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introduction
Welcome to my amateur radio website.
Amateur radio, commonly called "ham radio", is a hobby enjoyed by many people throughout the world. The hobby or pastime, usually practised by a enthusiast rather than a professional, includes communicating world-wide by two-way radio and striving for "DX" receptions that are challenging, usually because of distance.
To become a radio amateur, you must pass an examination. Wireless amateur communication is done on numerous bands (relatively narrow frequency segments) extending from 1.8 MHz (a wavelength of about 160 meters) upwards through several hundred gigahertz (wavelengths in the millimeter range). There are several license classes. The more privileges a class of license conveys, the more difficult is the examination that one must pass to obtain it.
Amateur radio operation is fun, and that is one of the main reasons hams do it. But hamradio can provide communication during states of emergency. Hamradio (often) works when all other services fail. Examples include the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, where amateur radio was used to coördinate disaster relief activities. Amateur radio operators are known as technical innovators, and have been responsible for important discoveries.
Bookmarks for this website:
The lower the frequency that is used for radio communication, the larger the antenna system. Until 2008 there were two
antennas in my mast, a 3-elements Fritzel FB-33 yagi for the 20/15/10m band and a 16-elements F9FT (Tonna) long yagi for
144MHz. I repainted the 15m high tower and only replaced the HF yagi due too loss of interest in using the 2m band
for DX communications.
For the lower HF bands I use a dipole (2x18m) with open-wire feedline. One of the wires is visible on the picture below.
At the feedpoint of this dipole, on the roof of my house, is a Diamond X-50N vertical antenna for local 2m.
Enjoy the information you can find here and drop me an e-mail if you have any question.
73, Carel - PA0CMU.