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What is Your Off Grid βPlan Bβ? Do You Even HAVE a Plan B?
When the Sun lets you down. Loyal OGH reader Randy from Wisconsin recently commented that for several weeks in June and into July he barely got anything at all out of his well planned, high-budget home solar power system due to nearly constant clouds and rain. His dilemma highlights a... Read more Β»
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Everyone is an βMFJ Guyβ: COMMENTARY
Didnβt see it coming. Iβm sure Iβm not the only one who felt completely blindsided to hear that MFJ Enterprises, a name that is surely known by every ham radio operator, is going out of business. The end of MFJ will also result in the sunset of its subsidiary brands,... Read more Β»
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Data Modes: Game Changer or Gimmick?
Time + technology= options. Ham radio has a lot more options than it did years ago. Back in the day your choices were phone or CW and that was about it. In the 1970s/1980s slow scan TV and early data such as RTTY came about, but they were niche modes... Read more Β»
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Inverter Talk.
You didnβt know you needed one. Off grid amateurs often forego having an inverter as part of their power capability, most likely because DC powered radio gear doesnβt need one. An inverter also adds expense, and in the case of portable operations, adds weight and space. But inverters bring a... Read more Β»
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The Off Grid Ham 100 Watts For $300 Solar Project -2023 Update
A classic never goes out of style. Way back in 2016 I posted the Off Grid Ham 100 Watts for $300 Solar Plant. Even today, that article is still hugely popular and one of the most viewed posts on this website. In a 2020 update, the $300 threshold not only... Read more Β»
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Wind Turbines For Off Grid Radio: Pros and Cons.
The unloved child. Lots of hams are very successful with solar. It seems to be the βgo toβ off grid power source. I donβt have firm numbers, but anecdotally it appears solar is more popular than even gas generators. Of course, solar is not the only game in town. Wind... Read more Β»
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Turn Thinking Into Doing (But Do Some Actual Thinking First).
Itβs better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Itβs been quite a summer! Flooding, extreme heat, wild fires, and (at this writing) a hurricane just tore up the Western USA and another storm is churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Every time... Read more Β»
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Cheap & Easy Portable Antenna Hacks!
Revisiting an old topic. I donβt do a lot of antenna articles because there is already so much information in circulation I canβt see much ground left to cover, at least thatβs what I thought until new Off Grid Ham reader Rick sent a nice email that inspired this article.... Read more Β»
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Lithium Batteries In The Cold: A Guide.
Mother Nature flips the switch. Where I live in the upper Midwest USA, we were unusually lucky to have an extended warm Fall season. In early November we were still seeing highs over 70F (21C). I was raking leaves wearing shorts and a t-shirt! But ahhh yes, everyone knew the... Read more Β»
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Check Out This Really Cool Radio Manual Database.
A moment of serendipity. Letβs face it, the internet can be a sewer. Yes, thereβs quite a bit of useful information out there, but sometimes trying to find it is like sticking your hand in a toilet full of crap to fish out a hundred dollar bill. DATABASE Well, in... Read more Β»
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