On the Air

On the Air episodes:

• 05.08.2024

  ARRL Forums at Dayton Hamvention 2024

  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...

  
• 04.11.2024

  Served Agencies: Who They Are and How We Serve Them

  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...

  
• 03.14.2024

  Contribute to Science While You Operate

  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...

  
• 02.08.2024

  The Joys of Being a General

  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...

  
• 01.11.2024

  Maintaining a “Junk Box”

  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...

  
• 12.14.2023

  More About Bits and Baud

  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...

  
• 11.09.2023

  The Value of Contest Clubs

  “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...

  
• 10.12.2023

  The Solar Eclipse QSO Party: When Operating is Science

  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...

  
• 09.07.2023

  Foxhunting Basics: Tracking a Transmitter

  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...

  
• 08.10.2023

  Technical Coordinators: A Tech Resource in Your Section

  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...

  
• 07.13.2023

  When Messages Matter: Passing Traffic

  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...

  
• 06.09.2023

  How to Get On the Air from an ARRL Field Day GOTA Station

  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...

  
• 05.11.2023

  Getting On the Air for the June VHF Contest

  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...

  
• 04.13.2023

  Where Do Hams Fit Into the Incident Command System?

  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...

  
• 03.09.2023

  The Thrill of the Chase: Radio Orienteering

  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...

  
• 02.09.2023

  How to Be On the Air All Year with VOTA

  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 –...

  
• 01.12.2023

  The ARRL Field Organization

  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...

  
• 12.08.2022

  Running an Amateur Radio Net

  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...

  
• 11.10.2022

  Operating Amateur Satellites

  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...

  
• 10.13.2022

  Basic Gear for Public Service

  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...

  
• 09.08.2022

  Make a Two-Meter J-Pole Antenna from Lamp Cord

  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,...

  
• 08.11.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 32

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

  
• 07.14.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 31

  Is 222 MHz really a "forgotten" frequency band?

  
• 06.09.2022

  ARRL's On The Air -- Episode 30

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

  
• 05.12.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 29

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

  
• 04.14.2022

  ARRL's On The Air -- Episode 28

  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.

  
• 03.10.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 27

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

  
• 02.10.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 26

  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.

  
• 01.13.2022

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 25

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

  
• 12.09.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 24

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

  
• 11.11.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 23

  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.

  
• 10.14.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 22

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

  
• 09.09.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 21

  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...

  
• 08.12.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 20

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

  
• 07.08.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 19

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

  
• 06.10.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 18

  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!

  
• 05.13.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 17

  A discussion of the importance of grounding with Ward Silver, N0AX

  
• 04.08.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 16

  This month it's all about Parks On The Air -- one of the most popular activities in amateur radio today. We chat with Audrey Hance, KN4TMU, who recently enjoyed her first Parks On The Air "activation."

  
• 03.11.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 15

  What does the new solar cycle have in store for the HF bands? Propagation expert Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, tells us what to expect.

  
• 02.11.2021

  ARRL's On The Air - Episode 14

  Taking a closer look at HF antenna tuners, along with some shopping tips!

  
• 01.14.2021

  ARRL On The Air - Episode 13

  A chat with Curt Laumann, K7ZOO, about inspiring club activity with "project nights."

  
• 12.10.2020

  ARRL On The Air - Episode 12

  A chat with Mike Corey, KI1U, about storm spotting and SKYWARN.

  
• 11.12.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 11

  What makes a particular antenna the right one for your station? There are several things to consider beyond cost and complexity.

  
• 10.08.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 10

  An interview with ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, about ARRL’s new “Learning Network” webinars.

  
• 09.10.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 9

  Let's talk about how to properly tune signals on the HF bands, and discover a few transceiver tools that will make listening easier.

  
• 08.13.2020

  ARRL's On the Air - Episode 8

  The ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative is for everyone -- not just college students. Find out more!

  
• 07.09.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 7

  A discussion of how to properly solder a PL259 coaxial cable connector. Also, courses that will help improve your public service skills.

  
• 06.11.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 6

  It's all about ARRL Field Day!

  
• 05.14.2020

  ARRL On the Air - Episode 5

  A discussion of modulation -- AM, FM, SSB and more, and a look at "go kits."

  
• 04.09.2020

  On the Air - Episode 4

  Get tips on creating a family emergency communication plan, and learn about installing coaxial cable connectors from Dino Papas, KL0S.