Johnson City Amateur Radio Association - W4ABR

Johnson City Amateur Radio Association - W4ABR The Johnson City Amateur Radio Association (W4ABR) in Johnson City, Tennessee (Washington County EM8

The Johnson City Amateur Radio Association (W4ABR) in Johnson City, Tennessee (Washington County EM86). Repeater is 146.790 (-) with a tone of 131.8 holds a weekly net at 2000 on Tuesdays except the 3rd Tuesday, for our monthly meeting. The monthly meeting is at the old Jonesborough Elementary School off East Jackson Blvd. The history of our club dates back to the 1930's, no exact date, but became affiliated with the ARRL on July 14th, 1958.

08/04/2026

Net reminder-tonight @ 8pm local time on the 146.790 repeater. Tone 131.8 All are welcome. Echolink connection on W4ABR-R

🚨 The 4 Radio Wave Effects Every RF Engineer Should KnowReflection, diffraction, scattering, and absorption determine ho...
08/04/2026

🚨 The 4 Radio Wave Effects Every RF Engineer Should Know

Reflection, diffraction, scattering, and absorption determine how radio signals travel in the real world. Understanding these propagation effects is essential for designing reliable wireless, RF, telecom, and antenna systems.

07/31/2026

Join us! Share an announcement or two and join in on the topic of the night! Can't stick around? Come get on the log. We would love to hear from you!

RF connectors are used to carry high-frequency signals between cables and electronic equipment with minimal signal loss....
07/30/2026

RF connectors are used to carry high-frequency signals between cables and electronic equipment with minimal signal loss. Different connector types are designed for different frequency ranges and applications. SMA connectors are widely used in microwave and wireless systems because they support very high frequencies. Type N connectors are rugged and ideal for outdoor and high-power RF systems. TNC, SMC, MCX, BNC, SMB, Mini-UHF, and UHF connectors each offer unique advantages in terms of size, coupling mechanism, and operating frequency. Choosing the correct RF connector helps ensure reliable signal transmission, better performance, and long-term durability in communication, test equipment, antennas, GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular, and radio applications.

📡 THE HAM RADIO ANTENNA CHEAT SHEET EVERY OPERATOR SHOULD SAVE!Choosing the right antenna length can make a huge differe...
07/29/2026

📡 THE HAM RADIO ANTENNA CHEAT SHEET EVERY OPERATOR SHOULD SAVE!

Choosing the right antenna length can make a huge difference in your signal performance. This quick-reference chart covers the most popular amateur radio bands with theoretical antenna lengths for ¼-wave verticals, ½-wave dipoles, full-wave dipoles, and 90° inverted-V antennas—perfect for every ham radio enthusiast and RF engineer.

How a Yagi-Uda Antenna Delivers Long-Range, High-Gain Performance!The Yagi-Uda antenna is one of the most effective dire...
07/27/2026

How a Yagi-Uda Antenna Delivers Long-Range, High-Gain Performance!

The Yagi-Uda antenna is one of the most effective directional antennas for VHF and UHF communications. Learn how the reflector, driven element, and directors work together to maximize gain, improve directivity, and extend communication range for amateur radio, TV reception, and wireless links.

A VHF dipole antenna is one of the simplest and most effective antennas for VHF communication. It consists of two equal-...
07/27/2026

A VHF dipole antenna is one of the simplest and most effective antennas for VHF communication. It consists of two equal-length metal elements connected at the center, where the coaxial cable feed line is attached. In this design, the total antenna length is 1.06 m, with each arm measuring 0.53 m and a 2 cm feed gap. The antenna has a typical input impedance of 52–72 Ω, making it suitable for direct connection to standard 50 Ω coaxial cables with minimal mismatch. For practical dipole antennas, the resonant frequency is estimated using f (MHz) = 143 ÷ L (m). With a total length of 1.06 m, the calculated resonant frequency is approximately 135 MHz, which lies in the VHF band. This type of antenna is widely used for amateur radio, public safety communication, aviation monitoring, weather reception, and other VHF applications because it is inexpensive, easy to build, and provides reliable omnidirectional performance.

Which Ham Radio Antenna Is Right for You? Compare the Top 5 Designs!Choosing the right antenna can make all the differen...
07/25/2026

Which Ham Radio Antenna Is Right for You? Compare the Top 5 Designs!

Choosing the right antenna can make all the difference in your amateur radio performance. Compare five of the most popular ham radio antennas—including the Dipole, Yagi-Uda, Vertical, EFHW, and G5RV—to understand their design, strengths, and ideal applications. Whether you’re chasing DX, building your first HF station, or optimizing your setup, this guide has you covered.

07/22/2026

NEW: CHAMELEON TECHNICAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REBUILT

We did not simply add another contact form.

We created a complete technical-support system designed to help Chameleon operators learn, choose, build, deploy, troubleshoot and receive expert assistance when they need it.

The new system connects three major resources:

- The Chameleon Knowledge Base
- The new Technical Support page
- The new Chameleon Support Desk

1. START WITH THE CHAMELEON KNOWLEDGE BASE

The CKB is The Complete Online HF Antenna Handbook, available online whenever you need it.

It currently contains:

- 1,207 complete technical articles
- 55 technical categories
- Eight guided field tools
- Individual Chameleon product handbooks
- Installation and troubleshooting procedures
- SWR, tuning and measurement guidance
- Verified compatibility information
- Propagation, POTA, SOTA, NVIS and EMCOMM resources
- HOA and restricted-property operating guidance
- Feed-line, grounding, counterpoise and radial information

You can search the handbook, browse by subject or product, or use Ask the CKB to help find the right information.

The CKB also includes the Antenna Advisor, Compatibility Explorer, System Builder, Deployment Planner, My Chameleon Workspace, MPAS READY Handbook, CHA Wire Antenna Workshop, HOA Knowledge Center and CHA URT1 Application Center.

Explore the CKB:

https://chameleonantenna.com/pages/chameleon-knowledge-base

2. VISIT THE NEW TECHNICAL SUPPORT PAGE

If the CKB does not completely resolve the problem, our new Technical Support page directs you to the correct next step.

There are separate paths for:

- Products purchased directly from ChameleonAntenna.com
- Products purchased from an authorized dealer
- Military or government equipment
- Club-owned equipment
- Gifts and secondhand purchases
- Legacy equipment or purchases with no available order number
- General and pre-purchase questions

You do not need a ChameleonAntenna.com order number to receive technical support.

Dealer customers and other product owners can open a technical case using email verification. Direct-order customers can use their order email and Shopify order number for secure, read-only verification.

Visit Technical Support:

https://chameleonantenna.com/pages/contact -support

3. USE THE NEW CHAMELEON SUPPORT DESK

The new Support Desk collects the information our technicians actually need to understand an antenna-system problem.

Customers can provide:

- Radio model and transmit power
- Complete antenna configuration
- Coax, adapters, chokes, tuners and accessories
- Deployment height, orientation and environment
- Bands, frequencies, modes and SWR readings
- Troubleshooting already attempted
- Photos and analyzer screenshots
- Diagrams and PDF documents
- Short diagnostic videos

This means fewer repeated questions, better-organized cases and a much stronger technical starting point.

Each request receives a private ticket that customers can return to using their verified email address and ticket number.

Our system can use the official CKB to assist the support process, but responses remain human-reviewed, and private order information is never added to the public CKB assistant.

WHERE SHOULD YOU BEGIN?

Need information immediately? Search the CKB.

Still have a technical problem? Visit the Technical Support page.

Already opened a case? Select Find an Existing Request.

Have an order-status or shipping question? Contact [email protected] and include your order number.

The objective is simple:

Give every Chameleon operator the right information, the right support path and the right technical assistance—regardless of where the equipment was purchased.

Learn. Build. Deploy. Troubleshoot. Get the right help.

Welcome to the new Chameleon Antenna technical-support system.

Most People Don’t Know How SSB Really Works — Here’s the Simple Explanation!Single Sideband (SSB) is one of the most eff...
07/22/2026

Most People Don’t Know How SSB Really Works — Here’s the Simple Explanation!

Single Sideband (SSB) is one of the most efficient radio communication techniques used by amateur radio operators, aviation, and marine services. Learn how SSB removes the carrier, saves power, reduces bandwidth, and enables reliable long-distance communication—all explained in one simple infographic.

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111 Conley Road
Jonesborough, TN
37659

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