Category: Beginners

Thomas Edison 2

A.C Electricity …and why I hate it!

When I say A.C electricity I mean the kind of high-voltage stuff we have in our homes. So before anybody says: “Well, aren’t radio waves a form of A.C?”, let me explain what I...

Old Lightning Arrester Advertthe 0

Lightning and other mishaps

About a year or so ago, I was presented with a Philips transistor radio that according to the owner had been struck by lightning. Fortunately, the lightning strike must have been quite some distance...

The Twelfth Wave Matching Network 0

The Twelfth Wave Matching Network

Although the mismatch between 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm systems are usually acceptable, it’s easy to obtain a near perfect match using a pair of twelfth wave lines. The nice part is you only...

Velocity Factor of Coax 4

Velocity Factor of Coax

“The velocity factor (VF), also called wave propagation speed or velocity of propagation, of a transmission medium, is the speed at which a wavefront (of an acoustic signal, for example, or an electromagnetic signal,...

MFJ 9406 Adventure Radio 0

Six Meters: An Introduction

Six Meters (50-54 MHz) is known as “The Magic Band” to many of its fans, but the best description I ever heard came from a ham I worked during a frantic summer Sporadic-E opening:...