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.
Articles
Longer reads for hams: how-tos, explainers and a bit of history. Pick a topic, or browse everything below.
Featured Writer
Bill Rinker, W6OAV
Longtime Elmer, and writer for many amateur radio club newsletters in Colorado and California.
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.
Equipment
Radio Astronomy for Hams
By OneShack Staff
Listen to Jupiter, the Sun, hydrogen clouds and meteors with ham-style gear, and meet Grote Reber, the ham whose backyard dish helped start it all.
Operating
Citizen Science for Hams
By OneShack Staff
How your station can help scientists study the ionosphere, from everyday FT8 and WSPR spots to HamSCI eclipse events and Grape receivers.
Operating
Reading Propagation Forecasts
By OneShack Staff
How to combine NOAA forecasts, prediction tools and live reports from WSPR, PSK Reporter, beacons and skimmers to pick the right band.
Operating
Space Weather and the Solar Cycle
By OneShack Staff
How sunspots, flares and geomagnetic storms change HF conditions, and how to read solar flux, the K and A indices and NOAA's R, S and G scales.
Operating
ARES, RACES, SKYWARN and AUXCOMM
By OneShack Staff
Four emergency communications groups hams hear about: who runs each one, how they differ, and how to get started.
Getting Started
After You Pass
By OneShack Staff
What happens between passing your exam and your first contact: the FCC fee, your call sign in ULS, your FRN and CSCE, and good first steps.
Operating
How to Send a Radiogram
By OneShack Staff
The ARRL radiogram explained: the four parts, precedence, counting the check, and how to pass your first message on a traffic net.