SMA connectors need to be finger tight plus 1/8 turn . Overtighten, and you’ll snap the center pin or ruin the female receptacle (especially on cheap HTs or SDR dongles).
: New volumes are typically released every few years, gathering the best submissions from the intervening period (e.g., the 19th edition covers 2012–2016). Typical Core Contents
Remove the knob. Drip 2–3 drops of isopropyl alcohol (91% or higher) into the shaft opening. Rotate the pot back and forth fully 20–30 times. Let it dry 5 minutes. Then add one tiny drop of lightweight machine oil (sewing machine oil or even 3-in-1) to the same spot. Rotate again 10 times.
Is a circuit failing only after it warms up? Use a can of compressed "air" held upside down to spray a tiny amount of liquid propellant (freeze spray) onto suspected components like transistors or ICs. If the circuit suddenly starts working when a specific part is cooled, you’ve found your culprit. Cleaning Potentiometers New- Hints and Kinks for the Radio Amateur
High-end coax sealing tape (Coax-Seal, etc.) works great, but it’s expensive and gets sticky-messy in heat.
73, and may your SWR be low and your ideas be high.
You have a ground loop between your PC and your transceiver causing a 60Hz hum. Don’t cut your audio cables. Instead, use a cheap unmanaged Ethernet switch. Connect your PC and radio to the switch with standard Cat6 cables. The switch’s internal transformer isolation breaks the DC path of the ground loop. As a bonus, you now have remote rig control. SMA connectors need to be finger tight plus 1/8 turn
Scratchy volume or tone control on your vintage receiver, and you’re out of contact cleaner.
Old-school desk lamps cast harsh shadows. Use adhesive LED strips mounted to the underside of your workbench shelves. This creates a shadow-free "curtain" of light that makes reading tiny SMD codes or resistor color bands much easier. Antenna Innovations and Wire Wisdom
Instead of digging through drawers, mount a magnetic strip above your bench. It keeps pliers, wire strippers, and screwdrivers at eye level and within reach. For non-magnetic stainless steel tools, a small piece of heat-shrink tubing can be used to secure a tiny neodymium magnet to the handle. The "Third Hand" Upgrade Typical Core Contents Remove the knob
So, after scouring online forums, contesting blogs, and the workbenches of veteran Elmers, here is a fresh collection of — focusing on RFI hunting, portable ops, digital modes, and shack organization.
Dedicated chapters on batteries and power sources, software and computers, interference (RFI/EMI), and equipment restoration. The Next Chapter: Hints & Hacks If you've already mastered the 19th Edition, the brand-new Hints & Hacks for the Radio Amateur