AmateurRadio.com

Amateur Radio Weekly, a curated ham radio newsletter, celebrated its one hundredth issue on Saturday, February 27.

Cale Mooth, K4HCK, got the idea for the newsletter back in 2014. The Nashville ham had seen e-mail newsletters from Cooper Press like JavaScript Weekly and wanted to create something similar for the amateur radio community.

“Nothing like that seemed to exist in the ham world,” Mooth says. “Hams are great builders and engineers, but I think we leave a lot to be desired in the marketing effort. Ham Radio is a hobby, so we’re also limited in the amount of time we spend with it. The idea for a quick, weekly summary of what’s happening in ham radio was the main driver.”

When Mooth began publishing his weekly newsletter, he never dreamed it would become so successful.

“The first two issues or so were sent to my email address and that was about it,” he says. “To see the readership grow and to receive feedback from not only the local ham community but from all around the world has been amazing.”

“I think what really makes the newsletter appealing is the curated nature of the stories,” Mooth says. “It’s not a randomized, unmonitored feed. I’m constantly looking for interesting, and most importantly, material that might be useful to another ham.”

Mooth says he’s not completely sure what’s next for Amateur Radio Weekly, but he has some ideas.

“Specialized versions of the newsletter is interesting to me,” he says. “Separate issues dedicated entirely to emcomm, contesting, etc. Something with more of an editorial aspect to it would be a lot of fun. Now I just need to figure out how to add more hours to the day!”

Despite being busy with his job in product management at a software company, he’s still having a great time. When it comes to online content, he loves to find diamonds in the rough.

“My favorite thing is running across a random ham that has posted a great review or how-to article on their blog,” he says. “It’s often more personal and compelling than what you might find from a professional publication.”

Mooth sees Amateur Radio Weekly as his contribution toward making sure hams get the useful and relevant information they need, no matter which facet of ham radio they enjoy.

“Ultimately, it’s all about lifting up the ham community and promoting the hobby,” he says.

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