Category: Getting Started
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.