Category: Digital Modes (Inc: FT8, DMR, YSF, DStar, Etc)
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FT4: FT8’s Faster, Less Popular Cousin
FT8’s faster, less forgiving cousin, and where the extra speed actually pays off.
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DMR Talkgroups Are Great Fun, But Don’t Mistake Them for a SHTF Plan
Brandmeister and TGIF talkgroups are a fantastic way to stay in touch and play radio every day. Just understand what they depend on, because that same dependency is exactly why they fail when it matters most.
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VARA vs. PACTOR: Choosing a Winlink Modem
VARA and PACTOR compared for Winlink, and which one actually makes sense for a home EmComm setup.
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The Best Budget DMR Handheld? Why I Recommend the Anytone AT-D168UV
Looking for your first DMR radio? Learn why the Anytone AT-D168UV is my top recommendation for budget-conscious amateur radio operators and how it compares to Baofeng, TYT, and BTECH alternatives.
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What Is JTAlert?
JTAlert is a popular companion for WSJT-X that adds alerts, award tracking, and automatic logging to your FT8 operating. Here is what it does.
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GridTracker and the IC-7300 Mark II: Logging FT8 Automatically
How to connect GridTracker to the IC-7300 Mark II through WSJT-X so FT8 contacts get logged, mapped, and routed to QSL services without manual entry.
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Packet Radio: The Digital Mode That Started It All
If you use APRS, Winlink, or AREDN, you’re already relying on packet radio, whether you realize it or not. It’s one of the oldest digital modes in the hobby, and it’s also one of the most quietly influential, since so much of what came after it borrowed from the protocol it introduced. AX.25, the protocol…
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Why a Single-Band Radio Isn’t Enough for SHTF, and Where Digital and Encryption Actually Fit
One band and one mode is a fragile foundation for emergency communication. Here’s the case for multi-band, digital-capable gear, an honest look at where encryption is and isn’t legal, and what a MARS mod really does.
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What Is WSJT-X?
WSJT-X is the free software behind FT8 and other weak-signal digital modes. Here is what it does and why it changed ham radio.
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AREDN Mesh Networking: Building a Ham Radio Internet
AREDN turns cheap off-the-shelf routers into a high-speed data network that runs entirely over ham radio frequencies, no internet required. Here is how the pieces fit together.
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What Is PSK31? The Original Low-Power Digital Chat Mode
Long before FT8 took over the digital segments of every HF band, PSK31 was already doing keyboard-to-keyboard chat over weak, narrow signals. Released by Peter Martinez, G3PLX, in 1998, it’s still around today, and it’s worth understanding even if you never plan to make it your primary mode. How PSK31 actually works PSK31 uses phase-shift…
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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.