Ham Learning
This page is a work in progress, but is intended as a starting point to help hams new and old with learning about various ham radio related topics. If you have suggestions about topics you want highlighted here, or there is information that needs to be updated, please contact webmaster@k4rc.net
Local Radio Clubs
If you would like to check out some of the other clubs in the area, here are some links.
Middle Peninsula Amateur Radio Club
Peninsula Amateur Radio Club
Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society
USS Wisconsin Radio Club
Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club
Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service (CARS)
Western Tidewater Radio Association
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
APRS is not just a vehicle tracking system. It is a two-way tactical real-time digital communications system between all assets in a network sharing information about everything going on in the local area. On ham radio, this means if something is happening now, or there is information that could be valuable to you, then it should show up on your APRS radio in your mobile. APRS also supports global callsign-to-callsign messaging, bulletins, objects email and Voice because every local area is seen by the Internet System (APRS-IS)! APRS should enable local and global amateur radio operator contact at anytime-anywhere and using any device.
APRS.org Bus Bruninga, WB4APR, the father of APRS
findU is a database archiving weather, position, telemetry, and message data
Google Maps APRS mapping
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
UI-View is a very popular Windows APRS program
APRS for Windows and Apple
D-STAR radio conversion to GPS mode/APRS
One of many hardware vendors
TNC-X – The Expandable TNC
Batteries and Power
Batteries America wide selection, and many unique items
MaHa battery supplier
Powerwerx great site for wire, dc distribution systems, and powerpoles
W & W Manufacturing battery supplier
Call Sign and QSL Lookup
World Wide HamCall call sign server at www.buck.com
eHam.net
FCC Universal Licensing System
Mikes amateur radio page great source for looking up QSL information
QRZ Callsign database
Canadian amateur call sign database
Contesting
ARRL Contest Calendar
Contesting online community the sport of amateur radio
N3FJP contesting, as well as other logging, software
N1MM Logger a free contest logging program
WA7BNM Contest Calendar
CW – Continuous Wave
AA9PW Morse code practice page, very good resource
ARRL W1AW Code Practice Files
FISTS The International Morse Preservation Society
G4FON Very good, free software for learning and practicing Morse code (Windows only)
SKCC Straight Key Century Club
Digital Modes
PSK31 information
Home of KR4MA the packet guru
TAPR one of the originals in digital communications
West Mountain Radio home of the RigBlaster
Winlink 2000 email (and so much more) over packet
Dx information
www.425dxn.org Dx news and resources
www.ac6v.com Dx resources
IRLP admittedly not “Dx”, but a fun way to talk to different locations
Dx Zone a huge resource for all kinds of Dx’ing information
Equipment Suppliers and Manufacturers
Alinco
DX Engineering
Ham Radio Outlet
Elecraft
ICOM
Kantronics
Kenwood
MFJ
Rohn Towers
Ten-Tec
Yaesu
West Mountain Radio
Emergency Communications
FEMA Emergency Management Institute
Virginia ARES/RACES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service)
Exam and Morse Practice
www.aa9pw.com exam and Morse Code practice
eHam.net practice exams
QRZ practice exams (note, must register for QRZ account)
Hamfests
Frostfest Richmond, VA winter hamfest
Hamvention the Dayton, OH hamfest
Hamcation the Orlando, FL hamfest
RARSfest the Raleigh, NC hamfest
Virginia Beach hamfest in Virginia Beach, VA
Handicapped Ham Resources
Handi-Hams ham radio resources for folks with disabilities
Homebrew
AB3AP’s website with some nice homebrews, including cake pan “Scrounger I & II”
Almost All Digital Electronics home of the famous L/C Meter IIB (available as a kit)
Arizona ScQRPion Paddle Kits
DC1YB’sHomebrew Amateur Radio Projects – includes 2m HT
EI9GP’s site lots of links and pics
Elecraft home of the K2, the standard by which other receivers are judged
Electronic Goldmine online source for high tech and unique electronic components
Fair Radio electronic military surplus
Far Circuits a manufacturer of Printed Circuit Boards for electronic projects
GQRP Radio Club low power amateur radio
Ham Gadgets no description needed
Hendricks QRP Kits
Jackson Harbor Press chips and kits for sale
Jeff Duntemann’s Radio Gallery lots of other items on associated pages, great site
Kanga US many kits – be patient with the site, apparently in process of a make over
KD1JV / QRP kits and projects for the low power amateur radio enthusiasts
N1LO’s website with information on many homebrew projects
NorCal QRP Club a long and distinguished QRP and kit building history
QRP Amateur Radio Club International home of QRP quarterly, great kits and circuits
Small wonder labs home of the rock mite
Surplus Sales of Nebraska test equipment, parts, project boxes, lots of good stuff
The Toroid King kits and parts
VE1DY’s site some nice ideas, and lots of interesting pics
Walford Electronics kits for radio amateurs
Wilderness Radio Sierra, one of the all-time classic QRP radios
Magazines and Periodicals
73 Magazine, an out-of-print amateur radio magazine
AntennaX
CQ Magazine
QST
Worldradio
Organizations
10-10 International
AMSAT Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ATNA The Amateur Television Network
ARRL Amateur Radio Relay League
FCC Federal Communications Commission
FCC Amateur Radio Service
FCC Homeland Security Policy Council
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FISTS The International Morse Preservation Society
IARU The International Amateur Radio Union
MARS Military Affiliate Radio System
Virginia ARES/RACES Virgina ARRL Statewide Emergency Communications Organization
W5YI Training, books, exams, vanity calls, and many more resources
Repeater Listings
ArtSciPub Artsci Publications, where art and science works for you
AC6V repeater lists World Wide Ham Repeaters
K1IW Amateur Repeater and Broadcast Transmitters Database
Scanning
RadioReference your complete reference source
Standards and Time
WWV NIST Radio Station WWV | Fort Collins, Colorado
WWVH NIST Radio Station WWVH | Kauai, Hawaii
WWVB NIST Radio Station WWVB | Fort Collins, Colorado
WorldTimeZone.com time zones around the world
Weather and Storm Related
Blackmore Weather Station Hampton, VA nice weather page
Dominion Power’s Storm Center, with outage maps
Intellicast forecast for Williamsburg with links to other information
Hurricane Watch Net lot of good info, active when hurricane is going ashore
National Hurricane Center tropical prediction center for hurricanes and cyclones
NOAA-National Weather Service national weather information and alerts
Tropical Weather Information tons of info and pictures of latest tropical information
Wakefield, VA NWS Website weather and radar information for southeastern Virginia
Weather.com the Weather Channel
Weather Matrix worldwide organization of 10,000+ weather enthusiasts
Weather Underground for Williamsburg, VA