Remote, Solar‑Powered DXpedition to Desecheo Honored with Top Award
A groundbreaking fully remote, solar‑powered DXpedition to Desecheo Island has received the Northern California DX Foundation’s DXcellence Award.
Read moreNathan KC8MTQ and Mark KE8HAS
Ham radio, signals, antennas, and experiments from the Smith-Manley station.
This is Mark and Nathan's ham radio site: a place for amateur radio notes, operating habits, HF and VHF/UHF interests, SDR listening, digital modes, antenna experiments, portable setups, weather awareness, and practical articles for people who like learning by doing.
KC8MTQNathan Smith-Manley
KE8HASMark Smith-Manley
Daily news
Latest ham radio news
Fresh items from the Smith-Manley ham radio news feed.
New Emergency Protocol for Massachusetts Hams Strengthens Public Service Response
Amateur radio emergency groups in Massachusetts unveil a coordinated statewide protocol to streamline communications during major or widespread emergencies.
Read moreFCC Grants Limited 70 cm Band Use to AST SpaceMobile – Amateur Radio Navigates New Waters
The FCC has authorized AST SpaceMobile to use portions of the 430–440 MHz amateur band under restricted conditions, raising both opportunities for satellite connectivity and concerns among amateur operators.
Read moreAMSAT Unveils Next-Generation SDR Gen2 CubeSat Transponder at Dayton Hamvention
AMSAT presented its SDR Gen2 CubeSat transceiver at Hamvention 2026, showcasing broad-frequency capability and high-speed data potential for amateur satellite operations.
Read moreFCC OKs Limited Emergency Use of 70‑cm Band by AST SpaceMobile Satellites
FCC grants emergency-only access to select 430–440 MHz amateur frequencies for AST SpaceMobile TT&C operations outside the US under restrictive conditions.
Read moreStation notes
A home station built around curiosity.
Amateur radio works best when it stays hands-on. We care about clean operating, useful station habits, readable logs, practical antennas, and understanding why a signal made it through.
Long-distance listening and operating
HF is where propagation becomes part of the hobby. We pay attention to band openings, noise floor, antenna placement, solar conditions, and the difference between forcing a contact and waiting for the band to come alive.
Repeaters, simplex, and local coverage
Local radio is about repeaters, handhelds, mobile coverage, emergency backup habits, and knowing what actually works around town when terrain, buildings, and antennas all matter.
Digital modes and signal discipline
Digital work rewards patience and clean setup. Audio levels, time sync, frequency discipline, logging, and good station notes matter as much as transmit power.
What we are into
The radio topics that keep us coming back.
The Smith-Manley radio bench is not one narrow thing. It is operating, listening, experimenting, documenting, and making the station more useful one small improvement at a time.
Practical antennas
Wire antennas, verticals, mag mounts, ground planes, attic compromises, feed-line choices, ferrites, grounding, and placement tests. The best antenna is often the one you can install, tune, improve, and understand.
Software-defined radio
SDR makes the band visible. Waterfalls help spot activity, noise, drift, nearby interference, and weak signals that might be missed by tuning quickly across a band.
Portable and backup radio
Small kits teach discipline: charged batteries, coax adapters, printed frequencies, compact antennas, weather protection, and a logging method that works without internet access.
Position and packet ideas
APRS and packet-style work connect radio with maps, short messages, digipeaters, and practical local coverage testing. It is a good way to learn how VHF behaves in the real world.
Weather and readiness
Radio is useful when weather turns rough. We care about situational awareness, local nets, backup power, simple checklists, and gear that can be operated under stress.
Logging and station memory
A good log is a learning tool. It records band, time, antenna, power, mode, signal reports, weather, and what changed since the last attempt.
Helpful articles
Radio articles for practical operators.
These are full-length Smith-Manley ham radio articles, each built as a five-part reading page with practical station notes and original technical graphics.
New daily feed.
The site also generates a daily ham radio news article from current reporting. Read the latest dispatch.
Build a First Ham Station That Is Easy to Use
A practical station is not the one with the most gear. It is the one you can turn on, understand, troubleshoot, and improve without fighting the desk every time.
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Reading HF Propagation From the Home Station
Band, time, season, noise, antenna, and solar behavior turn random contacts into patterns the station can recognize and use.
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Small-Lot Antennas That Teach Instead of Frustrate
A limited yard makes the experiment more specific: noise, height, feed line, common-mode current, and repeatable changes matter.
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Use SDR Like a Band Scope, Not Just a Receiver
A waterfall display can show weak signals, noise patterns, drifting carriers, occupied frequencies, and band openings before the operator transmits.
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Digital Modes Done Cleanly
Digital work rewards synchronized time, conservative audio, known power, correct frequency, and notes good enough to rebuild the setup next week.
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Repeaters, Simplex, and Local Coverage That Actually Works
Local radio is where equipment, terrain, antennas, etiquette, and community all meet. A handheld is only the beginning.
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A Portable Ham Radio Go-Kit That Is Boring in the Best Way
Portable radio succeeds when the kit is predictable: charged batteries, known adapters, simple antennas, paper notes, and enough practice.
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APRS and Packet Ideas for Learning Local RF
APRS is more than dots on a map. It is a practical way to learn VHF coverage, digipeater paths, message habits, and local radio timing.
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Weather-Aware Amateur Radio Without Drama
Radio is useful when weather gets serious, but only if power, antennas, local nets, information sources, and procedures are ready before the storm.
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Station Logging as Memory, Not Paperwork
A good log preserves experiments, antenna changes, noise clues, digital settings, local coverage, and the details that make a station easier to improve.
Read articleReference links
Useful radio references.
Amateur radio is self-training, but it is not guesswork. Keep current rules, band plans, and operating references close.
47 CFR Part 97
Current eCFR text for the Amateur Radio Service rules.
ARRL Band Plan
Mode and frequency planning guidance for operators.
ARRL
Training, licensing, technical, and operating resources.
Good operating starts before the push-to-talk button: know your privileges, listen first, identify properly, and leave the band cleaner than you found it.