HamRadioList Blog
Articles, tips, and stories from the ham radio community — by operators, for operators.
Understanding FT8 Messages: What Every Exchange Means
FT8 looks intimidating the first time you open a piece of digital mode software and watch dozens of short text lines scroll past. But underneath the clutter, nearly every FT8 contact follows the same ...
Ergonomic Shack Design: Desk Layout, Lighting and Comfort
A contest weekend or a long net can run six, eight, even twelve hours with short breaks. If your desk, chair and lighting aren't working wit...
Ham Radio Etiquette: Unwritten Rules for New Operators
Every hobby has its unwritten rules, and ham radio has more than most. None of them are complicated, but they matter because the airwaves ar...
Baluns and Ununs Demystified: Where and Why You Need Them
Few small parts cause as much confusion for new antenna builders as the little black box sitting at the feedpoint. Is it a balun or an unun?...
Winter Nights on 160 and 80 Meters: A Low-Band Primer
If you've only ever worked the higher HF bands, 160 and 80 meters in winter can feel like a different hobby entirely. Daytime on these bands...
Audio Routing for Remote Rigs: Sound Cards and USB
Nothing derails a remote operating session faster than audio that won't cooperate. Maybe your receive audio is dead silent even though the p...
How to Log Field Day Contacts Cleanly and Avoid Dupes
Field Day is one of the best times to get on the air, but it's also one of the easiest times to end up with a messy log. Multiple operators,...
Using Practice Exams the Smart Way to Pass Faster
Practice exams are the single best tool for getting ready for an amateur radio licence test, but most people use them wrong. They run test a...
Ground Loops and RF in Your Digital Setup: Fixes That Work
If your digital station hums when you plug in, drops a USB connection mid-decode, or the radio gets twitchy the moment you key up, you're no...
Setting Up a Ham Shack in a Small Apartment
A small apartment can absolutely host a real working ham radio station. You won't put up a tower, and you probably won't run a full-size bea...