Posts Tagged ‘Web’
Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2025
December 18th, 2025 | 
Author: 
Closing out 2025, here are the top five blog posts at k0nr.com during the year. Some people may see this as a lazy way to create one more blog post this year without much effort, and they would be right. These posts are the top five most viewed this year, but may have been written earlier.
Top Five Blog Posts
Leading the list is this blog post…a perennial favorite that seems to make the top five each year. This particular article is tuned for Colorado, but also provides a link to an article covering the topic for the USA.
In second place, this article from Sept 2022 popped onto the list. This post addresses some confusion about the common nomenclature of VHF and UHF.
In the third spot, we have another older article about 2m SSB that just keeps on getting views. I recently updated this article, which was written a long time ago.
Number four this year is a more recent article about the station I’ve been using for both SOTA and POTA activations, built around the Icom IC-705.
In fifth place is this article describing the RH770 antenna for use with dual-band 2m/70cm handheld radios.
However, there is a newer, better version of this antenna, which I just wrote about in September:
Editors Choice
Just for good measure, I am including one more notable post. This explains why I strongly favor using VHF and UHF frequencies for SOTA activations. It is all about Height Above Average Terrain.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
73 Bob K0NR
The post Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2025 appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
HamAlert Is My Friend
Many of you already know about this wonderful alert tool: HamAlert. From the HamAlert website:
HamAlert is a system that allows you to get notifications when a desired station appears on the DX cluster, the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, POTA, WWFF Spotline, or PSK Reporter. No need to keep checking these resources manually if you’re looking for a certain callsign, DXCC, CQ zone, IOTA island, SOTA summit or WWFF/POTA reference.
HamAlert is quite versatile, allowing you to tune its alerts to meet your needs. You do this by defining triggers that, well, trigger an alert. I won’t cover all of the possibilities here, but I will show you how I have my triggers set:
Most of these are just ham friends and family that I want to keep track of, see when they are on the air: K0JJW, KF9EY, KB9DPF, & W0BV. W0BV is a special case because he is an active DXer not too far from me, so it is helpful to see what he’s doing on 6 meters and HF. W0CLA and KV0CO are the callsigns of clubs I belong to. For these callsigns, the trigger is set for any activity on any band.
K0GU is a noted 6m enthusiast in Colorado that I follow because if something is happening on 6m, he is usually in the mix. (A major part of the challenge of 6 meters is knowing when the band opens.)
Probably the most important trigger for me is the Summit Association W0C, which alerts me whenever a SOTA activation is spotted in Colorado (W0C). I am only interested in working Activators on VHF/UHF, but I set the trigger for any band. Many times, activators are spotted only on HF, but they may still operate VHF/UHF. Similar to this is the POTA trigger for parks in Colorado. I just want to be alerted to park activations happening only in my state.
I have my callsign K0NR on the list because it is helpful to know where I am getting spotted. This can be very helpful when trying to work DX or activating a SOTA summit. If I am looking for a particular DX callsign, entity (country) or zone, I can add that to this list as well. When we travel, I may adjust these for local activity, depending on the situation.
I generally set up the triggers via the web interface and then receive the Alerts on my iPhone, via the HamAlert app, as shown below.
Anyway, take a look at this handy app and let me know how you use it.
73 Bob K0NR
The post HamAlert Is My Friend appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Kilo Zero Naval Reserve
I don’t usually get pulled into historical investigations, but I recently found something interesting about my call sign, KØNR. I received this vanity call in April 2002. Before me, Craig Larson W3MS held this call sign starting in 1975. These are the only two entries in the FCC database (Universal Licensing System).
The story starts with me poking around the Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications (DLARC), an online archive of radio communications media. I search on “K0NR” and got a number of hits, including an entry from a 1962 Callbook. Back in the olden days, ham radio callsigns and contact info were published in a thick book, kind of like a phone book.
The callsign was listed with “USNR” in the name or organization field. I wasn’t sure what USNR meant so I asked for help via Twitter. Quite a few people came back with “United States Naval Reserve”, which did turn out to be correct. The graphic below is from the 1962 call book and it has multiple callsigns labeled USNR and one labeled USN.
Then Jason W5IPA came up with a page from the July 1949 issue of QST.This article shows there were many amateur call signs assigned to naval reserve stations.
Click to access QST-1949-07.pdf
Then N8URE poked around and came up with this from a 1960 telephone book:
I suspect the 5-digit telephone number is long been obsolete. There still is an address for the Naval Reserve in Dubuque but it is on Jet Center Drive, near the airport.
So there you have it: it was common for Naval Reserve centers to have amateur radio call signs assigned to them. For obvious reasons, they tended to have NR in the call sign. K0NR was assigned to the station in Dubuque, IA.
Thanks for the help from: W5IPA, N8URE, K8BCR, K4ZDH
73 Bob, Kilo Zero Naval Reserve
The post Kilo Zero Naval Reserve appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
My Story on QSO Today
About five years ago, Eric/4Z1UG interviewed me for the QSO Today podcast. He recently retrieved and remixed the audio recording and posted it on the QSO Today webpage. There are a few places where the discussion seems dated (such as the discussion of Yaesu Fusion, which was relatively new at the time.) However, for the most part, the dialog was good and still relevant. Well, at least to me, because it was my story.
During the interview, I mention some of my Elmers, including Virgil/W0INK who influenced me early in my ham career. I also talk about the concept of 360-Degree Elmering, which means that Elmers (mentors) can be found in many different places. Other topics include: Summits On The Air, Colorado 14ers, the Tri-Lakes Monument Radio Association (W0TLM), repeaters, DMR in Colorado. There is a plug for Ham Radio School, where I continue to help out. Somehow we got on the topic of lists in amateur radio: DXCC entities, SOTA summits, states, etc.
Anyway, you may find it interesting.
73 Bob K0NR
The post My Story on QSO Today appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Another AI Blog Post: Who is Bob K0NR?
Here is another lazy attempt by me at generating a blog post using ChatGPT. This time I asked the machine to “tell me about Bob Witte K0NR”. I figured there are quite a few things available in the public domain about me, so it would be interesting to see what the AI came up with. Here’s the result with [my comments] inserted.
Bob Witte, also known by his callsign K0NR, is an experienced and respected ham radio operator who has been licensed since the mid-1970s. He is based in Colorado, USA and is known for his contributions to the amateur radio community. [I like the sound of this.]
Bob has a passion for promoting amateur radio and encouraging others to get involved in the hobby. He is a regular contributor to the popular ham radio blog, “The KØNR Radio Site,” where he shares his experiences and knowledge with other hams. He also co-hosts the “HamRadioNow” video podcast series, which covers a wide range of topics related to amateur radio. [Correct on my blog, but I don’t co-host any type of podcast.]
Bob is an active member of several ham radio clubs and organizations, including the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). He has served in various leadership roles within these organizations and has been recognized for his contributions to the amateur radio community. [Yes on the ARRL, but I am not an RSGB member.]
Bob’s interests in ham radio include VHF/UHF weak signal work, contesting, and digital modes. He is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys portable operations from remote locations. He has a strong interest in emergency communications and is involved in several emergency communication organizations, including the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). [Not too bad, but my involvement in ARES and other emcomm groups has faded quite a bit.]
Overall, Bob Witte K0NR is a highly respected and knowledgeable ham radio operator who has made significant contributions to the amateur radio community. [Well, I like the sound of this part.]
I would like to get under the hood of ChatGPT to find out how they connected me with HamRadioNow and the RSGB. These are two statements that can easily be checked and found to be false.
73 Bob K0NR
The post Another AI Blog Post: Who is Bob K0NR? appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Blogging With AI (ChatGPT)
Sorry that I have not been posting much on my blog. I have several other projects consuming my time and this blog has been neglected.
Then, it hit me: I should just let ChatGPT, a free artificial intelligence (AI) platform that is getting a lot of attention, write my blog for me. All the Cool Kids are Using It. I just entered “Please write my next blog post about VHF ham radio” and this is what I got back:
VHF Ham Radio: Exploring the World Above 50 MHz
When most people think of ham radio, they usually picture a person sitting in a dark room, talking into a large radio with a huge antenna. However, ham radio can be much more than that, especially when you start exploring the VHF bands.
VHF, or Very High Frequency, refers to the portion of the radio spectrum between 30 and 300 MHz. This includes the 6-meter (50 MHz), 2-meter (144 MHz), and 70-centimeter (440 MHz) bands, which are commonly used by amateur radio operators for local and regional communication.
One of the main advantages of VHF ham radio is that it allows for much greater range than the traditional HF bands (below 30 MHz). This is because VHF signals travel mostly in a straight line, and are less affected by the ionosphere and other atmospheric conditions that can impact HF propagation.
In addition to traditional voice communication, VHF ham radio operators also use a variety of digital modes such as Packet Radio, APRS, and D-STAR, which allow for the exchange of data and information over the airwaves.
Another popular VHF activity is contesting, which involves making as many contacts as possible in a short period of time. Contesting can be a fun and exciting way to improve your operating skills and test your equipment.
VHF ham radio is also a great way to get involved in emergency communication and public service. Many amateur radio clubs and organizations work closely with local authorities to provide communication support during emergencies and events.
If you’re interested in exploring the world of VHF ham radio, there are a few things you’ll need. First, you’ll need a radio that covers the VHF bands. There are many options available, from handheld transceivers to base stations with large antennas.
You’ll also need an antenna that is specifically designed for VHF operation. These antennas are typically shorter and more compact than HF antennas, and are available in a variety of types and configurations.
Finally, you’ll need to obtain a ham radio license from the FCC. The process is relatively straightforward and involves passing a written exam that covers basic radio theory, regulations, and operating procedures.
In conclusion, VHF ham radio offers a world of opportunities for communication, experimentation, and public service. Whether you’re a seasoned operator or a newcomer to the hobby, there’s always something new to discover on the VHF bands.
[ end of ChatGPT article]
How many factual errors did you spot?
73 Bob K0NR
The post Blogging With AI (ChatGPT) appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2022
Closing out 2022, here are the top five blog posts at k0nr.com during the year. Some people may see this as a lazy way of creating one more blog post for the year without much effort and they would be right.
Top Five Blog Posts
Leading the list is this blog post…a perennial favorite that seems to make the top five each year. This particular article is tuned for Colorado but it also provides a link to an article that covers the topic for the USA.
This is another popular article that provides an introduction to 2m SSB operating.
In third place, this post explains how the FCC rules get in the way of having one radio that does everything.
This older April Fools article from 2019 jumped into fourth place this year. I am not sure why it suddenly popped onto the scene but I think it is a fun article as long as you don’t take it seriously.
In fifth place is one of my favorites, an article that encourages hams to “make some noise on 2m FM.”
Editors Choice
Just for good measure, I am including one more post that I think is notable. This one promotes the idea of the North America Adventure Frequency (146.58 MHz), which is working out nicely.
Also, take a look at this post:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
73 Bob K0NR
The post Top Five K0NR Blog Posts for 2022 appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
