July 11, 2026

This Week in Amateur Radio

North America's Premiere Amateur Radio News Magazine

W1AW - ARRL Headquarters

via the ARRL: Navigating an HOA and Returning to Amateur Radio and Field Day!

Read more at ARRL.org

Fred Johnson, K6FRD, is an amateur radio operator in Riverside, California. Like many hams, he lives in an HOA-controlled neighborhood. For Johnson, finding practical, low-visibility, antenna solutions has become part of the fun over the years.

“For years I struggled to enjoy HF because, like many amateurs in an HOA, towers and conventional outdoor antennas simply aren’t an option,” said Johnson. “I tried several radios over the years, but without an effective antenna I rarely heard much activity and had very limited success making contacts. A few weeks ago, I decided to stop chasing radios and instead focus on building the best stealth antenna I could.”

Johnson said that after returning to HF last year, he enjoyed experimenting with antennas, portable operating, FT8, and station design to see what’s possible from a suburban backyard.

Read more – ARRL: https://bit.ly/44lgUQk