Category: UHF/VHF

  • The AnyTone AT-D578UV III Plus: Why I Own Three of Them

    One radio in the Jeep, one in the manpack, one in the shack. Here’s why the AT-D578UV III Plus earned three spots in my setup instead of one.

  • What Is P25 Digital? The Public Safety Standard Every Ham Should Understand

    P25 is the digital mode most hams have heard the most about and actually know the least about, mostly because almost nobody in ham radio actually transmits on it. It is not a hobbyist mode. It is the standard that runs the police, fire, and EMS radio traffic you probably scan or listen to, and…

  • APRS on the VGC VR-N76: Bluetooth KISS TNC Setup

    The VR-N76 does APRS completely differently than anything else in my lineup. Instead of an all-in-radio APRS engine like the Kenwood or AnyTone radios, it works as a Bluetooth KISS TNC that bridges to your phone or a laptop, where the actual APRS application lives. That is a real strength for flexibility, but it also…

  • Repeaters: How They Work, Why They’re Great, and Why They’re Not a SHTF Plan

    Repeaters turn a 5-watt handheld into a radio that can talk 40 miles. Here’s how that works, and why you shouldn’t bet your grid-down comms plan on one.

  • AllStarLink: Connecting Your Repeater or Node to the Internet

    EchoLink and IRLP aren’t the only ways to link a repeater or a personal node over the internet. AllStarLink takes a different technical approach, built on the same open-source telephony software that powers a huge share of the world’s VoIP systems. Built on Asterisk AllStarLink runs on Asterisk, the open-source PBX software originally built for…

  • Repeater Offsets and Duplex, Explained Simply

    Part of our Getting On The Air: Modes, Operations, and Making Contacts guide. Offset and duplex are two of the settings that confuse new hams the most when programming a radio for the first time, mostly because the terminology is used loosely and the concepts get blurred together. They are actually simple once you separate…

  • Why the AnyTone AT-D878UV II Plus and AT-D890UV Are Still the Radios to Beat

    The 878 basically defined the affordable DMR handheld category. The 890 built on it. Here’s why both are still worth your money, plus how the BridgeCom Maverick and the rest of the field stack up.

  • Icom IC-2730A Review: The Dual-Band Mobile I Regret Selling

    Part of our New Ham? This Is Where You Should Spend Your Money guide. I ran an Icom IC-2730A in the shack, in my Jeep, and in my truck, all at the same time, for years. I don’t say that to brag about owning three radios. I say it because that’s exactly the kind of…

  • Setting Up APRS on the Kenwood TH-D75A

    The TH-D75A is the easiest APRS setup in my whole lineup, and it is not close. Built-in GPS, a dedicated APRS mode button, dual-band RX so you can watch a data frequency and talk on another, and a real screen to read packets on. No Digirig, no laptop, no companion app required. Here is how…

  • Why the 1.25 Meter (220 MHz) Band Is Worth a Look

    The 1.25 meter band is one of ham radio’s best-kept secrets. Because so few radios cover it, it stays quiet and open. Here is why that is an opportunity.

  • Finding and Programming GMRS Repeaters in Your Area

    GMRS repeaters can turn a 5-mile radio into a 40-mile radio. Here’s how to find the ones near you and get them programmed into your radio correctly.

  • Simplex Calling Frequencies and Etiquette: 146.52 and Beyond

    146.52 MHz gets programmed into practically every 2 meter radio sold, but a lot of new hams never get a clear explanation of what it’s actually for or how to use it without annoying everyone listening. What 146.52 actually is 146.52 MHz is the nationally recognized 2 meter simplex calling frequency in the US, meaning…

Categories

×