Author: Kris – KZ7K
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The Best Budget DMR Handheld? Why I Recommend the Anytone AT-D168UV
Looking for your first DMR radio? Learn why the Anytone AT-D168UV is my top recommendation for budget-conscious amateur radio operators and how it compares to Baofeng, TYT, and BTECH alternatives.
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RF Exposure Compliance: What the FCC Actually Requires of Your Station
This is not an optional guideline anymore. Every US amateur station is now expected to have completed an RF exposure evaluation. Here is what that actually means and how to do it.
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Six Handheld Radios Compared: Kenwood TH-D75A, AnyTone AT-D890UV, VGC VR-N76, Wouxun UV-9P, Baofeng UV-5R Mini, and TIDRADIO H3
From a $30 pocket radio to a $700 D-STAR flagship, here’s how six very different handhelds actually compare on features, price, and who each one is really for.
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Tropospheric Ducting and VHF/UHF Propagation Basics
VHF and UHF are supposed to be line-of-sight, limited to roughly the visual horizon and not much more. Then, occasionally, a 2 meter signal shows up from 400 miles away, and the explanation is almost always tropospheric ducting. How a temperature inversion creates a duct Normally, air temperature and humidity decrease gradually with altitude, and…
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Networking Your Shack: Ethernet, WiFi, and Remote Gear Reliability
This post is part of Building Your First Ham Radio Station. Modern shacks have quietly become networked environments. Logging software syncing to the cloud, remote SDR access, WSJT-X talking to a network-connected radio, an internet-linked AllStarLink node, all of it depends on your shack’s network holding up reliably, and WiFi isn’t always up to the…
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Wouxun UV-9P Review: My Favorite Scanning Radio
Why the Wouxun UV-9P has become my go-to scanning radio: dual receive, CHIRP compatibility, and where it isn’t the right tool for the job.
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What Is JTAlert?
JTAlert is a popular companion for WSJT-X that adds alerts, award tracking, and automatic logging to your FT8 operating. Here is what it does.
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Installing a GMRS Mobile Radio in Your Vehicle: A Step-by-Step Guide
A GMRS handheld is fine for casual use, but a properly installed mobile radio, with real power output and a roof-mounted antenna, is a genuine step up in range and reliability. Here’s the install process from start to finish. Power: wire it directly to the battery Run power leads directly to the battery rather than…
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GridTracker and the IC-7300 Mark II: Logging FT8 Automatically
How to connect GridTracker to the IC-7300 Mark II through WSJT-X so FT8 contacts get logged, mapped, and routed to QSL services without manual entry.