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Icom IC-R75 tabletop HF communications receiver came onto the market back in 1999 and was taken out of production in late 2015. Frequency coverage is from 30 hz right to 60 MHz. This allows one to catch the 6 Meter amateur band as well.

This article details an Inverted-L antenna design optimized for 160-meter band operation, consisting of a 10m vertical section and a 28m horizontal section supported by Spiderpoles. Despite its relatively low height compared to the wavelength, the antenna has demonstrated impressive DX capabilities, achieving contacts up to 3,453 miles into Asiatic Russia. The system incorporates a Pi-Network ATU at the base for tuning flexibility. While modeling shows a radiation pattern favoring the South, practical operation indicates effective all-round coverage on Top Band.

The article discusses the construction of a UHF band-stop stub filter to protect an APRS receiver from potential damage during a balloon launch. The author, who communicates using a 441 MHz transmitter, needed to ensure that the RTL-SDR dongle receiving at 144 MHz wouldn't be damaged by the transmissions. The solution involved creating a quarter-wavelength open stub filter using coaxial cable, which attenuates the 441 MHz signal while allowing the 144 MHz signal to pass through. The filter's design is based on the principles of constructive and destructive interference, with careful measurement and trimming to achieve the desired frequency response. The final filter provided 34.8 dB of insertion loss at 441 MHz and minimal loss at 144 MHz, effectively protecting the receiver.

This page provides information on how to design an Off-Center-Fed Dipole (OCFD) antenna, suitable for amateur HF bands like 80 meters or 40 meters. The antenna design allows for VSWR minima on multiple bands, making it a good choice for multi-band use. Learn how to create an OCFD antenna in either flat-top or inverted-Vee form using a single support. The page also offers tools to generate radiation patterns, VSWR charts, and antenna current diagrams for your specific antenna design, helping hams understand performance factors. Ideal for ham radio operators looking to build their own effective antennas.

The article by Guy Olinger, K2AV, published in the May/June 2012 National Contest Journal, introduces the Folded Counterpoise (FCP), a compact 516-foot single-wire counterpoise elevated at 8 feet, designed for 160-meter operations on small lots like 100x150-foot backyards. Originating from efforts to revive Top Band for W0UCE on a postage-stamp property, the FCP uses strategic folds to cancel ground fields within 33 feet of center, minimizing losses to 0.13-0.53 dB—outperforming sparse or on-ground radials by up to 15 dB in poor soil—while mimicking opposed radials for efficient feedpoint impedance. Paired with a critical 1:1 or 4:1 isolation transformer (e.g., trifilar on T300-2 toroid) to block common-mode currents on coax feeds, it delivers proven results: K2AV's #8 North America low-power contest score, 7+ dB gains at W4KAZ and K5AF, and over 10,000 global web hits for DIY instructions using bare 12 AWG wire and weatherproof enclosures. Ideal for acreage-challenged hams, the FCP also excels on 80 meters with scaled dimensions, offering a low-loss alternative where full radials are impractical

This blog chronicles over a decade of portable HF contesting from rural Ireland (2008–2019) by Olivier, operating under callsigns EI/ON4EI, EI8GQB, EI1A, and EI7T. Using only green energy from a caravan, he achieved top-tier results in major international contests—including 1st World in the 2018 IARU HF Championship (SSB LP) and multiple 1st-place finishes in CQ WW and CQ WPX SSB Europe. Operating in the demanding Single Operator All Band Low Power and SO2R categories, he deployed up to five antennas across five bands, often in remote or emergency-style conditions. The narrative blends technical detail, fieldcraft, and personal reflection, documenting triumphs, setbacks (including carbon monoxide poisoning), and the logistical challenges of sustainable portable operation—culminating in his decision to transition to team-based contesting and future DXpeditions.