Welcome! I am NW7US, Tomas Hood. You may e-mail me with comments and questions.

Last Updated on March 06, 2009 by Tomas Hood
This site has been running since June, 1999.

My NW7US license plate
(my old license plate)

I am a songwriter, singer, and guitar player. Please listen to my samples of the songs I am currently working on. These recording are rough, as the songs are not yet completed. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know by leaving me a message, ok?



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This Amateur Radio and Shortwave Radio Hobby Website is brought to you by NW7US, Tomas Hood. I live in Stevensville, Montana, at 113.99W 46.55N
which is in Grid Square DN36an / ITU Region 6 / CQ Zone 4.

I am the Propagation Editor for CQ, CQ VHF, and Popular Communications. I am an associate member of the Propagation Studies Committee of RSGB. I operate QRP, CW, SSB, PSK-31, Olivia, DominoEx, MFSK, and other modes.

I am a member of ...
- Ten-Ten #56526 : FISTS 7055 : FISTS NW 57
- Lighthouse Scty 144 : NAQCC 1774
- Monthly QRP Field Day Member #62
- QRP ARCI 12781
- 30 Meter Digital Group #0640
- Digital Modes Club #1144
- BARTG #8077
- European PSK Club (EPC) #4768

Other NW7US / Tomas Hood pages:

+ NW7US at eQSL.cc
+ NW7US 'Live' page
+ NW7US at MySpace.com
+ My Music MySpace Page
+ My Music ShoutLife Page
+ NW7US at QRZ.com
72nd Sig Btn Signal Crest 7th Sig Bde
Nathon at work during Amateur Radio Field Day (1999) This is Nathon, our master operator at the official 1999 NW7US Field Day Expedition to Big Quilcene Lookout, Washington. Elevation? 3250 feet, overlooking the Pacific Northwest and the Puget Sound. See the 1999 FD site, the operators and more...

We went to the 3700 foot level the next year, 2000. Check out some pictures from Field Day, 2000. (And Nathon was joined by brother, Atreju).

In 2001, we joined the students of the Brinnon Amateur Radio School Club and went on the air as KD7JOB. We operated from the Dosewallips State Park (sea level on the Hood Canal in Washington state). This was quite the experience for the students. Check out the photos! Nathon, by the way, got his license in time for Field Day, 2001 - He is now KD7NHF.

In addition to Nathon getting his license, Ashley (my daughter) passed her Technician test on March 9, 2002. She is KD7QKT! She was active in the 2001 Field Day as one of the student operators. She was also the BARSC Secretary. Atreju (KD7TZQ) and my wife, Leigh (KD7TZR), also passed their license test.
This page was rendered on 19-Mar-24 1151 UTC.

Sun Spots: 127 as of 03/18/2024 :: Flux: 177 | Ap: 6 | Kp:
Solar Wind: 369 km/s at 6.0 protons/cm3, Bz is -3.0 nT
(Mar 19, 2024 at 1139 UT) :: [ propagation ]
my 706mkiig
Want a New Hobby? Consider the very diverse and exciting Amateur Radio hobby.

Amateur Radio includes emergency communications services, world-wide good will, and technical experimentation and discovery. This page is an introduction to the 'Ham Radio' hobby...

Here is a very useful book that will help you get started with Amateur Radio. You don't need to know Morse Code to get your first license. It is an easy learning experience, and Amateur Radio is a hobby that is worth checking out:

ARRL Ham Radio License Manual:
All You Need to Become an Amateur Radio Operator



WHAT IS HAM RADIO?

NAVY Poster - calling for Women CW ops Amateur radio is a technical as well as social and public service hobby that spans the entire world. Amateur radio (also known as HAM Radio) attracts people from all walks of life (from Kings, famous musicians, to the family next door) who are interested in all facets of radio communications.

Involvement in amateur radio allows people to practice their public speaking skills as well as the advancement of one's knowledge of radio theory, electronics, and emergency management. Amateur Radio was started by the very founders of radio. Marconi, and other amateur scientists, took theory and made it real, creating the first radio transmitters and receivers. Amateurs continue to innovate. Amateurs have even been deployed by the military during the great world wars, due to the Amateur skill and knowledge. The United States would not have had the success without the Amateur Radio operators, innovating and improving radio telecommunications.

Read what the Federal Communications Commission says regarding Amateur Radio.

Marconi's First Radio Transmitter in Grifone, Bologna Ham Radio started with Marconi (see also the Marconi Site) -- he did not want to accept popular science's thinking that radio waves were limited to line-of-sight and limited in range. Debate raged over the common theories. Marconi decided to test all of this out, and created his first radio transmitter, and put the receiver out in the far end of his garden. He placed obstacles in the path, and then had his assistant transmit. He heard it, and we now have cell phones, television, and all of the other telecommunications using radio, because of his amateur radio experiment. Ham Radio continues to test ideas and forge new ground in practical communications.

The hobby can be as simple as talking on local-area repeaters with those in the same town, to building a satellite or experimenting with new forms of telecommunications. The HAM hobbyist can talk to those on the other side of the earth with nothing more than a simple High Frequency transceiver and an equally simple wire antenna.

Amateur radio is used in search-and-rescue, contests, disaster aid (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, accidents, fires), and much more. Amateur radio operators talk with other HAM radio hobbyists using all sorts of communication modes. From Morse Code and voice to Slow Scan Television and computer networking through the radio waves, these hobbyists reach out with goodwill from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas. Dedicated hobbyists have pioneered in new technology, contributing to advances in technology that has impacted the world of communications in all areas of our lives. Even ham-astronauts take radios with them on space shuttle missions, and make calls to earth-bound Amateurs.

Getting started in Amateur Radio has never been easier. If you are in the United States, one way to start is to locate a radio club in your area. Some radio clubs offer ham radio licensing classes, or they can find a club volunteer to answer your questions. You may even be invited to attend a local radio club meeting. You will also want to check out the ARRL website.

If you are interested in this hobby, pick up ARRL Ham Radio License Manual: All You Need to Become an Amateur Radio Operator by American Radio Relay League (ARRL) - (Paperback - Jun 1, 2006) - this is a great way to start!

Another good introduction is the Ham Radio for Dummies (Paperback) - by H. Ward Silver.
If you are interested in upgrading, the following might be useful:

+ The ARRL General Class License Manual,
+ The ARRL Extra Class License Manual,

Here are some other books of interest in your pursuit of this great club:

+ Morse Code; Breaking the Barrier - this is a GREAT resource.
+ The ARRL Antenna Book - The Ultimate Reference for Amateur Radio Antennas, Transmission Lines And Propagation.
+ The ARRL Operating Manual For Radio Amateurs - This is a great guide to contesting, DXing, digital operation, and more.
- The Art & Skill of Radio-Telegraphy - by William Pierpont (N0HFF).

Check out this really cool book. This is a book for those who don't know anything about Amateur Radio, as well as for those who enjoy the hobby. It is called, Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio.

Amy Fusselman says: "A beautifully designed love letter to...the critical but unsung role radio hams have played in service to our country."
Order it now and save 30%
 
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society

I am really getting into the Lighthouse / Amateur Radio 'thing.' Check out the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, of which I am a member (number 144).
Morse Code Forever, the Simple Way to Communicate Morse Code is a simple, effective, elegant language and mode for communications in adverse conditions. Moon-bounce, Aurora Propagation, Rare DX, and many other opportunities call for a simple form of getting your message through. Morse Code delivers. Without the need for computers, or other high-technology gadgets. Just a simple transmitter, a reasonable receiver, and a code key. You do the rest. Like speaking English, Spanish, or Chinese. Speaking of which... Morse Code is the bridge between languages. Many operators in many countries learn enough shorthand and simple English to make contact via Morse Code with operators around the world. What other mode can transcend the boundaries of the human experience?

QRP ARCI One group of Amateurs who use Morse Code as a primary mode is the Low Power crowd, also known as QRPers. Check out the QRP ARCI site for more information. QRP is about reduced power. Like less than 100 watts. Most define QRP, now, as five watts or less.

Main Features, Resources, and Items of Note

Special Notice: Equipment Upgrade Fund. See special fund page.





I am the Contributing Editor of the propagation columns for the following magazines:

CQ Magazine CQ Magazine America's fastest growing magazine for the active ham radio operator. CQ is the world's leading independent magazine devoted to amateur radio. For more than a half-century, CQ has been on ham radio's leading edge -- the first to promote mobile operating (in the 1950s), semiconductors (in the 1960s) and packet radio -- the original e-mail (in the 1980s). The amateur satellite program got its start with an idea in the pages of CQ!

CQ VHF Magazine CQ VHF Magazine It is back! May 2002 saw the return of this quarterly magazines that focuses on amateur radio above 50 MHz. Articles and columns target both the beginner as well as the expert.

Popular Communications Magazine Popular Communications Magazine Exciting reading for the shortwave and scanner listener. It features authoritative information on scanner monitoring of police, fire, utility and aircraft transmissions as well as short wave listening, monitoring short wave digital, fax and teletype broadcasts, cb radio, alternative radio, clandestine radio, telephones and wiretapping, bugging, surveillance, pirate broadcasters, military communications, amateur radio, satellite tv reception, radio history and nostalgia.

Monitoring Times Magazine Monitoring Times Magazine Contains news, information, and tips on getting more out of radio listening. Do you own a radio, a shortwave receiver, a scanning receiver, or a ham radio? Then Monitoring Times® is your magazine! Open a copy of MT, and you will find 92 pages of news, information, and tips on getting more out of your radio listening. In fact, it's the most comprehensive radio hobby magazine in the U.S. Packed with up-to-date information concisely written by the top writers in the field, Monitoring Times® is your foremost guide to profiles of broadcasting and communications installations; home projects; and tips on monitoring everything from air, sea, and space to distant ports of call.