This page contains articles to help you get the most out of your equipment. There are hints for both the beginner and the seasoned amateur--from setting up your station to figuring out your frequency.

• Building a Docking Station for Your Handheld
  Frank Ingle, KG4CQK, describes how to transform an ammo can carrying case into a handy operating position in the May 2009 QST, pp. 45-48.
  
• Back to Basics
  QST August 1995, pp. 67-68
  Advice on topics from shopping for your first radio to putting up your first antenna.
• Setting Up Your Station
  QST July 1984, pp.16-19
  Some hints and How To for putting together an operating table, getting coax through walls and windows, switching antennas and more.
  Feedback: The diameter of the coils used in the "brute-force" line filter is omitted. They may be anywhere from 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Feeding Your Station
  QST December 1983, pp. 20-23
  Fat coaxial line, skinny cable, open-wire feeders or 300-ohm ribbon line - the correct choice can save the beginner a few dollars while helping to ensure maximum performance.
  Feedback: QST April 1984, p. 51. There is an error in Table 1. The capacitance of RG-11A/U is 20.5 pF/ft, not 0.5 pF/ft as shown.
  Feedback: The first formula in note 1 should read m = ft x 0.3048 
• Coaxial Cables: Their Construction And Use
  QST November 1984, pp. 19-21
  Here is some background information to help us understand coaxial cable and use it more effectively.

• What Your Frequency Display Really Tells You--Part 1
  QST August 1991, pp.28-32
  How close to the band edge can you operate?
  Feedback: QST June 1992, p. 64 (included in article) 
• What Your Frequency Display Really Tells You--Part 2
  QST September 1991, pp. 26-31 
• Keeping Your HF Signal Where it Belongs
  QST August 2008, pp. 68 
• Sixty Meter Operation with Modified Radios
• What Can You Do with a Dip Meter? 
  QST May 2002, pp.65-68
  The dipper is one piece of test equipment that can replace a whole shelf of expensive gear.
  
• Learning to Use Field-Strength Meters 
  QST March 1985, pp.26-30
  A field-strength meter is essentially a small receiver with an indicating device, such as a sensitive dc meter. This simple instrument is very useful during antenna experiments and adjustments.
  Feedback: M1 of Fig. 3 should be a 0-1 mA meter.
• Improving and Using R-X Noise Bridges 
  QST August 1989, pp. 27-32, 52
  A noise bridge can be used to measure antenna impedances, coaxial cable losses and characteristic impedances, etc. This article shows how to improve your measurement accuracy.
  Feedback: QST January 1990, p. 27

• Greg Ordy W8WWV describes how to attach PL-259 plugs with a torch.
• If you don't mind the cost of a good crimping tool and specialized connectors, crimp connectors are a reliable way of attaching coax connectors without a heat source.  RF industries has connectors for many types of coax--here are the installation instructions for attaching UHF connectors to LMR-400/9913 style cable.
• Phil Salas AD5X describes how to attach PL-259s to RG-6 with aluminum shields.