QRP Labs QMX+ build
For me, this hobby is about technique and homebrewing. I've followed QRP Labs for a long time and have already built a QCX+ for 40m and a QMX low-band version (80-20m). The design philosophy fits what…
QSO Logging
I'm newly back into amateur radio after a break, so the log itself is still thin (not many QSOs in there yet). But the station and the infrastructure behind it are ready, which felt like the right thi…
Chasing an RFI Problem: Home-Automation Touch Panels and My CW Signal
This is a write-up of a measurement campaign, not a story with a happy ending. I still don't have a clean fix. What I do have is a fairly complete picture of how a low-power amateur signal ends up swi…
Remote CW keying
For my remote/portable station I wanted something that sounds simple on paper: the paddle on my desk, the radio somewhere else, and yet a CW signal that "feels" like everything is sitting right next t…
Antenna tuning
The counterpoise compromise Before I installed my common mode choke, every SWR sweep I did was different from the last. That's the classic signature of common mode current on the shield: the coax itse…
Common mode ferrite transformers for EMI issues
If you've ever run an End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna close to a house, you've probably met its evil twin: common mode current. My EFHW comes with a 49:1 transformer, and while it's a great antenna f…
You can't improve what you don't measure
I had a NanoVNA-H4 lying around here for a while, and I finally put it to proper use. It's a fantastic little instrument, especially for HF work. With it you can measure SWR, sweep filters, check ante…
Learning CW
For years I've been following the amateur radio world from a bit of a distance. More recently I've gotten into building a few self-build transceivers sold as kits, QRP Labs being a good example. They'…
Back on the Air After 15 Years
I got my license back in 1997, and radio amateurism was a big part of my life for years — right up until around 2010. After that, life got busy, other things took priority, and the hobby quietly slipp…