesting more fun, and greatly reduced the amount of paperwork (in most cases to zero) after the contest is over. The log-checking wizards like N6AA, N6TW, N6TR, and N5KO have made tremendous efforts to reward the most skillful and accurate operators. We also are lucky to have folks like K7EL and VE3NEA breaking new ground with software to help us design antennas and analyze propagation possibilities.

Sharing Information

There are lots of ways to contribute to contesting through sharing information. With the internet, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. The written word is one way to share info with your fellow ops. Ask any contest newsletter editor—there is always a need for contributions from writers. You can contribute articles to your local club newsletter, blogs, one of the contesting websites, or even the National Contest Journal or other major ham radio magazines.

Other ways to share information include giving presentations at hamfests, manning a booth for your club, handing out fliers, or running a website of your own. I am continually amazed at the creativity displayed on some contest operator’s personal web pages. Some contesters have created entire sites devoted to helping others to maximize performance during RTTY contests. Others have compiled scores and records from the CQWW contest and presented the data in a unique historical format. Many folks are working behind the scenes entering past results and compiling historical records for various contests.

Some of these tasks are too large for a single individual to handle. Ask around and see if anyone could use your help entering data. Perhaps you have some special skills which you could apply to creating or maintaining a database of scores or records. The Potomac Valley Radio Club has conducted a series of “webinars” devoted to contest operating. (These webinars are now hosted by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation.) WA7BNM and N7WA deserve special mention for their efforts providing contesting calendars and the 3830 score reporting websites.

Spread the Word

Finally, try to present contesting in a positive light, especially when interacting with the public. This includes discussions on public forums. While it’s easy to find the problems with any activity and pick them apart endlessly, it takes a little more effort to share the positive aspects. Problems need to be discussed and solutions sought but try not to forget how your comments might appear to a contesting newcomer. Competition brings out a lot of strong feelings. Try to share your joy and enthusiasm as much as possible and keep the complaining to a minimum. Remember that everyone has had tough times behind the mic or key, but there is enough fun to keep us coming back for more. Keep the focus on the fun and others will be drawn to your enthusiasm.

The post Contesting 101: Giving Back to Amateur Radio Contesting appeared first on OnAllBands.

I have put together a few strategies. I believe if you implement these both for yourself and in your local club, you will see the number of young people active in ham radio increase.

Create a Welcoming Environment for First-Timers

When you have a first-time guest at a club meeting or a new check-in on a local repeater, make sure to personally say hello and welcome them to the group. Share who you are and what your club is about. Follow up with them after the meeting or the contact to answer any questions they have. Provide them with the dates of upcoming events or meetings and include them in conversations.

Be an Elmer & Mentor

Find people in your club who are willing to Elmer a new individual, so when you do have a visitor, you have someone to refer them to. An Elmer is someone who will stay in contact with them, help program a new radio, explain local repeater etiquette, or introduce them to other hams who share similar interests. This provides new people with a point of contact and someone they can go to with questions and receive training and instruction.

Follow Up After Every Exam Session

A new license does not automatically mean a new active operator. We need to focus on encouraging and involving new licensees just as much as recruiting new hams. After an individual passes the license exam, follow up with them in an email and share local repeater information and the schedule for nets. Make sure they have a mentor to contact with questions. Newly licensed hams often do not engage or become active simply because they do not know how or what to do. Guide them on the next steps and encourage their participation in upcoming club events.

Provide Access to Equipment

Many new operators, and especially younger people, often do not have the means to purchase equipment to get on the air. If your club does not have loaner equipment available, offer the use of your station to train new operators. Create an environment where they can make mistakes and learn from them without causing damage or being shamed for it. Host a hands-on workshop during club meetings and demonstrate antenna builds and designs. Provide resources to inexpensive starter equipment for them to get active and on the air.

For hams 21 and under, the RHR youth network provides unlimited free access to several remote stations around the world. This is a great opportunity for youth who may not have access to equipment to get on the air, make contacts, and connect with other young hams.

Treat Young Hams as Equals, Not “Just Some Kid”

When you have a young person show interest in ham radio, it is important to connect with them and treat them as an equal. For example, if a youth shows up to Field Day and wants to help with setup, don’t exclude them from what you are doing and send them off to do “kids’ activities.” Include them in the project you are working on, explain the process and steps, and guide them in helping with what you are doing. Giving them responsibilities of their own will provide them with a sense of purpose and belonging, and they will be more likely to come back in the future and join in on more activities.

Offer Leadership Opportunities to Young Operators

This also ties into giving them a purpose and sense of belonging in your group. Provide opportunities for the youth to run a local net or give a presentation at a club meeting. Often, young people are more familiar with social media, so utilize this by asking them to help advertise events and promote the club using this platform. Provide them with the needed tools and information to help with outreach in their youth groups and schools.

Bring Ham Radio to the Youth

There are many opportunities for clubs to introduce ham radio to young people in their own environment. A great example of this is school science fairs. A radio club can offer to sponsor an award at a local science fair for science projects that are related to ham radio in some aspect. This could be anything from how different antenna designs affect the transmitted signal, solar activity vs. band conditions, etc. The list of available awards would be published at the schools—a good way to get young people interested and give them the opportunity to research and explore on their own.

Club Communication–Think Outside the Box

A large factor contributing to the lack of youth engagement in local clubs is the way announcements and conversations are communicated in between meetings. It is imperative to have some form of communication and stay active in between events. Whether this is informal nets on your local repeater or an email newsletter, make sure it is available to everyone. Use online platforms that have a high level of youth activity, such as Discord. Post demonstration videos and updates to YouTube or Instagram. If your only communication within the group happens at club meetings, it is easy to lose the younger audience, and they become less engaged.

Celebrate Newly Licensed Hams or License Upgrades

If you have a club newsletter, include a column to focus on newly licensed individuals or license upgrades. Announce these achievements at club meetings and congratulate the new hams. Celebrate their first QSOs and encourage them to keep active on local repeaters. This kind of recognition encourages their engagement and participation and motivates them to get involved.

Build an Encouraging Culture for New Ideas

It can be easy to get accustomed to the way we do things and want to stick to it. However, when young people come to you with new ideas, it is important to consider what they have to say and not dismiss it simply because it is new or different. Do not criticize them for using digital modes or doing things differently than you may have done when you were first licensed. Encourage youth to experiment with their ideas and always stay curious. Remember, respect goes both ways!

This is not an extensive and complete list. I encourage you to come up with your own ideas and share them with others!

The post Strategies Beyond Recruitment–a Plan to Engage Newly Licensed Hams appeared first on OnAllBands.

“The Walking Dead” Season 8—“Dead or Alive or…”

Ham radio? In a zombie apocalypse? Seems about right. To our knowledge, this is actually the first time the hobby was represented on camera in the show, which seems crazy to us.

That’s okay because the episode “Dead or Alive or…” uses it as one of its primary MacGuffins. Having escaped a brutal human colony, two people run into a shack that belonged to an unnamed ham radio operator who was searching for other survivors during the days after the outbreak. They discover his equipment and a script he had been reading repeatedly to anyone who might hear—a message of hope.

We won’t spoil the rest of the episode for you, even though the show’s been out for years. The good news is, if you haven’t watched it already, “The Walking Dead” is well worth your time.

“The Walking Dead”: No Man’s Land Gacha Game

Ham radio takes a more prominent role in the The Walking Dead Gacha Game. Gacha, for those unaware, is a method of monetization that’s akin to a Japanese toy vending machine called gachapon, where everything is randomized and you need to spend money to get what you want. Basically, you have to play the game to get virtual currency to buy more things that allow you to play the game. In this case, the currency is radios. The more radios you have (even hundreds!) earns you upgrades, blueprints, and limited-time equipment.

Who would want that many radios? Right?

Colombian Armed Conflict with FARC

We all know of the serious applications that both ham radio and Morse code have. They’re vital in situations like natural disasters and other humanitarian crises. That includes armed conflicts. One such instance where it was used in a creative way was during a bitter 50-year armed conflict in Colombia between government forces and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). During that time, more than 21,396 people had been kidnapped by the rebels, most of whom were army soldiers and police officers. One such camp was discovered in 2010, where 16 soldiers had been held captive for nearly 12 years.

While the Colombian army knew about the camp (along with others) and were preparing to rescue the men, they had a problem. The FARC were known to eliminate their hostages at the first sign of trouble (a raid, for example). So, the army needed to devise a way to communicate to the hostages that help was on the way and they needed to prepare. Colonel Jose Espejo, who oversaw the campaign, heard from former hostages that radio was one of the only luxuries that they were given in captivity. He enlisted the help of advertisers Juan Carlos Ortiz, famous for his off-kilter advertising in anti-FARC campaigns. Together with another advertiser, Alfonso Diaz, they began tinkering with the idea of sending a message over the radio that only they understood.

As it just so happens, Colombian soldiers are trained in Morse code during their basic training. With that in mind, Espejo began working with music producers and musicians, like rock singer Angelo and actor Natalia Gutierrez, to produce a song with a hidden meaning of hope for the captives. The producers studied Morse code, how many words could be fit into a rhythm, and how many beats per minute it would take to hide it. They landed on using a synth to hide the message. Eight months later, they had a track. The Morse code message they included was simple: “19 people rescued. You’re next. Don’t lose hope.”

Because the Colombian government controlled the nation’s airwaves, they were able to put the song on more than 130 rural stations across Colombia. To make sure the radios were on for them, former hostages went on live TV to appeal to the rebels and give them access to the radio for a segment called “Voices of the Kidnapped,” which broadcasted messages from their loved ones to help reduce their feelings of isolation. The song was then played during those hours as an audio “Trojan horse” in tandem with commandos rescuing hostages from these camps.

The song was so effective that even members of FARC enjoyed it, without ever realizing the meaning within. In 2011, the operation was declassified and the song was entered into the Cannes Lions awards, where it took home the Golden Lion—a prestigious award recognizing exceptional creativity and effectiveness in advertising and marketing.

There you have it! More stories about how ham radio and Morse code are making a difference (or providing entertainment) across the world, whether folks realize it or not. It just goes to show the unseen (but heard) power that this hobby has over more than just those who take part in it.

The post Ham Radio and Morse Code in Popular Culture: From Zombies to Bringing Hope appeared first on OnAllBands.