An Unexpected Morning Activation with WJ3FF at William B. Umstead State Park
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, September 12, 2026, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had promised one of...
Category: News
My CFT1 Just Got a Speaker Upgrade!
by Thomas (K4SWL) It’s a gorgeous day here in Western North Carolina, and I just spent all morning and...
QRPer Notes: Open-Source MacOS TX-500 Utility App, D-Star and Hotspot Setup Assistance, and a Visual Path, Open-Source Browser-Based SDR App
Every now and then, a few items cross my desk that are simply worth passing along. QRPer Notes is...
Chiavari: Two Parks, Two Activations, and a Trip to the Beach
by Christian (IX1CKN) When you are away from home, Parks On The Air is first and foremost an opportunity...
VE3IPS: Chelegance JKEYER-CPO16 Review — From Practice to Real QSOs
by John Leonardelli (VE3IPS) One of the hardest transitions in CW is moving from copying code to sending clean...
A Beautiful Morning POTA Activation and a Proper Lesson in Troubleshooting!
by Thomas (K4SWL) Early on the morning of Wednesday, September 9, 2026, I decided to head out for another...
KV4AN: Documenting Your Station Configuration
by Steve (KV4AN) This article will not describe a thrilling outdoor adventure or contain beautiful pictures from a spectacular...
Testing the New Chelegance JKEYER-CPO16 on a POTA Activation
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, my wife and I dropped off our daughter at college after...
The Solar Cycle Is Changing. Don’t Panic.
by Thomas (K4SWL) Several people have asked me lately what it’s going to be like as we move out...
KB2PIZ: Three Parks, One Activation, and a Lot of Lessons Learned
by Mark (KB2PIZ) 0 for 3 activations: super fun, and amazing lessons learned in trying to activate North Lake...
Elecraft KX2 Side Rails: What I Choose to Protect My KX2
by Thomas (K4SWL) I get a surprising number of messages from readers asking which side rails I recommend to...
My New-to-Me mcHF: Building a Full Field Kit & First POTA Activation!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, September 7, 2026—Labor Day—I got up early and headed out to William B. Umstead...
KM4CFT Update: Radios, Paddles and Mini Mics!
Many thanks to Jonathan (KM4CFT), who shares the following update: Hi all, KM4CFT Here! It’s been a minute, and...
Tims Ford State Park: Proving New Gear in the Field
by Steven Krumm (KV4AN) Tims Ford State Park (US-2980) is a Tennessee State Park between Lynchburg and Winchester in...
Bug Fist Practice: Pairing the Bug Emulator and Begali Traveler for a Morning POTA Session!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On the morning of Sunday, September 6, 2026, I was in Raleigh, and our family, of...
KB2PIZ: Persistence Pays Off at Saltwater State Park (US-3262)
by Mark (KB2PIZ) Each September, I head to Auburn, Washington. This year I brought my Lab 599 TX500, an...
Join Me: Second Annual Bug-Out Month Begins October 1, 2026
by Thomas (K4SWL) Last October, I made a pledge: to commit myself to learning the art of the CW...
Introducing QSL Hall – A New Global Home for Rustic QSL Cards
A brand-new project has just launched for the amateur radio community: QSL Hall (www.qslhall.com) – an open, worldwide hall...
Extraordinary SOTA on Vetter Mountain with N6ARA, KD7DTS, and K6ARK
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, August 22, 2026, I found myself waking up in California, preparing to do something...
A New Ham’s Guide to Overcomplicating Everything: 2M Satellite CW To Get in a Gang?
by Josh (VE3YTX) As a new Ham, I’ve been exploring the different pockets of our hobby. Recently, I caught...
The Chickadee Double Tap’s Maiden POTA Voyage & My New TR-25 Peanuts Pencil Case Field Kit!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Thursday, September 3, 2026, I left my house pretty early for a one-and-a-half-hour drive to...
Does a cross-border contact count as DX?
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
The Xiegu X6200 Returns to the Field: QRP CW from William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, August 15th, 2026, I had a full day ahead with family—most notably, moving a...
Four POTA Activations That Didn’t Go According to Plan
by Thomas (K4SWL) I often talk to people who are getting into POTA and SOTA, and they’ll sometimes tell...
Doug Hendricks (KI6DS) is Silent Key
Many thanks to many of you who reached out to tell me that Doug Hendricks (KI6DS) passed away early...