Published: 10 June 2025

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Why Portable Ops?

Field Day isn’t just a contest—it’s a hands-on, emergency-communications drill where hams set up stations in parks, fields, or even backyard spaces and run off batteries, generators, or solar power.

A portable setup puts training into practice and keeps us ready when disaster strikes.

 

Choosing Your Location & Layout

Scout a spot with solid ground, some shade, and antenna-friendly surroundings—trees or light poles help raise antennas. Map out a layout for your radio, power source, table, and seating. A pop-up canopy offers comfort and weather protection. Use FT8 or CW on a simple wire dipole for easy portable operations onallbands.com .

Read more: Embrace the Outdoors: Portable Field Day Operations

Published: 01 May 2023

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Have you ever wondered why radio waves seem to get weaker the further you get from the source of the waves? Well, they don't! They only appear to be weaker because they are spread over a larger area.  This can be demonstrated by the inverse square law.

The inverse square law is a fundamental principle in physics that describes the relationship between the intensity of a phenomenon and the distance from its source. According to this law, the intensity of a phenomenon decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from its source. In other words, if you double the distance from the source, the intensity of the phenomenon decreases to one-fourth of its original value (i.e., 1/2²); if you triple the distance, the intensity decreases to one-ninth of its original value (i.e., 1/3²), and so on.

Read more: Why Do Radio Waves Get Weaker As They Travel Over Distance?

Published: 30 April 2023

Hits: 3511

Using a contact logging software is important for amateur radio operators as it allows them to keep a record of their contacts with other radio operators. This record can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as:

1. Confirming QSOs (contacts): Logging software allows you to confirm that you have made a contact with a particular station, which is important for contests and awards.

2. QSL Cards: Logging software helps to manage QSL cards that

   Read more: Do I Need A Contact Logging Software?