The US Department of State is currently accepting applications for Foreign Service Information Management Technical Specialists – Radio (IMTS-R) positions. Foreign Service IMTS-Rs design, install, and maintain radio and telecommunications systems. They provide radio support for presidential, congressional, and other VIP visits. These radio specialists work from a regional location, overseas or domestically. Extensive travel is required to support radio telecommunications systems, such as land mobile radio (LMR), HF, VHF, and UHF radio networks at State Department missions around the world. Potential applicants should read the vacancy announcement to ensure that they meet all of the requirements before applying.
To begin the online application process, visit USAJOBS. The deadline to submit completed applications is December 31, 2019. Applicants must be US citizens, at least 20 years old to apply, and at least 21 years old to be appointed. Applicants must also be available for worldwide service and be able to obtain all required security, medical, and suitability clearances.
Antenna
80M Antenna with HOA Constraints
Welcome to the 400th Ask Dave video! Ken, VE7ZY, is having trouble with an 80m dipole mounted very closely to the roof flashing. He is seeking other a... Read more
Can I Put One End of a Dipole Next to my VHF Antenna?
Nick, KC3PWJ, has a flagpole and also a pole that holds up his VHF/UHF discone. He’d like to string a 20m dipole between the two poles, but is w... Read more
Wideband Antennas for SDR Radios
Flip, W4FLP, asked about options for wideband antennas for the popular RSP-DX software defined radio from SDRPlay. We cover three that should work fin... Read more
Bushcomm Horizon Multi-Band Loop Antennas LOOP-20
Antenna, Loop, Magnetic, 20-10M, 125 W PEP, Each Magnetic- loop antennas have existed almost since radio began. The recent resurgence of interest in t... Read more
Chameleon EmComm II Amateur Ham Radio Antenna Review
A slightly different form of hybrid is the Chameleon Emcomm II.The Emcomm II is a portable antenna, which can also be very good to use as a base stati... Read more
Dual Band Moxon Antenna 10m/6m
Dual band Moxon antenna (2 + 3 elements) for 10m and 6m, ideal for Sporadic-E or DX. Dualband Moxon Antenna for 10 and 6m Not only for Sporadic-E QSOs... Read more
CompacTenna VHF/UHF Stealth But EFFECTIVE antenna, Review and On-Air Test
Check out this CompacTenna dual band ham antenna, only 7.5″ tall and can be used for mobile OR base applications. I also have the CompacTenna Sc... Read more
VHF
Wouxun REVEALS the KG-UV8H Dual Band 8-watt HT Radio
Brand new from Wouxun is the KG-UV8H Handheld, which features a different screen than earlier models, an 8-watt output power, and a 3200mAH battery. L... Read more
Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz
Pending future FCC action, amateur radio secondary use of the 3.3 – 3.45 GHz band segment may continue indefinitely. The FCC, as part of a lengthy... Read more
Dump the UV-5R and Get the GT-5R
“For years the Baofeng UV-5R has been maligned as non-compliant with FCC regulations and a real spreader of spurious emissions. Further, it woul... Read more
Best Handheld Ham Radio Under $150 – 2021
“In early 2021, these are my recommendations of the Best Handheld Ham Radios under $150.” Read more
ANYTONE AT-779UV – Dual Band Mini Mobile Radio
The Anytone AT-779UV Dual band Mobile radio is a compact rugged 25 watt mobile radio Factory pre-programmed with the Moonraker code plug including all... Read more
Ham Radio vs GMRS
Ham Radio vs GMRS – Ham Radio compared to GMRS frequencies and modes – which ones is better? Today let’s talk about both of them, ho... Read more
Best GMRS Handheld Radio 2021 – GMRS Radio Comparison
Best GMRS Handheld Radio 2021 – GMRS Radio Comparison Read more
News
St. Vincent Radio Amateurs on Alert During Volcano Emergency
Donald de Riggs, J88CD, on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, says that on April 13, the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 eruption of the La Soufriere v... Read more
Can You Cook A Hotdog With Ham Radio?
“I’ve always been facinated by the physical affects of RF. Today, a light experiment testing if can cook hotdogs with RF. The test incorpo... Read more
Updated Radio Frequency Exposure Rules Become Effective on May 3
The FCC has announced that rule changes detailed in a lengthy 2019 Report and Order governing RF exposure standards go into effect on May 3, 2021. The... Read more
March 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report
The Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program is a joint initiative between ARRL and the FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service. This is the Marc... Read more
ARISS USA Gets IRS 501(c)(3) Recognition
ARISS-USA, a Maryland nonprofit corporation, has earned recognition from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a Section 501(c)(3) charitable, scie... Read more
Contests on QO-100 allowed
Updated band plan valid: from 4 April 2021 Contest Zone (CW and SSB) Uplink area 2400.370 – 2400.490 MHz Downlink area 10489.870 – 10489.990 MHz Of co... Read more
How to use an automatic antenna tuner with a Yaesu FT-891 (LDG Z11 Pro II)
How to use an automatic antenna tuner with the Yaesu FT-891. In this video I show you the steps to set up and configure the LDG Z11 Pro II auto tuner... Read more
Software
Win4Icom Lets You Control Your Icom from Your Computer
Win4IcomSuite is a windows control program for the Icom IC-7100, IC-7300, IC-7600, IC-7610, IC-7700, IC-7800, IC-7850/51 and IC-9700 transceivers sup... Read more
Paper Logging and Using Fast Log Entry for POTA – Ham Radio Q&A
“I typically paper log my Parks on the Air contacts during an activation. After I get home I will transcribe and edit the log with Fast Log Entr... Read more
New WSJT mode Q65
WSJT-X 2.4.0 will introduce Q65, a digital protocol designed for minimal two-way QSOs over especially difficult propagation paths On paths with D... Read more
Ham Radio Deluxe
Read this BEFORE you download and install this software. Keys formatted like “ASDF-QWER-ZXCV-ASDF” will NOT work. That software license se... Read more
Gqrx 2.13 is out!
Gqrx SDR 2.13 argilo released this 15 hours ago Stereo option for UDP streaming. Script to generate AppImage. Allow scroll wheel direction to be inve... Read more
WSJT-X Beta Release Introduces Digital Protocols Designed for LF and MF Bands
The latest beta release of the WSJT-X digital software suite includes digital protocols particularly designed for communication on LF and MF... Read more
The CAT Tool for WebSDRs
CATSync allows you to syncronize public WebSDR receivers with your real rig connected via CAT control to your computer. It supports the classical WebS... Read more