History
A Short History of Amateur Radio
By OneShack Staff
From spark gaps and the Radio Act of 1912 to OSCAR 1, the end of code testing and FT8: key moments in more than a century of ham radio.
Everything Ham, All in One Place
Guides, references and handy tools for every operator, whether you're studying for your first license or chasing DX.
Articles
Latest Articles
Operating
Operating Abroad
By OneShack Staff
How to operate legally on your travels with CEPT, the IARP and reciprocal agreements, plus callsign rules, maritime mobile and packing tips.
Operating
National Radio Quiet Zone
By OneShack Staff
What the quiet zone around Green Bank is, why it exists, and what its coordination rules mean for hams who live in or visit it.
Featured Writer
From Bill Rinker, W6OAV
Longtime Elmer, and writer for many amateur radio club newsletters in Colorado and California.
Antennas
Attic HF Antennas
By Bill Rinker, W6OAV
Covenants pushed Bill's HF antennas into the attic in 1986, and he has worked the world from there since. What he learned: stop trying to resonate anything, put up the biggest wire that fits, feed it with ladder line, and let the tuner do the work.
Antennas · Equipment
Don’t worry about high SWR!
By Bill Rinker, W6OAV
An SWR of 3:1, or even 10:1, costs far less than most operators think — provided the feedline is good and the tuner is doing its job. And the same fact gives you one wire that works on every band.
Antennas
Question of the Month: How Do Long Dual Band Verticals Develop Gain?
By Bill Rinker, W6OAV
Lengthening a vertical past 5/8 wavelength should send the signal skyward — yet commercial dual band antennas are longer than that and still claim gain at the horizon. Here is how they do it, and how to read their gain figures.
Explore the Shack
What you'll find here.
Quick Reference
HF & VHF Bands
US allocations with common FT8 dial frequencies. Check your license class privileges before you transmit.
| Band | Range (MHz) | FT8 Dial |
|---|---|---|
| 160 m | 1.800 – 2.000 | 1.840 |
| 80 m | 3.500 – 4.000 | 3.573 |
| 40 m | 7.000 – 7.300 | 7.074 |
| 30 m | 10.100 – 10.150 | 10.136 |
| 20 m | 14.000 – 14.350 | 14.074 |
| 17 m | 18.068 – 18.168 | 18.100 |
| 15 m | 21.000 – 21.450 | 21.074 |
| 12 m | 24.890 – 24.990 | 24.915 |
| 10 m | 28.000 – 29.700 | 28.074 |
| 6 m | 50.000 – 54.000 | 50.313 |
| 2 m | 144.000 – 148.000 | 144.174 |
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