On the Air

Epizode

• 
  A Passion for POTA 09.07.2026 15min

  Evan McPartland, KC2NRB, visits the podcast to talk about how he got hooked on Parks on the Air operating. Familiarly known as POTA, this popular program involves setting up temporary stations in parks that have a specific alphanumeric POTA designator. Evan expands on information shared in his July/August 2026 On the Air article “Rediscovering Ham Radio Through POTA,” and offers information on how to join the POTA fun.
• 
  Introduction to Digital Modes 11.06.2026 10min

  ARRL Technical Editor Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, joins the podcast to talk about what digital modes are, why it’s worth it for hams of all classes to use them, and how to get started.
• 
  Get On the Ham Satellites! 14.05.2026 26min

  ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, visits the podcast to discuss his May/June 2026 On the Air article “Equipment for Making Contacts Through an Amateur Radio Satellite” as well as the upcoming May 26 “On the Air Live” session he’ll be hosting on the same topic.
• 
  Journey to a Hamfest 09.04.2026 21min

  Brian D. Karcher, KG5GJT, joins the podcast in support of his March/April 2026 On the Air article, “Journey to a Hamfest.” If you haven’t been to a hamfest or ham radio convention yet, listen in to find out what to expect — from operating, to shopping, to meeting old friends and making new ones!
• 
  Build a 2-Meter Ground Plane with OTA and OTA Live 12.03.2026 17min

  ARRL Education Specialist — and host of On the Air Live — Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, joins the podcast to explain the merits of the antenna presented in his March/April 2026 On the Air article “Building and Installing a 2-Meter Ground-Plane Antenna,” and details how to register for the March 24 On the Air Live session in which he’ll take real-time questions about the construction and use of the antenna.
• 
  Repeater Basics 12.02.2026 18min

  The On the Air podcast goes back to basics in the February 2026 episode, when QST Technical Editor Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, joins the podcast to discuss what repeaters are, how they work, and what you need in order to access your local repeater. 
• 
  The America250 Worked All States Operating Event 08.01.2026 19min

  This year ARRL is celebrating America’s 250th birthday by holding an all-year operating event called America 250 Worked All States. It has already started, so listen to the January 2026 On the Air podcast to learn how to jump right in. ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, explains the rules and awards, and offers some operating strategies.
• 
  Programming Your Handheld 11.12.2025 22min

  In support of the November/December 2025 article “Ten Tips for Programming Your 2-Meter Handheld,” Karin Thompson, KD4DXX, of RT Systems, joins the podcast to talk about how to approach the crucial task of programming your handheld.
• 
  Preparedness Takes Practice 13.11.2025 27min

  Jessica Crotty, CEO of C. Crane, a northern California company known for designing and supporting quality radios and communication products, visits the podcast in support of her November/December 2025 On the Air article “Confidence in Preparedness Starts with Knowing Your Equipment.” The conversation centers on the importance of not only having a license and a radio, but also knowing the ins and outs of using that radio, long before the day you need it.
• 
  All About the EOC 09.10.2025 23min

  ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast in support of the September/October 2025 article “The EOC: Serving at the Hub,” by Rick Palm, K1CE, which talks about what an Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, is, and offers tips for hams who are serving at an EOC for the first time. Josh takes us through more Emergency Operations Center functions, as well as what hams need to know before they walk into one. 
• 
  Get Inspired for Contest Season 11.09.2025 17min

  The podcast welcomes Violetta Latham, KN2P, a young contester who has had the opportunity to operate at some big, famous contest stations such as K3LR, PJ2T, and W3LPL. Violetta will talk about how she got started in contesting and how she got to where she is today.
• 
  Getting in on the POTA Fun 14.08.2025 35min

  Portable operating in the Parks On the Air (POTA) program is one of the most popular ham radio activities these days. Colin Wheatley, W9UPK, author of the July/August 2025 of On the Air article, “POTA Activators and Hunters: The Great Symbiosis,” joins the podcast to explain more about how POTA works, and how to get in on the fun.
• 
  Your Ham Radio Everyday Carry 10.07.2025 23min

  Everybody's talking about everyday carry, or EDC, the trendy name for the collection of necessities you tote around with you every day, whether it's in a pocket or a bag. ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, joins the podcast to talk about easy ways to make radio part of your everyday carry.
• 
  Field Day Options for the New Ham 12.06.2025 16min

  With ARRL Field Day weekend just a little more than two weeks away, we talk to ARRL’s Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE; Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe, W1DRF and Education and Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML, about how newer hams can navigate the most popular on-air event of the year. Get recommendations for setups, modes, goals, and more.
• 
  Simple HF Antennas for Field Day 08.05.2025 15min

  ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to walk readers through his May/June 2025 On the Air article, "Building Simple Antennas for 10 and 15 Meters."
• 
  Learn APRS at the April On the Air Live Session 10.04.2025 17min

  This month, ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, returns to the podcast to update us on ARRL’s new monthly livestream, On the Air Live. The April session of On the Air Live will be a tutorial on the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS). A handheld radio will allow you to use the APRS. Listen in to find out how easy it is, and how to join the April 22 session of On the Air Live.
• 
  A VHF/UHF Antenna Menagerie 13.03.2025 18min

  There are a variety of antennas that a ham can use on the VHF and UHF bands, from simple whips, all the way up to directional beams. This month’s podcast walks you through the various types and their use cases.
• 
  Have a Ham Radio Open House in April 13.02.2025 19min

  World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18 every year, and in 2025, WARD is extra special. ARRL invites radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in April, to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands-on pathway into STEM fields for the next generation. ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX, and Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering at the University of Scranton, Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, join the podcast to talk about what a Ham Radio Open House might include, and how your club or group can start organizing one.
• 
  Slow-Scan TV: Sending Pictures by Radio 09.01.2025 24min

  In preparation for the first On the Air Live interactive livestream launching on January 28, we take a look at the topic: slow-scan TV (SSTV), a ham radio mode that allows you to use RF to send static images. Steve Ford, WB8IMY, author of “SSTV: When a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” in the January/February 2025 issue of On the Air, joins the podcast to share the basics of this mode. Visit learn.arrl.org to register for the January 28 livestream!
• 
  Learn Even more with On the Air Live 12.12.2024 17min

  In early 2025, the ARRL Education & Learning Department will launch an interactive livestreamed video podcast, On the Air Live. The monthly episodes will be aimed toward educating new and intermediate-level hams, inspiring them to explore the nearly endless aspects of amateur radio and develop their skills. ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, who will host each episode, joins the On the Air podcast to share more details, including upcoming topics and how to participate in real time.