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.

Fabrication Lab: Perfecting the Craft

Between ice hockey, Lego's, portable radio operations and my job at The University of Chicago that makes all this possible, you may have forgotten that I maintain a 3D printing hobby. I have a whole section of my blog, "Fabrication Lab" dedicated to it. So, I thought I'd write a post returning to my 3D printing hobby. 

My latest adventure in 3D printing was not so much about the models and prints themselves, but fine-tuning my printer. I had a problem, a small problem, but a problem none-the-less: My prints had lines in them. They printed successfully, but they were imperfect. They had lines of filament that were skipped, meaning that there were visible imperfections in the final product. 

The top two boats have "lines". The bottom one is perfect.

For weeks, I couldn't figure out the problem. I tried making a cool looking Tiki mug for my friend, but it kept coming out of the printer with lines. In other words, it wasn't as nice looking as it could have been. I finally gave my buddy his imperfect Tiki mug, and while he still loved it, I felt bad because I knew a Creality K1 Max should print better than the product I was able to give. And, if it were something more than a Tiki mug, I wouldn't want flaws in the filament layout... especially if it was a load-baring object. 

I took some time over winter break to experiment with my printer. I didn't know what was causing the lines (imperfections). I tired adjusting a number of variables: I used different filaments (from PLA to ABS) , I tried heating the build plate (from 50 degrees Celsius to 80, and then to 100 degrees), and I also replaced the 0.4 millimeter nozzle on my K1 Max. Nothing helped, regardless of the temperature or settings I adjusted, the prints were coming out imperfect.        

The nice thing about having a Creality printer, though, is that they have an open-sourced plan, with easily replaceable parts. I was at my wits' end, and I didn't want to cut open a $1,000 dollar machine and risk breaking it... But what good is a printer that can't print perfectly? 

I logged on to YouTube, and watched some helpful tutorials on how to replace the extruder for the K1 Max. It turns out, it was easier than I thought. You need to be very careful to keep each piece, and document the deconstruction so you know how to put it all back together. However, outside of that, it's basically just a matter of following directions. 

When I dissembled the extruder, I found the problem. The gears that pull the filament into the heater and then lay them onto the build plate had a flaw. Some of the claws in the gears were worn down. I believe it happened when I used a metal wire to force out a filament clog. I fixed the clog, but in doing so I damaged the gears. Each time the gears and filament met at the damaged part, the K1 stopped extruding. It still made the full prints, but those prints had visible lines where the material was not laid down. Those tiny imperfections in the extruder gears led to tiny imperfections in the final prints.        

Luckily, I had a Creatily printer which (at least for now) supports tons of parts, modifications, and third-party enhancements. I bought myself a completely new extruder with good gears for 26 dollars on Amazon. There were plenty of YouTube videos to help me complete the installation, and it was mostly painless. 

The most important thing is that I was able to get my K1 Max (which I have a lot of money invested in) printing perfectly again. All it took was a replacement part costing 26 dollars, and some workshop tools like a screw driver.      

The Creality K1 Max

All in all, it ended up being a fun and engaging experience. While I would've wished my K1 kept printing perfectly without any repair needed, it didn't. I used the opportunity to figure out how to repair her! 

It did cost a little bit of money, but 26 bucks is nothing compared to buying a whole new printer: a K1 or any other brand. I also believe this speaks to Creality's commitment to the "open-source" model. Creality printers let us users use any software we'd like, and open their own equipment up to third-party replacement parts. So, us consumers can keep our equipment, design our prints, and (importantly) repair our own machines at a reasonable cost, with Creality parts or with third-party parts. 

MicroSwiss, for example, is an excellent third party part-maker for 3D printing. And they have parts that work with both my Ender 3 and K1 Max. While Creality provides quality replacement parts themselves, I'm glad their machines are compatible with other firms' products. It's truly good for the industry, and for hobbyists like myself!    

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!

The Joys of Ice Hockey

When I was a schoolboy, I had a particularly crabby English teacher. If she wasn't giving long-winded lectures on topics unrelated to the books she assigned, she would sit at her desk and observe us while we read the book ourselves.

During one of these "reading" periods, I happened to fall asleep at my desk. I woke to that teacher slamming a hardcover book on the desk... the desk on which my head was resting. 

"I'm sorry" I said,"I had a hockey game last night, and I'm kinda tired." 

She snapped, "What's more important to you, Stephen? School or Hockey!" 

"Do you really want to know the answer?" was my reply. 

It was, of course, hockey.

That day, I made an enemy of that teacher. But, I made a classroom of friends (most of them were at that game). 

It seems like ice hockey was in my blood from a young age. Even though my parents didn't play themselves, they took me to Kent State NCAA Division-I hockey games as a kid, because we happened to live very near an ice rink in Kent, Ohio. My father actually got to be an extra in the film Slapshot which was filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I played in a tournament in that same rink more than a decade later.

I could go on at length about my hockey stories... Meeting the legendary Czech, and hall-of-fame Pittsburgh Penguin, Jaromir Jagr; Billeting in Embro, Ontario for a US-Canada Hockey exchange; and playing on the ice of Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. But, I digress.... 

Basically, in my younger years, I was a pretty good hockey player. Not great, but good. I believe my peak was going to the Mid-American USA Hockey Development Camp tryouts. It was a big deal. I even got to skip two days of school to travel to Toledo, Ohio to participate. I didn't really have any goals in-mind other than to do the best I could, and get some extra skating time in. Yet, I found myself skating, and competing with the best hockey players of my age-group. They towered over me and out-weighed me. I knew I was not going to be selected from the first minute I stepped on the ice. But, I participated, and I actually made some good plays -enough to get a nice pat on the shin pads from my bench-mates, and a slap on the helmet from a few coaches. 

I didn't get selected. Afterwards, I was more tired than I have been my entire life. I was glad I did my best, and I skated with future NHL and AHL players. I could share the same rink with them, and get their acknowledgements when I did make a (rare) nice play. And, when I went back to playing high school hockey, I played like I was on fast-forward, and the rest of the players were on slow-motion. It was one of the best learning experiences I've ever had in any subject, professional or otherwise.

When we valiantly bowed out of the OHSAA playoff to a far-superior team my Senior year, I was more relieved than sad. There was college and marching band to look forward too; but mostly, I was grateful that I never had to do another practice, sprint or conditioning drill ever again. With my evenings free, there lay ahead of me a multitude of possibilities: jobs, colleges, girls, partying, golf? They all seemed a lot better than watering the ice rink with my sweat. So, that was it, I gave-up hockey.

Wish me luck, boys.

Yet, I miss the salty smell of sweat on my fingers. It lingers after games and practices, even when you've showered and and scrubbed with soap. I miss the smell of the rink, and the flavor your car gets after hauling hockey pads around all week. I miss the calluses that build up on your palms from tightening your skate laces each night. And, I miss the boys. My teammates. 

Apparently, hockey is, in-fact, in my blood. Because, in-spite of all logic, at 38 years of age,  I have signed up for an upper-level men's league hockey team. According to my doctor, I'm overweight and have high blood pressure. I'm pretty sure I can't jog a mile without stopping, and I have aches and pains that happen randomly whether or not I workout. 

Could hockey really be the answer? Could it really be better than eating healthy, taking my doctor's prescriptions, and having a brisk walk every morning? 

Do you really want to know to the answer? 

I'll let you know after our first game.

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.