Blog - Ham Encounters

The Ham Radio Glossary

April 7, 2026 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Ham Radio Glossary Essential Terms Every New Ham Should Know Starting in ham radio can feel overwhelming with all the abbreviations, codes, and technical terms. This glossary will help you quickly understand the most [Read More…]

Ham Radio Abbreviations And Q-Codes Info Graphic

Ham Radio Abbreviations & Q-Codes

April 6, 2026 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ham Radio Abbreviations & Q-Codes A Beginner’s Guide If you’ve ever listened to a ham radio conversation, you’ve probably heard operators rapidly firing off strange combinations of letters like “QRZ?”, “QSL”, “73”, or “QRW?”. Don’t [Read More…]

VHF (2m) vs UHF (70cm) in Ham Radio

April 5, 2026 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

VHF (2m) vs UHF (70cm) in Ham Radio VHF and UHF are the two most popular frequency bands used by amateur radio operators (HAMs) for local and regional communication. Below we will discuss the basics [Read More…]

How Important Is The Ground Plane On A Mobile Ham Antenna?

April 3, 2026 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

How Important Is The Ground Plane On A Mobile Ham Antenna? What Is An Antenna Ground Plane? In mobile installations, the ground plane provides the antenna with a reference plane against which to radiate and [Read More…]

What Is CW In Ham Radio?

February 21, 2024 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

What Is CW In Ham Radio? CW, also known as Continuous Wave, is a mode of communication in amateur radio that involves encoding messages through the transmission of on-off tones. CW has a rich history [Read More…]

Ham Radio Licensing Levels In The USA

February 20, 2024 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ham Radio Licensing Levels In The USA In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) offers three amateur radio license classes: Technician, General, and Extra. Each level builds on the previous one and unlocks [Read More…]

Ham Radio Licensing: A Beginner’s Guide

February 20, 2024 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ham Radio Licensing: A Beginner’s Guide Amateur radio (ham radio) opens the door to worldwide communication, technical experimentation, and a welcoming global community. But before you can legally transmit, you need a license. This guide [Read More…]

New Feature: Banner Exchange

February 18, 2024 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Ham Encounters Banner Exchange The banner exchange service is *free* to use, no seriously – it’s 100% free! There are two participation methods you can select. Add your website to the banner exchange : Allows [Read More…]

New Feature: Photo Galleries Added

June 11, 2023 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

🎉 New Feature Added: Photo Galleries Are Now Live on Ham Encounters! Big news, fellow hams! We’ve just rolled out a brand-new feature that many of you have been asking for — Photo Galleries are [Read More…]

What Is Ham Radio Field Day?

May 27, 2023 txg22 0

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

What Is Ham Radio Field Day? Ham Radio Field Day is an annual event held by amateur radio enthusiasts across the globe. The main objective of this event is to test and improve emergency communication [Read More…]