Category: Digital Modes

  • What Is CommStat? The Complete Guide to JS8Call’s Group Status Board

    What CommStat is, how it works with JS8Call, why StatReps matter for emergency comms, how groups use it, what you need to run it, and how the versions differ.

  • Callsign vs DMR ID vs APRS SSID: Untangling Your Identifiers

    You are not just a callsign anymore. Here is what each of your digital identifiers actually does.

  • AREDN Node Hardware: Which Routers to Buy

    AREDN does not run on random WiFi routers. Here is the hardware that actually works, and why it matters.

  • Your First DMR Codeplug on the AnyTone 878, 890, or BridgeCom Maverick: Where to Start

    Opened the AnyTone CPS and have no idea which menu comes first? Here is the exact order to build a DMR codeplug on the 878, 890, or BridgeCom Maverick, and why building out of order leaves you staring at empty dropdowns.

  • Ham Radio Apps for APRS Tracking on Your Phone

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. You do not need a radio with a built-in TNC to get onto APRS. A collection of solid phone apps lets you track, message, and monitor the APRS network directly from a device you already carry everywhere. How Phone-Based APRS Actually Works Most APRS phone apps connect…

  • LoRa APRS: A Different Take on Long-Range Tracking

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. LoRa APRS blends two technologies that most hams already know separately, traditional APRS and LoRa radio hardware, into something that behaves a bit differently from either one on its own. How It Differs From Traditional APRS Standard APRS runs on 144.390 MHz in the US using AFSK-modulated…

  • Getting Started with JS8Call: Setup and Your First Contacts

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. JS8Call takes the weak-signal decoding strength that made FT8 popular and points it at a completely different goal: real keyboard-to-keyboard conversation over HF, not just a quick exchange of signal reports. How It Differs From FT8 FT8 is built around a rigid, automated exchange format, callsigns, grid…

  • Getting the Yaesu FT-857D on FT8 with WSJT-X

    Part of our The Yaesu FT-857D: The Complete Guide. What You Actually Need The FT-857D predates USB audio interfaces, so getting it onto FT8 means bridging two separate connections: a CAT cable for rig control and a sound card interface for audio in and out. A USB sound card interface like a Digirig handles both…

  • FT8 Contesting: How Digital Contests Actually Work

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. Most hams who run FT8 do it casually, working stations one at a time while doing something else with half their attention. Contesting on FT8 is a completely different animal. It is fast, structured, and genuinely competitive, and understanding the difference will save you a frustrating first…

  • RadioID.net and DMR ID Registration: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. Before you can transmit on DMR, whether through a hotspot or a repeater, you need a DMR ID. This trips up a lot of new hams because unlike a callsign, it is not something the FCC assigns you automatically. It is a separate registration you have to…

  • Choosing a Power Supply for a DMR Hotspot

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. A DMR hotspot is a small, low-power device, and it is tempting to assume any old USB charger will power it fine. In practice, a genuinely inadequate power supply is one of the most common causes of hotspot instability, random reboots, and connection dropouts. Why Current Rating…

  • Pi-Star vs. WPSD: Why I Switched My DMR Hotspots

    Part of our Getting On The Air: Modes, Operations, and Making Contacts guide. I ran Pi-Star for a long time before switching over, and now every hotspot I own runs WPSD. Both projects do the same underlying job, but a couple years of running both back to back has made the differences pretty clear to…

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