Author: Kris – KZ7K
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Building a Comms Binder: Manuals, Serial Numbers, and Frequencies in One Place
One binder, not three scattered systems. Here’s what actually belongs in it and why paper still matters.
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A Comms Plan Your Non-Ham Family Members Can Actually Use
A simplified emergency comms plan for the family members who will never get licensed and never want a full radio lesson.
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The Heil PRO 7: Why It’s One of the Best Upgrades You Can Make, Especially With the FS-3
Better audio, easier pileup hunting, and hands-free operation. Here’s what the Heil PRO 7 and FS-3 combo actually does, and what you need to run it on a Yaesu FTX-1.
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VarAC: The Modern Chat Mode Built on VARA
VarAC is one of the newer additions to the digital mode toolbox, and it’s easy to describe by comparison: it does for VARA roughly what JS8Call did for FT8, turning a weak-signal modem into a genuine keyboard-to-keyboard chat platform with modern conveniences built in. Built on top of VARA, not a replacement for it VarAC…
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GMRS Antennas: What Actually Improves Your Range
More watts get all the attention, but antenna height and gain do more for your GMRS range than a bigger radio ever will. Here’s what’s actually worth upgrading.
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What Handheld Radio Should I Get for Emergency Comms?
GMRS, ham VHF/UHF, repeaters, and HF, compared for emergency comms with real-world vs best-case range expectations, plus my actual pick by scenario.
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Setting Up the Yaesu FT-891 for Digital Modes: Digirig DR-891, WSJT-X, and Your First FT8 Contact
The FT-891 has no built-in sound card and a quirky single-USB CAT connection. Here’s how the Digirig DR-891 solves that, and how to get from unboxed to your first FT8 QSO.