ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast to share details about ARRL's updated Emergency Communication courses, which have been broken into three successive levels – Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. The courses are available free of charge at the ARRL Learning Center.…

ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, and ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, join the June episode of the podcast to spread the excitement about ARRL Field Day, which is coming up on June 22 - 23.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

This year’s Dayton Hamvention, coming up May 17-19 in Xenia, Ohio, will be extra special — it’s also the 2024 ARRL National Convention. ARRL Director of Marketing & Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, joins this month’s podcast to share details about ARRL-sponsored activities at the show, including several of the ARRL-sponsored forums and the Youth R…

We often hear about served agencies when hams talk about disaster response and emergency communications. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast this month to discuss exactly what and who served agencies are, and where the Amateur Radio Service fits into their responses.…

The Solar Eclipse QSO Party (or SEQP), is an on-air event coming up on April 8, the same day as the next total solar eclipse. The SEQP is a great opportunity for hams to contribute data to studies of Earth’s ionosphere, the part of our atmosphere that makes radio communications possible, and all you have to do is get on the air and operate as you n…

The January/February 2024 issue of On the Air featured a story from Brian McSpadden Gardener, KE8JVX, about “The First-Year Experiences of a General-Class Ham,” in which Brian detailed how he got his feet wet as a General, and how he put together his first station for HF. Brian joins this episode of the podcast to tell us a little more about his fi…

Maintaining a “junk box” — a collection of odds and ends that can be used in future projects and repairs — is a time-honored practice among hams. Every ham radio junk box has to start somewhere, though. The cover story of the January/February 2024 issue of On the Air, “A Fine Mess: Starting Your Junk Box,” by Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ, offers advice a…

This episode ties into a feature in the November/December issue called “Bits and Baud,” which discussed important elements of digital communication, namely the quantity of information a transmission delivers -- known as bit rate -- and the rate of speed at which the information is delivered, which is known as baud rate. The article’s author, former…

“Contesting encompasses so much of the hobby,” says seasoned contester Craig Thompson, K9CT, “from station building, learning how to operate, understanding propagation, knowing rules, learning from your peers,” that there’s something in it for every ham radio operator. As current member and former president of the Society of Midwest Contesters, Cra…

Gary Mikitin’s, AF8A, article, “The Solar Eclipse QSO Party: A Fun Way Support Radio Science” in the September/October 2023 issue of On the Air details how hams can contribute data to a study on how the ionosphere reflects radio signals during the eclipse via an easygoing on-air event called the Solar Eclipse QSO Party. Gary, who is the Amateur Rad…

The cover story of On the Air’s September/October 2023 issue, “Foxhunting Basics,” doesn’t have anything to do with chasing down a woodland creature. Foxhunting is a radio direction-finding activity that you can enjoy with a radio club or group, or even with just one other friend — and they don’t even have to be a ham! Rob Zielfelder, N1NUG, explai…

This month, we talk with Steve Simons, W1SMS, the Technical Coordinator for the Connecticut Section, who shares his experiences as a TC, from coordinating with Emergency Operations Centers during an emergency, to presenting technical papers at ham club meetings, to working with the Section’s Technical Specialists to help local hams with troubleshoo…

Passing traffic is a ham radio activity that’s nearly as old as ham radio itself, and getting accurate messages to their destination in a timely manner takes training and skill. In addition to participating in nets, hams also have the opportunity to take on ARRL Field Organization positions that are responsible for traffic. In this episode, we talk…

For the June 2023 episode of the On the Air podcast, ARRL Radiosport & Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, and ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, join us to talk about a popular Field Day fixture known as the GOTA (Get On the Air) Station. If you’re a newer ham, or new to Field Day operating, you can find a local Field …

With this year's ARRL June VHF Contest fast approaching on the weekend of June 10, seasoned VHF operator Bob Witte, KØNR, joins the podcast to talk about how to prepare yourself and your station to join in the fun of this beginner-friendly event. Watch the video edition: (1) On the Air Podcast — Getting On the Air for the June VHF Contest! - YouTub…

The March/April 2023 issue of On the Air featured an article on “The Incident Command System and Amateur Radio,” which introduced the Incident Command System (ICS), an emergency management system that public safety agencies use to respond to everything from small incidents to large-scale emergencies. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johns…

Radio orienteering (aka Amateur Radio Direction Finding, or ARDF) is a radio sport like no other. It gets you out of your shack chair and bounding through the woods or a park, using a handheld receiver and directional antenna to find a transmitter that’s located somewhere in the vicinity. People of all ages and skill levels can have fun with radio …

ARRL has designated 2023 “The Year of the Volunteers,” to shed light on the work of the hundreds of volunteers who make ARRL and amateur radio what it is. We’ve got a year-long on-air event to go with it – Volunteers On the Air, or VOTA, is already taking the bands by storm, just two months into the fun. In this episode, we talk to ARRL Director of…

As the national association for Amateur Radio in the US, ARRL offers programs and services for its members across the country. Many of these are made possible by the ARRL Field Organization, a network of ARRL member-volunteers who give of their time and knowledge to other hams, as well as to the Amateur Radio Service itself. Field Organization volu…

For many new operators, nets are one of the easiest and best ways to connect with other hams. Some nets are focused solely on emergency communications, others provide the opportunity to pass formal traffic throughout a region, while others are purely social occasions where you can get to know other active hams. Scheduled nets can take place monthly…

Even if you’re accessing a repeater, the range of your VHF/UHF handheld can be a bit constraining. You’ll probably never achieve coverage of, say, the entire US Eastern Seaboard or the Continental Divide in the lower 48. But with a couple of handhelds and the right Yagi antenna, you can access satellites in low Earth orbit that will provide you wit…

Just over two weeks ago Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel Island and southwestern Florida. It caused tens of billions of dollars of damage and killed more than 100 people. Arc Thames, W4CPD, the Section Emergency Coordinator of ARRL's Northern Florida Section and Emergency Coordinator of Santa Rosa County Florida, passed traffic during the storm and…

Building an antenna doesn’t have to involve yards of aluminum tubing and long runs of coax. It can be as simple as soldering and snipping (carefully!) a length of lamp cord. Frequent On the Air and QST contributor Dino Papas, KL0S, provides insight into the construction and tuning of this J-pole antenna, which he built for On the Air from a design …

Getting the most out of your transceiver's scanning functions.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Is 222 MHz really a "forgotten" frequency band?By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Discussing ARRL Field Day in particular and off-the-grid operating in general with ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Discover what "FM" really means, and how it is different from "AM."By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Should you invest in a Digital Multimeter (DMM)? As it turns out, a DMM doesn't have to be expensive and it is more useful than you might imagine.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Relax and take an audio tour of the 10 meter band!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

YouTube is increasingly becoming the "go to" resource for information on a variety of amateur radio topics. In this episode we speak with two YouTube veterans: Dave Casler, KE0OG, and Steve Goodgame, K5ATA.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

If you're thinking about giving CW operating a try, check out this conversation with Michael Fluegemann, KE8AQW.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Learn how you can extend the "reach" of your handheld transceiver.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Q-Signals are as old as amateur radio itself and they are still in use today. Although originally intended for CW use, you'll hear them in voice communication as well.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Contest season is underway! Time for some tips from veteran competitor Chris Plumblee, W4WF.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

The ARRL Handbook has been published for nearly 100 years and it remains one of the top sources for information about ham radio technology and much more. Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, explains why even beginners will find the Handbook to be indispensable.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Here's an introduction to Winlink, courtesy of Oliver Dully, K6OLI.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Learn all about the new ARRL online Learning Center scheduled to debut this month!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

ARRL Field Day is just weeks away. Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, the president of the Nashua New Hampshire Area Radio Society, offers advice about how to enjoy one of the largest ham radio operating events of the year!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

A discussion of the importance of grounding with Ward Silver, N0AXBy Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

This month it's all about Parks On The Air -- one of the most popular activities in amateur radio today. We chat with Audrey Hance, KN4TMU, who recently enjoyed her first Parks On The Air "activation."By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

What does the new solar cycle have in store for the HF bands? Propagation expert Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, tells us what to expect.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Taking a closer look at HF antenna tuners, along with some shopping tips!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

A chat with Curt Laumann, K7ZOO, about inspiring club activity with "project nights."By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

A chat with Mike Corey, KI1U, about storm spotting and SKYWARN.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

What makes a particular antenna the right one for your station? There are several things to consider beyond cost and complexity.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

An interview with ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, about ARRL’s new “Learning Network” webinars.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

Let's talk about how to properly tune signals on the HF bands, and discover a few transceiver tools that will make listening easier.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

The ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative is for everyone -- not just college students. Find out more!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

A discussion of how to properly solder a PL259 coaxial cable connector. Also, courses that will help improve your public service skills.By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

It's all about ARRL Field Day!By Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY