Category: Digital Modes

  • Setting Up APRS on the AnyTone AT-D578UV III Plus

    The 578 shares its APRS architecture with the 878, which makes sense since AnyTone builds the CPS around the same feature set across the mobile and handheld lines. The setup steps are nearly identical, but a mobile radio adds a couple of wrinkles worth calling out, starting with the GPS antenna itself. Mount the GPS…

  • Troubleshooting Common FTX-1 Digital Mode Audio Issues

    The digital mode audio problems that come up most with the FTX-1, and the order I actually check things in to fix them fast.

  • GridTracker and the FTX-1: Logging FT8 Contacts Automatically

    How I connect GridTracker to the FTX-1 through WSJT-X so FT8 contacts get logged, mapped, and routed to QSL services without manual entry.

  • 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…

  • 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 Winlink Express and VARA installed and sending a real message through the system for the first time. What You Need A…

  • Troubleshooting IC-7300 Mark II Digital Mode Audio Issues

    The digital mode audio problems that come up most with the IC-7300 Mark II, and the order I actually check things in to fix them fast.

  • What Is JS8Call?

    JS8Call takes the weak-signal power of FT8 and turns it into real keyboard-to-keyboard conversation and messaging. Here is what it does.

  • M17: The Open-Source Alternative to DMR, D-STAR, and YSF

    Every digital voice mode I’ve covered in the Evolution of Amateur Radio series, D-STAR, DMR, System Fusion, shares one thing in common: they all rely on the proprietary AMBE voice codec, a patented chip that every manufacturer has to license. M17 exists specifically to get away from that dependency. A protocol built to be genuinely…

  • What Is a Digirig, and Why Do Some Radios Need One?

    A Digirig is a tiny interface that connects your radio to your computer for digital modes. Here is what it does and why some radios need one while others do not.

  • Why Filter Width Matters, and Good Starting Points for SSB and Digital Modes

    The IF filter is one of the most underused controls on a modern radio. Here is what it actually does, and where to set it for SSB, CW, and digital modes.

  • NBEMS and Practice Nets: Building Digital Mode Muscle Memory

    Knowing how to run a digital mode and knowing how to pass real emergency traffic on one are two different skills. NBEMS exists to bridge that gap, and the practice nets built around it are how you actually build the muscle memory before you need it for something that matters. What NBEMS actually is NBEMS,…

  • What Is GridTracker?

    GridTracker is a free companion app for WSJT-X that puts your FT8 activity on a beautiful live map and helps you chase grids, states, and countries.

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