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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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ICS-213 and Message Formats: How EmComm Traffic Actually Gets Passed
Passing a message accurately over a radio net is a specific skill with its own format, and ICS-213 is the standard form most served agencies actually expect. Here is how real message traffic gets handled.
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GMRS for RVers and Overlanders: A Practical Setup Guide
If you travel with other vehicles, RVing in a caravan, overlanding with a group, GMRS is the easiest way to keep everyone in touch without the complexity amateur radio brings and without the range limitations FRS imposes. Why GMRS fits this use case so well One license covers your whole family, no exam required, and…
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Getting Kids and Teens Licensed: Programs, Camps, and What Actually Works
The average ham’s age keeps climbing, and the hobby’s long-term health depends on getting more kids and teens licensed. Here’s what actually gets young people through the exam and, more importantly, on the air afterward.
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Used IC-7300 Pricing After the Mark II Launch: Is the Original Still Worth Buying?
What’s happened to used original IC-7300 pricing since the Mark II launched, and whether the original is still a smart buy.
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Solid-State vs Tube Amplifiers: What’s Actually Different
If you’re shopping for a linear amplifier, you’ll run into a real choice between tube and solid-state designs, and despite tube technology being older by decades, it hasn’t been fully replaced. Both approaches have genuine advantages worth understanding before you spend amplifier money. Solid-state: instant-on and hands-off Solid-state amplifiers use transistors rather than vacuum tubes,…
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Loading Coils and Shortened Verticals: The Physics of Compromise Antennas
Screwdriver antennas, mobile whips, and compact verticals all lean on the same trick to fit a low-band antenna into a fraction of its natural length: a loading coil. Understanding what that coil is actually doing helps explain why some shortened antennas perform noticeably better than others of similar size. Why a short antenna needs help…