News & Blog

This is that radio that people either love or hate. I’m in the middle. Right out of the box it feels solid but that was the last moment I felt only one way about this radio. The manual states that the initial few charges should take about 8 hours. I found that it took much less time to get the steady green light. And that unsettled me, because a factory reset will make the radio look like new, but…

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To conduct a POTA (Parks on the Air) activation, which involves operating amateur radio equipment from a designated park or natural area, follow these general steps: Research Parks: Identify parks or natural areas that are eligible for POTA activations. You can visit the POTA website (https://parksontheair.com/) or use the POTA mobile app to find eligible parks near your location. Make sure to check the rules and regulations specific to the park you plan to activate. Obtain Permits (if necessary):…

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The fox: Bionics MicroFox 15 (@146.565 MHz) https://www.byonics.com/mf The “hunting weapons”: MWRF Source SMA Male to SMA Female 6GHz Attenuator 2W (30 dB) The greatest transceiver of all times: Baofeng UV5R   SDR: Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 SDR – NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) USB C Male to USB female adaptor Compass: BIJIA Orienteering Map Compass Yagi: Metal broom handle from the Dollar Tree Measure tape from the Dollar Tree RG8X Coax + BNC connector 3D printed support for the measuring tape  Loop…

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The West Essex Amateur Radio Club returning to normal operations held our annual outing at the Grover Cleveland House in Caldwell. During this event the club operates station W2EF at the birth place of President Grover Cleveland. This event provides an opportunity for the community to visit a historic location and learn about Ham Radio as the club members work to make contacts all over the world during the event. During the event scouts from Troop 12 of Livingston…

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Meshtastic is an open-source, low-cost, long-range, and secure mesh networking platform that has been gaining popularity among technology enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. This platform enables people to create decentralized, private, and resilient wireless networks that can operate without the need for centralized infrastructure or internet connectivity. In this article, we will explore what Meshtastic is, how it works, and why it matters. NO license needed! What is Meshtastic? Meshtastic is a software and hardware platform that allows users to…

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Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) is a mesh networking solution that utilizes amateur radio frequencies for communication. This technology provides a versatile and reliable solution for emergency communications during natural disasters or other emergency situations. Ham radio operators have long been involved in emergency communication efforts, providing a means of communication when traditional communication methods fail. AREDN takes this concept to the next level by creating a mesh network that allows multiple nodes to communicate with each other,…

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I am shocked and sad to have to report that Don, our club president, has joined the silent keys on the other side of the DX. Don passed on 26th December 2022 from complications recovering from COVID. None of us anticipated losing Don so suddenly and I am sure many of us would have wanted to share the New Year with him, all of us will miss his wisdom, experience and humor that helped keep our club together. Don…

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Our satellite tracker has finally come of age. It made its first public appearance during Field Day 2022. After some last-minute upgrades, the project was considered deployable and set to work tracking satellites for real. After a night research we were armed with a list of potential targets. The list was short, only 14 possible satellites and only three with FM transponders. The majority, and current trend is inverting linear transponders. When you take out paths that were not…

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I’ve been out a number of times with the guys running portable, but always using all or mostly their stuff. I was hemming and hawing over batteries and first portable antennas. But sooner or later you just have to jump in. I recently purchased a Bioenno BLF-1212A and made a 20M dipole. I chose the battery mostly due to its max continuous current draw of 20A which I figure will cover just about anything I might do. With that…

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 Had a Great time at our Park’s on the Air Activation of Park K-1636 Wawayanda State Park. Thanks to Matt Kaufman, K2ATV, Metin Serdar Serbetci, KD2UAF, Rich Kopelaw, KD2WJR, and Stan Rogacki, K2EXX. And we even had our newest Member Max, K9D0G show up!! LOL!! Forecast was supposed to be rain all day, but it turned out to be a Totally AWESOME DAY! Looking forward to seeing more Members on the next Activation. Lou, K2TAC. The Parks on the Air…

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