Foundations of Amateur Radio

Foundations of Amateur Radio

Author: Onno (VK6FLAB) Language: English Episodes: 50
For anyone curious about the crackle of a distant voice emerging from the static or the thrill of making a contact across the globe using nothing but radio waves, Foundations of Amateur Radio offers a friendly, steady guide. Hosted by Onno (VK6FLAB) from Australia, this long-running podcast acts as a companion for newcomers navigating the initial, often overwhelming, steps into this vast hobby. Each episode deliberately unpacks a single facet of amateur radio, breaking down technical concepts, equipment, and operating practices into digestible pieces. You'll hear practical advice on how to get started, find your place within the global community, and discover which of the hobby's countless avenues-from building antennas to satellite communication or emergency service-might spark your passion. It’s not about dry theory; it’s about demystifying the process and sharing the genuine rewards that keep enthusiasts engaged for a lifetime. Having evolved from its earlier incarnation in 2011, this podcast builds from the ground up, week by week, creating a solid resource that grows with you. Tune in for a down-to-earth conversation that makes the airwaves feel a little more accessible and a lot more inviting.
Episodes
Building a shack: Part 1 - Setting the Scene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:21
Foundations of Amateur Radio Recently it occurred to me that I haven't been using HF in my shack for much longer than I'd care to admit. Over the years I've spoken about my shack and how it's set-up, more on that shortly…
Bald Yak 14, choices and software flexibility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:19
Foundations of Amateur Radio Let's start with an observation, I'm a geek, have been all my life. Since my early teenage years that evolved as a predilection for computing. As you might already know, I became a radio amat…
I have a problem .. with logging. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:45
Foundations of Amateur Radio The first step in solving any problem is recognising that there is one. In my case the name of that problem is "logging". Specifically the storage and collection of my amateur radio contact l…
How to make our hobby and community resilient? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:37
Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I was stuck in traffic behind a vehicle proudly proclaiming that it was "electric". I'd seen the model before, just never connected it with being available as an EV. I wondered…
A new year with new services to the public .. in 1905 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:18
Foundations of Amateur Radio Recently I spent some quality time digging into the origins of a word in common use. In doing so, I contacted the Postal Museum in the United Kingdom and received a lovely reply that included…
What do you call that .. radio? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:37
Foundations of Amateur Radio If you use a word often enough it starts to lose its meaning. The other day, during breakfast, well, coffee, whilst playing one of our start-the-day with a smile word games, the word "RADIO"…
On the origins of the RF circulator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:04
Foundations of Amateur Radio Recently I explored the use of a radio device aptly described by a fellow Aussie Electronics Engineer, "ozeng", as "Absolute witchcraft." .. I'm talking about an "RF circulator", one of which…
Going around in circles, one-way. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:14
Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I saw a post by fellow amateur Gary N8DMT who mentioned an "RF circulator" and a PlutoSDR in the same sentence. Amplified by a response from a fellow Aussie Electronics Engineer…
Bald Yak 13, Monitoring the Sun .. small steps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:46
Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I received an email from Frank K4FMH asking me about an idea I'd worked on some time ago, namely the notion that I might monitor solar flux at home using a software defined radi…
When your hobby revolves around electricity ... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:53
Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I went on my first POTA or Parks On The Air adventure, this time I was on my own. If you recall, my power company announced yet another planned network outage and I felt that I…