MyAmateurRadio.com and The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast

Q What is the purpose of MyAmateurRadio.com and The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast?

A  This is really a personal purpose.  Amateur radio is an important hobby for me.  It's been a life-long journey for me to get where I am.  I have no desire to earn a living through this website or the podcast.  It's all about my being able to pay-it-forward and help my fellow amateurs.  The content available through MyAmateurRadio.com is and always will be free.  If you would like to help offset my monthly hosting costs, please read the information below about advertising, sponsorship and donations. 

Q  When did The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast debut? 

A  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast debuted on May 7, 2008.  As of May 9, 2010 over 57 audio and video podcast episodes have been produced.

Q  How do I listen to the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast?

A  There are many ways to listen to the podcast.  You can download/listen through iTunes and if you have an iPod/iPhone you can sync the podcast to your device and listen to the podcast on a plane, on a train or just about anywhere.  You can also listen to the podcast directly from the MyAmateurRadio.com website.  Just look to the left.  You'll see a blue menu box titled podcast and show notes.  The podcasts are organized by the year they were released.  Once you locate a podcast you want to listen to, a Flash Player should be just above.  Click the play button.

If you have a web-enabled mobile device like an iPhone, Blackberry or other smart phone device, you can now stream our podcasts direct by visiting http://mobile.myamateurradio.com.

Q What is the difference between the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - QRP version and the full version?

A  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - QRP version is produced weekly and consists of news and time sensitive information.  During each QRP episode I provide a brief rundown of amateur radio contests, special events and hamfests taking place.  Each episode of the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - QRP version is anywhere from 10-20 minutes in length.

The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - full version is released up to twice per month and is a full-featured podcast consisting of educational content and various feature segments consisting of My Fellow Amateur, Featured Website Segment and our brand new Featured Gadget Segment.  Each episode is 30-45 minutes in length.

Q How frequently is the podcast released? 

A At the present time, I produce up to 6 episodes per month.  This includes the weekly Practical Amateur Radio Podast - QRP version as well as the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - full version which is released 1-2 times per month. 

Q Who is behind MyAmateurRadio.com and The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast?

A  My name is Jerry Taylor, KD0BIK.  I am 43 years old, married with two cats and live in Denver, Colorado.  My primary hobby is amateur radio.  I work for Oracle as a Technology Manager.  You can learn more about Jerry here.  I also blog about amateur radio between podcasts.

Q  What future plans are in store for MyamateurRadio.com and The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast?

A  Well...(yes I know, that is a deep subject) I have a ton of ideas and a growing spreadsheet listing and documenting them all.  Many of these ideas are to just keep both the podcast and the supporting website fresh and popular.  However, I also have many, many ideas that I hope to be able to share in time.  One plan which I will share is you can expect more supplemental videos throughout 2010.  I really enjoyed producing the supplemental APRS video and have sketched out a list of topics I plan to cover in both an audio only podcast and the supplemental video concept.  Rest assured that both the podcast and website will be around for many years to come.

Q  Can I play podcast episodes at my club meetings or broadcast podcast episodes over a repeater?

A  The answer to both of these questions is YES.  Please share The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast with as many of your friends and club members.  However, please keep in mind that I may occassionally speak about something (advertising, sponsor endorsements etc.) which could be considered in violation of your local licensing authority.  Please consult your rules and regulations to determine how best to handle this. 

Q  I only have dial-up access or no computer, can I get your podcast on CD?

A  Yes, I can provide volume 1 and volume 2 on CD-ROM.  There is absolutely no charge.  However, a small donation to cover the cost of postage would be appreciated.  To request a copy of volume 1 or volume 2, please use the contact form and provide your mailing address.  A partial version of volume 3 will be available after July 1. 

Q  Can I modify or use your podcast or website for any commercial purpose or can I modify your podcast and make it my own?

A  This may sound like a silly question to place in an FAQ.  The only modification I grant permission for is in the sole purpose of broadcasting the content over amateur radio where removing any commercial content is removing the chance of being in violation of your licensing authority.  

Using this content for commercial gain or any other modification is now allowed.  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast, MyAmateurRadio.com and all content associated is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

Q  What awards and/or recognition has The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast received?

A  No awards yet!  However, The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast has been featured in CQ Magazine and Jerry has made guest appearances on Ted Randall's QSO Shortwave Radio Program and Podcast and the ICQ Podcast.  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast is also heard on repeater systems across Australia and Tasmania via Spectrum Tasmania.

Q  Where do the majority of The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast listeners and MyAmateurRadio.com visitors live?

A  According to Google Analytics, visitors from over 5 Continents, 57 different countries, and over 1000 different cities visit the website and listen to the podcast.  Of course, the majority of our visitors are from the US with the UK, Canada, Ireland, and Australia all making up the top 5.  We also receive regular visits from India, Russia, China and Japan just to name a few.  The bottom line is amateur radio is a global hobby and I'm focused on trying to provide content which is useful regardless where a fellow ham calls home.

Q  Do I need an iPod or other MP3 Player to listen to the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast?

A  No, you do not need any type of secondary device to listen to the podcast.  However, many of our listeners enjoy listening to the podcast during their commute or on a plane or train or bus....or even in their car.  You can stream the podcast direct from MyAmateurRadio.com.  Each episode has its own embedded flash player.  Just click play, sit back and listen. 

Q  What are podcast giveaways and how do I win?

A  Podcast giveaways are items which have been donated to The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast by individuals and by our awesome sponsors.  These items usually consist of t-shirts and caps.  But they can also be other items as well.  In 2009, we gave away a set of exam prep cards provided from Flash and Pass.  We also gave away a couple of monogram call sign caps compliments of CallSignWear.com.  Finally, a couple of lucky listeners received handcrafted solid-wood callsign plaques from HamPlaques.com. It is my hope to be able to bring you more giveaway items like this again in the near future.

The way to win is always announced during the podcast episode.  In most cases, I ask you to send me an email by a certain date.  After that date I take all the emails I received and have my wife draw the lucky winner.  I then contact the lucky winner via email to discuss the particulars of sending the item. 

Q  What happened to the podcast giveaways?

A  Simply put, I ran out of items to giveaway.  But...we have some super listeners who are sending aid ASAP.  I hope to get the podcast giveaways rolling again very soon.

Q  I have a question or comment, how do I contact you?

A  You may contact me one of several ways.  We have a brand new Google Voice listener line.  If you look on the right-hand side of the main page you'll see a "Call Me" button.  If you click that button, you be prompted to enter your name and your telephone number.  You can select to keep your number private.  Google Voice will call you and then connect you to my Google Voice voicemail account.  Please leave your name, your call sign (if you have one) and then leave your comment or question.  I encourage everyone to use this feature.  It is absolutely free, it's fast and it does allow me to easily mix in your voicemail into podcast content.    

Alternatively, you can use the Contact Us link on the left-hand side.  This form will send your question or comment and copy you.  Third, my email address is kd0bik @ arrl.net. 

MyAmateurRadio.com Accounts

Q  How to register?

A  Registering for the site is quick and simple.  Just look on the left-hand side of the main page and click the link for Create an Account.

Q  Do I need to register for a MyAmateurRadio.com account to listen to your podcast?

A  No,  however registering for an account will give you access to the MyAmateurRadio.com Forum and Trading Post. 

Q  Once I register for an account on MyAmateurRadio.com, do you SPAM me with a bunch of useless garbage?

A  No, my promise to you is I will never share, sell or make available to anyone your email contact information.  In addition, I will never SPAM you with useless garbage. I do occassionally send an email announcing a new podcast has been released.  But this is the extent of the email communications you will receive from MyAmateurRadio.com.

Q  Why do I need to register for an account to access the MyAmateurRadio.com Forum?

A  This is required to prevent SPAMMERS from gaining access to the forum and posting messages that none of us care to see.

Become A Ham

Q  What is the "Become A Ham" section of the website about?

A  There is a new, currently in development section of the website.  I've decided to make it available as I work on it as there is valuable information and links which can help someone wanting to get their license.  As more content is developed it will be added.  The "Become A Ham" section is just another way for me to help introduce those interested in getting started in this wonderful hobby.

Q  Is the "Become A Ham" section of the website free?

A  Yes, currently the "Become A Ham" section is available to both registered and non-registered visitors of MyAmateurRadio.com

Q  How can I be notified when new content is added to the "Become A Ham" section?

A  You can click the RSS Feed button at the bottom, left of the "Become A Ham" section to receive updates when new content is added.

Q  Are you writing a book about how to get started in amateur radio?

A  Shhhhh, Yes...but don't tell anyone just yet.  Before I created the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast I was writing a journal of how I became interested in amateur radio as a young boy and my experiences of finally taking the exam and getting on the air some 30 years later.  The journal project was shelved to make time to launch the podcast.  One of my 2010 New Year's Resolutions was to pickup where I left off on the journal project...but expand the scope and turn it into a book.  But don't worry, this won't be just another text based book project.  It will be much, much more.

Q  When will the book be available?

A  This is a very good question.  I suppose I could say the book will be ready, when it is ready.  But in all honesty...the entire Become A Ham project (which the book is only a small part) is a fairly big project and I have a lot of ideas.  I work on it when I have time and while it was a 2010 NewYear's Resolution to get the book project started...the resolution was just to get it started.  At this point in time I would say sometime in 2011. 

Advertising, Sponsorship and Donations

Q  Why are there ads on the site?

A  Well...there are two types of ads on the site.  You will see banner ads for other amateur radio podcasts as well as banner ads from sponsors displayed on the site.  The other source of ads (at this time) are for our Amazon Associates Store.  Items purchased through the Amazon Associates Store are the same price you would find if going direct to amazon.com.  The only difference is the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast receives a small commission.  100% of all proceeds received from advertising, sponsorships and donations are used to maintain the MyAmateurRadio.com website and fund postage for the occassional give-away item.  My promise to you is to make every effort to restrict non-amateur radio advertising and sponsorships.

2010-04-01 - I am beta testing Google Adsense Ads on MyAmateurRadio.com for a short period.  I will closely monitor the type of ads which get pushed to the site.  My intent is to look into all possible revenue options and IF (and only if) I can be assured the Google Adsense program will only push ads relating to amateur radio, radio and technology then I'll consider leaving the banner.  Thank you in advance for your patience with this.  It is much appreciated.

2010-05-09 - Starting 12 May 2010, the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast will have a new sponsor.  Our new sponsor is GoToMeeting by Citrix.   As a valued listener of the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast, you can try GoToMeeting free for 30 days by visiting http://www.gotomeeting.com/techpodcast. 

Q  What happened to the Amazon Associates Store?

A  In short, Amazon has discontinued doing business with small businesses in the State of Colorado.  You can read more about this in my blog post titled Gee Thanks Colorado on my blog site. I'm hopeful Amazon and the State of Colorado can work this issue out soon.  

Q  Do you accept donations?

A  YES I DO!  If you feel you've received some value from this website, from the audio podcasts or the video supplements and would like to help support my efforts, I will gladly accept the help.  We currently accept Paypal donations.  If you look on the left-hand side of the website you'll see Support Us and a yellow donate button.  Clicking that yellow donate button will take you to Paypal.  Any amount is appreciated.

2010-05-01 I have had requests for a recurring donation option and soon this will be implemented.  Please check back soon.

Q  What if I don't have a Paypal account?

A  I fully understand some do not want to use Paypal.  At this time, Paypal is the only way you can donate electronically.  While I don't encourage you to mail cash, I will gladly accept a check, money order or even cash if that is how you want to help.  My address is good on QRZ and Thank You.

Q  How much does it really cost to operate this website and produce the podcast and video content?

A  This is a very good question and I'm glad you've asked it.  I can imagine some would not want to answer this question.  But I will.  First, MyAmateurRadio.com is hosted with MediaTemple and I currently use a Grid-Service (GS) type of an account.  If you visit their website, you'll see that a Grid-Service account is $20.00 per month.  In addition, to the GS account I also use a dedicated MySQL Grid Container.  The dedicated MySQL Grid Container provides fast and reliable database interaction.  This additional service is $20.00 per month.  Finally, I use NameCheap.com as my domain name registrar.  The cost to maintain a .com through NameCheap.com is $9.69 per year.  So as you can tell, the annual cost to operate the website is $489.69.

In addition to MyAmateurRadio.com.  I'm sharing hosting with Paul Shirey, KC9QYB who hosts the Teen Radio Journey Podcast.  Paul is 14 years old and received his technician class license on November 19, 2009.  Paul discusses amateur radio as seen through the eyes of a teenager and his episodes are focused on helping attract young people into our hobby.  As I'm sure you agree, this is an extremely worthy cause to support.  So in theory, when you support MyAmateurRadio and The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast, you are also supporting the infrastructure for Teen Radio Journey.  This is why I've shared my bandwidth and server space with Paul. 

The equipment I use to produce both the audio podcast and video content is bought and paid for.  The cost to produce the content is my time.  While time is valuable, I will not place a dollar value on it in relation to the podcast or the website and therefore does not become a factor in the total costs.

On the main page for everyone to see I've placed a donation thermometer with a goal of $489.69.  I'll update the values as donations are received.  To date (April 30, 2010) MyAmateurRadio.com had earned $236.73.  Thank you for your consideration.

Q  How frequently is the Donation Thermometer updated?

A  The donation thermometer on the main page of MyAmateurRadio.com will be updated once per month, at the end of the month. 

Q  The annual costs stated above seem like a lot of money.  Isn't there a cheaper alternative?

A  The cost to host a website ranges anywhere from free to hundreds of dollars per month.  The free or less expensive web hosts work great for a static website or even for a podcast just starting out.  As a matter of fact, for the first 12 months or so, I ran the podcast website on a web host which cost me only $9.99 per month.  This worked fine until the popularity of the podcast and the website started to grow.  As they say, you become a victim of your own success.  YOU the listener were impacted with slow downloads or sometimes even no downloads due to exceeding the available bandwidth.  I needed to take action and move the site to a faster, more reliable hosting provider.  With the web traffic MyAmateurRadio.com is experiencing, the free or less expensive providers just won't cut it. 

Q  Are there other costs associated with the podcast that are not included in the annual cost number mentioned above?

A  Yes, I estimate when I provide podcast giveaways (typically t-shirts, caps etc.) the costs to send these is approx. $10-$12 per month.  I'm watching these numbers closely in 2010 and will add this to the budget in 2011.   

Q  Do you accept sponsorships?

A  Yes, if you own a business which specializes in amateur radio products or services and would like to sponsor an episode, please contact me.  The way I work sponsorships is through podcast giveaways.  You the sponsor provide an item or service to be given away in a monthly drawing.  In return, I'll place a banner ad for your business on MyAmateurRadio.com.  In addition, I'll provide a detailed description about your company, your products/services and the item you are providing.  In addition, upon request I can also provide you banner stats on the number of page impressions and clicks your banner received.

Club and Organization Directory

Q  What is the purpose of the Club and Organization Directory?

A  The club and organization directory is our way of helping to showcase all the fine clubs and organizations throughout the amateur radio community. 

Q  How do I get my club and/or organization listed on MyAmateurRadio.com?

A  Having your club or organization listed on MyAmateurRadio.com is easy.  Just read the following information here.

Hamfest Directory

Q  What is the purpose of the Hamfest Directory?

A  The hamfest directory is made available on MyAmateurRadio.com as a service to the amateur radio community. 

Q  How do I get our local Hamfest added to this directory?

A  Please contact Jerry using the contact form to have your local hamfest added to the directory.

MyAmateurRadio Forum

Q  What is the purpose of the MyAmateurRadio Forum

A  The MyAmateurRadio Forum is for members of the MyAmateurRadio.com website to discuss content from podcast episodes, ask questions about amateur radio and just general chit-chat.  The forum began small and has recently grown to add a few more categories.  You must be a registered member of MyAmateurRadio.com to participate in the forum.

Q  Is the MyAmateurRadio Forum safe from SPAM?

A  I wish I could tell you the answer is YES, however I believe in honesty...100% honesty.  After nearly one year of no SPAM, on 6 April 2010, the MAR Forum received its first SPAM message.  This was from a member who had registered for MAR access a few minutes prior and posted the message.  While the content was not of a porn nature, SPAM is SPAM and if one gets in...you can rest assured that many more will come.

Upon learning of the SPAM message, I immediately deleted the content and banned the member (a non-ham).  I'm looking into options.  I do not want to punish our members who use the forum as it is intended to be used.  I'm looking into adding functionality where new members have their first forum messages moderated.  However, at this time this functionality is not available. 

2010-04-06 Update:  Until I can get the functionality from the developer of the forum software, I've set all forum messages to be moderated.  This means there could be some delay from the time you post a message until I approve it.  Please note, I'm not doing this to censor any of our existing members.  However, I can't take a chance of having someone sneak in content which could offend our members.  This is an amateur radio website and so it will remain. 

MyAmateurRadio News

Q  What is MyAmateurRadio News?

A  The MyAmateurRadio News link on the main page just simply shows you all the articles written which have been categorized as "news".

2009 Statistics

The following statistical data is provided as a courtesy to those who might be interested in sponsoring podcast episodes or those who are just curious and want to know if anyone listens to the podcast and visits the website.

2009 was an incredible year and I'm humbled by all the numbers.  Here's how 2009 looked.

With your help, we are on track to surpass these numbers in 2010.

Content Contributors

Q  Can I contribute content to MyAmateurRadio.com and the Practical Amateur Radio Podast?

A  At the present time the answer is maybe.  I do plan to introduce sometime in 2010 or early 2011 opportunites for listeners to provide instructional content.  However, if you currently blog about amateur radio...please contact me with your blog address.  I'll consider featuring your blog in a upcoming episode of the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast - QRP edition.