Author: Kris – KZ7K
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My Updated Yaesu FTX-1 Optima Go-Box: What I Changed and Why
My updated FTX-1 Optima go-box: the same watertight case, now with MOLLE pouches on the lid and both sides carrying the antennas, coax, power cables, and speaker.
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Fox Hunting in Ham Radio: How It Works, and How to Be Harder to Find
A deep look at radio fox hunting: what it is, what it isn’t, the gear and techniques hunters use, why HF NVIS is so hard to direction find, and practical EMCON habits that make your station harder to locate.
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AREDN Node Hardware: Which Routers to Buy
AREDN does not run on random WiFi routers. Here is the hardware that actually works, and why it matters.
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Choosing a Laptop for Field Operating
Part of our Where to Spend Your Money guide. A laptop that works fine on your shack desk can be genuinely frustrating in the field, where sunlight, dust, and limited power access expose weaknesses a desk setup never reveals. Battery Life Matters More Than Raw Power For digital modes, logging, or CAT control in the…
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Getting Started with Cheap SDR Receivers: RTL-SDR and HackRF
What a $30 RTL-SDR dongle can actually do, how HackRF extends that, and how to get either one running.
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Why Ham Radio Matters: A Hobby, a Lifeline, and a Century of Proof
Why ham radio still matters: the hobby, what it does for you, your family, and your town, and a century of times it kept people alive when everything else failed.
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Why HF Radio Matters Most When the Grid Goes Down
Why HF radio is critical when the grid goes down: NVIS keeps you connected to your region, and HF DX lets you poll other states and continents for news.
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Your First DMR Codeplug on the AnyTone 878, 890, or BridgeCom Maverick: Where to Start
Opened the AnyTone CPS and have no idea which menu comes first? Here is the exact order to build a DMR codeplug on the 878, 890, or BridgeCom Maverick, and why building out of order leaves you staring at empty dropdowns.
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Your Repeater Is Not a Plan: Why HF NVIS Matters Just as Much
Without the repeater, VHF/UHF is line of sight. Here’s why HF NVIS matters as much, and how I’d layer both into a real SHTF comms plan.
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My Yaesu FTX-1 Go-Box: 100 Watts, HF Through UHF, in One Watertight Case
My FTX-1 Optima go-box: a watertight hard case holding the radio and the SPA-1 amp for HF through UHF, with antennas in a bag alongside. 16.5 lbs, 12 x 12 x 7 inches.
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Where Are the Young Hams? Not at Your Club Meeting
Younger operators are all over radio. They’re just not at club meetings. My take on GMRS, mesh, unlicensed Baofengs, and what clubs need to change.
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How to Use AI to Program Your Ham Radio (With a Free CHIRP File)
I gave an AI assistant one plain-English prompt and got back a CHIRP-ready CSV with my local repeaters, calling frequencies, weather channels, and more. Here is the prompt, the file, and what you have to verify.