About the Author
H. Ward Silver, ham radio call sign NØAX, has been a ham since 1972, when he earned his Novice license and became WNØGQP. His experiences in ham radio led to a 20-year career as an electrical engineer, designing microprocessor-based products and medical devices. In 2000, he began a second career as a teacher and writer, receiving the Bill Orr Technical Writing Award in both 2003 and 2016. In 2008, he was recognized as the Dayton Hamvention’s Ham of the Year. Finally, in 2015, he became a member of the CQ Contesting Hall of Fame.
Silver is lead editor of the two primary amateur radio technical references, both published by the American Radio Relay League: The ARRL Handbook and The ARRL Antenna Book. He is the author of all three ARRL licensing study guides, and for 15 years wrote the popular monthly column “Hands-On Radio,” now available in three volumes of experiments from the ARRL. He has written two other Wiley titles as well: Two-Way Radios and Scanners For Dummies and Circuitbuilding Do-It-Yourself For Dummies, as well as the ham radio detective mystery Ray Tracy: Zone of Iniquity (published on www.lulu.com). His most recent book is the tutorial Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur (www.arrl.org/shop). He writes the “Ham’s Wireless Workbench” column for Nuts & Volts magazine.
On the air, he enjoys contacting faraway (DX) stations, competing in radiosport competitions, building antennas, and participating in his local club and ARES emergency communications team. He is a founder of the World Radiosport Team Championship (www.wrtc2018.org) and president of the Yasme Foundation (www.yasme.org). Outside ham radio, he plays the mandolin; dabbles in digital photography; and enjoys biking, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. Occasionally, he finds time to sleep.
Dedication
Once again, this book is dedicated to my wife, Ellen. It is due to her kindness and encouragement that I am able to write with confidence — no small thing, as any author will attest. Thank you. I also owe a tip of the laser pointer to the cats, Dander and young Electra, who make sure I know who the real bosses are around here.
Author’s Acknowledgments
This book has been enriched by numerous individuals and organizations that contributed photos, drawings, tables, and various bits of hard-won knowledge and wisdom. In addition, they’ve made their knowledge freely available on websites and blogs and videos in the best traditions of ham radio.
It’s particularly important to acknowledge the generosity of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL; www.arrl.org), both in making material available to me for use in the book and in maintaining an enormous website of amateur radio know-how, significant portions of which are freely available to members and nonmembers alike. The loyal support of its members — please consider joining if you’re not a member already — is an important reason why the organization is available to facilitate, represent, and defend amateur radio.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Acquisitions Editor: Amy Fandrei
Project Editor: Christopher Morris
Copy Editor: Christopher Morris
Technical Editor: Kirk Kleinschmidt
Production Editor: Shaik Siddique
Cover Image: © Jiradelta/iStockphoto