Ra7dio3™
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A Hobby Radio Communications Adventure
03-18-2026 - 7:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Wednesday, and another day with nothing on the schedule. In the world of local Amateur (ham) Radio, talk of Meshtastic nodes seems to have slowed over the last week or so. It’s not a mode that interests me in terms of operating, but I like listening to all the radio tech talk, no matter the subject. Our local school buses had an uneventful morning, radio-wise at least. Walmart chatter has also been uneventful. There has been minimal chatter on two-meter FM simplex, so far. As expected, I have Morse code running in the background. For now, my Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
--- 7:45 AM - Years ago, a local police officer was escorting a funeral procession. Since he was often assigned this duty, he had a CB Radio and a mag-mount antenna that he installed at the beginning of his shift. One day, a trucker wasn’t doing what he wanted him to do, and he gave that trucker some colorful instructions. I can imagine the look on his face when the police dispatcher asked: “What was that?” Oops! Wrong microphone!
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—- 5:30 AM - Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, and I’m starting the day with the scanner radio scanning local entities such as our local maximum security prison, the county jail, city transit buses, school buses, Walmart, VHF-UHF Amateur (ham) Radio, local airports, FAA Air Traffic Control, and others. Of course, I have Morse code running in the background on the old Yaesu 857D. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
--- 6:00 AM - If you're on X, formerly known as Twitter, tag @ra7dio3 in your out-of-the-shack, in-the-wild, Hobby Radio adventures. I'm looking for handheld radios in places such as tower restaurants, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio. How about on a train, or an ocean cruise, or a small airplane, or a hot air balloon? Not on X? Email pic and story!
--- 3:00 PM - With over 6,600 state park units and 63 national parks, you would think that the Parks on the Air® spotter page would be loaded with stations. That’s not the case. There’s enough. I just thought there would be more. I mention this because I see several parks I have already contacted daily. The parks that I have not worked seem to have weak signals the last few weeks.
--- 3:30 PM - The Walmart nearest to me has been really chatty this afternoon. Most Walmart stores use 154.570 and 154.600 MHz on their handheld radios. Tune in with your scanner radio. You’ll need an outside antenna and be within a few miles of the store for best results. It’s cheap entertainment. Buy a scanner once, and it will keep you informed and entertained for decades!
--- 8:30 PM - It was 1984, and I was listening to the Geratol Net on 80 meters, or “75 phone”, as some call it, when a very chirpy CW (Morse code) signal interrupted the proceedings. The code sender reported that he was on a small boat off the east coast, and that his boat was on fire due to an accident involving flares. The Net Control Station made a call to the Coast Guard and, before long, a Coast Guard radio operator joined the conversation. Not too long after that, a Coast Guard aircraft was headed to the area to search for the boat. Upon hearing that an aircraft was on the way, the distressed sailor began sending FOOLS!, FOOLS! in Morse. I’ll never forget that chirpy CW signal, and my desire, that continues today, to wring that guy’s neck!
--- 9:15 PM - It was 1967, and I was playing with one of my CB Radio walkie-talkies. I don’t remember what channel, but this unit had only three. I heard two kids playing in the area. I decided that I would use my best “space alien” voice and convince them that I had just landed in a nearby field. Before I could continue the scam, an adult chimed in with “I’ll land on you if you don’t knock it off.” Darn Kilocycle Kops!
--- 9-45 PM - I had a flashback, back to 1967 and the CB Radio Operator's 1967 Chevy Chevelle with twin Hustler break-over antennas and those big resonators mounted on the rear fenders. I still remember his call sign. Back then, I had a 300 milliwatt walkie-talkie set that I bought at a pawn shop. It just happened to be on the channel most local CBers were using.
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03-16-2026 - 6:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Monday, and I’m back to my regular posting and radioing schedule, and no chores are planned. The 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band is welcoming me back with a number of strong CW (Morse code) signals to enjoy. Later, I’ll tune in to the CB Radio as that band opens up. It’s going to be a good day! My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
--- 6:30 AM - According to news reports, Continuous Wave (Morse code) signals are interfering with transponders on some Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The proposed fix for the U.S. 787 aircraft is just under $8 Million. Sounds like a “drop in the bucket” as far as airline expenses go. Digging deeper into the subject, I see that it's not the Amateur (ham) Radio version of CW that is at issue. That's good, now go fix those transponders!
--- 12:30 PM - I've checked the 20-meter band frequently today for "workable" Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® stations, but their signals have been puny all day. I don't move to other bands because I've never felt a need to work all bands just because they are there. The 20-meter band and listening on 40 meters in the morning give me all the Morse code action I need. I'll fire up the President McKinley CB Radio and see who's who and what's what.
--- 12:45 PM - Even the CB Radio band is flat as a pancake! Signals on Channel 6, the "superbowl" of CB Radio, are as puny as the CW (Morse code) was on 20 meters. Well, there's local radio traffic on the scanner to keep me amused.
--- 2:30 PM - I hear my local school buses beginning to come to life as school "ejection" time approaches. This is cheap entertainment and worth the cost of a scanner radio.
--- 6:00 PM - The Local Group is on the air on CB Radio Channel 23. They're at it every night. I think I'll listen in for a while. I might learn something. UPDATE: An operator in New Jersey stopped by to say hello. They get a lot of visits from operators around the country who happen to hear them.
--- 8:00 PM - I'm back on 40 meters listening to Morse code. Someone is scooting along at about 35 words a minute. I'm getting about 60% of it. That's fine with me since I have never aspired to be a high-speed CW operator. Medium speed is all I need since I don’t “rag chew” on the radio. Short contacts with an exchange of information, and I’m done.
--- 8:45 PM - I don’t pursue foreign Amateur (ham) Radio contacts. I haven’t done so in 30 years. One day, I realized that such contacts weren’t any more important or valuable to me than a contact in the far corners of the United States. So, I decided that if a foreign (DX) station calls me, I’ll certainly answer, but I won't be calling CQ, seeking their attention. So far, none have called me. As I might have mentioned in an earlier post, I don’t pursue operating awards or “chase paper” as some “hams” like to say. Amateur Radio has awards out the wazoo for those who are interested. By the way, the only CQ I emit these days is in Morse code and it's the main ring tone on my phone.
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03-15-2026 - 5:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Sunday, and I’ll finish that drywall job today and get back to playing with radios. I need to catch up on my Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® contacts. I had been trying for a blistering one-contact-a-day! Actually, it’s not a priority. Morse code (CW) is a little sparse on 40 meters this morning. You might know that’s how I like to start my day. My local schools should be back in session following their spring break. That means more enjoyable (smile!) school bus radio traffic to monitor. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready. And, finally, beware the Ides of March!
--- 5:30 AM - These days, the term "wardriving" usually means the practice of driving around town looking for unsecured WiFi networks. Scanner radio enthusiasts were "wardriving" long before WiFi existed. Some scanner enthusiasts had high, tower-mounted antennas and could monitor activity miles away. Other scannists had to move themselves closer to the action. Read more at Scanner Radio Enthusiasts - The Original Wardrivers
--- 12:30 PM - I'm finished with the drywall project for now. I'll rest for a week or two before I attempt to beautify it. Right now, winds are gusting to 61 MPH at my location. About three miles away, we have a maximum security prison. I monitor their operations on my scanner radio. The four gun towers there definitely rock in winds like this. I know! I think I want some pizza.
---6:00 PM - The "Local Group" (that's what I call them) is on the air on CB Radio Channel 23. They have been on regularly for well over a decade, as far as I know. CB Radio is dead! Long live CB Radio! Oh, and the pizza was great!