Ham Shack Reviews offers reviews, articles, and technical pages to help other amateurs grow within the hobby. Amateur radio is more then a hobby for many people, it is a way of life. This lifestyle offers so many fun ham radio activities, and different modes to participate in that you can stay busy trying new things.

Our goal is to communicate accurately while pursuing our interests of nets, contests, CW, DX, or digital radio. We learn all we can, and pass it on to others when we can. Experienced operators, called “Elmers,” help the new hams when they have questions.

We welcome the newcomer and will take the time to help them get their license and start the journey. We guide them in making the correct gear selection so they can get started, as well as, help them set it up. The beginner is the lifeblood for the future of the hobby. 

Amateur Radio Interests

Nets: These are pre determined groups that meet and discuss a specific topic or just the days events. This is a great way to get to know your fellow ham.

Contests: There are contests most weekends where the goal is to make as many contacts as possible, get the highest score, and work as many countries or prefixes, etc…

CW: Sending and receiving Morse code is a fun part of the hobby, many hams use the CW mode.

DX: This is where you try to talk to new countries, or anyone outside of your country. You can earn awards like DXCC, WAS, WAZ, and more. 

Digital Modes: There are newer digital modes to try, many new hams tend to gravitate towards them. Some of them are C4FM, DMR, D-Star, FT4, FT8, and so on.

POTA: Amateur operators will set up a station in a park and make contacts. This is a fantastic event to get out of the shack and enjoy nature.

Off Air Interests

Building Antennas: We use antennas to transmit and receive the radio signals, understanding and building them can be rewarding and loads of fun.

Electronics: Learning to repair or build components, radios, or amplifiers is a specialty that requires several years of learning, however, it is very rewarding to finish a build. You can even earn a few dollars repairing radios for other hams.

Repeaters: Repeaters are used to receive and retransmit a signal at greater distances, these are used in VHF/UHF. You can also find them on the high end of 10 meters. A licensed amateur operator can own and install a repeater, and many have more then one.

Emergency Management: There is a large groups of amateurs that train, and volunteer themselves, and their gear to help the community when a disaster arises. We also assist in events when needed for security, parking, or fund raising events.

These are just some of the things that you can do in amateur radio. 

Ham Shack Reviews

Here at Ham Shack Reviews, we are always looking for new authors to review gear and share their experience. Just email us at W2KU@ARRL.net.