{"id":270,"date":"2025-08-04T08:48:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T08:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waylonkurts.com\/?page_id=270"},"modified":"2025-08-04T14:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T14:22:28","slug":"ham","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.waylonkurts.com\/?page_id=270","title":{"rendered":"HAM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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HAM as a Hobby<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2020 I started getting into amateur radio, or HAM, out of curiosity for how radio waves propagate. This came originally as an extension of the work I was doing in 2019 with loudspeaker design. I had become comfortable with building band pass filters and tuning ports, as well as impedance matching. Throughout my 5 original speaker designs, I made incremental improvements and built a foundational understanding of how sound pressure waves and electrical currents behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turns out, acoustic waves share the majority of their behavior with electromagnetic waves. I was amazed to learn that phenomena such as constructive interference, reflection, and resonance are common to both types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This led me to begin researching the numerous properties and uses of radio waves. Part of what I discovered was how tightly the RF spectrum is regulated. The frequencies available to even technician class HAM operators were a compelling reason to become licensed, and I took the test in September of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Primarily, I use 2m\/70cm handheld radios due to their affordability, and the ubiquity of repeaters in and around VT. LOS propagation is simple to grasp and has served me well, but I am excited to begin using the NVIS propagation of HF as time and money allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to arrange for a 2m\/70cm contact on the GARA net, NEDECN talkgroup 3181, or NFMRA net, please use the form and include your callsign so we can be in touch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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