Month: March 2023

          I come from a time when books and magazines were the primary sources for up-to-date information.  Whatever interest I started to cultivate,  as it became serious I would find a magazine on the subject and start reading.  I helped bring technology to Lincoln County Schools so I have been around browsers and the internet  from the beginning but old habits still linger and I still enjoy getting information from the printed page.

          However this is an effort to share some sources you may or may not be familiar with.  I’m always open to new sources and I’ve found that some I’ve heard of, but discounted, were in fact worthy of my attention.  With that in mind, I am providing a listing of information sources for the ham radio enthusiast that I have found interesting or to my liking.

          Google any subject and you will find Youtube and web sites sometimes in the hundreds.  They often times represent “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and sometimes are just wrong and incorrect.  These are sites I like and you will have to make your own decision as to your preference.  They are listed in the order that they came to mind and not in any order of preference.

1. Josh Nass, Ham Radio Crash Course is a site that gives the viewer many videos on many new subjects.  His material covers questions new hams might ask and gives his evaluation of various radios.  He covers a wide variety of methods of communication such as APRS and Digital. His videos are very well done.  He also hosts Ham Nation every two weeks on Wed evenings.  This show has a variety of moderators and during the hour presents interesting and current information about our hobby.  Presenters from the Space Weather Woman Dr. Tamitha Skov to the views of long time ham Gordon West and the Weekly Ham News Update.
2.  K7AGE produces a wide range of videos for the new and not so new ham.  Randy gives ways to try things in ham radio without investing large amounts of dollars.  For instance his video on digital that uses a headset to make the digital signal work instead of investing in a sound card.  He covers Winlink, Vara, and things like making a simple 2m ground plane antenna among his large variety of videos.  Randy has been a presenter at Sea Pac and appears on Ham Nation occasionally.  If you have an interest in ham radio Randy probably has made a video about it.
3. Ria’s Shack Radio show provides a wide variety of topics from a very knowledgeable young woman who has come to our country as a ham and very quickly qualified as a U.S. Ham.  She has also volunteered as an ARRL Director of the Hudson  Division since 2019.  Her presentations range from “How not to be a lid” to “No meters like 10 meters” to “CQ Skynet”  Ria has an interesting and informed point of view and is another passionate voice for Ham Radio.
4. Dave  Casler KE0OG has lots of informative and useful videos answering many concerns of amateur radio operators.  He has taken over a column in QST magazine which monthly answers questions from hams.  Dave is a long-time ham and has taught radio courses for years.  His site is a valuable and trusted source of information for hams new or old.

          There are many other sites and I have only offered a few I have found of value and interest.  Check these out, like them, hate them, or find they are not your cup of tea.  Ham radio is a constantly evolving hobby with more new aspects than most hobbies and the Youtube videos and Blogs are one way to understand these new innovations to our hobby.

          The March meeting will be held at the Health Education building and on Zoom.  For those who show at the “live” meeting, we will raffle off (at no expense to you, simply put your name and callsign in the bag) a HT.  This one is an Icom IC 91AD and is Dstar capable so here is your chance to get into digital mode!