Can a single lever paddle be used as a sideswiper or cootie key? And if so, how would you wire it? (more…)
Archive for the ‘Amateur Radio’ Category
Can I check continuity with my VOM?
Friday, April 16th, 2010My digital multimeter has a continuity test, but my new analog VOM does not. Can I check continuity with my VOM, and if so, how?
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What were the Morse requirements?
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009What were Morse code requirements in Amateur Radio, before the 2001 changes and the complete abolition of code testing in 2005? And what were the testing procedures? (more…)
What is “Straight Key Night?”
Thursday, November 30th, 2006Straight Key Night is a 24-hour event during which hams all over North America get on the air using straight keys (i.e., manual telegraph keys). Straight Key Night begins at 0001 on January 1st each year, and goes to 2359Z. Depending on what time zone you are in, Straight Key Night begins in the afternoon or evening of New Year’s Eve for most of us.
Straight Key Night is sponsored by the ARRL. Participants are encouraged to send in logs and comments on their activity, and their nomination for the “best fist” they heard or worked. The ARRL’s announcement for SKN is printed in “QST” or can be read on their web site.
SKN is not a contest as such, and participants are encouraged to slow down, chat a bit, and enjoy the ambiance which is reminiscent of the radio spectrum in the earliest days of radio telegraphy. You are forging a metaphysical bond with generations of manual telegraphers going back to the 1840s.
What is a “callsign?”
Sunday, January 8th, 2006Many of our visitors and customers are Amateur Radio Operators. A callsign or “call” is issued by a government to the holder of a radio station license. All radio stations have callsigns, even broadcast radio and TV stations like WNBC. In the case of Amateur Radio licenses, the callsign is associated with a specific individual person, and has become a convenient way for “hams” to identify themselves to each other.