Category: UHF/VHF

  • 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…

  • Building a Roll-Up Slim Jim Antenna for VHF/UHF

    The Slim Jim is a J-pole’s flexible, packable cousin, built from ordinary twin lead and small enough to roll up and stuff in a jacket pocket. Here is how to build one.

  • 70 Centimeters: The Band Doing Half the Work On Your Dual-Bander

    Part of our Getting On The Air: Modes, Operations, and Making Contacts guide. Every dual-band handheld sold in the last twenty years covers 2 meters and 70 centimeters, but almost everyone talks about 2 meters and treats 70cm as an afterthought. That is a mistake. The 420 to 450 MHz band is doing real work,…

  • What Is APRS? History, Digipeaters, and How the Network Really Works

    APRS stands for Automatic Packet Reporting System, and it is one of the oldest pieces of digital ham radio still in daily use. Most operators know it as “the thing that puts a dot on a map,” but that undersells it badly. APRS is a real-time, ham-built data network that has been running continuously since…

  • VHF/UHF Contesting: Why Grid Squares Matter More Than You Think

    VHF and UHF contesting runs on a completely different currency than HF: grid squares, not countries. Here’s how it works and why it rewards different skills.

  • AnyTone AT-D890UV Review: The Radio That Never Leaves My Belt

    Why the AnyTone AT-D890UV is my everyday carry radio, how the BridgeCom Maverick compares, and what I’d want you to know before you buy.

  • Tropospheric Ducting and VHF/UHF Propagation Basics

    VHF and UHF are supposed to be line-of-sight, limited to roughly the visual horizon and not much more. Then, occasionally, a 2 meter signal shows up from 400 miles away, and the explanation is almost always tropospheric ducting. How a temperature inversion creates a duct Normally, air temperature and humidity decrease gradually with altitude, and…

  • Choosing a Dual-Band vs Tri-Band Mobile Radio

    A dual-band mobile covers 2m and 70cm, which handles the overwhelming majority of what most hams actually do on VHF/UHF. A tri-band adds a third band, typically 1.25m (222 MHz), and the question is whether that third band is actually worth the extra cost and complexity for your situation. What dual-band covers 2 meters and…

  • Building a 2m/70cm J-Pole Antenna

    A J-pole is one of the best-performing, cheapest antennas you can build for 2m and 70cm, and the whole thing can be built from a length of ladder line or copper pipe in an afternoon.

  • Cross-Band Repeat: Extending Your Family Network’s Range With a Mobile Radio

    A dual-band mobile can bridge two frequencies automatically, extending your family’s simplex range when the local repeater is down.

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