Author: Kris – KZ7K
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VGC VR-N76 / BTech UV-Pro Review: A Great Budget EDC Radio, With One Real Catch
The VGC VR-N76 and BTech UV-Pro are the same radio wearing two badges, and a genuinely great budget EDC option, with one catch: no CHIRP support.
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The G5RV and Windom: Are Multi-Band Compromise Antennas Still Worth It
The G5RV and Windom show up constantly in older antenna books and forum threads, and newer hams often wonder if they’re still worth building now that EFHWs and modern multi-band verticals exist. Both designs work, but both come from an era with different assumptions about what gear you had on hand. How the G5RV actually…
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Meshtastic Channel Configuration: Encryption, Modem Presets, and Range Tradeoffs
The default Meshtastic channel gets you talking, but the real configuration decisions, encryption, modem presets, and hop limits, are where you actually control range, privacy, and reliability.
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What Is VARA, and Why Winlink Depends On It
If you’ve set up Winlink recently, you’ve almost certainly installed VARA, even if you weren’t entirely sure what it was doing behind the scenes. It’s the software modem responsible for actually getting your email-over-radio message from your station to a gateway, and it’s become the default choice for most Winlink users. A software modem, not…
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6 Meters: The Magic Band, Explained
6 meters earned its nickname honestly. It behaves like HF one day and VHF the next, and nobody can fully predict when it will do either.
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Best GMRS Radios for Families, Overlanding, and Everyday Use
You don’t need the most expensive GMRS radio on the shelf. Here’s how to pick the right one for handheld family use, vehicle mounting, or a home base, without overspending.
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Setting Up a Bug-Out Vehicle for Radio
A mobile radio beats a handheld from inside a vehicle every time. Here’s how to actually wire one into a bug-out vehicle.
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Simplex Calling Frequencies and Etiquette: 146.52 and Beyond
146.52 MHz gets programmed into practically every 2 meter radio sold, but a lot of new hams never get a clear explanation of what it’s actually for or how to use it without annoying everyone listening. What 146.52 actually is 146.52 MHz is the nationally recognized 2 meter simplex calling frequency in the US, meaning…
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The Yaesu FTX-1: Field Radio, Base Station, or Both?
Yaesu’s long-awaited FT-817/818 successor splits into two configurations: a lightweight Field Head and a 100W Optima setup. Here’s how each one performs.
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Building a Roll-Up Slim Jim Antenna for VHF/UHF
The Slim Jim is a J-pole’s flexible, packable cousin, built from ordinary twin lead and small enough to roll up and stuff in a jacket pocket. Here is how to build one.