Tag: digital
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NBEMS and Practice Nets: Building Digital Mode Muscle Memory
Knowing how to run a digital mode and knowing how to pass real emergency traffic on one are two different skills. NBEMS exists to bridge that gap, and the practice nets built around it are how you actually build the muscle memory before you need it for something that matters. What NBEMS actually is NBEMS,…
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Ailunce HD2 Review: A Great EmComm Handout Radio, With a Warning
I use the Ailunce HD2 as a preprogrammed EmComm handout radio, but there’s a documented spurious emissions problem you need to know about before you buy.
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What Is GridTracker?
GridTracker is a free companion app for WSJT-X that puts your FT8 activity on a beautiful live map and helps you chase grids, states, and countries.
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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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Building a DMR Hotspot with a Raspberry Pi: Pi-Star vs WPSD, DMR IDs, and Getting Your Radio Talking
A complete, practical guide to standing up your own DMR hotspot on a Raspberry Pi. Pi-Star versus WPSD, how to get a DMR ID without pulling your hair out, simplex versus duplex hats, and how to connect your radio.
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VarAC: The Modern Chat Mode Built on VARA
VarAC is one of the newer additions to the digital mode toolbox, and it’s easy to describe by comparison: it does for VARA roughly what JS8Call did for FT8, turning a weak-signal modem into a genuine keyboard-to-keyboard chat platform with modern conveniences built in. Built on top of VARA, not a replacement for it VarAC…
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Setting Up the Yaesu FT-891 for Digital Modes: Digirig DR-891, WSJT-X, and Your First FT8 Contact
The FT-891 has no built-in sound card and a quirky single-USB CAT connection. Here’s how the Digirig DR-891 solves that, and how to get from unboxed to your first FT8 QSO.
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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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Building Your First DMR Codeplug
A codeplug is the configuration file that tells your DMR radio which talkgroups, zones, and contacts exist. Building your first one from scratch looks intimidating and is actually a very learnable process.