On the Air

About the New QST Product Review Comparison Tool for ARRL Lab-Tested Devices

Some of the products seen in QST Product Review, including transceivers, receivers, and amplifiers, are tested in the ARRL Lab to see how they stack up against the manufa

Hams and Hurricane Season

ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, joins the podcast to talk about Atlantic hurricane season and ham radio’s role in it, as a fol

A Passion for POTA

Evan McPartland, KC2NRB, visits the podcast to talk about how he got hooked on Parks on the Air operating. Familiarly known as POTA, this popular program involves setting

Introduction to Digital Modes

ARRL Technical Editor Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, joins the podcast to talk about what digital modes are, why it’s worth it for hams of all classes to use them, and how to g

Get On the Ham Satellites!

ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, visits the podcast to discuss his May/June 2026 On the Air article “Equipment for Making Contacts Through an Amateur Radio

Journey to a Hamfest

Brian D. Karcher, KG5GJT, joins the podcast in support of his March/April 2026 On the Air article, “Journey to a Hamfest.” If you haven’t been to a hamfest or ham radio c

Build a 2-Meter Ground Plane with OTA and OTA Live

ARRL Education Specialist — and host of On the Air Live — Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, joins the podcast to explain the merits of the antenna presented in his March/April 2026 O

Repeater Basics

The On the Air podcast goes back to basics in the February 2026 episode, when QST Technical Editor Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, joins the podcast to discuss what repeaters ar

The America250 Worked All States Operating Event

This year ARRL is celebrating America’s 250th birthday by holding an all-year operating event called America 250 Worked All States. It has already started, so listen to t

Programming Your Handheld

In support of the November/December 2025 article “Ten Tips for Programming Your 2-Meter Handheld,” Karin Thompson, KD4DXX, of RT Systems, joins the podcast to talk about

Preparedness Takes Practice

Jessica Crotty, CEO of C. Crane, a northern California company known for designing and supporting quality radios and communication products, visits the podcast in support

All About the EOC

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast in support of the September/October 2025 article “The EOC: Serving at the Hub,” by Rick Pal

Get Inspired for Contest Season

The podcast welcomes Violetta Latham, KN2P, a young contester who has had the opportunity to operate at some big, famous contest stations such as K3LR, PJ2T, and W3LPL. V

Getting in on the POTA Fun

Portable operating in the Parks On the Air (POTA) program is one of the most popular ham radio activities these days. Colin Wheatley, W9UPK, author of the July/August 202

Your Ham Radio Everyday Carry

Everybody's talking about everyday carry, or EDC, the trendy name for the collection of necessities you tote around with you every day, whether it's in a pocket or a bag.

Field Day Options for the New Ham

With ARRL Field Day weekend just a little more than two weeks away, we talk to ARRL’s Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE; Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe, W1D

Simple HF Antennas for Field Day

ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to walk readers through his May/June 2025 On the Air article, "Building Simple Antennas for 10 and

Learn APRS at the April On the Air Live Session

This month, ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to update us on ARRL’s new monthly livestream, On the Air Live. The April session of On

A VHF/UHF Antenna Menagerie

There are a variety of antennas that a ham can use on the VHF and UHF bands, from simple whips, all the way up to directional beams. This month’s podcast walks you throug

Have a Ham Radio Open House in April

World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18 every year, and in 2025, WARD is extra special. ARRL invites radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in Apri