Author: Kris – KZ7K
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Getting on FT8 with the Yaesu FTX-1 Optima (and the Field Head Alone)
Whether it’s docked to the SPA-1 amp or running solo on battery power, here’s how to get the FTX-1 talking to WSJT-X and onto FT8.
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Antenna Rotators: Do You Need One, and How to Choose
A rotator only becomes relevant the moment you put up a directional antenna, a Yagi, a hex beam, a quad, anything with a real front-to-back pattern worth pointing. Before that, it’s just an expensive way to spin a piece of metal. When you actually need one If you’re running wire antennas, verticals, or anything omnidirectional,…
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Meshtastic Range Testing: Antennas, Placement, and Realistic Expectations
Marketing claims for LoRa range are wildly optimistic. Here’s what to actually expect from a Meshtastic node, and what actually changes your real-world range.
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Off-Center-Fed Dipoles: What They Trade Off Versus a Center-Fed Dipole
Moving the feedpoint off center turns a simple dipole into a multi-band antenna, at the cost of a genuinely awkward impedance and some real compromises. Here is how that trade actually plays out.
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Ten Years of Playing Radio Before It Actually Clicked
I ran GMRS and listened to VHF/UHF for a decade before I got licensed. I thought I understood radio. I was wrong, and getting my ticket changed everything.