Category: Getting Started
-
Choosing Coax for HF: Efficiency, Length, and Cost
Coax is not just a wire that connects your radio to your antenna. The type and length you choose affects efficiency, cost, and your whole operating experience. Here is how to think about it.
-
Building Your First QRP Kit: What to Expect
There is a specific kind of satisfaction in making a contact with a radio you soldered together yourself. Building a QRP kit is one of the most approachable ways into homebrewing, even with zero electronics background.
-
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.
-
Setting Up Your First Meshtastic Node: Hardware and Firmware Basics
Meshtastic is one of the cheapest ways to get into off-grid messaging. Here’s what hardware to buy and how to get your first node flashed and talking.
-
Getting Started with DMR: Brandmeister, TGIF, and Building Your Own Hotspot
Two networks, a Raspberry Pi, and a DMR ID are all it takes to get on digital voice from your desk. Here’s how the pieces fit together.
-
GMRS vs. Amateur Radio VHF/UHF vs. HF: Picking the Right Tool
Three services, three very different propagation stories. Here’s how GMRS, ham VHF/UHF, and HF actually compare on hardware, range, and what each one is really good for.
-
Understanding PRB-1 and Local Antenna Ordinances
PRB-1 is the federal rule hams cite constantly when a local ordinance tries to ban antennas outright. It is also frequently misunderstood. Here is what it actually protects, and what it does not.
-
My Recommended First Ham Radio Station: Budget and Mid-Tier Builds for New Hams
Two complete station recommendations for new hams, one budget and one mid-tier, covering radios, antennas, and power supplies for VHF/UHF and HF.
-
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.