WT8WV “Colossus” Air Cannon Antenna Launcher

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These are the basic parts to make my “WT8WV Colossus” antenna launcher.

Folks, this has been a fun and hilarious winter project.  Yesterday, when I built this air cannon antenna launcher it was -4 degrees outside and this was a perfect evening project to put together.  For years, me and my two ham radio buddies (WR8S Bill Shultz and WV8TG Tom Graf), have enjoyed ARRL Field Day activities and usually used a slingshot and a 3/4 ounce fishing sinker weight and an old Zebco fishing reel (with 20 pound test line) to shoot and suspend our doublet dipole antennas high into the trees.  Certainly, the slingshot worked pretty much flawlessly… but… boys will be boys, and the idea of an air cannon / spud launcher / potato gun type system seemed to be a new desire.  (Most people, our wives included, wouldn’t trust our 3-man team with a slingshot, let alone a potato gun!  But I digress.)  Actually, our local ham radio club (Monongalia Wireless Association) had a version of a potato gun antenna launcher, so we decided we needed one of our own… and to make some design modifications in the interest of… “science”… plus our own sadistic pleasures.  (Make sure you read below WV8TG’s initial “pressure test” experience.)  The following pictures hopefully provide the basic concept and parts we used.  Tom and I split the cost of the parts needed to make launchers and each built our own version, but they both are the same basic design with only length dimensions of the air chamber and barrel being the difference.

All parts where sourced from our local Lowes store in their plumbing department, except the Schrader valve which can be purchased at an automotive store.  Total cost about $40 but you could make a couple of them as a joint project with a friend and reduce that cost per launcher a bit.  I got a small rubber gasket for the outside nipple of the Schrade valve to act as another seal on the exterior of the air chamber.  You will need to drill holes for Schrader valve, barrel slug stop and projectile slug caps to attach the screw eyes to attach the fishing line.  I used 3 inch PVC for air chamber, 1.25 inch PVC for the barrel and short sections to mate the air chamber, trigger valve and threaded barrel.  The projectile slugs were made from 3/4 inch PVC and caps and I filed off the nubs on the caps with a Dremel tool for a smooth fit into the barrel.  I used PVC Prep on each joint before applying the glue.  When gluing joints together, insert the sections together and twist a quarter turn for a solid adhesion.  Let all glue set up for 24 hours before testing air pressure chamber.  I will pressurize the chamber inside and let it sit overnight to see if it loses any pressure.  It’s too cold right now to take outside in -4 degree temperatures to test, but I will use a bicycle pump with a pressure reading valve, and start at 40 psi… then 50 psi… and then 60 psi for test shots to see how it functions and check for any air pressure leaks.  We use 60 psi for our club launcher.

WV8TG (Tom) charged his air chamber (barrel not attached) and let it set overnight to test for chamber air leakage.  When he opened the trigger value… there was NO leakage… but there was a sudden LOUD release of 60 psi air gush out of a 30 inch long, 3 inch wide fully charged air chamber.  He indicated the compressed air release was… impressive.  However, his wife was not impressed… nor was she aware of the scientific test that was taking place.  #surprise!  #WHOOOOOOOSH  #loudwifeexpressions  I have no reason to doubt Tom will find his projectile slugs in the next county using his design.  The club chamber was 12 inches long versus his 30 inch air chamber.  #overkill?  I designed my air chamber for 14 inches and will conduct all tests… outside.  #potentialmeanwife

 

 

 

 

Try an HF Net… Rack up those States and Countries FAST!

I was rolling across the 40 Meter band one night and hit a nightly net called the OMISS NET (Old Man International Sideband Society) and there was a busy back and forth between stations making a call sign and signal report in a very orderly way on 7.185 MHz LSB.  So, I tuned up (off frequency) and when they called for “check-ins” I threw my WT8WV call sign in and they called me back and the next thing I knew I racked up 14 new states in about an hour or so!  The next night I added 10 more states!  They have nets on most of the HF frequencies and can be found on their website.

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OMISS 101

OMISS, or Old Man International Sideband Society, has been operating list-type awards nets on the General Amateur bands since 1981. Want to get your WAS quickly? This is a great place to get it done. Do you like to work lots of stations for unique awards? We have several challenging awards to work for, each with an attractive certificate to hang on your wall. Do you like contesting? We hold an annual QSO Party and invite the whole Amateur community.

The real cool thing is they use a free software program called NETLOGGER  (see info on Netlogger below) that is an online logging server that shows in real time who has checked into the net and available to be contacted. When it’s your turn, you call who you need and make the exchange with them.  Then as you listen someone might want to call YOU to get your state!  Slick as a whistle!  For a one time cost of $7 you can get your own OMISS Number (i.e. 10722 is assigned to me) and you log in with it each time for a speedy check-in process and it is also tied to numerous awards you can get.

Perfect CW / Morse Code Trainer

This program G4FON Koch CW Trainer has been a joy to play with and learn from.  I am wanting to increase my Morse Code speed skills and this is a perfect way to do that!  I am wanting to get back into CW but have gotten rusty from not practicing for years.  I seem to be stuck at copying  about 7 words per minute.  My goal is 20+ words per minute so I can help rack up more points at Field Day events!  The key, I have now found, is to HEAR letters at 25 words per minute… but at a longer spacing between them when received, and then begin shortening that spacing time over a period of practice sessions.

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I have it set to send the individual letters at 25 words per minute (wpm).  I am starting at the time between those letters at 10 wpm.  I started with two letters and would copy just those two for a few minutes in one minute drills.  Once I get to 90-100% copy, I add another letter!  I practice about 15 minutes each night, if I can.  I am halfway through the alphabet now and having a ball.  It is easy to download and configure… you’ll be instantly surprised at how much fun it is!

You Need Your Own QSL CARD

WT8WV QSL

I know, I know… we have QRZ and eQSL and LOTW (Logbook of the World) and Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) and Netlogger and N1MM and… blah, blah, blah.  An old fashioned paper QSL card is still sweet to hold in your hand and to enjoy the real memory of a fun contact. Especially if it’s a DX station from a far away land toward DXCC or the last state you needed for WAS.

They aren’t as expensive as you think.  For simple black and white cards you can buy 100 cards for about $12… my color card above cost about $30 for 100 of them.   I got mine from Cheap QSL’s on the internet and they sent the proofs the same day and shipped them out the same day!  Most folks are migrating toward electronic QSL’s these days.  I predominately use Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) Logbook for my main logging software but also upload my logbook to eQSL, QRZ and LOTW every couple days of logging, however if someone requests a paper card I will oblige.  Sooooooooo… if I do that once in a while I’ll have about 65 cents in the effort by the time I add postage.  Below is a Special Events Station I worked and got this electronic QSL a few days later…

WT8WV-Tesla4-N2T

 

Merle Taylor: Maven of Morse Code

Such a great story!  Click link below after reading first few paragraphs for the full story and pictures.  (by Elinor Florence)
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When this Manitoba farm girl joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, she proved to be such a whiz at Morse Code that she was assigned to instruct the air crews. Now almost ninety-three, Merle still practices her dots and dashes every day, claiming that Morse Code keeps her mind sharp.

Merle Taylor of Lochaber, Nova Scotia, wrote to me after reading my column in The Senior Paper, a newspaper widely distributed to seniors across Canada. (If you haven’t seen a copy yet, email me for more information).

We exchanged copies of our books – I sent her my wartime novel, Bird’s Eye View; and she sent me a copy of her memoirs, Until the Cows Come Home.

When my husband and I travelled to the Maritimes recently, I was determined to meet Merle in person. We found her still living on the farm she operated with her husband Fred since 1946, about thirty kilometres south of Antigonish.

After serving lunch to us, Merle took me on a farm tour in her electric golf cart. I loved hearing her stories of life in the air force, and in the decades since then.

Programming Your New Ham Radio… the Easy Way!

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downloadI recently took a deeper dive into digital ham radio and picked up a Yaesu FTM-100 mobile System Fusion rig.  VHF and UHF… 500 Channels on each band!  Holy Crap, Batman…  I’ll wear my aged, stubby, fat fingers to the nubs tryin’ to poke all that individual channel info into those 1,000 spots using those little buttons!  Plus, I have to look up all that info… somewhere… on EVERY channel I want to add to my line-up.  Ain’t no-body gotz time for dat!  (I also had to do that with my Baofeng UV-5RV2+ portable HT a couple years ago.)

What to do?  Path of least resistance!  Did a little research and found a computer program that does it all for me.  (I actually used the free CHIRP software to program my HT a couple years ago.)  RT Systems software makes the programming easy!  You simply pick out your software version based upon what radio you want to program, download the software, (Hopefully your radio came with the right interface cable to hook your radio to your computer to make the download of freq’s to your rig.), grab the repeater frequencies from some site like RFinder World Wide Repeater Directory and in 20 minutes you can load up your rig with more frequencies than you will ever use.  (While CHIRP is freeware, RT Systems and RFinder software platforms are paid versions.  I can honestly say that the software is very reasonably priced for both and you might only need to use it once in a while but it saves you HOURS of manual poking and prodding your radio buttons.)

(Click link below to see the typical instructions)

Radio Programming Software for the Yaesu FTM-100

(See the videos below…)

You can easily marry RT Systems software to RFinder software and quickly create a sort routine that grabs the EXACT frequencies you want and transfer it to your radio.  You can sort by town, state, zip code, ham bands, NOAA frequencies, etc.  

It makes short work of all of it!  You’ll spend more time convincing yourself to not pull in frequencies you will never use than the download takes!  

Once you set up your channel database you want to use for your radio, you simply hook your radio to your computer with the cable… poke a couple drop-down menus… and then the magic happens!  UPLOAD COMPLETE.  

I programmed about 75 VHF and 75 UHF Channels into my radio, start sort to finish sort to upload compete in under 20 minutes.  You might export your databases to your laptop or website to store for the future.

One thing I did that sort of brought sanity to my programming strategy and thinking was that I added the freq’s in sort of “banks” of channels so I could visually sense what channels I needed to tune to depending on my car’s location as I traveled.  For the first 10-15 channels, I loaded repeater data for the local area repeaters within about 75 miles of my home QTH.  I live just below the Mason-Dixon Line…  and yes, I consider myself a southerner but I can be in Pennsylvania within 10 minutes; in fact, I can be at the Pittsburgh International Airport in under 90 minutes!  So, since I travel a good bit for work, I can bounce to various repeaters as I drive in any direction!

In the next grouping of channels I might add just the Pittsburgh area repeaters.  In another group of channels I added the Dayton, OH repeater freq’s since my daughter and son-in-law live and work next to Wright-Patterson AFB and I also usually attend the Dayton Hamvention each year.  Another group of channels I include are the NOAA Weather Channels.  Other groupings include various regions of West Virginia since I also hunt, fish, camp and hike all over the place.

 

Morse Code: Straight Key and Others

I enjoy a niche of ham radio called Continuous Wave (CW) / Morse Code sending and receiving.  There are all sorts of hand keys out there to use.  Lots of CW Contests occur every month for all levels of CW enthusiasts… you don’t have to send fast, if you don’t want to!  It’s a very efficient system of communicating when traditional modes of messaging are out of service, too.  Some say since the advent of the telephone and then the cellphone, it is a dying art… I say it’s a BLAST to do!

Every ham ought to try a little CW every once in a while.  Find a key you like and use it periodically to stay proficient but also pick up a straight key and join the annual Straight Key Night Contest around New Years.  (It’s not really a contest; it’s more of an opportunity to pull out a straight key and try sending Morse Code the old fashioned way.

I love to scour the hamfest flea markets looking at all the old time keys available to buy for a variety of prices.  Some served in Post Offices, Telegraph Offices, military communications, in combat and in ham shacks!  My favorite straight key is a 1950’s era South African Special Forces straight key… super compact… light weight… and darned cute… that I picked up at the Dayton Hamvention in 2015!  It wasn’t cheap, but it’s unique and has a good story.  See some of the key configurations below…

Bencher Paddles and Memory Keyer UNITE!

As soon as I get my Yaesu System Fusion FTM100-DR online, I want to mate my Bencher paddles to the new MFJ-490X Menu Driven Memory Keyer that I picked up at the 2016 Dayton Hamvention last week (May 21, 2016).  I am itching to get these two toys working in some CW / More Code Contesting very soon!  5 programmable memories plus all sorts of keyer speed, weighting, side tone, hand key capability, serial number decrements, random code practice, iambic settings, etc.

(See video below!)

MFJ-490X Memory Keyer  Instruction Manual

 

 

Intro to Kit Building for Radio Amateurs by K7QO (Chuck Adams)

Chuck Adams (K7QO) makes a club presentation on Kit Building basics.  He highlights what every ham radio operator needs on his workbench to build kits or make repairs.

K7QO Chuck Adams website

Morse Code: Dual Lever Paddle Adjustment Tutorial

K7QO MFJ-564B Dual Lever Paddle Adjustment Tutorial

K7QO Chuck Adams website

This is an excellent explanation of the taxonomy of a dual lever paddle (i.e. Bencher and MFJ) and how to make the adjustments that are critical for efficient CW / Morse Code sending in your ham shack.

The alphabet in Morse Code / CW sent at 20 words per minute (wpm)…

 

Make your own Dipole Antenna

Randy does such a good job of explaining how to make your own 10 Meter Dipole.  Get on the air… 10 meters is a fun band when the sun cooperates!

Magnetic Loop Antenna

I always wondered if this type of magnetic loop antenna would “get out” to the world and how it worked.  This video shows both!

What is a Ham Radio Repeater?

Excellent introduction and explanation of “What is a Ham Radio Repeater?”

Comparing the Yaesu System Fusion FT1Dr and FT2DR

Yaesu FT1DR Review

Yaesu  FT2DR Review

DR-1X System Fusion Repeater and the HRI-200 WiresX

A nice video showing the basics of the setup with the HRI-200 and the Yaesu DR-1X System Fusion repeater.

Yaesu System Fusion Introduction

This is a good introduction video for anyone curious about Yaesu’s efforts in digital communications at the local repeater level.  It also sets aside some fears and misunderstandings about amateur radio operators making the decision to add or upgrade to digital from analog… you can do both!

2016 Dayton Hamvention Post-Mortem

Well… another Hamvention is in the books and it was the usual great time of fun and friendship.  WR8S  (Bill Shultz) and WV8TG  (Tom Graf) and I enjoyed three fun-filled days scouring the Flea Market and also inside Hara Arena for all sorts of treasures and trinkets.  Tom scored a pristine 1959 Hammerlund HQ-One Forty Five short-wave radio and several other vintage radios to restore.  (The Hammerlund was the first serious short-wave radio Tom bought and it eventually led him on the journey to get his Amateur Extra Class license!)  Bill and I invested in a couple Yaesu FTM100-DR System Fusion digital mobile radios so that we can explore the Monongalia Wireless Association’s new System Fusion repeaters here in the Morgantown, West Virginia area.  Below is a video recap of our annual trek to the Dayton Hamvention.  If you have never attended a Dayton Hamvention… GET THERE!  Enjoy!

Aluminum Soldering Demonstration at the 2016 Dayton Hamvention

I have seen this presentation several times over the years while attending the Dayton Hamvention.  Don Wilke does a great job demonstrating the process of bonding various metals at a low temperature using this special material.  I finally purchased a pack of these rods in May 2016.  As many things as I can mess up around the house and garden, I am sure it will come in handy soon.  I decided to film it for my blog and then sent the video to Don for him to use.

APRS… from the inventor, Bob Bruninga WB4APR

I would venture to say you can’t do better than hearing it from the inventor himself!

Published on Oct 19, 2015

Automatic Packet Reporting System overview by its inventor, Bob WB4APR given at the HACDC Amateur Radio Club. For more information about APRS, go to http://www.aprs.org For more information about HACDC Amateur Radio Club go to http://www.w3hac.org

Complete Overview of MESH for Amateur Radio (2014) by VA3BCO

MESH communications in Ham Radio is another area where Amateur Radio pushes the edge of the envelope and  has put a tremendous amount of work into this slideshare that goes from A to Z on how to run a MESH!  (Click on his website for more!)

Originally published on Nov 6, 2014

This is a comprehensive introduction to MESH for amateur radio enthusiasts. It is particularly useful for anyone new to MESH but will also include some nuggets sure to be helpful to the experienced operator. Topics include:

1. HSMM MESH vs. traditional digital modes
2. Router review & comparison
3. Firmware selection & configuration
4. Antenna considerations
5. Application scenarios for ARES and experimentation
6. Updates on local efforts & recent software announcements

Visit VA3BCO.COM for more details.

APRS… Automatic Packet Reporting System

The thing I absolutely LOVE in this wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio is that there are so many diverse niches to explore!  Everything from building your own radio, working through satellites in orbit, transmitting your own slow or fast scan TV signals, Morse Code working over 300 countries in the world on less than a half of a watt of power, emergency response, tons of digital modes, bouncing signals off of the moon, ricocheting your signals off of an excited aurora… basically, if you have an idea on getting a signal transmitted or received to someone you can invent your own technology!

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) combines ham radios, GPS and tiny computers to report your location, regardless if you are standing on a street corner, in a moving car on the highway, camping, hiking, boating, balloon tracking, airplanes or even in space!  Believe it or not, your own cellphone can serve as the computer part, software and GPS .  Check out this slideshare from  on the nuts and bolts of this fun segment of ham radio.  (Click on his name above and check out his other presentations!)

Ham Radio… Do they still DO that?

This is a great slideshare from KB6NU Dan Romanchik,who unequivocally answers, “Oh HECK yes!”  After more than 45 years of having a blast using my ham radios and talking all over the world using all sorts of cool technologies, I echo Dan’s message here.  Thank you, Dan!  If you want to find a great hobby that you will enjoy for a lifetime… drop me a note… I’ll hook ya up!

REVIEW: Yaesu Fusion FT2DR dual-band digital portable radio

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This is a solid review by Don Trynor from VA3XPR from July 2015 of the Yaesu FT2DR dual-bander HT.  (They have a very nice website!)

Our local ham radio club, Monongalia Wireless Association, recently bought 2 of the Yaesu Fusion repeaters and I am doing my own research into being able to enjoy a new type of technology. I am looking at my options and hope to find something to get my hands on at the 2016 Dayton Hamvention!  I would think that prices would be moderating downward by now as others adopt the new radio and there may be some rebates floating around or “Specials” by some of the dealers.  (Read Don’s full review here…  Review: Yaesu Fusion FT2DR dual-band digitl portable radio )

The FT2DR is a good choice for anyone looking for a full-featured dual-band portable radio that is compatible with Yaesu’s Fusion line of digital radios. While this radio has some innovations, we think that they may not justify the $550 USD price point of this unit. In addition, we feel that Yaesu could improve upon future radios like this one, especially as it relates to the overall user experience. In this day and age when a good user experience for touch screen devices is the norm, such as with smartphones and computers, we think devices like this have room for improvement. All in all, if users can live without the touch screen display and louder audio, they might want to consider a cheaper alternative in the Yaesu FT1DR, which retails for $300 USD.

Amateur Radio Licensing in the UK

Ever wonder how folks in the United Kingdom get their Amateur Radio licenses?  It’s different… but also similar to how we go about things here in the United States.  Let’s take a look at the YouTube video from Essex Ham

WinLink… What is it?

K4REF tells us from his YouTube Channel the basics of this interesting technology that we can use as Amateur Radio Operators.  It is most likely very similar to a technology we use daily… away from our radios!

 

Amateur Radio Go-Box and Go-Bags Examples

Ham Radio Operators need to be ready to roll out to a crisis quickly if it requires communication support.  Are you ready to “grab and go”?  How quickly could you have a functional ham radio station on-the-air ready to support an emergency situation?  Could you support your local authorities efforts, and for how long?  Can you personally sustain yourself with food and water for 3 days of support, without being a burden on the emergency relief efforts?  Constructing your own version of a “Ham Radio Go-Box” and a “Go-Bag” might be a great addition to your preparedness efforts.  Below are some pictures of potential Go-Boxes to stir your imagination and creativity.  You might even have some of the items laying around that could be put into the effort to BE PREPARED.

GO-BOX IDEAS

GO-BAG IDEAS

How Does a Crystal Radio Set Actually Work?

Here is an excellent YouTube video from RimstarOrg that breaks down the concept of how crystal radios actually DO their magic!  Yes, MAGIC.  Radio signals are all around us 24 hours a day.  Invisible!  You can’t really touch them.  You can’t smell them.  You can’t hear them without assistance.  We don’t really feel them bombarding us.  We don’t sense those signals without some mechanical help… but they strike us with many different frequencies constantly… so let’s explore the range of frequencies we can decipher with a homemade crystal radio set!

Crystal Radios. A blast from the past!

Many of us have looked at, or even built a crystal radio set at some point in our lives. Maybe it was in our Scouting days, youth group, science class, science fair… or just to DO IT!  The circuit itself is relatively simple to wire-up.  A long piece of wire acts like an antenna.  Some configuration of earphones or speaker will let you listen to signals.  And believe it or not, the signals are all around you!  The local AM radio station should be easy to hear.  You can even build a simple pre-amp (pre-amplifier) circuit to boost the incoming signal to add extra volume and signal strength to the fun.

Let’s understand WHY a crystal radio set is sooooooo cool!  SIMPLE CIRCUIT DESIGN.  EVEN KIDS CAN DO IT!  EASY TO GET PARTS.  NO EXTERNAL POWER REQUIRED.  INTERCEPTING INVISIBLE RADIO WAVES THAT ARE ALL AROUND US.  Plus, it’s just a pile of fun!

Here is a YouTube video from WonderstruckHow who teaches us to build a very rudimentary crystal radio set with parts that are easy enough to scrounge up.

After you watch the video check out the picture gallery of all sorts of crystal radio sets that can be built in just a short time.  They are great for kids working on a science fair project (and sure beats out a terrarium!)  Some of us “Seasoned Citizens” might actually remember the paper towel tubes or Quaker Oat cardboard cans we wound the magnet wire around and even some of the commercial kits sitting under our Christmas tree!

Straight Key Night… FUN!

Every January 1st there is a fun filled evening of laid back, “no pressure” CW (Morse Code) operating using a simple “Straight Key” to key your transmitter without the aid of added electronics to perform the speed and spacing of your sent letters and numbers.  This isn’t a contest!  It is designed for fun sending CW the “old fashioned” way.  The object is to simply enjoy sending and reading Morse Code.  There are numerous configurations and sizes of straight keys and a jaunt down any ham radio flea market aisle will often give you quite a few options for a great purchase!

Here is a video example of the annual Straight Key Night experience. MIKROWAVE1 explains and actually makes CW contacts with other amateur radio operators enjoying the annual event. (Below the video, look for some pictures of several types of straight keys you might find as a bargain to add to your own ham radio station!

Here are some pictures of various CW (Morse Code) keyers.  You can grab several to use for contesting or just simple rag-chewing.  Some hams actually collect various types of keys!

 

 

Famous Ham Radio Operators and their Callsigns

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I love learning who shared our favorite hobby… and the list is very long!  It was so interesting to see not only WHO they were but also WHAT they did to be famous.  Literally from every corner of the globe (try and find a corner on a globe).

samuel-morse_postage_stamp

I found this on the DX-QSL website and somehow the Bedworth Lions Club apparently had something to do with the creation of the list.  I am quite fond of the good work The Lions do and I belong to a couple fraternal organizations (Masonic Lodge and Woodmen of the World) myself, so I am sure there is a story about The Lions being connected to this list.  The list is long, so grab a refreshment and enjoy!  Be prepared to be surprised!

Click the link below…

World Famous Ham Radio Operators  

Prøysen-Kurer

Amateur Radio, Radar, Lidar & Radio on Postage Stamps

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I love  collecting stamps and vintage baseball cards and have quite a collection of both… but I have NEVER seen this many RADIO STAMPS in one setting!  Kirt Blattenberger, KB3UON, has a really cool website with lots of neat things to read.  This caught my eyes INSTANTLY.  Thank you, Kirt!  His quote and stamp array begins below.

************    ************    ***********    **********    ***********

Over the past many decades, my involvement in stamp collecting (philately) has waned and ebbed with the amount of time available to dedicate to it. Commemorative stamps – from all countries – have always been of the greatest interest to me. Even if you are not a philatelist, your interest in radio should be piqued by the large number of postage stamps that have been issued in radio’s honor. Although I do not own most of the stamps pictured here, there are some that are in my collection. This is a small cross-section of what is available. Over time, I have added to the list and will continue to do so. Please let me know if you have relevant stamps to add.

I was amazed to discover how many countries have postage stamps recognizing the important role that weather radar has played in history.

Note: Many of these images are uncredited because although I might have retrieved them from a particular website, they appear to be replicated in many places. Therefore, the true origin is not known. My policy is to always provide attribution as part of the “Fair Use” law when the source is certain. I will be glad to link back to the owner’s website if evidence of ownership is provided.

Amateur Radio Postage Stamps
Amateur Radio on USA postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
USA
Postage Stamp
 Réseau Luxembourgeois des Amateurs d’Ondes Courtes (RL) -- that country’s IARU Member-Society celebrating its 75th anniversary - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Luxembourg
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Amateur Radio on China postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
China
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Amateur Radio on Germany postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Germany
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Amateur Radio on Bosnia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Bosnia
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Amateur Radio on Japan postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Japan
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Amateur Radio on Canada postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Canada
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Amateur Radio on Viet Nam postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Viet Nam
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Vietnam Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Bulgaria
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Amateur Radio on Bhutan postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Bhutan
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Amateur Radio Stamp Bulgaria - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Bulgaria
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Zazzle Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Zazzle
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Russia Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Russia
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Zazzle Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Zazzle
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Poland Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Poland
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Qatar Amateur Radio postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Qatar
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Tuvalu Amateur Radio postage stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Tuvalu
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Slovania Amateur Radio Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Slovania
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Austria Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Austria
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Sweden Amateur Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Amateur Radio
Sweden
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Radio Postage Stamps
Radio on USA postage stamp (1) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
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Radio on USA postage stamp (2) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
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Radio on USA postage stamp (3) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
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Radio on USA postage stamp (4) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
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Radio on USA postage stamp (5) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
Postage Stamp
Radio on USA postage stamp (6) - RF Cafe
Radio
USA
Postage Stamp
Radio on East Germany postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
East Germany
Postage Stamp
Radio on Slovenia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Slovenia
Postage Stamp
Radio on Russia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Russia
Postage Stamp
Radio on Canada postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Canada
Postage Stamp
Radio on Germany postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Germany
Postage Stamp
Radio on East Germany postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
East Germany
Postage Stamp
 Radio on Columbia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Russia
Postage Stamp
Radio on Belgium postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Belgium
Postage Stamp
Radio on Russia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Russia
Postage Stamp
Pitcairn Islands Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Pitcairn Island
Postage Stamp
Tuvalu Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Tuvalu
Postage Stamp
India Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
India
Postage Stamp
Moscow Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Moscow
Postage Stamp
Germany Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Gremany
Postage Stamp
Republic of Transkei Radio stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Republic of Transkei
Postage Stamp
Transkei Radio stamp - RF Cafe
RadioRadio
Republic of Transkei
Postage Stamp
USSR Radio Stamp - RF Cafe
RadioRadio
USSR
Postage Stamp
Monte Carlo Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
Radio
Monte Carlo
Postage Stamp
Cuba Radio Postage Stamp - RF Cafe
RadioRadio
Cuba
Postage Stamp

RadioRadio
Romania
Postage Stamp
Radar Postage Stamps
Radar on Chinese postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radar
China
Postage Stamp
Radar antenna on Barbados postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radar Antenna
Barbados
Postage Stamp
Sea radar on Solomon Islands postage stamp
Sea Radar
Solomon Islands
Postage Stamp
Radar altimeter on Gilbert & Ellice Islands postage stamp - RF Cafe
Radar Altimeter
Gilbert & Ellice Islands
Postage Stamp
Meteor tracking radar on Fiji postage stamp - RF Cafe
Meteor Tracking Radar
Fiji
Postage Stamp
HF radar on France postage stamp - RF Cafe
HF Radar
France
Postage Stamp
Weather Radar Postage Stamps
Weather radar on Jamaican postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Jamaica
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Belize postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Belize
Postage Stamp
 Radar on North Korean postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
North Korea
Postage Stamp
 Weather radar on Iran postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Iran
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Iranian postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Iran
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Senegal postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Senegal
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Philippines postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Philippines
Postage Stamp
 Weather radar on Qatar postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Qatar
Postage Stamp
 Weather radar on Libyan postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Libya
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Malagasy postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Malagasy
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on United Nations postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
United Nations
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Viet Nam postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Viet Nam
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Taiwanese postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Taiwan
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Spain postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Spain
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Republic of Central Africa postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Central African Republic
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Belgium postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Belgium
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Afghanistan postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Afghanistan
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Austria postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Austria
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Bahamas postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Bahamas
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Bahamas postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Bahamas
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Afghanistan postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Afghanistan
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Bangladesh postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Bangladesh
Postage Stamp
Weather radar on Canadian postage stamp - RF Cafe
Weather Radar
Canadian
Postage Stamp
Lidar Postage Stamps
Lidar on France postage stamp - RF Cafe
Lidar
France
Postage Stamp
Lidar on Australia postage stamp - RF Cafe
Lidar
Australia
Postage Stamp
Electricity Postage Stamps
Electricity on Britian postage stamp - RF Cafe
Electricity
British
Postage Stamp
Also of interest are Radio Reception Stamps that were used by commercial radio stations to officiate reception of signals. These were not official Postage Stamps
KDKA Radio Reception Stamp - RF Cafe
KDKA
Pittsburgh, PA
Radio Reception Stamp
KFUM Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
KFUM
Colorado Springs, CO
Radio Reception Stamp
KFSO Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
KFSO
San Francisco, CA
Radio Reception Stamp
KFQZ Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
KFQZ
St. Louis, MO
Radio Reception Stamp
RF Cafe - WTIC radio reception stamp - RF Cafe
WTIC
Hartford, CT
Radio Reception Stamp
CNRO Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
CNRO
Ottawa, Ontario
Radio Reception Stamp
WDAF Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
WDAF
Kansas City, KS
Radio Reception Stamp
WBEN Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
WBEN
Buffalo, NY
Radio Reception Stamp
WGBF Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
WGBF
Evansville, IN
Radio Reception Stamp
WSYR Radio Reception stamp - RF Cafe
WSYR
Syracuse, NY
Radio Reception Stamp

A more comprehensive list can be found on the Ground-Based Remote Sensing in Meteorology (Radar, lidar, sodar, etc.) website from Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University.

This website has a few other communications Postage Stamps.

Yet another source is Joseph Morris‘ Flickr collection.

What Is D-Star All About?

Yaesu has System Fusion… guess who has this thing called, D-Star?  You can probably guess pretty quickly, if you don’t already have an idea.

Discover D-STAR from Icom

Yaesu System Fusion Introduction

Cory Sickles (WA3UVV) is active in our local ham club, Monongalia Wireless Association, and he has been guiding us in installing a new Yaesu System Fusion repeater system up on Chestnut Ridge.  Are you wondering what Yaesu System Fusion is?  What is C4FM?  What is the difference between Fusion, D-Star, P25 and DMR?  Well… here are a couple videos that might give you some insight into primarily Fusion… but the second video looks at some comparison.  (Spoiler alert… it gets territorial quickly.)  Hats off to HamRadioOutlet and HamRadioNow for spending the time on these cool systems!

Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS)

ml91_graph-779367

I love DX.  I love chatting to interesting people all over the world and making new friends.  For short range chatting I use our Monongalia Wireless Association W8MWA Repeater on the 144/440 frequencies.  Sometimes it’s more difficult to talk short distances than it is to talk half way around the world.  Let’s consider Near Vertical Incidence Skywave  (NVIS) antennas with our HF radios.

NVIS is something every Ham needs to learn about.  The antenna system is not difficult to construct and can serve an important function for shorter range communications, especially in time of an emergency when normal local / regional communication systems are down for some reason.  (i.e. cell towers, cellphones, landlines, etc.)  Hams may be called into service quickly.

Here is what Wikipedia says about NVIS communications…

Near vertical incidence skywave, or NVIS, is a skywave radio-wave propagation path that provides usable signals in the range between groundwave and conventional skywave distances—usually 30–400 miles (50–650 km). It is used for military and paramilitarycommunications, broadcasting,[1] especially in the tropics, and by radio amateurs. The radio waves travel near-vertically upwards into the ionosphere, where they are refracted back down and can be received within a circular region up to 650 km from the transmitter.[2] If the frequency is too high (that is, above the critical frequency of the ionospheric F layer), refraction fails to occur and if it is too low, absorption in the ionospheric D layer may reduce the signal strength.

The most reliable frequencies for NVIS communications are between 1.8 MHz and 8 MHz. Above 8 MHz, the probability of success begins to decrease, dropping to near zero at 30 MHz. Usable frequencies are dictated by local ionospheric conditions, which have a strong systematic dependence on geographical location. Common bands used in amateur radio at mid-latitudes are 3.5 MHz at night and 7 MHz during daylight, with experimental use of 5 MHz (60-meter) frequencies. Broadcasting uses the tropical broadcast bands between 2.3 and 5.06 MHz, and the international broadcast bands between 3.9 and 6.2 MHz, Military NVIS communications mostly take place on 2-4 MHz at night and on 5-7 MHz during daylight.

Optimum NVIS frequencies tend to be higher towards the tropics and lower towards the arctic regions. They are also higher during high sunspot activity years. The usable frequencies change from day to night, because sunlight causes the lowest layer of the ionosphere, called the D layer, to increase, causing attenuation of low frequencies during the day [3] while the maximum usable frequency (MUF) which is the critical frequency of the F layer rises with greater sunlight.

NVIS is most useful in mountainous areas where line-of-sight propagation at VHF or UHF frequencies is ineffective or when the communication distance is beyond the 50-mile (80 km) range of groundwave, and less than the 300–1500-mile (500–2500 km) range of lower angle sky-wave. Another interesting aspect of NVIS communication is, that direction finding of the sender is more difficult than for ground-wave communication (i.e. VHF or UHF). For broadcasters, NVIS allows coverage of an entire medium-sized country at much lower cost than with VHF (FM), and daytime coverage similar to MW (AM) nighttime coverage at lower cost and often with less interference.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_vertical_incidence_skywave

Below are a few very good links to articles for the nuts & bolts of putting together a simple and good NVIS antenna.

http://www.tactical-link.com/field_deployed_nvis.htm

http://www.qsl.net/wb5ude/nvis/index.html

http://www.w0ipl.net/ECom/NVIS/K2GW-NVIS.htm

http://www.w0ipl.net/ECom/NVIS/cbp-nvis.htm

Here is a sample video by NG9D with an 80 Meter End Fed NVIS Field Antenna.

See How a Schematic Diagram is ACTUALLY Visualized

“How to read an Electronic Schematic” by Paul Wesley Lewis

Wonderful example of how to visualize and equate the schematic diagram with the actual circuit build out.

How Do I Read a Schematic Diagram?

How to Read a Schematic by RimstarOrg 

If you are going to build a simple crystal radio, a QRP rig or even a 100 Watt HF transceiver, you are going to want to understand how an electronic schematic diagram is read.  It’s not that difficult.  RimstarOrg has a great video on understanding the basic concept of reading a schematic.

 

Multimeter Tutorial by AfroTechMods

THE BEST Multimeter Tutorial

The voltmeter… the Volt-Ohm Meter… the Multimeter… digital or analog… continuity… amperage, voltage and ohms… COME ON, MAN!  What is it and how hard is it to use in the every day life of a ham radio enthusiast or just someone working in their workshop?  Once again, Afrotechmods has an excellent tutorial on his YouTube channel for us to learn from!

 

 

What the heck is an Amp-Hour?

Battery amp-hour, watt-hour and C rating tutorial

Regardless if it’s your flashlight, your 2 Meter hand-held radio, your QRP rig, your Field Day station(s), your APRS setup, your balloon launch radio transmitter, your trolling motor, your emergency preparations or your personal GoBox… understanding how long those batteries that supply operating power will last becomes quite important.  It will also assist you in deciding what battery to select for a particular project or product.  Afrotechmods has several excellent YouTube videos on his channel that we all can enjoy!

Battery Technology Comparison by KF7IJZ

Small AGM vs A123 ALM-12V7 LiFePo4 Battery Module

Explaining USB 3.0

ExplainingComputers YouTube Channel, Christopher Barnatt, explains USB 3.0 and how it compares to USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 and data transfer rates.

Do Volts or Amps Kill You?

Does Volts or Amps Kill You? Voltage, Current and Resistance

This should be a good lesson for everyone, especially Hams that tinker and homebrew serious radio equipment.  You’d be surprised how much is too much!  Safety around radio equipment, coaxial cables, power chords, power lines, lightening storms, grounding straps and towers needs to be at the forefront of our mind.

Excellent YouTube video by RimstarOrg.

 

Portable Battery Box for Kayak… or Ham Radio

There are a ton of variations of portable battery boxes and unbelievably expensive if you buy they retail.  I like building projects at home, so here is another battery box with a very different form profile from some of the other videos on my blog.  DIY!  Here is a video from Derek Dickey on YouTube of his own kayak fishing GoBox.

 

Portable Power Box

Battery Box, Simple Portable Power by KC6TYD

I built a portable battery box years ago out of a used small white lard tub from a Mr. Donut shop here in town to carry 2 small batteries to power “things” on camping and canoe trips.  It charged from a flexible solar panel that I laid atop my packed canoe when fishing on the rivers of West Virginia.  Then at night I had a string of 12 volt car lamp bulbs that I would string up around the campsite for some excellent lighting.  It also had a small LED inside the box that would glow amber all night so that if you needed to get up in the middle of the night you can set the small tub beside the tent flap and push a little button to kick on the rest of the lights.  I like this set up from KC6TYD, too!

GoBox Ideas

GoBox Update from KC6TYD

I am getting ready to put my ham radio station back together after being QRT for a number of years.  When I think about the VHF/UHF section of my station, I may decide to configure those particular technologies in a GoBox, of some sort.  I really like the idea of being able to “pack-n-go” in the event of emergency comms or Field Day type of activities.

 

Back Up Solar Power for Ham Radio

Harbor Freight Solar Panel for Ham Radio

I spent a lot of time on a medical mission trip to Mali, West Africa years ago optimizing their solar power system.  (Constant dust on the solar panels from the Harmattan winds was a battle for efficiency.)  This is an interesting video done by KC6TYD about his first experience with solar power in the ham shack.  (This only about the concept, not an endorsement per se of Harbor Freight or the manufacturer.)  But I am definitely interested in some solar projects here at home in the future.

 

Analog Oscilloscope bandwidth considerations with W2AEW

Get the right O-Scope!

Monitor your Ham Radio transmitter with an oscilloscope with W2AEW

More O-Scope training!  This guy is so good at teaching it!

Analog Oscilloscope Basics: Making a Frequency Measurement with W2AEW

Bought my first O-Scope at Dayton Hamvention in 2015… here is a good way to learn!

Arrow Antenna Bracket by Randy K7AGE

If you are interested in a relatively easy way to chase “The Easy Birds” (amateur satellites), K7AGE can help you get set up and successful QUICK!

Ham Radio Satellite Arrow Antenna

How to track satellites with K7AGE… Randy is great at explaining the how and why!

playwithlifeorg

4 out of 5 dentists recommend this WordPress.com site

BG5TLA's Blog

Just another WordPress.com site

Tinkertoytech's Blog

Just another WordPress.com weblog

KC4LMD

Chronicling my pursuit of amateur radio’s "Worked All Neighbors" award

Casey's Place - N5CSU

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." -- John Muir

Hackaday

Fresh hacks every day

Tactical HF

I love the smell of ozone in the morning...smells like...radio.

73, de N2HTT

A blog about ham radio, Linux and more...

Ham Radio Blog PD0AC

Thoughts of a Dutch radio amateur

Silver Bells Blog

Truth Appealing...

CQ de WT8WV... GraHAM's Dits & Dah's

My journey in amateur radio intrigues and hobby interests

K5UNX Ham Radio Blog

A blog dedicated to things Ham Radio related

Mountain Mists...

A pleasant journey into how I see things... big and small

myrandomrealities

Changing my life, by changing my mind...about everything.

playwithlifeorg

4 out of 5 dentists recommend this WordPress.com site

BG5TLA's Blog

Just another WordPress.com site

Tinkertoytech's Blog

Just another WordPress.com weblog

KC4LMD

Chronicling my pursuit of amateur radio’s "Worked All Neighbors" award

Casey's Place - N5CSU

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." -- John Muir

Hackaday

Fresh hacks every day

Tactical HF

I love the smell of ozone in the morning...smells like...radio.

73, de N2HTT

A blog about ham radio, Linux and more...

Ham Radio Blog PD0AC

Thoughts of a Dutch radio amateur

Silver Bells Blog

Truth Appealing...

CQ de WT8WV... GraHAM's Dits & Dah's

My journey in amateur radio intrigues and hobby interests

K5UNX Ham Radio Blog

A blog dedicated to things Ham Radio related

Mountain Mists...

A pleasant journey into how I see things... big and small

myrandomrealities

Changing my life, by changing my mind...about everything.