Tag: ftx

  • Docking the Field Head to the SPA-1: Building Your Optima Base Station

    What actually happens when you dock the Field Head to the SPA-1 amplifier, and what to check before you leave it running as your base station.

  • HF Go-Kit Power Budgeting: Matching Battery Capacity to Realistic Operating Time

    Nothing ends a POTA activation or a field deployment faster than running out of power halfway through. Guessing at battery capacity is how that happens, actually running the numbers is how you avoid it. Start with your radio’s actual current draw Every radio’s manual lists current draw figures for receive, standby, and transmit at various…

  • The Heil PRO 7: Why It’s One of the Best Upgrades You Can Make, Especially With the FS-3

    Better audio, easier pileup hunting, and hands-free operation. Here’s what the Heil PRO 7 and FS-3 combo actually does, and what you need to run it on a Yaesu FTX-1.

  • GMRS for RVers and Overlanders: A Practical Setup Guide

    If you travel with other vehicles, RVing in a caravan, overlanding with a group, GMRS is the easiest way to keep everyone in touch without the complexity amateur radio brings and without the range limitations FRS imposes. Why GMRS fits this use case so well One license covers your whole family, no exam required, and…

  • Choosing a Backpack for a Portable HF Setup

    A backpack is easy to overlook when you’re planning a portable HF setup, most of the attention goes to the radio, the antenna, the battery. But the wrong pack turns a good kit into an awkward, uncomfortable carry, and the right one disappears into the background of a successful activation. Weight distribution matters more than…

  • Building a Digital Voice Manpack: DMR or D-STAR On the Go

    Most of the manpack builds I’ve written about center on HF, the FT-891 and G90 manpacks in particular. A digital voice manpack is a different animal, built around VHF/UHF digital voice for a different kind of portable capability entirely. Why build a digital voice manpack at all An HF manpack gets you long-distance contacts independent…

  • The Yaesu FTX-1: Field Radio, Base Station, or Both?

    Yaesu’s long-awaited FT-817/818 successor splits into two configurations: a lightweight Field Head and a 100W Optima setup. Here’s how each one performs.

  • Ham Radio for Full-Time RVers and Travelers

    Living full-time on the road changes what a ham radio setup actually needs to do. There’s no fixed antenna, no consistent local repeater, and no permanent QTH, which means the whole approach has to be built around flexibility rather than a dialed-in home station. Antennas that go up and come down easily A permanent tower…

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