Amateur Radio · Utah

W7ORD

Chasing signals across Utah.

The operator

One operator, one radio, a whole lot of Parks.

I’m the guy behind W7ORD. I got licensed to have an excuse to spend more time outdoors.

This isn’t a club and it isn’t a business. It’s just my logbook, my gear, and the parks I keep coming back to. If we’ve worked before, thanks for the contact. If we haven’t yet, listen for me.

A person hiking on a mountain trail in a Utah alpine forest carrying a small backpack with a portable radio antenna

Parks on the Air

Activating Utah’s parks, one park at a time.

POTA is my favorite reason to leave the house. Pack the radio, and hand out contacts to hunters all over the world.

Learning CW

Learning to think in dits and dahs.

Morse code is the reason I fell in love with this hobby all over again. There’s something about pulling a callsign out of the noise with nothing but rhythm and patience that no other mode gives you.

I’m still learning. If you hear me sending a little slow, slow down with me. I’ll get there.

QRP · Low Power

Five watts and a wire.

I like to run QRP because you are reward you for traveling light. Less power means smaller batteries. It also means every contact feels earned. When five watts crosses an ocean, you remember it.

Light

The whole station fits in a hip pack. Radio, battery, antenna, and paddle — nothing that slows the hike down.

Quiet

No generator, no hum, no crowd. Just wind in the pines and the tick of a keyer against the mountain silence.

Earned

Every contact takes skill, patience, and good conditions. When it works, it feels like magic. Because it kind of is.