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The Yaesu FTX-1: The Complete Guide
Every FTX-1 post on QSO Journey in one place: the overview, setup guides, field ops, digital modes, operating skills, and maintenance.
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Packing an FTX-1 Go-Bag: What I Actually Carry
My grab-and-go FTX-1 bag, built for showing up ready whether that’s an EmComm callout or a last-minute activation.
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What’s Wrong With Amateur Radio Clubs in 2026
Amateur radio sits at the intersection of electronics, software, emergency communications, and pure experimentation. So why do so many local clubs feel like they’re actively working to drive newcomers away?
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Weekly Nets Are Stuck in the Past, and They’re Not Preparing Anyone for SHTF
Most weekly nets have become a comfortable check-in ritual that teaches nothing and tests nothing. Here’s why that’s a problem for preparedness-minded hams.
All Posts
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Mesh Networking: Meshtastic, MeshCore, and AREDN
Mesh networking gets pitched online as the thing that will save your comms when everything else goes down. It is a genuinely interesting technology, and also not the magic bullet the hype suggests. This is the map to everything on QSO Journey about mesh: what it actually is, getting a Meshtastic node running, growing a…
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Handheld Radios (HTs): The Complete Guide
A handheld is how most people start in this hobby, and for a lot of us it never really stops being the radio we reach for first. But “HT” covers a huge range of gear, from a $25 Baofeng to a $500 GPS-tagging DMR radio, and picking the right one (then actually programming and accessorizing…
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Extra Class Deep Dive: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
Part of our Getting Licensed guide. I hold Extra, and I will tell you upfront that the honest answer to whether you need it is usually no. That is not me talking myself out of my own license. It is just accurate. Extra is the smallest practical jump of the three upgrades, and most of…
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How to Read a Repeater Directory Listing (RepeaterBook, TravelPlus)
A repeater directory entry is dense with abbreviations. Here is what each field actually tells you.
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General Class Deep Dive: What Changes When You Upgrade
Part of our Getting Licensed guide. General is the upgrade that actually changes how you operate. Technician gets you on the air. General gets you onto HF in a real way, and for most people who caught the bug on 10 meters or borrowed a friend’s rig for a POTA activation, this is the license…
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Setting Up a Personal Ham Radio Website or QRZ Bio
A good QRZ bio is the first thing a lot of hams see about you. Here is what actually makes one useful.
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GMRS Channel Guide: What Each of the 30 Channels Is Actually For
Not all 30 GMRS channels work the same way. Here’s what’s actually different between them.