There was a time when operating a ham radio meant sitting in front of a radio and watching a few knobs, meters, and perhaps a frequency display or meter. If you were feeling especially modern, you might have had a digital clock nearby. Today, the computer monitor has become nearly as important as the radio itself.
Modern amateur radio involves more than tuning a frequency and listening. Operators may be logging contacts, decoding digital signals, monitoring propagation, watching spectrum activity, and even operating several receivers at once. A large monitor—or several smaller ones—can turn an ordinary ham shack into something that looks suspiciously like mission control.
The Visual Ham Shack
Computer-controlled and software-defined radios have changed how operators view the bands. A modern SDR radio can display activity across a large section of spectrum. Instead of tuning slowly from one frequency to another, you can see signals immediately. Strong stations appear as obvious peaks, while weaker ones may barely rise above the noise.
The waterfall display adds another dimension by showing activity over time. Signals appear, disappear, move, and sometimes leave traces after they are gone. This makes it much easier to spot weak or intermittent stations.
There is one danger, however: the waterfall can be hypnotic. Some operators spend so much time watching it that they forget to listen. It has about the same mesmerizing effect as a fish tank, but with vertical lines and squiggles.
How Many Monitors?
For most stations, one large monitor is usually enough. A 27- or 32-inch display provides plenty of room for radio-control software, logging programs, digital-mode applications, and other information.
A second monitor can make multitasking considerably easier. One screen can show the radio and spectrum while the other displays logging software, spotting networks, propagation information, or digital decoding.
Serious contest stations may use three or four monitors, with each screen assigned a specific job. One might display the main radio, another a second transceiver, another the logging program, and another propagation or spotting information. You don’t need a wall of screens, however. The goal is to make operating easier, not to recreate the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
Spectrum & Waterfall Displays
Perhaps the greatest advantage of a monitor is being able to see the spectrum rather than just hear it. Suppose you’re listening around 14.250 MHz and hear nothing. A glance at the spectrum display might reveal several strong signals a few kilohertz away. Instead of thinking the band is dead, you know exactly where activity is occurring.
A station that briefly appears may leave a visible trace, giving you a clue about where to tune. This is particularly valuable during contests, special events, and band openings. Instead of searching the band one frequency at a time, the operator can survey a large portion of it or several band slices at once.
Digital Modes
Screens become even more useful with digital modes such as FT8 and RTTY. Digital-mode software can display decoded callsigns, signal strength, frequency, timing, and other information. With a large monitor, dozens of signals can appear simultaneously. The operator can quickly see who is active, select a station, and allow the software to handle much of the technical work.
However, that doesn’t make the operator totally unnecessary. Someone still has to decide which station to work, monitor the equipment, manage the log, and make sure everything is functioning properly. The computer and monitor add another tool to the shack.
Logging & Station Management
Modern logging software has largely replaced the paper logbook for many operators. A monitor can display numerous items: callsigns, names, locations, previous contacts, frequencies, modes, and other details. It can also automatically record the date and time of the QSO.
During a contest, the computer can keep track of contact totals, multipliers, and duplicates. Searching hundreds of previous contacts takes seconds rather than several minutes of flipping through pages while hoping you don’t spill your coffee.
When connected to online callsign databases such as QRZ, you can learn more about the station operator or even view a picture of their shack, which may also include a monitor or two.
Propagation at a Glance
A monitor can also serve as a window into propagation conditions. Solar activity, geomagnetic conditions, spotting networks, band reports, and propagation predictions can help operators decide where to look for contacts.
A quiet band isn’t necessarily a dead band. The best action may be on another frequency, another band, or another mode. A quick look at propagation information can help point the operator in the right direction. In this respect, the monitor provides information the radio itself cannot. The radio tells you what is happening where you’re listening; the computer can help explain why.
Remote Operation
Large displays are particularly helpful for remote operation. Depending on the equipment and software, operators can control frequency, mode, power, filtering, antennas, and other functions of a computer miles away or even across continents.
A large screen makes virtual controls easier to see and provides room for multiple windows. Remote operation also demonstrates just how far amateur radio has come. The only thing missing is a large red button labeled ENGAGE WARP DRIVE.
Choosing the Right Display
For most amateur radio stations, there’s no need to buy an expensive professional display. A reasonably sized computer monitor with good resolution is usually sufficient. A larger screen can make multitasking easier, while a second inexpensive monitor may offer more flexibility than a single display.
The differences between monitors and TVs tend to blur, with features, resolutions, and physical sizes improving while costs go down every year. My shack has a 27-inch HD monitor for logging and spotting, and it serves as an auxiliary waterfall display for my Flex radio. A 43-inch 4K TV monitor across the room serves as a display for the Geochron Digital Altas 3 4K World Clock and a fully populated ham dashboard.
So where do I plug in? Some transceivers have a video output or can support video with an adapter. Examples of current and discontinued rigs include:
- Icom IC-7300MK2: Features an integrated HDMI port. The original IC-7300 can display video using wfview and a computer
- Elecraft K4: Includes a built-in HDMI video output
- FlexRadio “M” models have an HDMI output port for external monitors
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