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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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Understanding PRB-1 and Local Antenna Ordinances
PRB-1 is the federal rule hams cite constantly when a local ordinance tries to ban antennas outright. It is also frequently misunderstood. Here is what it actually protects, and what it does not.
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Baofeng UV-5R Review: The Radio Nearly Every Ham Owns At Least One Of
Part of our Handheld Radios (HTs) guide. I own several handhelds that cost significantly more than what a UV-5R does, and I still keep a couple of these around. Not because they are good radios in any technical sense, but because they are the radio that got more people licensed and on the air than…
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Attic and Indoor HF Antennas: What Actually Works
Not everyone has a yard, and not everyone with a yard can put an antenna in it. Attic and fully indoor antennas are the fallback for apartment dwellers and strict HOA situations, and while they’re never going to outperform an outdoor antenna, they genuinely work well enough to get you on the air. What an…
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Full-Size Wire Loop Antennas: Delta and Horizontal Loops for HF
I’ve written about magnetic loops for tight spaces, but full-size wire loops are a completely different animal and they deserve their own writeup. A full-wave loop is simply a wire, roughly one wavelength long on your target band, formed into a closed shape and fed at one point. No magic, just a different geometry than…
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The AnyTone AT-D578UV III Plus: Why I Own Three of Them
One radio in the Jeep, one in the manpack, one in the shack. Here’s why the AT-D578UV III Plus earned three spots in my setup instead of one.
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DMR vs. D-STAR vs. YSF (and the Rest): Comparing Digital Voice Modes
Four digital voice ecosystems, four different tradeoffs, and none of them talk to each other. Here’s how DMR, D-STAR, System Fusion, and the smaller players actually compare.