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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.
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Magnetic Loop Antennas: The HOA-Proof HF Antenna
Why a magnetic loop might be the only real HF option for balconies, apartments, and HOA lots that stealth wire antennas can’t get past.
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Building a PACE Communications Plan for Grid-Down Scenarios
How to build a PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) radio communications plan combining GMRS, ham radio, and non-radio backups.
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Getting Licensed: A Beginner’s Path Into Ham Radio
How to get your Technician ham radio license in 2026: what’s on the new 2026-2030 exam, how to study, your first radio, and the path beyond.
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GMRS Radio: The Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about GMRS radio: the $35 license, real-world range, repeaters, and which radio to actually buy first.
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Remote SDR Listening: KiwiSDR, WebSDR, and Hearing the World Without a License
You don’t need a license, a radio, or even an antenna to hear what HF sounds like from another continent. Public web-based SDR receivers, KiwiSDR and WebSDR being the two big networks, put a real receiver anywhere in the world at your fingertips through a browser. How these networks work Volunteers around the world host…
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Olivia and MFSK: Robust Digital Text Modes Beyond FT8
FT8 gets all the attention these days, but it’s not actually the most robust digital text mode available to you. Olivia and MFSK were built for a different problem: pulling a readable message out of conditions bad enough to wipe out almost anything else, at the cost of being considerably slower. How Olivia gets its…
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Setting Up Winlink: RMS Express, VARA, and Sending Your First Message
Part of our Emergency Communications and Preparedness guide. I’ve explained what Winlink is and why EmComm operators rely on it, but I’ve never walked through actually setting it up. This is that post: getting RMS Express and VARA installed and sending a real message through the system for the first time. What You Need A…