Heil Headset Reviews

Bob Heil – CEO and Founder of Heil Sound

Bob’s life mission is to have fun and bring LOTS of people along for the trip. Bob  barely got through grade school and then started making more money than his teachers by playing the (Hammond) organ. Then Bob became a pimp for his high school gym teacher (Sarah can fill you in on the details). Bob had 50+ years of “just OK” life until God sent him a red headed bundle of joy along with her bundle of joy and together they have more fun than a couple of squirrels in a nut forest.

Heil Sound, Ltd. was founded by Bob Heil in 1966. Bob pioneered the live sound industry with clients such as the Grateful Dead, the Who, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck and scores of major touring acts of the 60’s and 70’s. Bob and Heil Sound have won numerous awards over the years, including the first ever “Pioneer Award” from the Audio Engineering Society, and the Parnelli Award.

In 2007, Bob was invited into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to put up a display of his historically important gear, including the first modular console (the Mavis) his custom quadraphonic mixer (for the Quadraphenia tour) and the very first Heil Talk Box. No manufacturer has ever been invited into the Rock Hall before.

Wikipedia entry for Bob Heil

The Night That Modern Live Sound Was Born: Bob Heil & The Grateful Dead (From Performing Musician)

I have used Heil Headsets for years  and consider them excellent value for money. The HC-5 cartridge suits my voice perfectly and works for me looking for rare DX. I would highly recommend Heil products. Three more reviews are below.

Heil Headset Review – Three reviews

I’ve used many headsets and microphones over the years. This combination is near perfection. They are comfortable and the HC-5 dynamic element sounds great. The Heil is an excellent headset & very comfortable. When I first opened the box and held the headset in my hands the size of the headset, microphone boom and element enclosure caused a bit of concern. The sturdy (and substantial) mic boom is mounted on one of the two full-sized, closed cup, circum-aural headphones. Was all this plastic, vinyl and steel a bit too much to wear?

The headband suspension self-adjusts and no knobs or click stops are provided. As if made for my head, the headband fell right into place with just the right amount of tension. The headbands fit me perfectly with no bending or adjustment. Once positioned the whole thing stays in place comfortably. Very nice! A set of cloth earpiece covers are provided if that is your preference.

The ear cups attenuate a substantial amount of room noise and allow total focus on the incoming audio. Despite its robust size the Pro Set Plus is not heavy. After hours of wearing them they are still comfortable. The microphone boom requires a bit of persuasive force to bend and rotate it into position. This is a one-time affair, and it hasn’t budged a millimetre since. A small foam windscreen slides over the element housing and adds to the girth of the mic. For those who like a small, discrete-looking microphone this is not for you.

Compared to other studio-quality headphones, the audio is quite good. This is a nice sounding communications headset. Received audio is crisp and clear with ample low, mid and high frequency response. However headphone volume is a bit less than my other phones at the same receiver setting. This is not a big issue since simply increasing the volume level is the solution. The closed ear cups effectively reduce feedback when monitoring your transmitted audio or making EQ adjustments. The phase reversal switch added something to tinker and experiment with.

The HC-5 microphone element has a pleasing frequency response and has a somewhat full sound with a moderate amount of low end. It is not quite as robust sounding as the Heil Goldline full-range element, but gets good audio reports for it’s smooth and clear audio quality. The HC-4 element is also built-in and a small slide switch changes the active element. This element is harsh sounding and favours the mid and higher frequencies – as intended. I’ll save this one for DX work.

Interfacing with my Kenwood TS-940S was easy using the optional adapter cable. You’ll also need a PTT switch – an easy project. A ¼” stereo phone jack is standard on the Kenwood, so receiver audio was plug and play. I also had no difficulty feeding microphone audio into a pre-amp and an EQ for audio experimentation. The mic connection is by 1/8” mono plug and a suitable adapter was easily found in my parts box. An ample length of wire is provided so you can move around your operating position. I like the Heil Pro Set Plus and this is a fine addition to my shack. The construction and audio quality are excellent and should provide years of use.

73, N2KEN.

 

 

The Pro Set Plus very nicely compliments my Kenwood TS-2000. The feel and fit is very comfortable. I am wearing them as I write this, and they have been on my head now for about 3 hours. If not for the microphone being in view when I glance down, I’d forget they were on my head.

Sound quality. I have used many headphones over the years for various applications. The sound quality in the Heil P-S-P is among the best I have ever listened to. The Phase reverse is quite effective. I prefer the “B” setting.

Microphone: Without being redundant with the specs and functions that others mentioned already, the elements in the boom mike on this headset are downright fabulous. The DX /FullRangetoggle is a nice touch and as well effective.

Quality: This Headset is attractively made and I find the design configuration to be perfect (for my Melon at least). It’s very apparent that there was no corner cutting done here. The headset also comes with ear covers [put them on the headset, not your own ears :-)) ] and a Mic “poppy” cover. I employ both. If you want a top notch headset/mic combo, I believe you need not look further than the Heil Pro Set Plus. Money well spent.

73, Dennis NC2F 

 

 

This is it–the ideal context/DX headset. This is a fabulous headset. If you’re a serious DXer or Contester, buy a set. I’ve been a long-time, not-always-happy Heil customer. I’ve owned three of their headsets prior to this one: One of the open-air sets and two of the Pros. I didn’t care for the feel of the open air set (personal preference) and had a problem with the wiring being flaky in one ear. Both the Pros failed mechanically (ear piece fell off) within a few months. One failed within 30 days.

Honestly, I thought that I was done with Heil products. That thought was a very disappointing for me because I loved the HC-4 audio. Figured it was back to a desk mike for me.

Since then, Bob Heil convinced me to try his new Pro-Set Plus. I’ve now made a bunch of QSOs and run half a dozen contests with this set. I started out REALLY sceptical and worried that I was going to break off yet another earpiece. As time went by, I worried less. By the end of a contest when my eyes are pretty bleary, I’m not thinking about being careful with the headset when I put it on or take it off, so I’ve got some really “honest” hours on this set. I love ’em. Plain and simple.

This set is comfortable to wear for hours at a stretch. They lay well on your ears and the band is comfy for many hours at a stretch on the top of your head. The physical adjustability of the mike is perfect. The weight of the set is a great balance of feeling substantial and “worth” the money with airy comfort.

The ear pieces, though. That’s what I was worried about. I already knew the other stuff was good. Bob’s redesign of the connecting mechanism seems to have yielded exactly the results he (and his customers) desired. When I’m thoughtful, I use both hands to take the set off. When I’ve been trying to break the TN pileup with no success and I strip the phones off my head one-handed, well, I’ve put the set to test and it’s stood up beautifully.

There’s nothing I can add about the microphone’s performance that you haven’t read in a dozen other places. It’s premiere. The speakers are further improved from the Pro-Set. I really, really, REALLY like the speakers in these headphones. I think that you will, too. Another minor, positive note: The cord from the phones to the rig is of ample length.(about 8 feet) so that I can roll around the shack without worry of jerking the phones off my head (ever had that one happen to you?!?). I love the quick connect to the mike input on the rig. When the cord gets tangled it takes 5 seconds to disconnect, untangle and reconnect. Very nice.

So, I’m a fan of this product. Bob Heil has won me as a fan with his personal service, superb product performance, and successful redesign. The mechanical aspects of this set now match the near-legendary talk/listen audio performance.

73 de K7VI

 

Balun Construction

Here are some details on how to construct a simple Balun. The first one changes your 50 Ohm Unbalanced output from your transmitter to match 200 ohms balanced to your balanced feeders antenna. It is not critical. The antenna may have 450 Ohm open wire ladder line. The output of the 50 ohm to 200 ohm balun will work just fine and so will your antenna.

The second balun is a simple 50 ohm unbalanced to 50 ohm balanced lines and is quite useful when the antenna has a low impedance unbalanced feeder feeding a length of coaxial line. The balun may be incorporated into the centre insulator of a dipole and will eliminate stray RF currents flowing back down the outside coaxial braid into your shack

A 50 ohm unbalanced to 200 ohm balanced balun and
A 50 ohm unbalanced to 50 ohm balanced balun

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Two No. 14 wire gauge wires around an Amidon T63 Ferrite Core

Constructing a G5RV Antenna

G5RV Antenna Construction

Construction your own antenna is not all that difficult and certainly a lot less cost than buying one that will deteriorate the same way in the weather.

Here are some interesting facts about common antennas:

A 3el full sized perfectly matched yagi will give you about 6.5 db forward gain

A 2el full sized perfectly matched yagi will give you about 4.5 db forward gain

A 2 or 3El trapped Yagi will give you about 0.5 to 1.0 db gain less than a full sized equivalent.

A 2el full sized perfectly matched yagi with folded elements. (Hexbeam, Spider Beam, Moxon  and others of their ilk will give you about 4.0 db forward gain.

A perfectly matched resonant dipole will give you 0.0 db gain

A trapped dipole will give you a 0.5 to 1.0 db trap loss compared with standard dipole.

G5RV, OCF and other weird and wonderful antennas are a compromise to gain bands. You gain with wide frequency coverage but you lose dbs compared to a standard dipole.

A quarter wave vertical, perfectly matched with 128 radials will give you zero db gain

Reduce the radial numbers, insert traps, reduce the length with helical windings and you lose valuable db.

With antennas – you don’t get something for nothing. Yes, you will have contacts with any antenna. The more compromised the antenna is, the less contacts you will have with it.

The case of the commercial $195.00 G5RV wire antenna kit

Yes, it will work just fine. Not as well as a full sized dipole on any given band but it will work well. No marketers of these snake oil antennas have ever managed to get any gain out of them. They are less efficient than a full sized dipole. Simple fact. On the other hand they will allow you to make contacts on 80M, 40M and other bands.

Shell out $195 or build one?  They both work the same!!!!!!  If you scrounge around in junk sales or your mates you may find 105 feet of wire. Any wire, Plastic covered, bare wire even old transformer wire. But “It stretches” I hear you moan. Simply tie 60 or 70 feet around a trailer hitch and the other end to a tree and put slow tension on it. You now have hard drawn copper wire that won’t stretch. Old timers will know that trick!!!

Open wire feeders???? They don’t have to be expensive 450 ohm ladder line!!!!! Learn how to cut a bit of plastic to make insulators about 2 inches across. A small hole or slot in each end will allow you to thread the insulators onto the wires. Any wire will do. A local mate of mine uses #18 galvanized garden wire. A roll at Mitre 10 for 6 bux!!!!! You only need a 34 foot length of feedline.

Insulators??? One side of a plastic clothespeg. 16 clothepegs at the supermarket will set you back about 3 bucks. Any plastic will work. Currently, for all my insulators and antenna materials I go into the supermarket and buy a nylon chopping board. I then use a small jigsaw with a coarse blade and can cut out anything I need in a few minutes. I would strongly suggest that you don’t purloin your XYLs kitchen board in the heat of the moment or you will experience severe RF sparking and possibly meltdown.

“But it might not work” I hear you say. Get over it. Learn how to solder. Get hold of a mate in the your club to help. Build the bloody thing and get a mate with an antenna analyzer to put it on resonance and it will work just the same as a $195 one and you will learn a helluva lot about antenna and how to put them up. There are tons of books and lots of antenna information on the net. I just Googled G5RV antenna construction and I got 41,000 hits. The first ten gave me endless possibilities for construction.

Building an antenna is not rocket science guys. There is nothing magical about a store bought antenna.

Sorry … there are magical. They make your money disappear in a flash!!

73, Lee ZL2AL

Split Operation

The curse of mankind is assumption

I was giving a talk to the local radio club a few weeks ago about DXing and after racing along at a fair clip assuming that my listeners knew the basics. I was floored when one club member asked about operating “split” Dumb questions are the ones that never get asked so I stopped and took some time to explain what operating spilt frequency is all about. At the end of the talk several mentioned that they now appreciated why DXpeditions operate split frequencies. Some of the new HF operators would like to know about operating “split”. Even the seasoned DXers should read this as we all end up pushing the wrong buttons at the wrong time in the heat of the moment.

DXpedition stations have the unenviable task of sorting out who is calling them. They can only do that if they are heard by their callers. DXpedition operators are like orchestra conductors. They call the tune and how it is played. Imagine you are a rare DXpedition station and you call CQ on 14,195. There are hundreds of stations on the planet that monitor this prime DX frequency around the clock and inevitably one will call and work the DXpedition. He will also put the station up on the world wide DX packet cluster network and within minute or so thousands of big guns and little guns will call him on his same frequency. Immediately the rare DX is covered up by a seething, unruly pack of enthusiastic DXers. Obviously he won’t be able to be heard and will quickly loses his status as the orchestra conductor. To keep control of the situation the rare DXpedition station will go “split” and specify where he is listening. He will do that every few QSOs and his patter will run something like this:

 “ZL2ZZ   59   TU   XX0XX up 5 to 10” (or on CW UP 3)

He acknowledges ZL2ZZ, gives him a report, states his call and tells the pack where he is listening. Quite clever really! He directs all his callers to call on 14,200 to 14,205 kHz and he listens there. He  also spreads them out to make the mad keen DXers easier to hear and as a result his “run rate” increases. You, as the DXer who wishes to work the rare DX station must put your transmitter where he is listening and move your receiver to listen on his frequency 14,195 kHz. This is done with the “Split” button on your transceiver. Most modern radios have the ability to separate the transmitter and the receiver frequencies. The older ones do also but usually need an external VFO to control the second frequency. Transceivers also have the ability to reverse the transmit and receive frequencies instantly with the use of a little button marked A/B. When you are set up for split you can hit the button and usually hear the stations that are working the rare DX by tuning your receiver VFO around the 200 to 205 area. By hitting the A/B button immediately after the DXer has worked the rare DX you will place your transmit call on the frequency that the rare DX station was last listening on.

Unfortunately, many others can hit buttons too and will call there. Knowing that, the rare DX will often move his receiver VFO up or down just a bit to pick off another station out in the clear. It all becomes a bit of a game with both the fox and the hound in the hunt to make the contact. If you listen long enough you will learn how the rare DX thinks and learn his operating pattern. You also run the risk of forgetting to hit the A/B button to return to the correct splits and end up calling on his transmit frequency. Most embarrassing! Almost as bad as listening to the DXpedition station calling and since you are not hearing where he listing, you assume no one is calling him and you call simplex on his transmit frequency. Immediately the DX Police (guys who listen to his transmit frequency will yell “UP, UP, UP” at you) It really pays to listen, listen and listen carefully before you make the call. You will quickly learn how that rare DXpedition station operates and where he is listening. You will also increase you chances of working him quickly and efficiently. You will work more DX.

73, Lee ZL2AL

80M Dipole Construction

The drawings below apply to all dipoles. Quality construction will mean that your dipole will perform properly and stay up for a very long time. Shoddy insulator and centre fastenings will mean that your antenna will be on the ground sooner or later and you will have to rebuild it all over again.

Construction Details

Insulator Details

Lead-In Options

The diameter of the antenna wire is not critical and the length will vary slightly from 0.7mm to 1.5mm If the antenna wire is covered with plastic insulation you will find that the length of the dipole at any calculated frequency will be about 4% shorter. The plastic covering seems to add to the inductance or capacitance and tends to make the antenna operate at a slightly lower frequency. Antennas cut to length will tend to be resonant at a lower frequency lower to the ground. When raised to maximum height the resonance will return to it’s design frequency.

73, Lee ZL2AL

Begali Keys

I am hooked on Begali Keys after having one made a few years ago. I also have a Vibroplex Vibrokeyer and a Bencher. They are great to use but the Begali is so much smoother and more controllable for long periods of ragchewing and contest work.

The Begali uses magnets rather than springs for the action has distinct advantages, especially if you prefer a light touch with close spacing. Since the moving magnets are imbedded in micro-threaded tubes they can be adjusted with utmost precision and maintain their setting over a wide range of temperature variation.  The magnets on the arms are mounted close to the pivot which keeps the effective moving mass low and allows a responsiveness at high speeds that is unique for magnetic paddles.  For that same reason the arms are made of a black anodized aircraft alloy that is very light but rigid.

Each of these paddles is personally inspected by Piero to make sure that it meets our exacting standards, and it comes with a signed certificate of authenticity that also records the manufacturing date.  (each paddle has a serial number engraved in the base)

Once you have experienced this paddle in operation we are sure that you will join the ranks of our many enthusiastic customers – find out what they had to say on eHam

The Signature Edition embodies the experience that we have gained with the Magnetic Classic and the Magnetic Professional paddles, and it incorporates improvements that were suggested by our customers.  It was designed to be one of the finest paddles that can be produced with today’s techniques and materials, surpassed only in some aspects by our Sculpture key and the Graciella Vertical key.

We start with the same heavy base that we are using in our other paddles, and you can order it with gold plating or  palladium plating.  The precision bearings are specially selected and matched, and they exceed the standards that are usually applied for laboratory instruments.  They are concealed in the base and in the central bearing block for a clean visual design. The friction springs for the gap adjustments are  hidden inside the contact posts. The cable connection is made through a 1/8” stereo jack in the base – so no unsightly cables are dangling around when it is not connected to your keyer.

The finger pieces are made of an anodized aluminum alloy, and we provide two sets: one has the longer geometry that our plastic paddles for the other Magnetic paddles have, shown here, and a second set that is slightly shorter. Some of our pilot users preferred the more direct translation ratio offered by shorter finger pieces – but since there was no clear cut choice we include both shapes and leave it up to you to determine your preference. 

Have a look at the Begali Web site. I has plenty of information about the company and about the products for the ham radio operator.

Officina Meccanica Begali has been manufacturing electro-mechanical precision components since 1960, and our line of fine keys and paddles for the ham community are a more recent addition.  They are a result of Piero’s desire to create the finest keys and paddles for his own use. Piero obtained his ham radio license as I2RTF in 1964.  Ever since he has been a dedicated CW operator, and it was only natural that one day he would try to design and produce the best Morse keys that money can buy …

At this site, you will discover all about our keys and paddles, and you are able to order them online.

Feel free to browse around this site. If you have comments or questions about our products, or simply need more information and want to contact us, click on the contact button on any page within this site.

The Magnetic Professional is a variation of our Magnetic Classic paddle, and it has many of the same technical characteristics that have made the Magnetic Classic one of the best magnetic paddles that money can buy. The main difference is the surface finish: instead of the gold or palladium plating this paddle has a non-reflecting metal oxide coating. The bearing block is wider than on the Magnetic Classic, and it has set screws that let you adjust the paddle spacing within a narrow range (we’re using the same adjustment technique in our classical flagship paddle, the Signature) The base is a flat black, and the central bearing block has a khaki color – the color and material combination gives this paddle a rugged military flair.

   
 Using magnets rather than springs for the action has distinct advantages, especially if you prefer a light touch with close spacing. Since the moving magnets are imbedded in micro-threaded tubes they can be adjusted with utmost precision and maintain their setting over a wide range of temperature variation.  The magnets on the arms are mounted close to the pivot which keeps the effective moving mass low and allows a responsiveness at high speeds that is unique for magnetic paddles.  Like the Magnetic Classic This key is certainly among the best that money can buy! Find out how users rated this paddle on eHam.

73, Lee ZL2AL


Amateur Radio Websites

Amateur Radio Websites

Some great websites for Ham radio information and Logging Programs

AC6V – The reference site for ham radio, 700 Topics, 6000 Links and 132 pages

DX4Win – The most popular general purpose Logging program

N1MM – The best Contest Logging program

Logger 32 – Excellent Free Logging Program

Ham Radio Deluxe – Excellent Logging program

W6EL – Propagation prediction program (and it’s free!)

VE7CC –  Packet Cluster program (and it’s free!)

CQ Magazine – The CQ Magazine awards and contest website

ARRL DXCC Awards – The ARRL DXCC awards and contest website

eHam –   Great website for general Information

DX Summit –  Live DX Cluster spots from around the world

73, Lee ZL2AL

All About Amateur Radio

Amateur radio

Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by many people throughout the world. An amateur radio operator, ham, or radio amateur uses two-way radio to communicate with other radio amateurs, for recreation or self-edification. The origin of the word “ham” is unknown.

As of 2004 there were about 3 million hams worldwide with about 700,000 in the USA, 600,000 in Japan, 140,000 each in South Korea and Thailand, 57,000 in Canada, 70,000 in Germany, 60,000 in UK, 11,000 in Sweden, and 5,000 in Norway.

Mrs. Bharathi Prasad using her call sign VU4RBI demonstrates Amateur Radio to local students in Port Blair, Andaman Islands, a few days before the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Governance and amateur radio societies

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) governs the allocation of communications frequencies world-wide, with participation by each nation by representation from their communications regulation authority. National communications regulators have some liberty to restrict access to these frequencies, or to award additional allocations as long as radio services in other countries do not suffer interference.

In some countries, specific emission types are restricted to certain parts of the radio spectrum, and in most other countries, International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member societies adopt voluntary plans to concentrate modes of transmission in specific frequency allocations within IARU guidelines, to ensure most effective use of available spectrum.

Many countries have their own national (non-government) amateur radio society that coordinates with the communications regulation authority for the benefit of all Amateurs. The oldest of these societies is the Wireless Institute of Australia, formed in 1910; other notable societies are the Radio Society of Great Britain, the American Radio Relay League, and Radio Amateurs of Canada.

How to become a Ham

In most countries, amateur radio operators are required to pass a test in order to be licensed, unlike other personal radio services such as CB radio, General Mobile Radio Service, or Family Radio Service / PMR446. In return, hams are granted operating privileges in allocated segments of the entire radio frequency spectrum using a wide variety of communication techniques.

Once licensed, the radio amateur is issued a callsign by its government. This callsign is unique to the operator and is often a source of pride. The holder of a callsign uses it on the air to legally identify the operator or station during any and all radio communications.

In many countries, amateurs are required to pass an examination to demonstrate technical knowledge, operating competence and awareness of legal and regulatory requirements, in order to avoid interference with other amateurs and other radio services. In the majority of countries, there are a series of exams available, progressively more challenging and granting progressively more privileges in terms of frequency availability, power output, and permitted experimentation.

In many countries, amateur licensing is a routine civil administrative matter, with considerable worldwide improvement in the past 15 years. In some countries, however, amateur licensing is either inordinately bureaucratic (e.g. India), or amateurs must undergo difficult security approval (e.g. Iran). A handful of countries, currently only Yemen and North Korea, simply do not permit their citizens to operate amateur radio stations, although in both cases a handful of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past decade.

A further difficulty occurs in developing countries, where licensing structures are often copied from European countries and annual license fees can be prohibitive in terms of local incomes. This is a particular problem in Africa and to a lesser extent in poorer parts of Asia and Latin America. Small countries or those with weak administrative structures may not have a national licensing scheme and may require amateurs to take the licensing exams of a foreign country in lieu.

US Licensing

Amateur licensing in theUnited Statesserves as an example of the way some countries award different levels of amateur radio licenses based on knowledge and telegraphy skill. TheUnited Statessystem has evolved into three-levels of license. The entry-level license, known as Technician, is awarded after an applicant successfully completes a 35-question multiple choice written examination. The license grants operating privileges on all bands above 50 MHz. A Technician who passes a 5 word-per-minute Morse code test is further granted privileges in portions of the 10-, 15-, 40-, and 80-meter amateur bands. The next grade, known as General, requires passage of the Technician test, the 5 word-per-minute telegraphy test, as well as a 35-question multiple-choice General exam. General-class licensees are granted privileges on portions of all amateur HF bands, in addition to the Technician privileges. The topUSlicense class is Amateur Extra. The Extra class license requires the same tests as General plus a third multiple-choice exam. This exam has 50 questions. Those with Amateur Extra licenses are granted privileges on allUSamateur bands.

Morse Code requirement

Commercial and military use of Morse Code radiotelegraphy has almost completely disappeared. As a result, there is a growing demand for Morse testing to be dropped from amateur radio licensing requirements. Until recently, amateurs operating in the short-, medium-, or longwave bands were required by international regulation to pass a Morse code telegraphy exam.

At the 2003 World Radio communication Conference (WRC-03)[1][2] this requirement was made optional leaving it up to individual nations to decide whether or not Morse testing should be required. As a result, many nations, e.g. Canada, Japan, many nations of the European and Oceania, have dropped the requirement while others have yet to make a decision (e.g. USA, India, China, most Arab and Caribbean countries). Presently countries dropping the requirement represent 12% of world Amateurs. While some countries are dropping the requirement for an entry level license, countries like Japan chose to maintain the telegraphy test requirement for it’s highest class license. U.S. Amateurs recently commented in favour of keeping the telegraphy test for at least the highest class license by a 55% to 45% margin [3] when answering a request by the FCC to respond to a Notice of Proposed Rule making (RM 05-235). The FCC proposal seeks to remove the telegraphy test requirement for Amateur Radio altogether.

Morse code is normally sent on the ham bands by keying an unmodulated single-frequency transmission on and off. This communication mode is referred to as CW (Continuous Wave). Statistics show Morse Code use (CW) continues to be the second most popular mode on Amateur Radio with use by Amateurs averaging about 30-35%.

Privileges of the Amateur

In contrast to most commercial and personal radio services, most radio amateurs are not restricted to using type-approved equipment, allowing them to home-construct or modify equipment in any way so long as they meet national and international standards on spurious emissions.

As noted, radio amateurs have access to frequency allocations throughout the RF spectrum, enabling choice of frequency to enable effective communication whether across a city, a region, a country, a continent or the whole world regardless of season or time day or night. The short wave bands, or HF, can facilitate worldwide communication, the VHF and UHF bands offer excellent regional communication, and the broad microwave bands have enough space, or bandwidth, for television transmissions and high-speed data networks.

Although permitted power levels are moderate by commercial standards, they are sufficient to enable cross-continental communication even with the least effective antenna systems, and world-wide communications at least occasionally even with moderate antennas. Power limits vary from country to country, for the highest license classes for example, 2 kilowatts in most countries of the former Yugoslavia, 1.5 kilowatts in the United States, 1 kilowatt in Belgium, 750 watts in Germany, 400 watts in the United Kingdom and 150 watts in Oman. Lower license classes are usually restricted to lower power limits; for example the lowest license class in the UK has a limit of just 10 watts.

Some suggest that the amateur portion of the radio spectrum is like a national park: something like the Yosemite of natural phenomenon. Through the licensing requirement, radio amateurs become like trained national park guides and backpackers. Where the backpackers and guides know about the beauty of the parks as well as the rules of engagement with wildlife in the park system, radio amateurs learn to appreciate and respect the beauty of the very limited electromagnetic space and the rules of engagement of human interaction within that space. In contrast, all of humanity benefits from the radio spectrum’s existence, although it can not actually be seen.

What does one do with amateur radio?

An amateur radio operator engaging in two-way communications.

Amateur radio operators enjoy personal two-way communications with friends, family members, and complete strangers, all of whom must also be licensed. They support the larger public community with emergency and disaster communications. Increasing a person’s knowledge of electronics and radio theory as well as radio contesting are also popular aspects of amateur radio.

A good way to get started in amateur radio is to find a club in your area to answer your questions and provide information on getting licensed and then getting on the air. If you are in the U.S., you can find a club near you by going to the American Radio Relay League‘s Affiliated Club Search page.

Radio amateurs use a variety of modes of transmission to communicate with one another. Voice transmissions are the most common way hams communicate with one another, with some types of emission such as frequency modulation (FM) offering high quality audio for local operation where signals are strong, and others such as single side band (SSB) offering more reliable communications when signals are marginal and using smaller amounts of bandwidth.

Radiotelegraphy using Morse code remains surprisingly popular, particularly on the shortwave bands and for experimental work on the microwave bands, with its inherent signal-to-noise ratio advantages. Morse, using internationally agreed code groups, can also facilitate communications between amateurs who do not share a common language. Radiotelegraphy is also popular with home constructors as CW-only transmitters are simple to construct when compared to voice transmitters.

The explosion in personal computing power has led to a boom in digital modes such as radio teletype, which a generation ago required cumbersome and expensive specialist equipment. Hams led in the development of packet radio, which has since been augmented by more specialized modes such as PSK31 which is designed to facilitate real-time, low-power communications on the shortwave bands. Other modes, such as the WSJT suite, are aimed at extremely marginal propagation modes including meteor scatter and moonbounce or Earth-Moon-Earth (EME).

Similarly, fast scan amateur television, once considered rather esoteric, has exploded in popularity thanks to cheap camcorders and good quality video cards in home computers. Because of the wide bandwidth and stable signals required, it is limited in range to at most 100 km (about 62 miles) in normal conditions.

Most of the modes noted above rely on the simplex communication mode, that is direct, radio-to-radio communication. On VHF and higher frequencies, automated relay stations, or repeaters, are used to increase range. Repeaters are usually located on the top of a mountain or tall building. A repeater allows the radio amateur to communicate over hundreds of square miles using only a relatively low power hand-held transceiver. Repeaters can also be linked together, either by use of other amateur radio bands, by wireline, or, increasingly via the Internet.

While many hams just enjoy talking to friends, others pursue interests such as providing communications for a community emergency response team; antenna theory; communication via amateur satellites ; disaster response; severe weather spotting; DX communication over thousands of miles using the ionosphere to refract radio waves; the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) which is a composite network of radio and the Internet; Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), which is a system of remote positioning that uses GPS; Contesting; the sport of Amateur Radio Direction Finding; High Speed Telegraphy; or low-power operation.

Most hams have a room or area in their home which is dedicated to their radio and ancillary test equipment, known as the “shack” in ham slang.

Emergency and public service communications

In times of crisis and natural disasters, ham radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wire line and other conventional means of communications fail. Recent examples include the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan, the 2003 North America blackout and Hurricane Katrina in September, 2005, where amateur radio was used to coordinate disaster relief activities when other systems failed.

On September 2, 2004, ham radio was used to inform weather forecasters with information on Hurricane Frances live from the Bahamas. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake and resulting tsunami across the Indian Ocean wiped out all communications with the Andaman Islands, except for a DX-pedition that provided as a means to coordinate relief efforts.

The largest disaster response by U.S. amateur radio operators was during Hurricane Katrina which first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just north of Miami,Florida on August 25, 2005. More than a thousand ham operators from all over the U.S.converged on the Gulf Coast in an effort to provide emergency communications assistance.

In the United States, there are two methods of organizing amateur radio emergency communications. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), sponsored by the ARRL, and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), usually organized by municipal or county governments. RACES authorization comes from Part 97.407 of the FCC regulations.

In the United Kingdom, RAYNET, the Radio Amateur Emergency Network, and the RSGB, provide the organisational backbone of their amateur radio emergency communications groups.

In New Zealand the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) provides the AREC – Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (formerly Amateur Radio Emergency Corps) in the role. They won the New Zealand National Search and Rescue award in 2001 for their long commitment to Search and Rescue in NZ.

Amateurs are often professionally involved in areas which complement their hobby, such as electronics, emergency services, or aviation. This often sees hams as being at the forefront of the development of ‘STSP’ (Short Term Special Purpose) repeater systems and other complex radio linking systems able to easily be inserted by trampers or aircraft into a search area. Being able to provide VHF or UHF radio into an emergency or disaster area means that teams on the ground can use relatively common and portable handheld radios to liaise with base, or with other agencies. VHF-based communications supported by cross banding or STSP repeaters are gradually replacing portable HF systems because of their flexibility, and the relative portability of their antenna and power systems.

DXing, QSL cards and awards

Many amateurs enjoy trying to contact stations in as many different parts of the world as they can on shortwave bands, or over as great a range as possible on the higher bands, a pursuit which is generally known as DXing.

Traditionally radio amateurs exchange QSL cards with other stations, to provide written confirmation of a conversation (QSO). These are required for many amateur operating awards, and many amateurs also enjoy collecting them simply for the pleasure of doing so.

The number of operating awards available is literally in the thousands. The most popular awards are the Worked All States award, usually the first award amateurs in the United States aim for, the Worked All Continents award, also an entry level award on the shortwave bands, and the more challenging Worked All Zones and DX Century Club (DXCC) awards. DXCC is the most popular awards programme, with the entry level requiring amateurs to contact 100 of the (as of 2005) 335 recognized countries and territories in the world, which leads on to a series of operating challenges of increasing difficulty. Many awards are available for contacting amateurs in a particular country, region or city.

Certain parts of the world have very few radio amateurs. As a result, when a station with a rare ID comes on the air, radio amateurs flock to communicate with it. Often amateurs will travel specifically to a country or island, in what is known as a DX-pedition, to activate it. Big DX-peditions can make as many as 100,000 individual contacts in a few weeks.

A group of amateur radio operators during DXpedition to The Gambia in October 2003.

Many amateurs also enjoy contacting the many special event stations on the air. Set up to commemorate special occurrences, they often issue distinctive QSLs or certificates. Some use unusual prefixes, such as the call signs with “96” that amateurs in the US State of Georgia could use during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, or the OO prefix used by Belgian amateurs in 2005 to commemorate their nation’s 175th anniversary. Many amateurs decorate their radio “shacks” with these certificates.

Some hams enjoy attempting to communicate distances with very low power. Signals on the order of 5 watts or less are heard all over the world by these QRP (low power) operators. Some amateurs never use more than a few watts of transmit power. By setting up efficient antennas and using expert operating techniques, they can make regular international contacts and get immense satisfaction from their achievements.

Contesting

A compact ham shack in Central London, England

Contesting is another activity that has garnered interest in the ham community. During a period of time (normally 24 to 48 hours) a ham tries to successfully communicate with as many other amateur radio stations as possible. Different contests have different emphases, with some aimed at chasing DX stations, or stations in a particular country or continent. In some the focus is on operating a station running on emergency power (i.e. portable generators or batteries) to contact other such stations (Field Day), to simulate hurricane or other emergency disaster conditions.

In some contests all operating modes are permitted, while others may be limited to single mode such as voice or CW (Continuous Wave, more commonly called Morse Code). Often, hams join together to form contest teams.

Many hams enjoy casually gaining a few points in a contest, other chasing rare stations who are more likely to make an appearance in these events, others try to set the best possible score using a very limited home station. The serious competitors spend a lot of time in training, spend a lot of money in building up a world class station, and will often travel to a rare country or prime geographical location in order to win.

Vintage Radio

Amplitude Modulation is a mode and an activity that enjoys status as a nostalgic specialty on the shortwave ham bands (1.8 – 29 mHz, or just above AM broadcast band to just beyond the CB band), and draws a wide range of enthusiasts from rock star Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, to the Federal Communications Commission’s Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH.

 Participating Station, “Heavy Metal Rally”

Conversations are often configured as “round tables” where several participants spend time developing and presenting their thoughts in a storytelling fashion. Listeners reflect on each transmission much as families did when they listened to the old wooden floor console in the early days of radio. Many find this style of communicating more satisfying than the rapid-fire style of operating that can seem rushed and shallow by comparison.

Much of the conversation revolves around do-it-yourself experimentation, repairs, and restoration of popular, vintage vacuum-tube equipment, which has been rising in value because of nostalgic demand. But contemporary transceivers also include AM among modes, and can sound quite good on transmit and receive as a way to encourage a newcomer to check in and introduce themselves.

Frequencies to look for AM activity include 1885, 1930, 3885, 7285, 14286 and 21425, and often include “special event” stations using unique call signs, such as W3F, [4] K3L [5] and W3R [6], The Radio History Society’s station pictured at right. The sound and visual impact of vintage radio are powerful lures.

VHF, UHF and microwave weak-signal operation

While many radio amateurs use use VHF or UHF frequencies primarily for local communications, other amateurs build up more sophisticated systems to communicate over as wide a range as possible.

Despite the common misconception of ‘line of sight’ a VHF signal transmitted from a walkie-talkie (or as hams call it a Handi-talkie or HT for short) will typically travel about 5-10 km depending on terrain, and with a low power home station and a simple antenna to around 50 km. With a large antenna system like a long yagi, and higher power (typically 100 or more watts) contacts of around 1000 km are common. Such operators seek to exploit the limits of the frequencies’ usual characteristics looking to learn and experiment with radio technology. They also seek to take advantage of “band openings” where due to various natural occurrences, radio emissions can travel well over their normal characteristics. There are numerous causes for these band openings and many hams listen for hours to take advantage of their rare manifestations, which may be of fleeting duration.

Some openings are caused by intense excitement of the upper atmosphere, known as the ionosphere. Other band openings are caused by a weather phenomenon known as an inversion layer, where cold air traps hot air beneath it, which forces the radio emission to travel over long weather layers. Radio signals can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres due to these weather layers.

Others bounce their signals off the moon (see moonbounce). The return signal is heard by other hams who have equipment suitable for EME (earth-moon-earth) operation, as it is known. The antennas normally required can range from parabolic dishes of up to 10 metres in diameter to an array of directional (usually of the yagi type) antennas.

Digital signal processing has revolutionised weak signal communications by radio amateurs. Using freely available software tools and modern computers, radio amateurs can achieve results they would only have dreamed of only 10 years earlier. For example, reflecting signals off the moon, once the realm of only the very best equipped amateur stations, has become feasible for much more modest stations. Instead of a large dish or an array of 8 antennas, it has become possible for stations with 400 to 1000 watts transmit power and a single well designed antenna to make contacts using moonbounce.

Portable operations

Licensed amateurs often take portable equipment with them when travelling, whether in their luggage or fitted into their cruising yachts, caravans or other vehicles. On long-distance expeditions and adventures such equipment allows them to stay in touch with other amateurs, reporting progress, arrival and sometimes exchanging safety messages along the way.

Many hams at fixed locations are pleased to hear directly from such travellers. From in a yacht in mid-ocean or a 4×4 inside the Arctic Circle, a friendly voice and the chance of a kind fellow-enthusiast sending an e-mail home is very well received.

See maritime mobile amateur radio for further details about operation in this way at sea.

Some countries’ amateur radio licences allow for phone patching, or the direct connection of amateur transceivers to telephone lines. Thus a traveller may be able to call another amateur station and, via a phone patch, speak directly with someone else by telephone. [7]

Mr Kamal Edirisinghe from Sri Lanka operating portable Amateur Radio station south of Stockholm,Sweden

Low power operations

There is a sub-culture of amateur radio operators who concentrate on building and operating radios that operate at low power. This activity goes by the name QRP which is an international Q code for “reduce power”. QRP operators use less than 5 watts output on Morse Code and 10 watts on voice.

Operators can carry small portable QRP tranceivers on their person.

An international organization that promotes this activity is called the QRP Amateur Radio Club International [8] (QRPARCI).

Many records for low power communications over great distances have been set using slow speed telegraphy sent and received by computer [9].

Past, present, and future

Despite all these exciting specialities  many hams enjoy the informal contacts, long discussions or “Rag Chewing”, or round table “nets”, whether by voice, Morse code, or computer keyboard.

Even with the advent of the Internet, interest in amateur radio has not diminished in countries with an advanced communications infrastructure. This may be because hams enjoy communicating using the simplest hardware possible, as well as finding the most technically advanced way, advancing the art of radio communication at both ends, frequently beyond what professionals are willing to try to risk.

Nonetheless, Voice over IP (VoIP) is also finding its way into amateur radio. Programs like Echolink, the Internet Radio Linking Project and app rpt/Asterisk use VoIP to tie hams with computers into radio repeaters across the globe. This nascent use is finding applications in emergency services as well, as an alternative to expensive (and sometime fallible) public safety trunking systems.

Some critics point out that in traditional strongholds such as Japan, the United States and Western Europe, amateur populations are ageing  Supporters counter that this merely reflects demographic reality in these ageing countries, and in any case is an ethnocentric position. In China and Eastern Europe, young amateur populations are growing rapidly despite equally unfavourable demographics, and young people are also flocking to the hobby in rapidly developing regions such as India, Thailand, Malaysia and the Arabian Peninsula.

Amateur radio innovations and technology

Throughout their history, radio amateurs have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and the social services. For example, Guglielmo Marconi, founder of practical radio communications, often boasted that he was “only an amateur”. Other innovative hams have, historically, included Howard Hughes; Robert Goddard; David Hampton (‘Furby’ inventor) and many Nobel Prize winners. The economic and social benefit derived from amateur radio research has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives.

Amateur radio represents a unique research and development (R&D) opportunity for exploration and personal growth, nurturing research and hands-on education. This creates an environment for new technologies. Existing at the intersection of the social, economic, cultural and scientific spheres, some radio amateurs have used this position to invent and innovate from a unique perspective. Many now-commonplace communication technologies have their genesis from hams.

Recent exponential growth in commercial wireless communication systems has taxed existing commercial spectrum allocations, and industry is eager for expansion. Some segements of amateur radio allocations in the UHF and microwave frequency spectrum are threatened in many countries. Historically, amateur radio operators, sometimes employees of large communications firms, are involved in the development of new communication technologies in underutilized portions of the radio spectrum. Amateur radio operators were the among the first, for example, to explore the microwave spectrum.

A current, (year 2005) problem includes proposals by some companies to transmit internet data over power lines. Known as BPL, this technology can create significant radio frequency interference to a wide variety of other spectrum users. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission appears to be sympathetic to the industry, many European regulators have demonstrated mixed views and Japanese regulators have rejected an application in that country. Amateurs have been responding to the threat by conducting substantial research, and by gathering evidence of the BPL system’s non-compatibility with many services including amateur and other commercial users of the medium wave, shortwave and lower VHF spectrum. As of 2005, field trials in the U.S., where the situation looks most problematic for hams, have generally been unsuccessful in meeting generally accepted radio pollution standards, and are often discontinued after brief attempts to attract customers. However, the threat to the amateur radio service has not been realized from BPL technologies, and, indeed, recent advances have actually been endorsed by the American Radio Relay League. leaving the viability of BPL to market competition rather than threat of widespread harmful interference.

In a growing environment of wireless use, amateur radio’s place is assured, and continued leveraging of progress for wireless can only be sustained through such assurances.

International operation

When travelling abroad, the visitor must hold a reciprocal license with the country in which she or he wishes to operate. Reciprocal licensing requirements vary from country to country. Some countries have bilateral or multilateral reciprocal operating agreements allowing Hams to operate within their borders with a single set of requirements.

Band plans and frequency allocations

Through ITU agreement, frequencies have been set aside for amateur radio. From there, national telecommunication agencies decide which of the international allocations can be used within their borders. National amateur radio societies often have band plans to further divided those allocations, often by use.

Amateur radio in popular culture

Amateur radio can be found throughout popular culture as a plot device. An example from Hollywood is the 2000 film Frequency. In it, the two main characters, a father and son (played by Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel respectively), communicate via amateur radio after the father has died. This is, of course, impossible, but makes a fine plot device. A wealth of additional information may be found at the main article link shown above.

A Bit of Do, Don’t and Why for HF Beginners

A bit of Do, Don’t and Why for the HF beginner.
by
VE3PMK, VE3NJG, VE3IDT, VE3PZR

So, you’ve learned your radio privileges now include HF, but now what do you do? HF can be intimidating to a new operator, but it can also be a fun place. Hams new to HF want to know how to be a good HF operator. Everyone has to learn somewhere, so we thought a quick bit of reading might be a good start. There are a few important ground rules with HF, some are in accordance with national and international laws, some are founded in tradition, and they’re all founded in good reason. What you do on HF can affect or interfere with communications halfway around the globe! Just like driving, there are laws and conventions that keep the traffic running smoothly. In the following paragraphs we will try to illustrate a few pointers that every HF operator (both new and experienced) should keep in mind when on the ‘short-waves.’ Albeit numbered, the points are not in any specific sequence, so their order does not suggest degrees of importance. The numbering is more for reference purposes in case you wish to review or refer to a specific point(s).

  • 1) A ham ticket is a privilege, not a right. Just like driving, there are rules that must be observed. They are there to protect the usefulness of the radio spectrum and vis-à-vis the safety of all persons using it. Radio is a recreation 99% of the time to a ham, but it can be a critical life-safety device to others. Please treat it with care and respect.
  • 2) On HF, it is very important to listen before attempting to transmit. (AKA: listen, listen, listen!) There are a lot of frequencies that are assigned to nets, calling, and other categories of traffic. Always listen for a minute before you transmit.
  • 3) Okay, so you listened and didn’t hear anything, but before assuming the frequency is not occupied, ask if frequency is in use. You can’t always hear both sides on HF, in fact it’s very common! Someone could be working a station in your skip zone, but they are outside of your skip zone.
  • 4) A simple ‘This is {your callsign}, is this frequency in use?’  works wonders. Listen for about 10 seconds for any reply or existing traffic. Repeat this procedure two or three times and if nothing is heard, there is a high probability the frequency is vacant.
  • 5) This of course begs the question your receive conditions are such that you can hear a reply if it was there. If your noise floor is S-5 or S-7 (as can often be the case with urban living) and there’s a station or stations below this level, you won’t hear them and therefore you might still be barging onto an occupied frequency. This illustrates the importance of doing everything we possibly can to keep our operating conditions as ideal and clean as possible. Put a little work into setting up a good antenna with minimal receive noise, it will pay off with lots of good DX!
  • 6) It is inevitable you will eventually inadvertently QRM an ongoing QSO. When this happens, simply apologize quickly to the parties involved and move to another frequency or wait quietly until the frequency is relinquished. Do not try to start a round table chat unless you are specifically invited to join in.
  • 7) Keep proper spacing from other stations. (4 kHz minimum for phone.) To QRM another station is both rude and violates the terms and conditions of your privileges. Remember, we are allowed zero emissions beyond the band edge. That means you can’t use 14.350MHz for USB! You’re side band would occupy 14.350 to 14.353, possibly 14.354. This means you must keep your ‘dial indicated’ frequency several kHz away from the band edge. For LSB, the reverse is true, stay at least four kilohertz above the band edge. For AM or FM (as in 10m) your signal occupies spectrum in BOTH directions, so the same rules apply. This also applies to the sub-sections within the band itself. You cannot allow your ‘phone’ signals to bleed into a non-phone section of the band.
  • 8) It is illegal to communicate with a pirate station. If you encounter a pirate do not lecture them. You may not communicate with them in any way, this is the law! Do not give them an audience. This also applies to any station deliberately causing QRM or attempting to interfere with the operation of other stations. The best way to deal with these people is to ignore them. Pretend they’re not there. Do not speak about their interference to your contact. Do not acknowledge their presence in any way. Do not react to anything they say. Denied an audience, these stations disappear very quickly. This simple yet effective procedure is the best means with which to deal with this problem. It has worked for generations, so please follow it and it will continue to do so.
  • 9) Before replying to a CQ, be sure you are allowed to operate on that frequency, in that mode, and with that station. Some classes of license have more privileges than others. Many nations have different band plans than ours. Some allow operation in areas and modes we are not, and conversely, we are permitted to operate in spectrum and modes where others may not. Albeit few and far between, there are a few counties that have forbidden their operators from communicating with certain other countries. With the advent of the internet, third party traffic is pretty rare these days, however, some countries do not allow it.
  • 10) The best thing to keep in mind when on any band (HF or otherwise) is to keep everything as polite as possible. After technical considerations, courtesy is your paramount concern. If all operators treat other operators with the same courtesy and respect they would like to receive, the bands will remain a fun and relaxing place to be.
  • 11) Use plain language whenever you can; there is no need for slang at all other than the Q-code if necessary or RST etc. Use phonetics only when required, once the other station has copied your call correctly, you no longer need to keep saying it with phonetics. Save your voice for the next contact. You’re going to need it.
  • 12) Let your contacts know if you are new to HF radio. They will make you feel welcome and will overlook your inexperience. They might also offer you some valuable pointers which may ultimately make you a better operator.
  • 13) Learn what frequencies on each band are established net or DX calling windows or known DX frequencies, [eg:  IOTA.]
  • 14) Understand split operation. If a station is calling ‘CQ and listening up 5 & 10’ it means they are not listening on the same frequency on which they are transmitting. They’re tuning a receive frequency about 5 to 10kHz higher than their TX freq. This is one method of controlling pile-ups.
  • 15) Avoid sensitive topics. {i.e. politics and religion} Keep the QSO positive and interesting. Never lecture or condemn anyone on air. If they are causing deliberate interference, remember point 8. Nobody wants to hear people arguing over the air, it’s a waste of spectrum. No one wants to listen to someone ‘soap boxing.’ If you want to pontificate, try a public speaking club.
  • 16) Respect the human rights code. Never slander or libel others on the air. Idle gossip is never good form. Don’t propagate rumours. Give everyone the first benefit of doubt. 99.999999% of radio operators are really nice folks. Remember the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
  • 17) Avoid the use of alcohol when operating. Luckily this is a rarity, but every few years you may hear someone on the air who’s obviously intoxicated. This is both dangerous and unwise from many perspectives. You could damage your gear by not noticing a problem due to your diminished awareness. You may violate the terms of your license. You may say or do things you would not do otherwise. You could be causing interference and not realize it. No matter how you look at it, it’s simply not appropriate and it can be very dangerous.
  • 18) As a new operator, learn and adhere to the existing long-established operating practices. They are conventions that have evolved over the years for good reasons. You wouldn’t race a car through a parking lot even though there may not ‘technically’ be a speed limit. These operational conventions are there because they keep everything running smoothly and help avoid or minimize problems. Stick with the rules and observe conventions and you too will soon be a well seasoned HF’er!
  • 19) Avoid calling public safety nets [i.e.] Hurricane net or Maritime net unless you can be of use or are requested. These nets pass specific and sometimes critical traffic. If they need stations in a specific area or a certain kind of assistance they’ll ask for it.
  • 20) Be patient with everyone. We are all different. If you feel challenged or uncomfortable, then politely sign clear. Avoid confrontation. If you don’t know the correct protocol for a certain situation, get some advice from an experienced operator.
  • 21)  Look for an Elmer! Ask for help. There are lots of seasoned HF operators who would be more than happy to get you going in the right direction. You local club meetings are likely filled with guys (and gals!) with many years of experience. If you can’t make it out to a meeting, ask on some local repeaters. Help is everywhere!
  • 22) Listen and check in with local nets. It’s a great way to get your feet wet and meet some active HF operators in your area.
  • 23) Listen to some contesting and make a few contacts. The contacts are short and sweet and a great way to practice using your rig. Also, if there’s a problem on your signal, someone will likely point it out to you.
  • 24) Give honest signal reports. There’s no shame in getting a 3/3 or a 2/1. It’s radio, and you’re not going to be booming in everywhere all the time. Some operators seem to be offended if they receive a report less than a 5/9. There are others who have to have the contact repeat their call numerous times, get it wrong the first few, and still give out a 5/9. This is a common problem and is perhaps due to many not understanding the proper way to evaluate a received signal.  It would be a benefit to all hams if everyone reviewed this simple procedure. A report is of no value to anyone if it is not accurate.

With a bit of care, forethought and consideration your HF experience can be lots of fun. Remember: Ham radio is a gentleman’s (and lady’s) hobby. Be on your best behaviour and treat all others with courtesy and you’ll have many years of happy DX. It doesn’t take long before you accumulate and occasionally ‘bump into’ a long list of ‘radio-friends’ from every corner of the globe.

Happy DXing!

Multiband Sleeve Dipole

The open sleeve dipole is a most interesting antenna in that only one of the three dipoles are connected and fed with the feedline. The other two dipoles are benign and go along for the free ride. I used this system for several year ago for a WARC Band dipole and the results are the same as if I had used separately fed dipoles. The antenna is about 15 metres long and the spacing of the dipoles is 5cm (2”) the plastic spreaders can be any material such as 12mm plastic tubing with three holes drilled into them and the antennas are threaded through the holes. A simple piece of small diameter copper wire threaded around the main 30M dipole and around the plastic tube holds the spreaders from moving up the antenna. Each antenna has the standard “egg” insulator at the end.

I used polypropylene rope to hold the ends of each dipole out to the end sport which is 12mm aluminium tubing. The antenna was set up a few meters off the ground tied to one side of the house and a tree about 15M away from the house and then coupled the MFJ Antenna analyzer to it and the dipoles using the standard dipole formula were fairly close. A bit of trimming of lengths brought them very close to where I wanted to operate in the three bands. The antennas went higher in frequency by about 50 to 80 khz when the antenna was hauled up to the top of the tower.

Does it work. Yes. Exactly like three separate dipoles with no interaction between the bands. I used a 30M/17M vertical loop for a few years and this dipole setup works exactly like the loop. If there is 1 or 2 db difference, I do not notice the difference. The antenna exhibits a definite increase in gain and noise over other comparative dipoles cut for other bands. For example. If I listen to the 30M band on my 40M separate dipole and then switch to this 30M antenna, the noise and the signals increase. The same is true for the 17 and 12M bands.

My results are 214 countries on 30M, 142 countries on 17M and 68 countries on 12M. If I compare my 17M ability to work DX with another local ham about 2 km from me who is using a well tuned 3 el yagi then I am in the hunt after he works the DX first. On very weak signals that he will hear… I don’t. But that is the difference between a 3el yagi and a dipole.

I can’t supply gain graphs and charts. I have no way of measuring gain or losses and I cannot plot the patterns. To be sure… they will be very similar to standard dipoles because that is exactly what they are. It sure is convenient to be able to work all three bands with no switching and have an SWR of less than 1.5 to 1. There is no reason why the same technique could not be applied to other combinations such as 40M/30M/17M. I am planning to put another on up in the near future cut for 3.5 mHz and the second antenna cut for 3,8 mHz which will give me good SWR readings on both ends of the band and that solves the traditional problems of antennas in that band.

73 de Lee ZL2AL