RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 29, 2017
- 4 min
# 29 - Is "Big Brother" Making Us Safer?
Many people believe that Edward Snowden and other like him that have leaked classified information about the National Security Agency (NSA), and others within the intelligence community spying on American citizens are traitors and should be put to death. Most people have no idea of the extent that the intelligence community spies on American citizens. More likely they refuse to believe that our government would actively spy on them because they have the mistaken belief that t
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 27, 2017
- 2 min
# 28 - Choosing Emcomms Radios
I have been searching for the right emergency communications (Emcomms) radio for my go-kit. I need a radio that will at least cover the 2-meter, 20-meter, and 40-meter bands. It needs to be able to transmit at least 35 to 50 watts of power. It also needs to be small and easily transportable to a deployment site and set up quickly. I already have a 50-watt dual band 2-mater / 70cm mobile radio but it does not cover the HF bands. I will be installing this radio in my van that I
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 21, 2017
- 5 min
# 27 - Digital Comms for Preppers Via Ham Radio
I already had a discussion about the need for amateur radio in your EmComms plans as a prepper, but now I want to talk briefly about one specific aspect of your communications after a SHTF situation. Digital Communications. When the SHTF and the whole world has turned upside down and no one knows what to do, gathering reliable information that will help you to determine your next move will be a priority. Also, having a reliable communication system that the gang of thieves do
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 21, 2017
- 3 min
# 26 - I Am Now An ARRL Licensing Instructor
Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I decided while I am studying for my Extra class license that I would give back to the community and see about becoming an instructor for new hams. I just received notice today that the ARRL has accepted me as a Registered Licensing Instructor. I am now able to teach both the Technician and General license preparation classes. I will not be able to teach the Extra class until after I receive my Extra ticket myself, but I can now te
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 17, 2017
- 2 min
# 25 - I'm Finally Licensed
This past week and a half has been torture waiting for the FCC to process my General class amateur radio license and issue a callsign, but they finally processed it today. My original callsign from over 30 years ago was already used by someone else, so they had to issue me a new callsign: WH6FQE That is a mouthful, so I applied for a vanity callsign that will be easier for me to remember. It will take a couple weeks for them to process the modification to my license, so I wi
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 16, 2017
- 3 min
# 24 - ARPA - Is It Needed?
I have spoken to several amateur radio operators regarding the Amateur Radio Parity Act (ARPA), it's need for those hams living in home owner's associations, and what the ARPA would mean to them if it passes. First off, lets take a look at what the ARPA is so that we can better understand it. The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 was introduced in the US Senate on July 12, marking another step forward for this landmark legislation. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Richard Blum
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RC Anderson, Ph.D. - WH6FQE
- Nov 13, 2017
- 3 min
# 23 - Getting Your Ham Radio License
Ok, so you have decided to get your ham radio license, so let's take a look at what is involved. Amateur radio currently has 3 levels of licenses; Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Each higher license level that you attain gives you additional frequency privileges and additional modes of operation that you can use on those frequencies. The technician class is the "entry level" license class. The technician exam is a 35 question multiple-choice exam taken from a pool of
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