Open Letter to Readers – What Ham Radio Books do you Want Reviewed?

Ham Radio Books
Which ham radio books would you like to see reviewed?

Hi Readers,

When I started getting into amateur radio, it seemed like there were a *lot* of ham radio books that I needed to be reading. It didn’t take long for me to realize that there aren’t really that many, and definitely not many new ones, aside from yearly revisions of various handbooks. In fact, after authoring my third book with a ham radio focus, I am probably one of the more prolific authors in this area.

However, new books come out occasionally, and while I’m always interested in learning more, I don’t always purchase or otherwise get a chance to read them. But I will do that for you! 🙂

Before I ask, I guess it’s worth revisiting some good places to purchase amateur radio communication-focused books. You have multiple options, and maybe even a local “brick annd mortar” store that will let you look at a book before purchasing, especially Ham Radio Outlet, which has several stores across the country.

Recommended Amateur Radio Book Sellers

  • ARRL’s web site: http://www.arrl.org/shop/What-s-New. This is a great place to browse and learn more about each book.
  • Ham Radio Outlet: http://www.hamradio.com/search2.cfm?sitem=Books. Unfortunately, their site isn’t the best way to browse many books at once (no book pictures until you click on each link), as compared to ARRL’s site. That said, their customer service is excellent and I’ve purchased many items from them – they’re great folks!
  • AES (Amateur Electronic Supply) has a great store here: http://www.aesham.com/books.
  • And of course, there’s Amazon.com, and you can see some of my reviewed and recommended books in the Bookstore page (see the “Bookstore” link at the top of  this web page).

What Ham Radio Books do You Want to Learn More About?

In other words, what book(s) do you think would be useful for me to review on this site? I value your input, so please let me know! For example, are you interested in getting a better idea what’s in the ARRL Repeater Directory (aside from… frequencies and tones)? How about a book on low power communications? Do you have a preference?

Of course, there’s always the option to simply write another book. I just finished the sequel to ‘The Road Home”, which is titled “The Day After” – it’s another radio-focused adventure, with non-fiction endnotes. But that’s fiction, and I’m not sure how often people who come to a site like this are actually interested in fiction, versus the down and dirty reference material that comprises the overwhelming majority of amateur radio literature.

There’s no reason I couldn’t write another non-fiction book. If you’ve seen my book “Personal Emergency Communications“, then you’ll have a good idea of the level of depth I prefer. I’m not an electrical engineer don’t feel compelled to do a lot more studying in that area at the moment. However I do have a passion for providing information that less technical readers can learn from, even if the topic is somewhat technical. Is there a topic you think deserves a book? I’d love your feedback there too.

Thanks,

Andrew, AB8L

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