Friday, December 5, 2025

I don't believe YouTube did this to me! Day 5

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Thursday, December 4, 2025

I don't believe YouTube did this to me! Day 4

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Awesome Baofeng coverage using this method

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Wednesday, December 3, 2025

I don't believe YouTube did this to me! Day 3

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Tuesday, December 2, 2025

I don't believe YouTube did this to me! Day 2

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I discovered my XHDATA D-808 could do this.

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Sunday, November 30, 2025

I don't believe YouTube did this to me!

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Friday, November 28, 2025

Thanksgiving on the ISS was interesting.

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Thursday, November 27, 2025

I Thought they forgot about me… Then This Arrived

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Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Eavesdropping on a HamNet and more!

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Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Is the XHDATA D 808 Shortwave Radio Really Better?

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How to Look Up Ham Radio Operators
by Call Sign or Locator Grid

If you’re getting into amateur radio, one of the first skills you’ll want is the ability to look up operators by their call sign or locate stations using the Maidenhead grid system. Thankfully, several excellent free tools make this simple.

🔍 Look Up Operators by Call Sign

Whether you're verifying a contact, checking licensing info, or learning more about a station you heard on the air, these lookup tools are widely used:

QRZ Call Sign Lookup
https://www.qrz.com
The most popular call sign database, with bios, photos, and station details.
HamQTH (Free Alternative to QRZ)
https://www.hamqth.com
Fully free, clean interface, and no account required.
ARRL License Search
https://www.arrl.org/advanced-call-sign-search
ARRL provides a direct link to the FCC license database with tools and info for U.S. amateurs.
FCC ULS (Official Database, USA)
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp
The authoritative source for U.S. amateur licenses.

🗺️ Find or Convert Maidenhead Grid Locators

The Maidenhead Locator system breaks the world into grid squares used in contesting, satellite ops, and weak-signal work.

Maidenhead Grid Locator (Map-based)
https://www.qrz.com/gridmapper
Click anywhere on the map to see its grid square.
QTH Locator / Grid Square Finder
https://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php

Enter an address or drop a pin on the map.
APRS Grid + Position Lookup
https://aprs.fi
Enter a call sign to see real-time or recent APRS locations and grid squares.
Maybe the simplest:
https://www.f5len.org/tools/locator/

🎯 Why This Matters

Verifying call signs and understanding grid locators are essential skills for logging, contesting, QSL confirmations, and satellite communication. These tools make it easy—bookmark them for quick access.

Here's a link to a radio that can certainly be cost effective and very capable;

https://amzn.to/48b7qZt

📡

Thursday, November 13, 2025

I'm in the fight for my life

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XHDATA D 808 Could this be the best Shortwave Radio?

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Tuesday, November 11, 2025

We found the strangest thing in Alabama!

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Friday, November 7, 2025

I got removed! Again! Community Guidelines Rant!

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Thursday, November 6, 2025

This happened on vacation. You gotta see.

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Thursday, October 30, 2025

What a HAM Net Sounds Like - Real Example

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Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Discover the Great Outdoors with The Shooting Guy!

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Saturday, October 25, 2025

The Baton Rouge Capitol: A Tower That Tells a Story

Rising 450 feet above the city skyline, the Louisiana State Capitol isn’t just a government building — it’s a statement carved in limestone. Built in only fourteen months during the early 1930s, this Art Deco giant was the vision of one man: Huey P. Long.

Step back and take in its form, and you’ll notice it doesn’t resemble most state capitols. There’s no dome, no sprawling classical wings — instead, it shoots straight into the sky like a skyscraper from the 1930s, more at home in New York than the Deep South. Its clean vertical lines and sculpted reliefs give it the feel of the Empire State Building’s southern cousin, a bold symbol of progress and modern ambition.

But the Capitol is more than architecture — it’s a monument to power. Long designed it as a showcase of his vision for Louisiana, a beacon of efficiency and authority rising above politics and poverty. The 34-story tower seems to echo his personality: towering, driven, and impossible to ignore.

After Long’s assassination inside the building in 1935, the structure took on a new meaning. His tomb lies at its base, watched over by his bronze statue facing the tower he built. In that way, the Capitol became a mausoleum as much as a monument — a reminder of how ambition and fate often meet on the same stage.

From the observation deck on the 27th floor, you can see the Mississippi River stretch to the horizon, and you understand why Long wanted it here. The Capitol doesn’t just mark Baton Rouge’s skyline — it marks a chapter in American history, one of vision, controversy, and the enduring will to build something that lasts.

Visiting the Louisiana State Capitol

If you ever find yourself in Baton Rouge, this building deserves a spot on your itinerary. You can walk the Capitol grounds, explore the gardens, and visit Huey Long’s memorial and grave at the foot of the tower. Inside, you’ll find Art Deco marble interiors, intricate bronze doors, and murals that capture Louisiana’s story through art and history.

Take the elevator to the 27th-floor observation deck for a sweeping view of the city and the Mississippi River — a panorama that connects past ambition to the living pulse of Baton Rouge today.

Admission is free, and guided tours are often available through the Louisiana State Capitol Museum. Whether you’re drawn by architecture, politics, or history, this tower tells them all in one breathtaking view.

📍 Visitor Info

Address: 900 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Hours: Typically open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (check current hours before visiting)
Observation Deck: 27th floor, free access during business hours
Parking: Free visitor parking available around Capitol Park