Amateur Radio Stack Exchange
Amateur Radio Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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How do I change my registered address with the FCC?

I just moved, and I want to change my registered address with my call-sign. Is there a form or something somewhere that I can fill out? Do I have to mail it, or can I turn it in to the FCC or something electronically? Does it cost anything? What…
Skyler 440
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Testing blind license applicants

My friend is blind and would like to take the amateur radio license exam. I understand that the question and the four possible answers can be read to them, and that is fine. The one question that we are still not sure on is, When it comes to block…
peter
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How can I tell if a call sign is valid?

Many different countries have different callsign formats. The US call signs typically fit into a very well defined category, but there are exceptions even there. I'm looking for a way to tell if a call sign is a real call sign, that works with…
PearsonArtPhoto
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Why are vacuum tubes still used in amateur radios?

I wonder, even in this modern generation why the outdated vacuum tubes are used. In other electronic circuits they have been replaced by more efficient (and small) transistors years ago. Why they are still used?
Sumithran
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What is an antenna tuner? Why bother with resonant antennas in the first place?

There are a lot of antenna tuners on the market that have various capabilities in terms of how they can allow random radiators to work with our transceivers. What exactly do they do? My understanding is that they can neutralize the imbalance…
SDsolar
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What is the role of digital data modes in emergency communications?

Emergency operations are typically reliant on voice traffic today. Are digital data modes used at all in emergency operations, and why/ why not? Couldn't data modes be used to pass information more efficiently than voice?
JC Hulce
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How can I add amplitude modulation to this transmitter?

I recently built this circuit, and could hear a nice full quieting signal on my short-wave radio with a 7.2 megahertz crystal for the 40 meter band. What is the simplest way I could Amplitude Modulate this signal with a microphone or computer output…
Skyler 440
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How do I receive ATSC with GNU Radio?

How do I receive ATSC video with GNU Radio so I can play the A/V in, e.g., the VLC video player? Are there any example GNU Radio block diagrams to accomplish such a task? cf. this for an example on how to decode ATSC with GNU Radio and play the…
Geremia
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Handheld Dipoles

A problem with handheld devices is poor grounding. I read from someone else's question that dipoles don't need a ground. Why don't they make little handhelds with two antennas instead of one, or a little T antenna, which has extendable arms? _ _ …
Skyler 440
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How To Join Packet Radio BBS

I'm a complete newbie here, and on the Southeast Coast of the USA. I don't even own a ham radio yet. Some preppers and I got to talking about a dystopian time of Internet collapse where shortwave radio might be an important factor of survival. This…
Radio1
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How do I prevent radio signals from tripping a GFCI?

My wife woke up several nights by a metallic "thunk". It happened to be while I was talking on 10 meters and turned out to be the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on her hair dryer cord. Apart from the obvious answer of leaving it…
Peter KB1AVL
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Conductive boom vs non conductive boom: what's the difference on a Yagi?

I designed a Yagi antenna using 4nec2, assuming that I would use a non conductive boom. If I use an aluminum boom but I insulate the elements from the boom, can I keep the same design? How does it affect performance, in particular SWR? It is a 2m…
GmodCake
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Direction finding: How to find a stuck FM transmitter on 70cm?

There's a blank carrier on a 433 MHz FM voice frequency here. How should we go on about finding the transmitter's location? Practical procedure? Could be somewhere downtown.
oh7lzb
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When may a ham operate beyond the privileges of their licence class?

As far as I know, all radio amateurs are assigned privileges on Power Output Mode of operation Operating bands as a function of the class of licence they hold. These privileges differ from one jurisdiction to another. When may a licencee operate…
VU2NHW
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Why do Amateur Radio organizations in the United States oppose the relaxation of encryption prohibitions?

I saw this question stating that it is illegal to encrypt traffic, at least in the US and UK. I also heard that there was recently an attempt to get the FCC to loosen this restriction, but a lot of hams argued against it. Why do Amateur Radio…
Dan KD2EE
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