Author: Kris – KZ7K
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What Is an HF NVIS Regional Net?
What an HF NVIS regional net is, why it beats a repeater net as a regional comms test, plus modes, antennas, radios, and four station builds.
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Slim Jim vs J-Pole: Which Roll-Up Antenna Wins
Part of our Building Your First Ham Radio Station guide. Both the Slim Jim and the classic J-Pole are popular roll-up wire antennas for VHF and UHF, and they get compared constantly since they share a similar half-wave design philosophy and a similar build process. What They Actually Have in Common Both are end-fed half-wave…
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Repeater Coordination Councils: What They Do and Why It Matters
Coordination is not legally required, but ignoring it is how repeater owners end up in years-long interference disputes.
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Understanding Reciprocal Callsigns: /W, /VE, and Portable Designators
Part of our Getting Licensed guide. Those slash-marked additions to a callsign, /W, /VE, /4, and similar, look cryptic to a new ham but follow a consistent, logical system once you understand what each type is communicating. Domestic Portable Designators: Operating From a Different Call Area US callsigns are tied to a specific call district…
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What I Look For In A Ham Radio HT
The exact checklist I run every handheld radio through before it earns a spot in my lineup, plus a full comparison table covering ham, GMRS, and commercial HTs.
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Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts: How They Work, and Ham Radio’s Role
EAS and WEA are not the same system, and understanding both tells you exactly where ham radio actually fits in.
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Ham Radio Apps and Software Worth Having, Phone and PC
Part of our Getting On The Air guide My shack is full of dedicated logging and mapping software, and my phone carries its own lineup for when I am away from the desk. When I am checking a repeater before a drive, spotting myself for a POTA activation, or getting the shack ready for a…
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The One HF Setup I’d Recommend If You Want Capability Without Breaking the Bank
If someone asked me to recommend one HF setup that covers almost everything a ham could need without draining the bank account, here’s exactly what I’d point them to.
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FT8 vs SSB vs CW: Which Mode Should You Actually Use?
I get asked this constantly, usually by someone new to HF who just worked their first FT8 contact and wants to know if they even need to learn the other modes. The honest answer is that FT8, SSB, and CW aren’t competing for the same job. Each one solves a different problem, and once you…
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Grab and Go Box: 2m/70cm Family and Emergency Comms Kit
Part of our Emergency Communications and Preparedness Why I Built This Box I wanted one box I could grab on the way out the door that would let my whole family stay in contact no matter what’s going on. Not a bug out bag, not a full station buildout. Just a self contained kit that…