Author Archive

Ham College 143


Ham College episode 143 is now available for download.

General Exam Questions Part 4
G1D – Volunteer Examiners and Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, temporary identification, element credit, remote operation.

https://hamcollege.tv
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Key Topics Discussed:
Volunteer Examiners (VEs) and VEC: The hosts explain the requirements for becoming an accredited Volunteer Examiner (0:24:57-0:26:28), including age limits and the necessity of holding a higher-class license than the one being administered.
Examination Procedures: Discussion on what happens when an examinee passes an exam, including the validity of the Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) (0:23:20-0:24:51).
Station Operation: The program addresses rules regarding remote station control in a foreign country.(0:12:35-0:14:48).
License Privileges: Information on how to handle license upgrades and the administrative process for updating license data in the FCC database (0:14:55-0:16:35).

AmateurLogic 220: It’s Going To Get Meshy


AmateurLogic.TV Episode 220 is now available for download.

Our latest experiments with Mesh Networking. Tommy builds a Solar Powered Mesh Node.
Emile talks about the rapidly growing Gulf Coast Mesh Network and demonstrates his equipment.
George unboxes an Elecrow Solar Powered M6 Thinknode.
And Mike opens up his new solar powered AM/FM/SW/BT radio to see what makes it tick.

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Ham College 142


Ham College episode 142 is now available for download.

General Exam Questions Part 3.
G1C – Transmitter power regulations; data emission standards; 60-meter operation requirements.
Demonstration of PEP vs Average Power. Effective Radiated Power.

https://hamcollege.tv
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Key Topics Covered:

PEP vs. Average Power: The hosts provide a practical demonstration using a transceiver and a True Peak Reading wattmeter to explain the differences between Peak Envelope Power (PEP) and average power across various modes like Single Sideband (SSB), AM, and FM (3:25 – 18:28).
Exam Preparation: The hosts review specific exam questions related to:
Power Limits: Maximum transmitter power for different bands, such as the 30-meter (10.140 MHz) band (19:05 – 21:53) and the 12-meter band (21:56 – 23:07).
60-Meter Band Rules: Specific operational requirements including bandwidth limits (23:08 – 25:06) and necessary log-keeping protocols (25:07 – 27:26).
General Power Limits: Discussing the 1,500-watt PEP limit for most HF bands (27:27 – 31:58).
Digital Protocols: The requirement to publicly document technical characteristics before using a new digital protocol on the air (32:08 – 35:36).
Effective Radiated Power (ERP): A discussion on calculating ERP, accounting for transmission line losses and connector signal attenuation. (38:03 – 44:44).
Community Updates: The hosts share upcoming plans for the Huntsville Hamfest (45:56 – 48:47) and mention the launch of a new dedicated Ham College YouTube channel.

AmateurLogic 219: Field Day 2026


AmateurLogic.TV Episode 219 is now available for download.

Field Day 2026 at Pearl River County Amateur Radio Club and W5AXC. Antennas, radios, and hams make for a fun weekend.
Mike’s SenseCAP K1100 and the Helium network.

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Episode Highlights:
In episode 219 of AmateurLogic.TV, the team reflects on their experiences at Field Day 2026 and explores various technical projects.
Pearl River County ARC: The team visited the Pearl River County Amateur Radio Club in Picayune, Mississippi, highlighting innovative setups like a multi-band dipole made from a chalk reel (3:12) and a vertical antenna construction (5:33).
W5AXC: George and Tommy shared their own station setups, discussing the use of the IC-7100, Icom IC-7760, and Yaesu FT-857D (11:15, 15:56), the challenges of getting antennas into trees, and the necessity of using antenna tuners and various battery solutions (12:33, 16:58, 25:00).
Technical Projects and News:
SenseCAP K1100: Mike demonstrates the Seeed Studio SenseCAP K1100 sensor prototype kit, discussing its integration with LoRaWAN and the Helium network to monitor greenhouse data (36:20, 41:40).
Mesh Networking: Emile discusses the Gulf Coast Mesh Network and the potential for experimenting with the 915 MHz ISM band (34:00, 56:59).
Homeowner Association (HOA) Solutions: Tommy shares an ARRL news story about a ham in California who successfully used a horizontal loop antenna around his fence (20:10).
Community Interaction: The episode concludes with viewer emails, including a discussion on troubleshooting an MFJ-949E tuner (47:47).

Ham College 141


Ham College episode 141 is now available for download.

General Exam Questions Part 2.
G1B – Antenna structure limitations, good engineering and good amateur practice, beacon operation, prohibited transmissions, retransmitting radio
https://hamcollege.tv

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Key Topics Covered:
Antenna Structure Limitations: Discussion of FAA/FCC registration requirements for towers, with a focus on height (3:40–6:00).
Beacon Operations: Explanation of beacon purposes, such as observing propagation (8:09–10:18), power limits (typically 100 watts PEP), and frequency allocations (e.g., 28.2–28.3 MHz on 10 meters) (22:48–26:48).
Transmission Rules: Rules regarding one-way transmissions, the prohibition of encryption (with specific exceptions for control signals), and the use of procedural signals like Q-codes (10:18–14:28, 18:57–20:00).
Legal & Operational Standards: Guidelines for state and local government regulation of antenna structures (15:26–16:56) and the definition of good engineering/amateur practice, which falls under FCC oversight (26:51–28:43).
International Communication: Rules regarding contacting amateurs outside of FCC jurisdiction (20:17–22:45).

AmateurLogic 218: No Static At All


AmateurLogic.TV Episode 218 is now available for download.

Major elimination of static and noise in HF radio reception using neural networks and machine learning. Sodium ion battery tests. Hurricane season preparation.

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Ham College 140: Beginning General Class Studies


Ham College episode 140 is now available for download.

General Class Exam Questions Part 1.
G1A – General class control operator frequency privileges. Primary and secondary allocations.

https://hamcollege.tv

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In this milestone episode of Ham College, “Ham College 140: Beginning Amateur Radio General Class Studies,” Professor Thomas and Dean Martin transition from Technician level studies to the General Class amateur radio license.

Here is a summary of the key topics covered:

In this milestone episode of Ham College, “Ham College 140: Beginning Amateur Radio General Class Studies,” Professor Thomas and Dean Martin transition from Technician level studies to the General Class amateur radio license.
Here is a summary of the key topics covered:
Transitioning to General Class
The Appeal: The hosts discuss why creators should upgrade to General Class, primarily for the expanded HF (High Frequency) privileges that allow for worldwide communication beyond the limited “sliver” available to Technicians on 10 meters.
Exam Details: They break down the Element 3 exam: 35 questions total, with a requirement of 26 correct answers (74%) to pass. The full question pool contains 425 questions.
Study Resources: Recommended materials include the Gordon West General Class study guide, ARRL license manuals, and the question pools available at ncvec.org.
Technical & Regulatory Review:
The episode dives into specific sub-elements of the General Class exam, including:
Operating Privileges: Understanding frequency allocations and where General Class operators are prohibited from transmitting (specifically segments on the 80, 40, 20, and 15-meter bands reserved for Extra Class).
Modes & Power: A review of power limits (up to 1,500W PEP for General, with some exceptions like 30m and 60m) and mode-specific segments (CW, Phone, Image, and Data).
Secondary Usage: Explanation of what it means to be a “secondary user” on a band (e.g., on 60 meters), emphasizing that amateur stations must not interfere with primary users and must accept any interference from them.
Channel Announcement:
A major highlight of this episode is the announcement that Ham College is moving to its own dedicated YouTube channel (Ham College TV). While it remains part of the Amateur Logic family and will still stream live at live.amateurlogic.tv, recorded episodes will now be hosted on this new separate channel, https://youtube.com/HamCollege-ALTV .
The episode concludes with a practice quiz where the hosts (and the live chat) test their knowledge on frequency segments and band regulations, providing a helpful review for anyone looking to upgrade their license before upcoming events like Field Day.


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  • Matt W1MST, Managing Editor