Michael Burnette, AF7KB, has presented at Hamvention (Dayton), Hamcation (Orlando), SeaPac (Seaside, OR), Pacificon (San Ramon, CA), The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, and many more hamfests and clubs.
His show business roots (he made his first stage appearance at age 5) decades of radio, television, and live seminar presentation work, and his conversational writing style make for informative, fast-paced, and entertaining presentations on topics fundamental to the ham hobby and service.
His books and audio programs have been purchased by thousands of hams, whether to get their first license or their Amateur Extra license. His passion for the material, his use of an innovative progressive learning system, his commitment to creating a useful body of knowledge for the students, and his lighthearted, often humorous approach to the topic have proved quite popular.
At present, we offer five different presentations. Each runs approximately 40 minutes, with time for live Q&A after the presentation. All presentations are done via Zoom, “live in the studio.”
To book Michael for a presentation, please use the calendar above — or just use the Contact Us form and drop us a note. (It’s not like we’re orthopedic surgeons and booking 40 appointments a day.)
Welcoming the New Ham
We all know there’s a bit of a chasm to be crossed on the trail from “got my license!” to “being an active ham.” Frankly, results suggest we’re losing more than a few new licensees along the way. Sadly, for about half of new hams, their last act as active ham radio operators will be to look up their new call sign on the FCC database; and that’s one of the more optimistic estimates, by the way.
Is there anything that can be done? Michael looks at three different existing club programs that address this issue; what one might call the Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans.
The Fast Track to Understanding Ham Radio Antennas
Few things in ham radio cause more joy and more consternation than our antennas. They’re also the source of a lot of superstition and misunderstanding, some of which we really must lay at the feet of the questions in the license examination pools!
We look at antenna fundamentals; how do these things really work, and what are the critical elements in antenna performance?
The Fast Track to Getting Started in HF
Usually, the ham who just upgraded from Technician to General is suddenly faced with a lot of choices. What transceiver? What feed line? What antenna? HOW DO I OPERATE HF?
Michael outlines a sensible, economical philosophy and action plan for beginning to participate on the HF bands. He even includes solutions for those who are impeded by space considerations or … gulp … the dreaded HOA rules.
How to Hammer Your Next Ham Exam
Planning to upgrade your license? Hoping to help someone else upgrade? Maybe you just need to learn how to work that new radio that came with the 800-page manual that may have been written by Leo Tolstoy.
A lively, informative, and fun 40 to 50 minutes on study techniques that really work — as he says, “techniques tested and peer-reviewed by real neuro-scientists with real lab coats and clipboards!” More generally, though, the presentation takes a hard look at the current state of ham radio education.
The Fast Track to Understanding Ham Radio Propagation
“The Fast Track to Understanding Ham Radio Propagation” covers propagation from the ground up — literally! We’ll touch on “unusual” VHF/UHF propagation (which turns out to really be “usual”) and get a whole new look at HF ionospheric propagation. (It involves beachballs.) HF propagation is a hot topic with the dawning of Solar Cycle 25 and (fingers crossed!) some good propagation already happening and maybe some great propagation on the horizon.
One ham wrote, “I’ve been a ham for 42 years and this is the best explanation of this stuff I have ever seen.”
Book a Presentation
You may use the form below to tentatively book a presentation. The form is convenient for us but it is optional — we’re perfectly happy to hear from you through our Contact Us page.
Please note we do have minimum requirements for the presentation equipment — we want to produce the best possible presentation for your group. Basically, we need an adequate projector, screen, and public address system based on the meeting hall and the number of attendees.
We ask that you have at least 20 attendees at the presentation. We understand you cannot guarantee that, and we don’t ask that you do; just that you honestly anticipate at least that number.
We do not offer presentations for events that are strictly swap meets. While we love ham swap meets as much as any other ham, we find that people are there for the bargains, not for the presentations.
