Atlantic County ACORN

04/17/2026

GMRS vs HAM — What’s the difference and which one is right for you❓

If you’re looking for simple, reliable communication for your family, GMRS is hard to beat:
✔️ No exam required
✔️ One license covers your immediate family
✔️ Great for road trips, off-roading, and staying connected outdoors

HAM radio, on the other hand, opens the door to a technical hobby with global reach 🌍:
✔️ Requires a test, but offers massive flexibility
✔️ Thousands of frequencies and modes
✔️ Talk across states, countries — even continents

Both have their place — it just depends on what you want out of radio. While a HAM license does not include GMRS specific frequencies, many people go for both.

👉 Which one are you running — GMRS, HAM, or both? Tell us why in the comments.

04/17/2026

Some operators don’t wait for perfect conditions—they adapt. This operator lived in an HOA where antennas weren’t allowed, so he strung a nearly invisible wire through the trees. No tower, no attention, no complaints. From inside his shack, running modest power, he worked stations across the globe and eventually achieved DXCC. Neighbors saw nothing. The HOA saw nothing. But on the bands, he was everywhere. It raises a real question: is this ingenuity or bending the rules? Many hams in restricted areas do exactly this just to stay active. What do you think—smart operating, or pushing the line a bit too far?

04/09/2026

🔌 Dreaming of a beam and rotator? There’s a simpler way to work the world…

Meet the G5RV — the antenna that has been a staple of amateur radio since the 1940s, and for very good reason. Designed by British radio legend Louis Varney (G5RV), this elegant wire antenna lets you operate on SEVEN HF bands with a single, simple installation. That’s 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, and 10m — all from one antenna!

Here’s what makes it special: just 102 feet of horizontal wire, a 34-foot ladder line matching section, a balun or choke, and you’re connected to the world. Pair it with an antenna tuner and you’ve got a serious multi-band station for a fraction of the cost of a beam system.

Whether you’re hanging it between two trees in the backyard or stringing it up in a loft, the G5RV is proof that great radio doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It’s a classic that has stood the test of time — and it’s still making contacts around the globe every single day. 🌍📡

Are you running a G5RV? Drop your setup in the comments below! 👇

04/05/2026

Why Should You Become a Ham Radio Operator?

Most people think ham radio is an old man’s hobby. They couldn’t be more wrong.

It’s a Hobby AND a Lifeline

Ham radio is one of the few hobbies that can literally save lives. When hurricanes knock out cell towers, when earthquakes sever internet cables, when disasters strike — ham radio operators are already on the air, coordinating relief, relaying messages, and keeping communities connected.

No internet required. Ever.

What You Actually Get
Communicate Worldwide — Talk to someone in Japan, South America, or Europe from your backyard. No phone plan, no WiFi, no subscription. Just skill and a radio.

Help People in Emergencies — ARES and RACES operators serve alongside first responders when commercial infrastructure fails. Your license could make you the most valuable person in the room.

Learn New Skills — Electronics, antenna theory, propagation, digital modes. Ham radio is a lifetime of learning compressed into one hobby.
Make New Friends — A worldwide brotherhood and sisterhood of operators who speak your language — literally and figuratively.

Any Age, Anyone — Kids as young as 8 hold licenses. Retirees discover it daily. Families build stations together.

Experiment With Antennas — Build it, hang it, tune it, work the world with it.

The Bottom Line
Ham radio connects you locally, globally, and when it matters most — when everything else has failed.

Get licensed. Get on the air. You’ll never look back.

👉 Follow this page to learn more about this fascinating hobby — new content posted daily.

73

03/28/2026

👉 From mic to antenna — this is how your voice becomes radio waves 📡

Simple, powerful, and the magic of ham radio!

👉 What matters more — Antenna or Power?

02/24/2026

Ham Radio Humor : The Drama Continues

11/24/2025

From ARRL News 📰:
"SKYWARN Recognition Day 2025 Cancelled"

The necessary time and resources required to plan a comprehensive national event for SKYWARN™ Recognition Day 2025 are not available this year. Thus, the difficult decision was made to cancel this year's event by the NWS.

Read the FULL story:
🔗- tinyurl.com/mr3m3naf

11/03/2025

11/03/2025

ARRL Affiliated Amateur Radio Club, Serving Atlantic County, and South Jersey area since 2005.

11/02/2025

The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday night during the closest supermoon of the year.

A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit, making the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.

November's supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year.

Read more: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/1J0rIw