Ham and Shortwave Radio
Radio-Hobbyist is a personal blog run by Canadian amateur radio operator Rick Blythe (VE3CNU), offering approachable guides, tutorials, and equipment reviews for ham radio beginners, shortwave listeners, and scanning enthusiasts. Perhaps you’ve come across my YouTube channel: The Radio Hobbyist, with over 9,000 subscribers. Common Challenges for Beginners in Ham Radio – And How This … Read more
Getting your ham radio license is the first major step into amateur radio, whether your interest is emergency communications, storm spotting, off-grid preparedness, or technical experimentation. In the United States, all amateur radio operators must pass an FCC-administered exam, and preparation is key. Today, most new operators choose an online ham radio licensing course instead … Read more
My Surprising Discovery- Hey everyone! If you’re into amateur radio, shortwave listening (SWL), or just exploring the capabilities of your transceiver, you know how frustrating impulse noise can be—those sharp, crackling bursts that drown out signals. In my YouTube video from 2019, I shared a quick real-world demo of just how effective the noise blanker … Read more
The “333 Rule”—better known as the 3-3-3 Radio Plan—stands out as a cornerstone protocol for maintaining communications during SHTF scenarios. This plan transforms basic radios into reliable lifelines when conventional systems like cell towers, internet, or power grids collapse due to natural disasters, societal unrest, or other crises. Drawing from the classic “Rule of Threes” … Read more
You’ve heard of WebSDRs, but what exactly are they? This deep dive article breaks it down for beginners, explaining the basics, how it works, and why it’s a game-changer for anyone starting out in software-defined radio (SDR). We’ll cover everything from setup tutorials to comparisons with traditional radios, all in easy-to-understand language to help you … Read more
This guide provides a step-by-step process for receiving SSTV signals using an SDR, covering both general amateur radio transmissions and specific events like those from the International Space Station (ISS). We’ll focus on RTL-SDR as it’s popular and cost-effective, but the principles apply to other SDRs. Slow Scan Television (SSTV) is a method used primarily … Read more