https://hamradioplayground.com Making ham radio fun. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/field-day https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/field-day Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Field Day is the June weekend when hams set up away from the home shack, make contacts, and practice operating when the power is out. Bring a radio and a log. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/dual-band-vs-tri-band-radio https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/dual-band-vs-tri-band-radio Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT A dual band vs tri band radio choice is about coverage. Two bands handle most local work, and a third band helps only where people actually use it. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/frequencies/ham-radio-propagation https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/frequencies/ham-radio-propagation Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Ham radio propagation is why a band is full of distant stations at noon and quiet after dark. The ionosphere and the Sun decide which HF path is open. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-grounding https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-grounding Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Ham radio grounding covers electrical safety, a lightning path, and stray RF. Bond the station to one point, then bond that point to the house ground. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/amateur-radio-emergency-communication https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/amateur-radio-emergency-communication Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Amateur radio emergency communication is the practiced way hams pass messages when phones and the internet are down. It starts with a net, a radio, and a plan. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/ft8-and-psk31 https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/ft8-and-psk31 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT FT8 decoding is how a computer reads a call sign buried in the noise on HF. PSK31 is the slower keyboard chat that shares those same HF bands. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/diy-ham-radio https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/diy-ham-radio Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT DIY ham radio is how you learn the hobby with a soldering iron: a dipole, a code oscillator, a power pack, and a sound-card interface you build yourself. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/mobile-ham-radio https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/mobile-ham-radio Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A mobile ham radio install is the mount, a fused lead to the battery, and an antenna on the vehicle body. Do that well and the radio is the easy part. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/reduce-rfi https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/reduce-rfi Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT You reduce RFI by finding the noisy device and blocking the path into the radio. Distance, ferrites, and a quiet power source solve most shack noise. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/unun-vs-balun https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/unun-vs-balun Tue, 27 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT The unun vs balun choice depends on the antenna and the feed line. One joins a balanced antenna to coax. The other matches two unbalanced sides. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/coaxial-cable-installation https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/coaxial-cable-installation Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Coaxial cable installation decides how much of your power reaches the antenna. Use 50-ohm cable, fitted connectors, and a run that stays dry and unkinked. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-power-supply https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-power-supply Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A ham radio power supply has to hold about 13.8 volts at the current your radio draws on transmit. Size it for that load, and pick one that stays quiet. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-etiquette https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-etiquette Fri, 23 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Ham radio etiquette is simple: listen first, give your call sign, and leave room for the other station. The bands work better when everyone does it. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/echolink https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/echolink Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT EchoLink lets a licensed ham talk through a distant repeater or another station over the internet. You validate your license, then you connect. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-club https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-club Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A ham radio club is the fastest way to find a mentor, a station, and someone to explain the radio you just bought. Most clubs are glad you walked in. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-accessories https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-accessories Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Ham radio accessories that earn their place are a tuner, an SWR meter, a clear mic, steady power, and a log. The radio and antenna still come first. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-contest https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/getting-started/ham-radio-contest Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A ham radio contest is a timed hunt for contacts, with a short exchange and a log that has to be right. Your first one should be small and fun. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/aprs https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/aprs Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT APRS is the packet system hams use to send a position, a weather report, or a short message on a shared VHF channel. Here is how to get on it. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/digital-vs-analog-ham-radio https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/digital-vs-analog-ham-radio Sat, 17 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Digital vs analog ham radio is a choice between a signal that fades into noise and one that stays clean until it drops. Both still belong on the air. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/portable-ham-radio-setup https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/portable-ham-radio-setup Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A portable ham radio setup is a radio, a battery, and an antenna you can raise yourself. Pack light, try it at home, and leave the extra gear behind. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/best-ham-radio-software https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/best-ham-radio-software Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT The best ham radio software is the program that matches the job, from weak-signal contacts to logging and antenna models. Here is the short list that matters. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/qso-log https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/digital-modes/qso-log Wed, 14 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A QSO log is the record of who you talked to, on what band, and when. Paper still works. A computer log makes awards and contests much easier. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-signal https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-signal Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A ham radio signal problem usually starts in the antenna, the coax, or a noisy device nearby. Check SWR and the connectors before you blame the radio. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-go-kit https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/equipment/ham-radio-go-kit Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A ham radio go kit is the bag you can grab and operate from without a second trip. Radio, power, a quick antenna, and a test run before you need it. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/frequencies/hf-vhf-uhf https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/frequencies/hf-vhf-uhf Sun, 11 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT HF, VHF, UHF each behave differently on the air. HF can reach far past the horizon, while VHF and UHF stay the local bands most hams use every day. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/repeaters/ham-radio-repeaters https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/repeaters/ham-radio-repeaters Sat, 10 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Ham radio repeaters listen on one frequency and talk on another, from a high site, so a small radio can cover a whole town. Here is how to use one. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/licensing/technician-to-general https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/licensing/technician-to-general Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT The step from Technician to General is one more exam and a much wider set of HF privileges. Here is what the test covers and what you can do after. https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/best-ham-radio-antennas https://hamradioplayground.com/bench/antennas/best-ham-radio-antennas Thu, 08 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT The best ham radio antennas are the ones that fit your bands and your space. A clear dipole or vertical beats a fancy design you cannot put up.