On the Air

With ARRL Field Day weekend just a little more than two weeks away, we talk to ARRL's Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE; Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe, W1DRF and Education and Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML, about how newer hams can navigate the most popular on-air event of the year. Get recommendations for setups, modes, goals, and more.

ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to walk readers through his May/June 2025 On the Air article, "Building Simple Antennas for 10 and 15 Meters."

This month, ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to update us on ARRL's new monthly livestream, On the Air Live. The April session of On the Air Live will be a tutorial on the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS). A handheld radio will allow you to use the APRS. Listen in to find out how easy it is, and how to join the April 22 session of On the Air Live.

There are a variety of antennas that a ham can use on the VHF and UHF bands, from simple whips, all the way up to directional beams. This month's podcast walks you through the various types and their use cases.

World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18 every year, and in 2025, WARD is extra special. ARRL invites radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in April, to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands-on pathway into STEM fields for the next generation. ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX, and Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering at the University of Scranton, Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, join the podcast to talk about what a Ham Radio Open House might include, and how your club or group can start organizing one.

In preparation for the first On the Air Live interactive livestream launching on January 28, we take a look at the topic: slow-scan TV (SSTV), a ham radio mode that allows you to use RF to send static images. Steve Ford, WB8IMY, author of “SSTV: When a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” in the January/February 2025 issue of On the Air, joins the podcast to share the basics of this mode. Visit learn.arrl.org to register for the January 28 livestream!

In early 2025, the ARRL Education & Learning Department will launch an interactive livestreamed video podcast, On the Air Live. The monthly episodes will be aimed toward educating new and intermediate-level hams, inspiring them to explore the nearly endless aspects of amateur radio and develop their skills. ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, who will host each episode, joins the On the Air podcast to share more details, including upcoming topics and how to participate in real time.

December is Youth on the Air Month, also known as YOTA Month, and there are plans to celebrate young operators all month long. Blake Pearson, KN4VKY, one of the Americas YOTA Month Participation Coordinators, joins the podcast to explain how young hams can apply to use one of the official YOTA Month call signs, and how you can take part in the YOTA Month operating events no matter what age you are. 

The ARES Task Book is an important resource and reference for amateur radio operators who hope to be of service to their communities. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast to talk about the task book's place in a ham's training, as well as recent updates to the book.

The 10-meter band offers something for hams of every license class, including Technicians, who can use voice, Morse code, and digital modes on this band. Scott Freeberg, WA9WFA, joins this episode of the podcast to take us on “A Tour of 10 Meters,” and to explain why right now is the best time to get on the band, thanks to the terrific radio wave propagation being generated by Solar Cycle 25. 

The podcast takes a field trip to W1AW, ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, to hear from W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, about all the ways to “Practice Code with W1AW,” from daily code practice sessions at a speed that suits you, to Qualifying Runs where you can earn certificates for submitting accurate copy.

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.

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 Rally.

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 normally would. The lead organizer of HamSCI, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, joins us in this episode to explain how to get involved.

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 first year as a General, as well as what he's done since then.

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 about how to do just that. The January 2024 episode of the On the Air podcast digs deeper by going on location to the workshop of W1AW, ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station. Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, welcomes us into this working space to show us some real-life junk boxes and discuss how they come in handy. Check out the VIDEO edition of this episode:Starting Your Junk Box (youtube.com)

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 QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, joins us to explain more about the differences between bit rate and baud rate, as well as why hams are concerned with these measurements in the first place.  

“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, Craig knows the ins and outs of running a contest club and ensuring that the value proposition makes sense to the average member. In this episode, Craig talks about why you might want to get involved with a contest club, what it entails, and how these specialized clubs stir up on-air activity that benefits every ham. This discussion extends the November/December 2023 On the Air article, “Joining a Contest Club,” by Leanna Figlewski, KC1RMP.

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 Radio Community Coordinator of HamSCI, joins us on the October episode of the On the Air podcast, to talk about just how easy it is to participate.

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, explains how to get started with a couple of handheld radios and a directional antenna that you can make from inexpensive hardware store materials. One player hides somewhere with a radio, and sends intermittent transmissions, while the other player tracks them with the help of the radio's signal meter and a map. Listen to this month's episode for more information on how to join the fun.

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 troubleshooting and other technical matters. 

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 to Ethan Hansen, KC1OIP, who fulfills one such position, Official Relay Station, in ARRL's National Traffic System. Listen in to learn about what it takes to become an Official Relay Station, how the position makes a difference in the community, and how it benefits your amateur radio skills and experience. 

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 Day setup that's running one of these beginner-friendly stations. Tune in to find out how, so you can make plans to operate from a Field Day GOTA Station on Field Day weekend, June 24 and 25.  Watch the video edition: (1) How to Get On the Air from an ARRL Field Day GOTA Station - YouTube

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! - YouTube

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 Johnston, KE5MHV, joins this episode of the podcast to share more about the system's origins and uses, where and how amateur radio operators fit into the system, and where to get ICS training.Video Edition of this Episode: (3) On the Air Podcast — Where Hams fit into the Incident Command System? - YouTube

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 orienteering – and you don't even need a ham radio license to join in. In this episode, we talk to USA ARDF Co-coordinator Charles Scharlau, NZØI, about how get involved in what he calls, “the only athletic radio sport.”

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 Operations Bob Naumann, W5OV, and ARRL Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, about rules, awards, special activations, and all things VOTA.

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 volunteers are positioned all over the country, in the various ARRL Sections, doing everything from offering technical advice, to liaising with government contacts, to working with young hams. In this episode of the On the Air podcast, Editorial Director Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, talks with ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, about how the Field Organization is structured, what kinds of positions and duties are available (truly, there's something for everyone, no matter what aspect of ham radio you're interested in), and how to get involved.

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, weekly, or daily, and no matter their frequency (see what we did there!), nets are a great way to practice using your radio and get comfortable with the conventions of communicating on the air. The success of any net is due, at least in part, to the Net Control operator. Net Control actually runs the net, keeping everything — and everyone — organized. What's it like running a net? What skills do you need? Are there common pitfalls? Best practices? In this episode, Ginger Wilder, KI5TJE, discusses her first time running the McKinney Amateur Radio Club (MARC) net and how she prepared to take on the challenge. She talks about her preparation and some of the unexpected things she learned from running the net. As a bonus, you can read a copy of MARC's Net Control script on the On the Air blog at www.arrl.org/ota-blog.

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 with a much wider “footprint” than just about any repeater. Sean Kutzko, KX9X, characterized satellite operation as “a bit of a competition. It's a bit of a game. It's a bit exciting.” In this month's episode, he talks about how to get started using satellites and details the reach that satellites beyond low Earth orbit are only now making available to every licensed amateur radio operator.

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 with a much wider “footprint” than just about any repeater. Sean Kutzko, KX9X, characterized satellite operation as “a bit of a competition. It's a bit of a game. It's a bit exciting.” In this month's episode, he talks about how to get started using satellites and details the reach that satellites beyond low Earth orbit are only now making available to every licensed amateur radio operator.

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 shares some of his experiences. He discusses gear for ARES deployments (A handheld is just fine!) and what you need to know before going out in the field. For more information on prepping for EmComm, check out the article, "Basic Gear for Public Service" in the September/October 2022 issue of On The Air magazine.

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 shares some of his experiences. He discusses gear for ARES deployments (A handheld is just fine!) and what you need to know before going out in the field. For more information on prepping for EmComm, check out the article, "Basic Gear for Public Service" in the September/October 2022 issue of On The Air magazine.

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 by John H. Unrath, K6JHU. Along the way he and host Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, uncover a bit of J-pole history and dig into why an antenna analyzer is a must-have if you decide to build this project.

Getting the most out of your transceiver's scanning functions.

Is 222 MHz really a "forgotten" frequency band?

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

Discover what "FM" really means, and how it is different from "AM."

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.

Relax and take an audio tour of the 10 meter band!

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.

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

Learn how you can extend the "reach" of your handheld transceiver.

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.

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

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.

Here's an introduction to Winlink, courtesy of Oliver Dully, K6OLI.

Learn all about the new ARRL online Learning Center scheduled to debut this month!

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!