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Ham Radio-related Links

AE7Q Tools for Querying the FCC Database

APRS operators in central TX:  on Google Map   on Google Earth   (install Google Earth)

American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ARRL Sections: List (pdf)    Map

AC6V Amateur Radio & DX Reference Guide: thousands of ham-radio-related links!

Antenna Design Information & Software Great collection of antenna advice

ATV/DATV by KH6HTV (info, gear, support, newsletters, etc. for ATV/DATV)

ATV (HOTARC info) (link to great presentation, and HOTARC ATV links)

Band Plan for U.S. Amateurs (color pdf, current FCC plan)

BatteryUniversity.com: the straight facts about batteries (e.g., recharging truths and myths)

Central Texas 2m/440 Repeaters (always changing, but here's a start!)

Cheatsheets for Ham Rigs, etc. (links to concise cheatsheets for many ham rigs)

Considerate Operator's Frequency Guide (suggested freqs for various modes)

D-Star: All about D-Star (by Icom)     D-Star repeaters directory

Sunspots are Essential for Ham Radio!

DX Summit (catch that rare DX on HF)

EchoLink (get started using ham radio over the Internet)

Electronic Glossary and Terms (Excellent site with common electricty related terms and their definitions, Thanks Noah!)

All About Circuits! (PartsGeek Site with explanations of different types of circuits and how to create and measure them. Thanks Liam and Jack!)

Electronics 101 (Teach yourself: transistors, amps, filters, oscillators, etc.)

FCC site: Amateur Radio services     ULS (manage your license)

FCC Forms (links to common forms via ARRL site)
  NOTE: New NCVEC Form 605 (Sept 2017): PDF (for printing)    PDF (interactive)

FCC Rules: Part 97    ARRL: Links     GOV: web   pdf
FCC Rules: Part 15    ARRL: Discussion     GOV: web   pdf

Fusion Windows 10 Setup (From Clint's Fusion / DMR Zoom Discussion)

Geomagnetism and Declination (calculate your magnetic declination)

Grid Square Locator Map What's your grid square? Enter your address or call sign to find out.

Grounding Your Ham Station (from one who's done it well!)

Ham Radio Now TV (weekly streaming videos from KN4AQ)

Hamdata (lists FCC stats, like the latest callsign activity)

HamTestOnline (prepare for your next FCC license exam)

Hey What's That? (See your tower "footprint," see signals range/heading/terrain, and more.) How To (pdf)

History of Amateur Radio (Exhaustive listing and links to ham radio history)

How to Query the FCC datbase (ppt)

Log Book of the World (ARRL's instant QSL card system)

Mobile Radio Installations (hundreds of valuable tips and advice from KØBG)

National Weather Service (Dallas-Fort Worth): Home page   Skywarn repeaters

NIST Home Page (WWV time servers and all about "time")

Packet Radio by TAPR (a library of info about packet!)

QRZ.com (ham radio forums, call sign lookup, practice tests, etc)

QSL.net (Free web space and email forwarding for hams by Scott KA9FOX...check it out!)

Radio QRV: (resources supporting amateur radio (videos, charts, practice exams, etc.)

RadioReference (Police, Fire, etc. frequencies for McLennan County, and more.)

Satellites
Satellite (OSCAR) Status Page: At-a-glance live status table for amateur radio satellites (and ISS).
Getting Started with Satellites: Some resources from AMSAT to get you started with amateur radio satellites

Software Defined Radio (SDR): Experiment with SDR using the free control program (16MB) from Flex-Radio using a demo sound file (179MB), as demonstrated by K5ZOH Scott (Sept 2011)

Solar Activity and HF Propogation (Explanation of solar flares, geomagnetic storms, etc. 8 pg pdf; saved locally)

Study Guides and other resources (to help with ham radio licensing)

Times and Dates around the world: Time and Dates     World Time Zones

VoiceNation (all about ham radios) (nice collection of ham-radio links)

Waco, TX Weather Data (Waco daily stats for any of past 50 months from NWS.
      Hint: Click link for "Product List" for over 300 other NWS reports.)

Wholly Outdoor (see discussions, comparisons, reviews of many brands/models of handheld radios)


Stores and Parts Supplies

All Electronics (surplus electronics)

Amateur Electronic Supply (ham radio store)

Amazon.com (name-brand ham gear and electronic supplies)

ATV Research (lots of ATV goodies)

Cable X-Perts (coax cable and connectors)

Communication Concepts (home-brew components)

DCI Digital Communications (amateur radio filters and more)

scheme-it-example-schematic

Digi-Key (supplier of electronics parts of all kinds/specs)

Down East Microwave (antennas and aplifiers)

Ham Radio Outlet (ham radio store)

Intuitive Circuits (home-brewed products for ATV & other uses)

M2 Antenna Systems (antennas)

P.C. Electronics (ATV store)

R.F. Connection (radios, coax cables, and connectors)

R&L Electronics (ham radio store)

Ubquiti Networks (wi-fi transceivers and antennas we use for Hamnet-mesh)


Links to Other Central Texas Amateur Radio Clubs

Want to join HOTARC? Click here for more info about HOTARC and an application for membership.

Baylor Amateur Radio Club (BARC), WA5BU

Central Texas Amateur Radio Club (CTARC)

Temple Amateur Radio Club (TARC)

Area repeaters (listing of local FM repeaters in addition to HOTARC's)

Area nets (listing of local FM nets and HF nets in which you can participate)

List of All(?) ARRL-affiliated Clubs in North Texas Section


Other Interesting Links

homemade corner reflectors for wi-fi router
(Click image for complete plans.)

Boost your home Wi-Fi range (favoring one direction; a 15-minute project!)

MakerPro (Ideas and plans for DIY electronics projects)

Antenna Modeling:
The FREE 4NEC2:   website and download site
How to Install 4NEC2:   DOCX
Basic Modeling How-To presentation:   PPT    PDF
Tutorial:    PDF

Everything You Need to Know about GMRS/FRS:
NOTE: The first article is now somewhat outdated by the FCC Rules change in September 2017 (see below), but contains an excellent discussion of the impact of "deviation" (relevant to FM) on the two services.
Articles:   HTML version   PDF version (by W5NCD & AC5CV, Oct 2013)
   Update (re 2017 change):   HTML version   PDF version (by W5NCD & AC5CV, Sep 2017)
GMRS-FRS frequency chart by AC5JC
RadioReference Wiki: GMRS    FRS    Channels Comparison
FCC Rules, Part 95:    HTML version    PDF version
ALERT!! Changes to GMRS/FRS/CB effective Sept 2017
Graphic: New GMRS & FRS Channels (2017)
NOTE: FRS can NOT transmit on GMRS repeater inputs.

City of Waco Vistors Bureau (what to see and do in HOTARC's hometown)

ARRL Webinar (May 31, 2012) on Creating Good PR Video (~90 minutes)


Member Links

W5NCD
APRS Tracker Project (NEW! Page 2: Constructing a Tracker)
GMRS and FRS Comparison (see links above)
Bosque Communications tower space

Links to other web sites are included for the user's convenience
and do not constitute an endorsement of the materials, products, or services on those sites.

Webmaster: Drew Dickenson KE5UBO
Contact us:  email address