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Here are three affordable accessories that can help round out your VHF/UHF handheld transceiver (HT) kit. These items can significantly improve the performance of your radio and make it more useful.

1. A Halfwave Antenna for 2m

I’ve already written about the RH660 antenna, which is a huge improvement over a typical rubber duck antenna. Make sure you get the version with the proper connector for your HT.

A New 2m/70cm Telescoping Antenna

2. A Compact Magmount Antenna

Another handy antenna is a small magnetic-mount antenna for the 2m and 70cm bands. The primary usage of this antenna is on the roof of a vehicle, connected to your HT inside your vehicle. This puts the antenna on the roof, outside of the vehicle, working in concert with the effective ground plane of the metal roof. Note that for the magnet to hold, the roof needs to be made of a ferrous metal, not aluminum, fiberglass, fabric, etc.

This antenna can also function as a portable/temporary antenna by placing it on a steel object such as the top of a refrigerator, a cookie sheet, metal door frame, filing cabinet, metal folding chair, etc. The antenna is about 19 inches in length, so it packs well for travel. There are many models available, including this one on Amazon.

3. A Few RF Adapters

It seems that we often encounter incompatible RF connectors, so it is good to have a few adapters available to make the connection.

SMA Male/Female Adapters
These days, handheld transceivers have SMA antenna connectors, but some models provide a male connector, while other radios have a female connector. Having a few SMA adapters can deal with this issue.

SMA to BNC Adapters
BNC connectors often show on on various radios and cables, so it can be handy to adapt this popular connector to an SMA.

SMA to PL-259 Adapters
The PL-259 and its companion SO-239 are the most popular RF connectors for ham radio use, so you may encounter one of these. (I try not to call them UHF connectors: see About That UHF Connector.) They are not used on HTs, but you may find an antenna cable with one of these attached. Again, an adapter or two can help you make the connection to an SMA connector.

These are some handy devices to have along with your HT.
Any other suggestions?

73 Bob K0NR

P.S. If you are having trouble identifying the connector on your HT, take a look at this article: What’s That Connector On My HT?

The post Three Useful HT Accessories appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB)  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Portable Power.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

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AmateurLogic.TV Episode 210 is now available for download.

It started back in 2005 as one of the first Internet television experiments and is still going strong 20 years later. Join your AmateurLogic friends as we look back on some of the memorable moments of the past two decades. We also announce the winner of the IC-705 transceiver from Icom and the accessory package from Gigaparts.

Download
YouTube

Change has pulls and tugs toward the past and forward into the future

We hear the word culture bandied about all the time. It means different things to different people. Social scientists define it as follows:

As a sociologist and statistician, one thing I’ve observed about amateur radio in the U.S. is that culture has a strong pull towards the past. We often hear this coming out when hams begin some comment with their “tenure” in the hobby: “Well, I’ve been licensed X years and I know…” Substitute your own number of years for X in this sentence. The listener is supposed to genuflect toward this tenure in the hobby as containing superior knowledge and wisdom. Social linguists call this “indexicality” to indicate what reference is being used in the argument. (For bench testers, think “reference plane” in VNA calibration.) So many amateurs “index” their understanding of the hobby relative to when they were first licensed, especially if it was during their teen years. That understanding “indexes” everything that comes afterwards and results in much of the verbal conflict on the air and on social media. Or, in person, to the astute observer at hamfests, lol.

The power that such indexicality has on the hobby is related to the demographic composition of amateur radio at this time. The demographer Ron Lesethage documented how the age composition of a population is related to the values for having children, a predicate for population replacement. In most all developed countries, child-bearing age women no longer see giving birth as an important part of their future. This is a clear historical change with respect to how they define what is important in their lives as women, unlike their mothers and women in most previous age cohorts. This “index” by women in developed countries is an example of the power that these belief benchmarks have on society. With the dominance of Baby Boomers in the hobby, is it any wonder why so the view of many hams in terms of technology is much closer to the Spark Gap than it is, say, using digital modes like FT8?

What does this have to do with a Spark Gap transmitter?

It is a metaphorical reference point to the technological origins of the wireless which, by definition, was amateur in nature. If we consider an automobile as the ham collectivity passing through time, at what point should the Spark Gap transmitter leave our rearview mirror as a guidepost? Is that vision a stifling tug against our speed toward what is visible through our front windshield? Many historians and innovators say yes it is. Here’s an AI-assisted image to illustrate what I mean.

So many new innovations are before us. But so many index our progress against the earlier periods more adjacent to the ancient Spark Gap transmitter. This is a continuum, of course, but listen to the naysayer commentaries on recent innovation. Why are they “bad” for the hobby? Are they “killing” amateur radio? I’ve noted previously that change is often labeled as pending death to those whose indexed standards are in decline. Right now, it’s those of the Baby Boomers as they hold positions of power and influence in the hobby while they progress toward Silent Key status.

Remembering the cultural origins of an activity like ham radio should become history at some point. That is, every new initiate shouldn’t be held to norms of beginning at the beginning. It is thought that an overemphasis on history can stifle innovation. This doesn’t mean that history should be forgotten. This is not a binary argument. Quite the contrary, there is a balance and a place for history. New initiates into the hobby shouldn’t be pushed toward the historical beginning but acquire it as part of the present and immediate future’s innovation. The latter is often what draws newcomers to the hobby space.

What does an emphasis on the past do for progress?

There are several elements to the detriment of an over-reliance of early history as a main part of the culture of a group like amateur radio. An article on this by the Thought Lab says the following about it.

How an overemphasis on history reduces innovation

• Risk aversion: When experienced professionals rely too heavily on “how we’ve always done it,” they become hesitant to venture into the unknown. The fear of failure can stop the pursuit of unconventional, and potentially groundbreaking, ideas.
• Limiting frames of reference: Extensive experience and historical precedent can create a mental model of what is possible, making it difficult to conceive of entirely new possibilities. In this environment, alternatives and fresh perspectives are often overlooked.
• False confidence in expertise: A deep knowledge of the past can create an “illusion of expertise” that leads to overconfidence. This mindset can close people off to new information and different approaches, stunting creative growth.
• Subconscious bias against novelty: Research has shown that many leaders have an unconscious bias toward familiar, established solutions, especially when motivated to reduce uncertainty. This bias can cause them to reject new ideas, even if they outwardly claim to want creative thinking.
• Misguided strategic choices: As seen in Soviet technology policy, an incorrect assumption about the historical trajectory of innovation can lead to big, irreversible bets on the wrong path. Instead of building on existing strengths, leaders may shift their focus toward an ineffective strategy, weakening their own sector. 

How a balanced understanding of history promotes innovation

• Learning from past successes and failures: By studying the history of an industry, innovators can see what has worked and what has not. This prevents the repetition of past mistakes and allows for the identification of successful strategies that can be applied in new contexts.
• Understanding complex origins: History reveals that modern innovations are often built upon a long lineage of prior technologies and discoveries. This understanding gives innovators context for where to focus their efforts and avoids a simplistic or misleading view of progress.
• Questioning assumptions: Historical perspective allows innovators to question entrenched narratives and conventional wisdom. It helps them re-evaluate their beliefs by comparing them to a wide range of past scenarios, which can lead to new insights.
• Gaining resilience: Studying how past innovators and companies overcame challenges can inspire a more resilient approach to obstacles. Instead of seeing setbacks as reasons to give up, they are viewed as a necessary part of the journey.
• Revealing long-term impacts: History helps put the ethical ambiguities of new technologies into perspective. By observing the unintended consequences of past innovations, creators can better consider the potential long-term risks and societal impacts of their work. 

Readers can identify these issues within the hobby by just reading and listening for a bit. National and local organizations are legion for this “we have always done it this way.” Witness the ARRL Sections which arose when one of the Founders (Maxim) was organizing regional bodies to pass messages. Is this not a Spark Gap in the rearview mirror today? This geography to serve amateur radio in the United States is almost ludicrous. See also Onno’s article on changing the current culture in amateur radio. I could go on but this is a family-rated blog, lol.

What can we do about this demographic transition in our culture?

How can amateur radio more effectively deal with the shackles of a fossilized culture where tradition rules innovation? Do we need the Spark Gap in our rearview mirror as a guidepost? Let’s just acknowledge that no amateur could sit down at a workbench and design and build a modern transceiver! Take a Kenwood TS-590SG. It’s far from the leading edge. But could you design one? Then build that design? I couldn’t. Why would we? As Rob Sherwood has written (and I have analyzed), we have the best receivers that we have ever had in the current market. Even though purchasing semi-homebrew radios, like the BitX variety (and I have), push hams toward tinkering, they are not “production” quality for many ham radio activities—like contesting, DXing, and so forth. Yes, some do spend most of their time in tinker-mode rather than production-mode. What we know from Canada is that we have strong segments in “production mode” activities as well as segments in experimentation where homebrew radios have a better use-case for the population. Should we pressure all newbies toward the past when getting them interested in the present and future? My friend, Dan KB6NU, just wrote about this same topic.

Yes, I built a crystal radio as a young teen, using the Fox Hole model with a pencil lead, razor, toilet paper roll for the coil, and so forth. Led the building of an FM and AM station as well. Learned a lot. I still build a lot of things. These activities are highly useful as educational tools. But we must face that we are appliance operators today due to the sophistication of the technology. At best, we are appliance enhancers by homebrewing accessories, modifying “appliance” radios, and so forth. Yes, some do build and operate fully homebrew rigs. Bill Meara N2CQR of Solder Smoke comes quickly to mind. Nothing detrimental with that per se but should we have a norm that every ham should follow suit? When we get the Spark Gap out of our rearview mirror as a guidepost for the future, we will make much more progress with post-Baby Boomers for reasons I’ve outlined above.

It seems whenever I move on to the next windows operating, OS I seem to wait until the last minute. My move from Windows 10 to 11 was no different. For some time I was thinking about it and as always I don't run and upgrade when the new OS comes out. I have found in the past that some of the programs I rely on may not be ready for the new OS. Some time ago, I checked to make sure my PC was worthy of the upgrade. I ran the Windows compatibility test and my system passed. 

The difference this time around is I do have a clone of my hard drive located on a different SSD. If I find I did not back up a critical file, I can always boot to that drive and retrieve the file. As I looked more into the programs loaded on my PC, there were 2 major programs that needed a password when download and re-installed. I had no idea where these passwords were located, and that meant I would have to purchase the programs again. 

As I did further investigation, I found out Microsoft offered a Windows upgrade from Win10 to Win11 for free. The catch was if you had Win10 home you have to upgrade to Win11 home, you could not move to Win11 pro. If you wanted pro, you would have to purchase that OS. The main differences I could see were pro had BitLocker, windows information protection and the price.  I made the choice to stay with Windows home edition.  Also, I opted to go with the free upgrade to Win 11. To do this upgrade go to the Microsoft site and download the Win11 installation tool. This meant the installation would go over top of my Win10 install. Now I have heard and read of issues with doing this, but I thought in time if I find that it's just not working out I can purchase Win11 home and do the installation old school style. So far, things are working out just fine, and I am very happy with that. As a side note, if your system does not pass the Windows upgrade check thanks to a fellow blogger Bas PE3BAS, he posted about a program that can fix this issue and allow you to install Windows 11 on your PC. 

Hello and welcome to Episode 597 of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this episode, the hosts check out a ham-radio focused Linux distribution called arcOS. Topics include download and installation, philosophy and use cases, initial configuration and impressions, software package availability. design choices and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

73 de The LHS Crew

Commemorative VHF Net check-in 

Tuesday 7 October at 8 pm (PST)

SARC will be hosting its usual net at 8 pm (Pacific time) on Tuesday, October 7 on frequency 147.360 MHz +600 KHz, tone 110.9 Hz for a special commemoration of the society’s founding on Tuesday, October 7, 1975.   

Members and non-members are invited to check in.  We'll also be connecting to IRLP reflector 9005 for any stations who wish to join from outside our repeater’s footprint.  You can connect a repeater or your personal device by dialing node 9005.  

You can read about SARC's history at The Communicator Digital Edition: The Communicator July - August 2025

We encourage SARC members, past students, non-members, and readers of The Communicator to check in on this historic net and we hope to commemorate our 50th anniversary with a record number of check ins.

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