Raven Zachary

For the past five or so years, I’ve done almost no amateur radio activity. I’ve let my memberships to organizations lapse, I’ve failled to renew my call sign domain name (N3VAR.com) website + email address, and I’ve only turned on…

It’s been almost three years since I passed my Extra Class license test and the last time I picked up an amateur radio was when I experimented with satellite DXing in early 2018. This week, I pulled out my Kenwood…

This afternoon, I took the Element 4 exam and passed! I now have an Extra Class License (well, officially…just temporary operating privileges with a CSCE until the FCC processes the paperwork). I have been in non-stop study mode on these…

I had some time this weekend to do side-by-side receive testing of a variety of VHF/UHF whip antennas using my Kenwood TH-D74a. For signal strength testing, I used three WX channels within range of my house in Oceanside. NOTE: This…

…and I mean that in both meanings of the phase – attempting to solve the problem and buying too many. One problem has led to the other. My desire to find a great antenna for use with my handheld transceiver…

One of the features of the Kenwood TH-D74 handheld transceiver is APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System). I was able to spend some time last weekend learning more about APRS and I have been having fun with this over the past…

This morning, I took the Element 3 exam and passed! I now have a General Class License (well, officially…just temporary operating privileges with a CSCE until the FCC processes the paperwork). I’ve been thinking about doing this on and off…

I made my first contact today! I still just have my Technician License, so that means mostly VHF/UHF transmission. I was using the W7LI repeater on Mt. Hebo today while I was in Oceanside, Oregon. I tried several times the…

I received an email from the FCC today – my vanity call sign request for N3VAR has been granted. If you haven’t figured it out already, my call sign is my first name backwards (R A V E N becomes N…