Category: HF
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Getting on FT8 with the Icom IC-7300 Mark II
One USB-C cable, no external interface needed. Here’s how to get the IC-7300 Mark II talking to WSJT-X and make your first FT8 contact.
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Do You Need a Linear Amplifier?
What extra watts actually buy you in S-units, when an amplifier is worth the cost, and what it takes to run one legally.
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Should You Upgrade from the Original IC-7300 to the Mark II?
Honest thoughts on whether the Mark II’s improvements are worth the upgrade cost if you already own a working original IC-7300.
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Yaesu FT-891: One Radio for the Shack, the Truck, and the Field
The FT-891 is built to be compact enough for a dashboard yet capable enough for a full base station. Here’s how it actually holds up in all three roles.
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Understanding the Mark II’s Dual USB-C Virtual COM Ports
What the IC-7300 Mark II’s dual USB-C virtual COM ports actually do, and why running digital modes and logging software together finally just works.
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Used IC-7300 Pricing After the Mark II Launch: Is the Original Still Worth Buying?
What’s happened to used original IC-7300 pricing since the Mark II launched, and whether the original is still a smart buy.
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Solid-State vs Tube Amplifiers: What’s Actually Different
If you’re shopping for a linear amplifier, you’ll run into a real choice between tube and solid-state designs, and despite tube technology being older by decades, it hasn’t been fully replaced. Both approaches have genuine advantages worth understanding before you spend amplifier money. Solid-state: instant-on and hands-off Solid-state amplifiers use transistors rather than vacuum tubes,…