I went to SBARA’s station at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont around 1200 UTC and spent about half an hour ttrying to make phone contacts on 20m. I only made two contacts. The signal quality was terrible, apparently due to too many callers piling up. I rarely heard intelligible voices. As [...]

Today is Field Day, part of the purpose of which is to practice amateur radio communications by methods that would be used in emergencies, when normal power sources and communications systems might be unavailable.
Today at home I’ve experienced two power outages, apparently due to utility transformer failures, and an unrelated internet outage.

Just after I got my amateur radio license last fall (sequential call sign AF6FG), I applied for a vanity call sign, AI6ES.  I really wanted a 1×2, but none of the ones I wanted were available.  One became available this month, so  I submitted another application, which has now been granted.  My new call sign [...]

My new call sign is AI6ES.
None of the available 1×2 or 2×1 call signs were to my liking, but I like AI6ES better than my previous sequential call sign, AF6FG.

My call sign is AF6FG, though I’ve filed an application for a vanity call sign so it will probably change.

After years of being cajoled by friends and acquaintances who are hams, I finally took the exams today, passed them, and should have my own Amateur Extra class license and call sign by the end of the month.
Earlier this year the FCC completely eliminated the Morse Code requirement, making it easier than ever to get [...]