HAM Radio: Improving Range with Antenna Design

My new antenna design

I have two "HAM" radio antennas on my house currently. One is very obvious. The other is hardly noticeable. The obvious one (the big white pole out front) is my VHF/UHF antenna for transmissions in the 2 meter and 70 centimeter range- a potion of the HAM radio spectrum similar to AM/FM radio, which most people are more familiar with. 

The not-so-obvious one is a wire-system fixed to the side of the house which is hidden from the street. 

To a lay-person, the capabilities of these antennas may be misleading. 

My "big" antenna system; the VHF/UHF transceiver is very useful. However, at its highest power, it can only transmit roughly 60 miles in all directions. Meaning I can talk to northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and maybe West Virginia and Ontario on a good day. Still, there are advantages to the fast-wavelength UHF/VHF bands. Day or night, I can use my ICOM IC-2730 transceiver to connect with people clearly in my region. Neither weather, solar, or atmospheric activity will interfere with my UHF/VHF signal. This is why FM radio stations (and most police and fire departments) communicate on the UHF/VHF bands: Because signal strength is guaranteed within the local region no matter what. In an emergency, I'm happy to have my tried-and-true VHF/UHF rig, because I know I can use it to get in touch with people close enough to my location to help if needed. This is same reason FM radio uses similar wavelengths; because they want their music, news, and programing to be available to everyone within a certain distance, no matter the conditions. 

My existing UHF/VHF antenna

But as an amateur radio enthusiast, I don't simply want to talk to people in the next town over. The fun is contacting people world-wide! (even when it's not an emergency).

So, I set up my "HF" rig with the Yaesu FT-891 and a very simple end-fed antenna that should be able to get my signal farther than Pennsylvania. I wrote about it in this blog! 

In the hands of an experienced radio operator, HF radio waves (which have a lower frequency than VHF/UHF waves) can travel world-wide, if propagation and conditions are right. However, sometimes atmospheric conditions simply aren't conducive for HF signals. And, even if a signal can be heard thousands of miles away, it takes two talented radio operators to send/receive the signal. Interference from weather, solar activity, nearby electronics and genuine randomness, make HF radio a challenge even for the most experienced operator. So, while an HF wave can bounce across the world, it's never as reliable as the UHF/VHF waves we rely on to listen to FM radio, or critical emergency communications. 

However, there are many ways to improve HF propagation and make world-wide amateur radio communication more reliable. One, is antenna design. 

My new HF antenna

My first HF antenna, which I documented here on Cubical Ruins, was about as simple as an antenna can be. In HAM radio, we call it an end-fed "random wire" antenna, because it's basically just that. It's a copper wire strung as high as you can get it. And, it worked! On a good day, when conditions were perfect for global propagation, I actually used that antenna to speak with a gentleman in Southern England from my station in Ohio. I heard him clearly, and he heard me. I was using only 40 percent of the available power on my transceiver. So, it's very easy to make an HF antenna. Basically you just need a metal wire, and a radio! (but, an antenna tuner like the LDG Z-11 Pro and network analyzer like the NanoVNA do help A LOT). 

Eventually it was time to design a new, more permanent, HF antenna. I had a design in mind for a while. I just needed the weather, and time, to set it up. I would go from an end-fed "random wire" antenna, which transmitted from the basement window where my rig was, to as high as I could hang it (about 17 feed up the side of the house), to a horizontally-aligned dipole. 

Unlike the old "random-wire," the dipole would uniformly transmit at a height of about 12 feet above basement window, and from two points at the far sides of the northern end of my house. This means that total the total radiating and receiving portion of the antenna would be both longer, and higher-up, than the previous antenna.  

The result looks like a "T" shape with the radiating antenna crossing horizontally across the house, and the "unbalanced" coaxial line that attaches the antenna to the transceiver making the "stem" of the "T", which terminates at the basement window where my radio is. The entire system, like the UHF/VHF system, is now grounded to reduce electronic interference and to mitigate lighting damage to the home -yet another improvement on my old "random wire." 

At the very least, the new design is more permanent. It's solidly fixed to the house, and has survived two major thunderstorms with significant wind-gusts already. Plus, it now has a lightning arrestor, which definitely makes it a safer long-term antenna than the previous one. 

Contacting Azores with the new antenna

PLUS, it looks like the performance of the the new dipole has improved as well. On the first day I tested the new deign, I made contact with stations in Venezuela and The Azores! And, Los Robles, Argentina, a whopping 5.5 thousand miles away from my location using only 60 of my available 100 watts of power.   

Like any scientific inquiry, it will take a while to truly determine if my new set-up is success. But, transmitting, receiving and collecting data is part of the fun of HAM radio. It's an experiment to see if my new design is an improvement... or if I should go back the drawing board (so-to-speak). 

For now my new antenna works! And it seems to work well.    

Experimenting with Antennas: A Pursuit In Creativity

Testing my antenna using a NanoVNA analyzer

I'm writing this post now as a novice in radio. But, as I learn, I wanted to comment on how interesting it is to work with Antennas... you know, those big, strange looking structures on the tops of towers and buildings. Those dishes we use to get satellite TV (I loved having Direct TV), those fields of big disks we use to maybe talk to aliens, and those cute little feelers on the tops of ants' heads.

Again, I'm not an expert (yet), but antennas serve two functional purposes: 1.) to receive signals and 2.) to send them. A good example is my hearty, tried and true, UHF VHF antenna. It's designed to send radio messages in the very specific 2 meter and 75 centimeter range. In laymans' terms, it sends signals from my radio in all directions at roughly the same frequency as the FM radio in your car. So, just as if your were listening to an FM radio station based in Chicago, you could expect that the transmissions I put out will carry until you're about 60 to 75 miles away. So, If you're listening to classic rock in Chicago, and keep the same frequency during your journey, you'll like begin to hear static, NPR, sports radio or a charismatic Christian minister once you get about 60 miles out. Then, you need to re-tune in the local classic rock FM station. The same goes for my amateur UHF VHF antenna; anyone within about 60 miles can hear me clearly, when transmitting, at any time of day, but outside of that range I won't be heard. 

You've seen FM radio antennas just like mine before, they tend to be about 2 meter-high columns on top of a building or a tower of some sort. They're usually up high, because the farther above ground level they are, the better they receive and transmit.  

My UHF VHF (FM) antenna

However, antennas come in all different shapes and sizes for different needs. A concave disk is likely a receiving dish for a satellite in orbit around Earth (or beyond!). A short cylinder pointed horizontally is probably a microwave transmitter sending a signal on a linear path over land or sea in one direction. In an iPhone, the antenna is a simple metal node encased at the bottom of the phone near the charger. You can't even see it. 

When people typically think of HAM radio antennas, they think of the big towers that experienced, well financed, hobbyists have towering over their homes. I've called it the "tell tale" antenna, in that you can spot any serious ham by the big antenna on their house. However, as a new HAM radio operator, I've discovered that antennas are both much simpler, and at the same time, more complex than a big metal tower. 

My end-fed HF antenna

Take my simple end-fed, half-wave-length, wire antenna that I've been using on the 10 meter band for worldwide SSB phone and digital communication. It's literally just a 17-18 foot narrow copper wire hung on my house. The UHF VHF antenna, which took a lot of work, and looks impressive, is only good to transmit about 60-75 miles out -same as a typical FM radio station. But, the small wire hanging on my home's siding? If conditions are good, it can transmit to the entire world, New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica. (And there are people in Antarctica listening!) 

Below is a nice diagram of what a simple end-fed antenna looks like. To get the best reception, and resonance, you need to use some math to to calculate the length of your antenna. Because higher-frequency UHF VHF bands, like those used for FM, have relatively short wave-lengths, the antenna needs only to be one or two meters high. But for lower-frequency bands, such as 10 meter band I use for long range HF radio, you need a significantly longer antenna, like my 17-18 foot wire antenna used for around 28 Mhz. The reason why a lot of HAMs simply use wires is because they're portable. We can string them up when needed, and coil them back up for storage. 

Diagram of an end-fed antenna design

 

My home-made "dipole" wire antenna

When it comes to wire antennas, there are so many styles and variables to try. I'm currently having a lot of success with my end fed wire, which is also known as a "sloper" because usually it's hung diagonally, from a tree or structure, to improve upward propagation. But, since I'm limited in the space I can use at my house, I simply hung the wire vertically, and I get good results. Wire antennas can also be constructed different ways. For example, instead of an end-fed wire antenna which extends in one direction from your transmitter's feed line, you could use a "dipole" antenna which extends in two directions (poles) from a un:un or bal:un (or balancing coil), in the middle. This antenna design may improve propagation in multiple directions, and may also be more convenient for spacing, since the feed line is in the center. I'm currently working on a wire dipole antenna of my own with a store-bought un:un, but in the future I should be able to build an un:un or bal:un of my own, which is basically a wire coiled around a ferrite or iron tube; It's called a toroid. It balances the RF signal from the unbalanced feed line, so that the two poles of the radiating antenna are resonant, and RF energy does not feed back into the radio, which can not only impact the quality of your transmission, but also damage the radio.

A photo of a dipole wire antenna in the field

The big difference in the more substantial UHF VHF antenna, and the MacGuyer'd wire HF antenna, is that the UHF VHF, or FM, antenna can send messages about 60 to 75 miles out at any time of day, all-year-round, regardless of weather conditions. It's more reliable, and this is why FM is still the preferred broadcasting medium for radio. If the Solar Cycle shifts, you still get to hear Tom Sawyer by Rush (one of my favorites!). While it may not transmit far, you have steady reliability in a given range. Compare that with HF radio between 3 and 30 Mhz. Yes, with a simple wire hung on my house I can contact the world, but only at certain times given the atmospheric conditions. At other times my crappy little wire is unreliable. 

The insulator on my HF antenna

Take the 10 meter HF band for example. This range of frequencies propagates very well off any length of wire, if tuned appropriately. There's no need to install a dish or expensive antenna, and heck! you don't even need to get on a rooftop. Hang the wire anywhere, and you'll be able to receive and transmit signals. The catch is that the 10 meter band is only available during the daylight hours given certain conditions. 10 meter transmissions rely on the subatomic particles in the Ionosphere. During the day they create a "mirror" which reflects, and bounces, signals across the atmosphere. It only works during the day, when the sun is shining. At night, the band is not reliable, and signals from my antenna go off into the atmosphere, and right up into space to never be heard. 

We need the sun, and it's subatomic particles to transmit on 10 meters. At night, there is no sun, and no propagation. In fact, in the low portion of the Solar Cycle, it may not even be possible to transmit during the daytime as there is not enough Solar radiation to accommodate the 10 meter signal.

In short, a "bigger" antenna never really means a "better" signal. It all comes down to numerous variables. 

But, this is where the fun and creativity comes in! 

There are practiced and documented principles for making antennas; and, in general, (especially when learning), it's important to follow them. However, radio is a huge hobby that spans an almost infinite spectrum of expertise. So, there's plenty of room to experiment! 

Just speaking for my own radio club, the Portage County Amateur Radio Service, I've been introduced to a feast of Antenna designs made by local amateurs. For example: I got to assist in the construction of a J-pole-style antenna using all recycled materials. I am also learning how to construct a Quadrifilar Helix (QFH) antenna, with just PVC piping, copper wire, and other supplies that I can get at a hardware store. In the past I have use my UHF VHF antenna to receive satellite signals, but it's not specifically designed for that use, so I often have distortions in the images and data I retrieve for orbiting satellites. The QFH style antenna is designed to pick up signals from objects moving overhead from any direction. So, not only does it look really cool, it's also designed for better performance at that one particular task. 

A QFH (Quadrifilar Helix Antenna)

Antenna design leaves a lot of room for creativity. There are established  designs we follow when telecommunication is critical. However, as amateurs, we get to experiment too. I can create one super interesting looking antenna specifically built to contact NOAA weather satellites, and talk to my friend whose studying abroad in Italy. I can try out pre-tested designs or even try to design my own. Newly available meters such as SWR meters, and network analyzers, like my NanoVNA, make it easy to run field tests to make sure my design works. And radio equipment such as antenna tuners make it easier to transmit and receive multiple modes and bands on antennas not necessarily specifically designed to use them. This offers more flexibility when designing or considering new antennas. We have the option to make the perfect antenna for a specific purpose, or create an antenna, like the two I have, which comprise between serving a specific purpose perfectly, and serving multiple purposes well enough.   

There's no one antenna that will suit all radio needs, so HAM's often end up building and collecting many different models of antenna. They even use their expertise in wave propagation, to invent new styles of antenna! Which is why I find Antenna design to be one of the more creative aspects of amateur radio

Digital Radio: How to create your own Internet

Yes. You’re hearing me, right. I bought a Yaesu transceiver, a cheap Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, and some cables. Then I created my own Internet.

I can use my radio, a Yaesu FT-891 transceiver, and my Windows 11 laptop to build my own Internet. You probably have your own internet, it’s how you’re reading my article now! However, you are probably relying on a service provider and an electric provider to give you access to the Internet. You can contact your friends or loved ones overseas, but only because you pay a fee to the cell phone and Internet company.

 

What if I told you, you could communicate with the world without an internet service provider?

 

You can! And it’s a big reason I got into HAM radio. I can not only get on my microphone and talk with people all over the world; I can actually send them texts and files -with no internet service provider (ISP) needed.

 

Most of us “HAMs” use a system called “FT8” and an application called “WSJT-X” to send digital messages worldwide. FT8 is fantastic! We can see everyone who is active around the world, and we can contact them immediately. FT8 was initially created in 2001 and re-released in 2017 by a HAM radio operator named Joe Tayor (K1JT). FT8 uses 8 audible tones to transcribe small text messages into radio waves. So, using FT8, I’m able to send messages across the world using only a battery-powered laptop and radio. It’s like having a SMS/text message service without ever having to pay!

 

FT8 not only uses audible tones, but also employs error corrections, so that distortions in the transmission don’t create errors in the received message. Additionally, FT8 only uses 50 Hz, a very small portion of the available broadcast band. So, a lot of people can use FT8 at once without any service disruption. It’s also more efficient. I can spend all day talking on my radio’s microphone using 100 watts, and I won’t get to hear to anyone. With FT8, I can get a contact in Italy using only 15 watts!

 

FT8 is a data stream just like your WiFi network or the data you receive cell phone service on. But, it’s totally free and uses the radio spectrum bands the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has deemed FREE for amateur use. It’s like a more complex version of Morse code. Various tones are sent out via a radio and antenna, and are then transcribed by a receiving “station”, another person with a radio and a laptop with WSJT-X.

 

I’m not a computer scientist, so I can’t get into the details of how FT8 works. However, Thomas Brooks (KE1R) wrote an excellent article for QST Magazine explaining how the tone and error correction work. If you know as much as Tom, you’ll be set for life, because digital communication, whether it be via HAM radio, online, or on our cell phones, is critically important to our communications infrastructure.  Without it, how could you call your mom and dad on the weekends, bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers to win another NBA game, or post a good looking selfie to Instagram?

 

Fundamentally, those phones and systems we use are just like HAM radio and FT8. They’re more complex and private (encrypted), sure. But they basically use the same tech that we HAM’s use to talk on FT8. So, using digital modes like FT8 is not only a fun hobby, it teaches us how all digital communications work. Who knows, maybe the power and internet will go out and we’ll need HAM radio and FT8 to communicate? It’s happened before.

My Yaesu FT-891 Modular Rig Set-up

The radio

The Modular "Cubbyhole" rig

As a rookie member of the amateur radio community, and recent technician licensee, I’ve been looking to move forward in the hobby. Having contested with the PCARS/K8BF crew, I knew there was more fun ahead by investing in an HF transceiver and equipment.

 

I mastered two meters well before I even moved to Ohio and joined PCARS, so I know the real fun is in HF. I’ve had the opportunity to contest on SSB for many bands outside of my license permissions with PCARS, and I’m hooked! Not only that, but I’ve received a lot of good advice from the club members. So, the question was what HF radio to get?

 

I love the ICOM IC-7300 radios available at our club site, and I got plenty of suggestions online and from club members. However, I couldn’t find too many decent trustworthy used options with the capabilities of the ICOM IC-7300. Not only that, but the bulky frame of what I consider to be a base station transceiver takes up too much space for me. I’d like an HF radio that I can use at home, then throw in a backpack for a POTA activation on short notice. Additionally, I’d like something I can take easily with me to a new home or apartment if I decide to move.

 

My solution was the Yaesu FT-891. It’s compact, well regarded and it retails new for about $800. I couldn’t find a decent used ICOM or Yaesu for less than $600, so I figured I’d buy it new direct from the manufacturer. I follow numerous DX’ers and POTA adventurers on social media, and the FT-891 was a popular choice for portable operating, especially in the UK and Europe, so I was confident in the decision. 

End-Fed 10m Antenna

I was not disappointed. When I opened the package and set up the little rig, the settings and capabilities of the Yaesu seem to rival a larger, more-expensive, base station. It offers SSB, digital modes with CAT control, RTTY and CW, an easy menu for selecting power output and various settings -which can be saved specifically for each mode- internal tuning, noise control options, and a variety of other features. Its only drawbacks, in my mind, are that it doesn’t offer a very good scope for waterfall visuals -which can make viewing band activity difficult on a slow day-, and it does not offer UHF and VHF -which is fine for me because I have my ICOM IC-2730, which handles UHF and VHF very well for me already.

 

In about a day, I had strung up an end-fed half-wave 10 meter antenna with a 9:1 balun, and made my first SSB contact on my own rig in the UK with only 40 watts! I could hear my counterpart great, and he reported hearing me at about 57 out 59 (pretty good) in southern England. So, the FT-891 works like a charm for my needs.

 

The modular set-up

 

Earlier, I mentioned I wanted a somewhat compact rig set-up -a hybrid base station that can easily be used for portable operations when needed and wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to take with me if I move soon. So, I came up with a modular design. I bought these little metal desk-sized shelving risers from Amazon and created a four-slot “cubbyhole” shelf for the rig. On the left side, I have my VHF/UHF unit with the ICOM IC-2730 as well as my Uniden digital scanner. On the right I have my HF unit with the Yaesu FT-891, an LDG antenna tuner, Signalink box, and SWR/power meter. Each side has its own DC power supply, so even if I pull out the FT-891 and use it elsewhere, my tried-and-true UHF/VHF set-up is still operational.

 

In the back, I’ve cut and crimped all the wiring to exactly the lengths I need and also saved some pre-cut jumpers for when I need to change locations or re-organize. Each rig has its own antenna system, with grounds for both lightning-arresting and electronic noise reduction. So, again, the idea is that each “unit”, the Scanner unit, the UHF/VHF unit and the HF unit can all be pulled, taken away, and plugged back in when needed.

 

To the right of my rig, I’ve got my laptop which is obviously portable in-itself; but, it fills one important gap in my existing set-up: I use an RTL-SDR.COM V4 USB dongle along with SDR ++ to get a visual waterfall of the HF bands while using the transceiver. This makes up for the small display on the Yaesu FT-891 as well as the built-in scope, which leave a lot to be desired. So, the SDR dongle and laptop really add-in the features of a more robust base-station. I also use the laptop for digital modes on the F-891 such at FT8, and for stand-alone SDR projects, like connecting to NOAA satellites and home-made air-traffic control.  

 

3D-printed storage drawers

Lastly, a small feature, that I’m proud of none-the-less, are the three 3D-printed drawers I built to fit right into the gaps remaining in the shelving. They fit all the adapters, USB cables, and little pieces of hardware all HAM’s need to have around. Having lived in city apartments for almost 15 years, I’ve learned to really appreciate space and storage management, and if I keep going to HAM fests, I’m going to need it!

Solar Cycle 25: Using The Sun's Radiation for HAM Radio

According to NASA, we're now reaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25, meaning our Sun is launching radiation toward Earth at it's highest rate since around 2019. For most of us this doesn't mean much; the radiation is blocked out by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field -sometimes, we get to see the aurora borealis (northern lights) as far south as the Midwest, as high solar radiation means more charged particles in the skies. But, for those of us involved in radio and telecommunications, the peak solar cycle can be an exciting event. Amateur radio clubs like the ARRL even make merchandise commemorating the event! So, it seems I got into HAM radio at the perfect time. 

Monitoring solar conditions for 10 meters

In my last article, I mentioned I wanted to expand beyond my FM (UHF and VHF) radio rig, which is perfect for transmitting clear voice radio signals about 30-40 miles in all directions reliably at all times. This reliability is why FM is the preferred mode for commercial radio these days, and why UHF and VHF are used by civil services, police, and emergency dispatchers. While other modes can broadcast farther, their signal strength may be unreliable during certain hours, or reception can worsen in certain areas. 

However HF radio, with short wave-heights, and longer wave-lengths -10, 40 and 80m etc, instead of 6, 2, and 70cm) can reach extremely far distances with the same or less power than UHF and VHF. One of the main factors impacting how far a radio wave can travel is the solar radiation in the atmosphere. Working on the 10 meter HF band, for example, is usually only possible during daylight hours, since waves on these frequencies rely on bouncing or scattering off of the Ionosphere's free electrons at about 100 to 500 miles above sea level. At night, without the sun's radiation, there are fewer electrons in the Ionosphere, but they gradually increase as the sun rises throughout the day. Typically, the increased layer of charged electrons during the day acts as a mirror or wall for 10 meter radio waves to bounce off of and propagate farther distances around the globe. At night, and during times of low solar radiation, the less-charged ionosphere absorbs these waves like a sponge, and prevents them from traveling far distances. 

Think of hitting a golf ball onto a hard plane, and watching it bounce farther and farther toward the pin, versus hitting into a muddy or water-logged area and seeing the ball stop dead as soon as it hits ground. Just like conditions on a golf course can impact the ball, conditions in the atmosphere can impact the course of a wave. So, while HF radio may be unreliable and unsuitable for critical communications, it's great for amateurs who want to communicate world-wide (when conditions allow), and experiment with different modes and propagation methods. 

While my Technician-class amateur license does not yet allow me to transmit on most of the HF bands, it does allow me to use a small portion of the 10 meter band (frequencies from 28 to 28.5 MHz). Some of those frequencies are restricted to digital modes, and others for single side-band (SSB) voice and continuous wave (CW)/Morse code. Since I don't know Morse code yet, I thought I'd try SSB with my new Yaesu FT-891 HF radio.

While FM uses an entire frequency bandwidth as it's carrier, single side-band transmissions use only one side of each frequency's bandwidth the upper (USB) or lower (LSB). While SSB transmissions can be more difficult to receive than FM, they allow for more transmitters to be heard within the same frequency range, and also propagate farther at lower power outputs. So, when communicating on SSB, it's important to be patient, listen very carefully, and also provide good signal reports back to whoever may be able to listen to you. For example, if you tell someone can hear you, but their response is fuzzy or faint, you'll want to communicate that very clearly so they can increase power, or move and adjust their antenna. 

It took some time, but I did get my very first SSB contact all the way across the pond in the United Kingdom (southern England to be exact)! This was very exciting, and quite gratifying, as I had only previously used SSB at my local radio club, with their pre-configured radios and antennas, and even then I was only able to get contacts in the continental US and Canada. This time, I used my own expertise, and with my very own radio and antenna, sent a signal bouncing off the Ionosphere. I was heard clearly on another continent. My mom always said I was cool!  

A report of radios receiving my signal

That said, it really is a great time to use the 10 meter band, so I'm lucky it's the one HF band available as a Technician-class licensee. As we near the peak of Solar Cycle 25, propagation on 10 meters is as good as it's been in years, and heightened solar activity allows propagation even at night and before dawn. At midday, it's actually possible for me to reach much father than Great Britain, even with a lower power output than I was using when I reached England. 

However, in the next 2-5 years, the solar cycle will begin to go into decline again, and the 10 meter band will become less-and-less reliable. Even during daylight hours it may be difficult to make SSB contacts within my own state, let lone overseas, at the low point of solar activity. I suppose that means I'll want to pass my General-class license exam, so I can use more of the available bands and modes to stay connected when our atmosphere starts to get a bit more "swampy," so to speak.

Beyond FM: Advancing in Amateur Radio

Contesting at the Ohio QSO party

As I type this I'm also speaking, and being heard clearly, across northeast Ohio and possibly parts of southern Ontario on a frequency of 146.82 Mhz thanks to a repeater tower in Seven Hills, Ohio just south of Cleveland. I've just got done checking into a regular "net" hosted by the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and will soon give some short comments about my FM rig, give my answer to the CARS weekly trivia question and and hear some announcements for the good of all listening. 

Nets, like the CARS net on Wednesday nights, are a big part of amateur radio on the 2 meter and 70 centimeter bands. They typically occur on posted frequencies at scheduled times and allow regional communication in a range typical of an FM radio station or over-the-air network TV station. Repeaters, large receiving and transmitting beacons, host each radio operator's signal and broadcast it over an output frequency that propagates at higher power for everyone in the region to hear. So, even if you have a small handheld transceiver (like my $25.00 5-watt Baofeng UV-5R) you can be heard as far as the repeater transmits, as long as you are close enough to the repeating tower. Additionally, some nets host EchoLink, which allows individuals with amateur licenses to connect to the repeating tower via the Internet, and then be heard over the air waves; this is particularly helpful for new hams who may not have a device or rig capable of transmitting to the nearest tower, as well as old hams who may have retired to sunny south Florida, but still want to check in with their radio pals in Cleveland.    

My contact history and range on the FM bands

Today, I was pretty happy. Because the CARS net control operator all the way in Parma, 35 miles northwest of my station in Kent, heard me loud and clear before the net even began. So, even without the help of CARS' repeater, my voice was being heard well over a good portion of northern Ohio. So, my big spring project was a success! Once the net began, I could expect even better propagation across the region on 146.82 Mhz, since my signal was then boosted by a commercial transmitter located on Cuyahoga County's high-point of Seven Hills, where most of Cleveland's local broadcast affiliates lease land for radio and TV towers. I've come a long way since watching Dick Goddard do the weather as a kid on WJW FOX 8 Cleveland!

But, what's next for Ham radio? Now that I've got my UHF/VHF rig built, and even made some contacts from my Baofeng at some outdoor sites and parks, where do I go from here? 

The answer is to explore DX'ing (making contact with radio operators in foreign and exotic locations) and Contesting (gathering as many contacts as possible in a competitive setting) on the HF and shortwave bands. And, for that I need a bigger, more expensive radio and more importantly a General Class amateur radio license. So, advancing in my HAM radio journey will take a significant effort and investment as my current Technician Class license will not allow me to use most of the HF bands where it's possible to transmit farther than just this corner of the state.

Luckily, I can begin experiencing the excitement of HF radio already, with help from my local radio club, The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS). They've got an arsenal of HF radios and equipment, a station to broadcast from, and a wealth of experience from group members at all levels. And, the best part about working with the club, is that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows me to access all the available HF bands as long as I am under the supervision of the group. The same goes for non-licensed individuals who are interested in the hobby but unsure about testing for a license.  

One of PCARS' ICOM 7300 rigs

So, after attending a few events and joining PCARS, I've already got to use an ICOM IC-7300 HF transceiver at the club site, as well as a Yaesu FT-891 mobile rig out at the park. Both of these machines are excellent transceivers that I may purchase one day, but the units themselves plus any necessary accessories will run well into the thousand-dollar range. So, having the opportunity to use the club's equipment, as well as gauging my interest, is an important first step before I have a thousand-dollar piece of equipment collecting dust in my basement. Plus, being part of the club means that I don't really ever have to spend money on equipment again. If I want, I can contest and DX all I want with the club, and save my own money for something else like...sweet decals for my car.

Some of PCARS awards

Having not yet used the necessary equipment or contested on my own, I've already done both under club supervision. This past July, I made my very first HF contact on 15 meters taking part in Parks On the Air (POTA) from Lake Milton State Park. The following August, I participated in my first contest, The Ohio QSO party, from the PCARS club site. In that afternoon I officially logged my first five QSO's under the club's K8BF callsign: N3FLO (Pennsylvania), KV8P (Ohio), WA9TMU (Indiana), VO3NFM and VE3LFN (both from Ontario, Canada). Soon, I'll be taking part in Washington state's QSO contest known as the "Salmon Run," where I hope to make even more long-range contacts, and rake in points for our little club in Ohio. 

So, regardless of when I choose to test for my next license class or invest in more radio equipment, I'll continue to have fun and advance in amateur radio with help from PCARS. And, even if I choose to take a break from radio or focus on other things, I'll always be able to check-in on the various 2 meter and 70 centimeter FM nets in northeast Ohio. 

And, if anyone reading this heard my check-in on 146.82 Mhz on September 18th, reply in the comments. Especially if you were in Canada. I REALLY WANT to know if my signal can get across lake Erie... 

RETROSPECTIVE: Spurious Signals: Technology, Espionage and Football

As we officially end week one of the college football season, I thought I'd take a look back at an article I wrote about the new rules allowing in-helmet radio communication in games. After hundreds of games played over the past weekend, the system seems to be working quite well. In my observation, there was little noticeable difference visible to the casual fan, and -had TV the announcers not mentioned the change- I would hardly have noticed myself. 

Will Howard with ear-hole blocker in helmet

It seems the only minor issue may be that hearing the speaker in the helmet may be difficult for the Quarterback during offensive possessions, as they would often pause for seconds at a time cupping their hands over the helmets' ear-holes to better hear the audio. But crowd noise has always played a factor, and a Quarterback being unable to interpret the call from the sideline amidst the noise has been a part of the game forever. It's actually one of the more exciting characteristics of the sport; fans can actively impact the game by getting loud and interfering with one team's communication.

Interestingly, The Ohio State University, who plays in the enormous Ohio Stadium, seating 100,000-plus noisy fans, may have already planned for this. Their Quarterback, Will Howard, had a helmet which appeared to have an apparatus on the ear-hole to block the noise. I did not notice any other teams using such a device, and I'll be curious to see if more begin to appear in week two. Or, if ear-hole cover designs for The Riddel SpeedFlex or Schutt F7 helmets start popping up on 3D printing websites? Maybe I should buy a football helmet to craft one of my own for The Fabrication Lab. 

A few final things I noticed were that the hand signals and signs were still very much a factor, though likely not as noticeable to the spectator. NCAA rules currently cut-off in-helmet communication in the final 15 sections of the play clock. Additionally, with only one player selected to wear the radio helmet, other players would no-doubt still benefit from visual cues. So, as I predicted, any advantage or disadvantage brought fourth by the new rules, are very much determined by the humans playing and coaching the games (for now), and not the technology itself. The more talented (and better-prepared) teams take advantage of the new rules, while the rest fall short. So, in many ways, very little has changed. 

If you're interested, please give my old article on in-helmet communication in college football below a read, as well as Katie Lindendoll's intriguing article on ESPN.com, which provides a lot of critical and well-researched info on the subject...

 

Spurious Signals: Technology, Espionage and Football

For anyone who's never paid close attention to a college football sideline, it may look like a troupe of prop comics dancing all at once. The signs, props and posters are all part of a complex coding system intended to relay plays and strategies to the players on the field without tipping off the opponents. But beginning in Autumn of 2024, things will look much different. Prompted by a high-profile scandal involving sign-stealing, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) will adopt in-helmet radio communications between coaches and players.

With a presumably private line of communication between player and coach, there will no longer need to be a system of audible and visual queues to coordinate strategies on the field. Or will there? Will radio communication end sign-stealing, and even the playing field? Or, will it complicate things even more? 

In-helmet coach to player radio transmissions are common place in professional football already, and so far the results appear to be good. The National Football League (NFL) allows one player on offense (typically the quarterback) and one player on defense to hear play calls and advice from the sideline via a small radio in their helmet. Now, college football, often bound by history and sense of old-school tradition, has finally followed suit. 

As both an amateur radio operator and avid football fan, I was immediately curious about how these radio communications would be protected. How sophisticated are these radios? Is a sports team or league well-enough prepared to offer fully encrypted end-to-end communication without the possibility of transmissions being intercepted or blocked by bad actors? That may sound paranoid, but when you consider that the NFL is a close-to 20 billion dollar per-year industry, and that collegiate sports generate hundreds of millions for universities, conferences, coaches and now the players themselves, the financial pressure to cheat must be at an all-time high. Additionally, with recent legalization of online sports gambling, third parties now have another way to potentially cash-in on illicit activities involving sports. Could radio waves be a way to hack the system?

I, as an inexperienced amateur radio operator, can surreptitiously listen in on a lot of seemingly private radio conversations. With a scanner, I can pick up police, public works, commercial and aviation communications very easily. The Uniden BC125AT scanner, which retails at about $105 (USD) not only scans through all available radio frequencies stopping on any "hits" or active/open conversations, it also scans for and prioritizes privacy tone, or DCS/CTCCS, protected calls as well as "Close Call" hits that originate within a certain distance. With the Uniden, I can hear air traffic control, police, emergency services, commercial, GMRS, MURS and family walkie-talkie communications within reception distance. This would include business, event and organization, security, parking and other radio-to-radio communications. When programmed correctly, I don't even need to know there's a conversation happening, the scanner simply searches all frequencies and stops when it gets a hit.

If I take my Uniden to the airport, I can hear the gate attendant talk with the baggage crew on the runway, the pilots or airport security -assuming they are using a commercially radio or walkie-talkie. If I go to a NASCAR or Formula 1 car race, I can hear the drivers talk to their mechanics during the race. With a strong enough antenna (but still small enough to fold and carry in a small bag), I can even hear the astronauts on the International Space Station. So, I thought, what type of radio systems are these football teams going to be using to relay schemes and strategies with the potential to win or lose a game? If, I, an inexperienced amateur, can eavesdrop on police transmissions and air traffic, what protections are in place to stop an advanced user with better equipment from accessing a team's private channel? 

Thankfully, if the NCAA adopts the same security protocols as the NFL next season, players and fans can be relatively confident that no such spy-craft will be happening. A 2012 article by Katie Lindendoll on ESPN.com explains it better than I can. According to Lindendoll's article, and Dan Viglione, former employee of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the NFL's system is quite sophisticated. It involves encryption (which is illegal for amateur use), and both teams' communications are monitored by the league office. Unlike a standard walkie-walkie or GMRS radio, where transmission occurs directly from one user's radio to others, the NFL helmet radios transmit audibly, only to a central hub somewhere in the stadium and then connect the audio to a press box or the sideline. The transmission is digitally encrypted, so even if a person managed to find which frequencies were carrying the message -which is illegal, if done intentionally- all they would hear is fuzz, if anything at all.

The same happens when a coach in the press box or on the sideline talks back to the player wearing the helmet. During this process, the league monitors for any abnormalities such as jamming or spurious interference, which while possible, would likely block both teams radios, as well as other phones and devices in the area. If such a thing were to happen, officials could stop the game, and locate the culprit. 

Essentially, the helmet communications are a slightly more sophisticated version of your cellular or WiFi network. Your phone calls and texts don't go directly to the recipient, they go to an antenna somewhere nearby, forwarded to the intended recipient, and get decoded on the listener's end. And, it is very illegal to look for or attempt to decipher messages on the cellular bands. In this way, your cell provider acts like a hardwired switching board protecting your call each step of the way. (It's why you can be sure I'm not listening in on your private cellphone calls). Your WiFi network works like a mini cell service in your own home with the router acting as the switchboard. If you have your network set-up properly using WPA-type encryption and a strong password (that you don't give away readily!), the data in your home should be just as safe. 

The key factor here is less about the technology and more about the common-sense physical steps we as people take to protect our privacy. A well-secured network is only as good as the password it uses, and how well we protect that password. If our WiFi access info is written on a Post-it note, and someone else sees it, it's not the technology that failed, but the person who put the code out there for any passersby to see. Can we be sure that the staff members working for both the teams and the league are taking the appropriate steps to secure access to helmet radio communications? Who outside of the teams and officials could have the access info, or simply be present while a coach messages a player?  

From instant replay in football to the shot clock in basketball, just about every sport has adopted some sort of technology on the field of play. Whether it's for officiating or strategizing, teams and officials have slowly but surely adopted technologies invented for commerce, science and governing for the purpose of competition. While sports tend to lag behind broader society in adopting technology, the possibility to gain an unfair or illegal advantage, or to cheat, has always been present. It's no surprise, then, that as technology in sport grows so to do the vectors from which bad actors can game the system, including electronic communications.

College football seems to be the latest battlefield in the fight to keep playing field equal for all teams. A high-profile cheating scandal involving this past year's national champion, and nationally popular football powerhouse, The University of Michigan Wolverines, erupted in the mid-2023 season. A paid member of the Michigan coaching staff was caught at multiple opponents' games filming the teams' sidelines, in an apparent attempt to record and break future opponents' vocal and visual signal codes. After the revelation, many of Michigan's opponents expressed that they had long held suspicions that something was afoot, that somehow Michigan knew what plays their competitors intended to run in advance. If this all sounds a bit too outlandish, like something out of a Cold War spy novel, you clearly have a lot to learn about college football in the United States. It is that crazy. 

The Michigan scandal is still being investigated by both the Big Ten conference and the NCAA, and the result remains to be seen. Furthermore, sign-stealing and code breaking have been common place in both professional and amateur football since the invention of the sport itself. It's actually not against the rules to try and de-code a signal system during the game itself. What Michigan is accused of is traveling to future opponents' facilities and filming games where they are not involved, which is illegal. Still the NCAA regulations themselves allow for a considerable "grey area," where the line between breaking and bending the rules is often thin. 

Will radio communication lead to a more well-defined rule book, and put an end to this sort of rule-bending, or will it further complicate ethics surrounding the sport. Worse, could it lead to methods of cheating so clandestine and advanced that they go unnoticed by both fans and officials? Only time will tell, but until the results are clear, lets hope the only interceptions happening in football are those involving throwing and catching the pigskin. 

Lindendoll, Katie, “Are NFL teams hacking helmet headsets,” ESPN.com, ESPN, 2012.