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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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Cross-Band Repeat: Extending Your Family Network’s Range With a Mobile Radio
A dual-band mobile can bridge two frequencies automatically, extending your family’s simplex range when the local repeater is down.
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Setting Up WSJT-X, GridTracker, HRD, and TQSL: A Digital Station That Logs Itself
How to install WSJT-X, Ham Radio Deluxe, GridTracker, and TQSL, and get them syncing so every FT8 contact logs itself and uploads to LoTW, QRZ, and PSK Reporter automatically.
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What Is RTTY, and Is It Still Worth Learning?
RTTY, radioteletype, predates every other digital mode covered on this site by decades. It was running over HF long before packet radio, PSK31, or FT8 existed, and it’s still alive today mostly because of one thing: contesting. Mechanical roots, digital survival RTTY traces back to actual mechanical teletype machines, using a 5-bit Baudot code to…
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GMRS Licensing 101: Cost, Application, and What It Actually Covers
No test, one application, and a license that covers your whole family. Here’s exactly what GMRS licensing costs, how long it takes, and what you’re actually allowed to do with it.
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SD Card Logging and Recording on the IC-7300 Mark II: What It’s Actually For
What the IC-7300 Mark II’s SD card slot actually does beyond firmware and settings backup, and how I use its audio recording feature.
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FreeDV: Open-Source Digital Voice for HF
Every digital voice mode covered elsewhere on this site, D-STAR, DMR, System Fusion, lives on VHF and UHF. FreeDV fills a different gap entirely: open-source digital voice on HF, where none of those other modes operate at all. Open source, top to bottom Unlike D-STAR’s proprietary AMBE codec or DMR’s commercial ETSI roots, FreeDV is…
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Running GMRS and Ham Radio Together: Legal Lines and Practical Setups
Holding both a GMRS and a ham license is common and useful, but the two services can’t be mixed on air. Here’s where the legal lines actually sit, and how to run both well.