Chapter 12
Getting on the Air
IN THIS CHAPTER
Deciding what you want from your station
Choosing radio equipment and antennas
Selecting a computer
Upgrading your station
Web pages and social media for ham radio organizations and vendors present many colorful photos of radios with digits winking, lights blinking, signals spread across every band, and every gadget imaginable. Antennas are even more numerous, their elements sticking out every which way, doodads dripping off them, and all manner of claims made about performance. Then you have to sort through nearly an infinite number of accessories and apps. Deciding on gear to build your first station can be overwhelming. How do you choose?
This is an exciting time for you and for ham radio. Technology continues to change what a radio is and how you interact with it. New digital modes are opening the bands in ways not possible until now. The ever-present Internet gives you the ability to use your radio from anywhere on the planet (remote operating). New operating awards and styles arise all the time. These developments are just a few ...
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