Amateur Radio Stack Exchange
Amateur Radio Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [equipment]

Questions relating to equipment for Amateur Radio operation.

Questions that surround the items and objects used to take part in Amateur Radio.

While most if not all questions could be related to equipment in some way, this Tag is specifically for questions about the equipment itself.

For example, if I was to ask "How does JT65 work?", while this would involve equipment, it would not be appropriate to Tag this question with the Equipment Tag.

If the question was, "How can I interface with my Yaesu FT-817 for JT65?" this would relate to that equipment, and the Tag would be appropriate.

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WWV, WWVH, and WWVL may be shut down. Are there any alternatives?

The US government is proposing to shut down the NIST standard time and frequency stations WWV, WWVH, and WWVB in Colorado and Hawaii. If that actually happens, are there any free or inexpensive alternative frequency standards available so that we…
Mike Waters
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Can you use a satellite dish for a ham radio antenna?

Can I use a satellite dish as a ham radio antenna? I was thinking that because there are two unused, working satellite dishes that have all appropriate wires attached conveniently to the roof of my house. Would there be a way to use the dish as a…
hopefulhacker-Reinstate Monica
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What does a lightning bolt symbol next to an antenna connector mean?

On the back of my Yaesu FT-897, next to each of the antenna connectors, there are lightning-bolt-ish symbols. What do these mean, and is there something I ought to be doing because of that? I have not found any description of a meaning for these…
Kevin Reid AG6YO
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1 answer

What is a waterfall display?

High-end transceivers apparently come equipped with a water-fall display - something to do with improved spectrum visibility. This is supposed to lead to potentially higher QSO count and rate. What is a waterfall display?
VU2NHW
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9
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5 answers

Why do some straight keys have a slider that shorts the contacts continuously?

I ended up with an old straight key that has a curious feature: below the main arm that you would tap on, there's an extra metal flange that can sort of loosely pinch an extra sliding lever underneath, basically like a knife switch tipped…
natevw - AF7TB
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8
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What is the point of a SWR/power meter where the needles cross over each other?

There are SWR/power meters with two separate gauges, and others that have them mounted so the gauge needles cross over each other. Aside from looking cool, does the cross-over point of the two meters provide specific or useful information?
Adam Davis
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Simple cheap foxhunting?

I'm currently looking to do a foxhunt for a youth group, and need to keep it inexpensive and easy enough that it won't be impossible for those new to foxhunting and ham radio, but difficult enough that it will still be rewarding. I'm a relatively…
Adam Davis
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Broadcasting a WiFi SSID long-distance

Which equipment would be good for broadcasting a WiFi SSID the longest possible range? We're making an orienteering race in a forest and would place a sender somewhere high over the trees, transmitting a WiFi signal into the forest. The SSID should…
sune
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What exactly was a decremeter and how did they work?

In A Century of WWV, I found this mention of an unusual sounding instrument that may have once been commonplace: Calibration work was mainly focused on decremeters, instruments designed for measuring the decay, or decrement, of a pulsed radio…
natevw - AF7TB
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What makes a good emergency-capable QRP rig for travel?

It's wintertime, which drives the concept of emergency preparedness here above the 45th Parallel. Am emergency-capable QRP rig is an excellent item to stuff into one's Go Bag or vacation gear, always but especially now. What's an essential minimum…
K7AAY
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UV-5R 4W BFB297 vs UV-5R 8W BFP3-23 (difference 4W vs 8W)

How big difference will it be between UV-5R 4W & newer UV-5R 8W (difference between 4W & 8W), in real life use 1 on 1 HT. In SAME conditions, how much different distance / range will we get? (simple example) So I want to buy two HTs and change stock…
SxOne
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Using standard headphones with the Yaesu FT-60?

I just got a Yaesu FT-60R handheld, along with the MH-37A4B earpiece. After having it around for a couple days, I think I'd like to be able to connect standard headphones to it, so as to be able to listen privately without carrying around an extra…
Kevin Reid AG6YO
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What rig or rigs are onboard the ISS?

This article mentions the Ham Shack aboard the ISS. From the picture it looks like a small very light rig like a Yaesu FT-817. What radio(s) do the astronauts use when they talk to Hams and School-age kids (with help from licensed hams) on earth?
Warren VE3WPX
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Space Requirements

As I progress in my path to getting a ham license I notice that a lot of radio enthusiasts avidly talk about their radio shacks (or do they call it cabins?). Do I need that much space to start? Do I have to set up an antenna outside? Will it work…
hopefulhacker-Reinstate Monica
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Do I need a precision wattmeter or will a $50 one suffice?

My transceiver has a built-in wattmeter but I've decided to buy an outboard one to monitor the antenna system before it reaches the ATU. I'm capable of putting out 100 Watts and I see that several manufacturers offer meters in the $50 range that…
Dax
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