Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society

Etiquette on the Air – “Netiquette”   I tune into a lot of nets, both on HF and VHF/UHF.  Some of us can use a refresher on how to conduct themselves on a net.  A VHF/UHF net is usually, but not always conducted on a repeater.  When first getting on the net, it is important […]

Happy 2016 to everyone!    If you are a new ham, I hope you have made a resolution to be as active in the hobby as much as possible.  May I make some recommendations on how you can be more active in the hobby? Join a club.  Since this is a GARS publication, we have […]

I won!    I like watching a British Ham radio program called “The TX Factor” http://www.txfilms.co.uk/txfactor/.  They announced a drawing in the September episode for a “pocket Morse keyer”.  I decided to enter.  On October 2, I received an email from the show’s host telling me that I had won.  I was excited.  The host […]

  “I can hear him.  How come he can’t hear me?”   This is a common question among new hams.  Most new hams start out operating on VHF or UHF frequencies.  This means line-of sight in most cases.  Assuming a majorities of new hams have a “handy-talkie”, a little radio of usually 5 watts, let’s […]

Give Your Radio’s Signal Some Air Part 2   Last time we talked about some indoor and vehicle antennas for your HT (handy talkie).  We discussed the magnet mount antenna for your vehicle.  The metal rood of your vehicle is what makes magnetic (mag) mount antennas so effective.  Effectively, the roof in your vehicle becomes […]

Give Your Radio’s Signal Some Air Part 1   Most new hams will buy a small handheld portable radio as their first radio.  This type of radio is better known as a Handy Talkie or HT. When a new ham gets that radio programmed, he or she will hopefully try to make contacts.   Living in […]

Come to Field Day       Field Day is the biggest event in the ham radio calendar, and it is a perfect venue for new hams.      Here are several reasons why every new ham (and old hams, too) should come to the GARS Field Day. It is the perfect time for new hams to […]

Streaming Amateur Radio Programs Part 2       Let’s continue where we left off last month.  At that time, we mentioned the Amateur Radio Round Table and Ham Radio Now. Amateurlogic. (www.amateurlogic.tv)  George Thomas, W5JDX, Tommy and Peter host a monthly program about amateur radio. They are doing their monthly program live, usually on a […]

Streaming Amateur Radio Programs Part 1 This month’s column is relevant for both new and veteran hams We are very fortunate in the Internet age that we are able to watch programs about amateur radio on streaming video.  Here are the ones I know of: Amateur Radio Round Table.  This is a new streaming video […]

Some final comments on the Baofeng HTs.   Baofeng is now Pofung. From what I understand they have changed their name in order to come closer to pronouncing the name in Chinese. Chinese words do not translate well into English. Batteries America had the Pofung for sale at the Stone Mountain Ham Fest. This is […]

Beginners Corner January 2015 The Dog Show: A chance for Beginning Hams to Shine GARS and Gwinnett ARES helps do parking for the dog show twice a year. In return, the dog show hosts make a generous contribution to both organizations. We set up positions at several strategic points around the building and coordinate parking. […]