Tag: operating

  • How to Run an Effective Club Meeting

    Part of our Clubs and Nets guide. A lot of ham radio clubs struggle with attendance not because interest in the hobby has dried up, but because the meetings themselves have become something members quietly dread rather than look forward to. Respect People’s Time Start on time, end on time, and have a real agenda…

  • Field-Expedient Antennas: Improvising When You Forgot Your Gear

    You forgot the antenna. Here is what you can actually improvise with what is already in the car.

  • Running a Public Service Event: Parades, Races, and Marathon Comms

    Part of our Clubs and Nets guide. Public service events are one of the most underrated ways to get real, practical net experience without waiting for an actual emergency to force you into it. Marathons, charity walks, parades, and bike races regularly rely on ham radio volunteers for course communications, and it is one of…

  • Winter Field Day: A Dedicated Guide

    Part of our Getting On The Air guide. Winter Field Day gets treated as a footnote to the June ARRL Field Day, and I think that undersells it. It is run by the Winter Field Day Association rather than ARRL, it happens on the last full weekend of January, and cold weather changes enough about…

  • Mentoring a New Ham: How to Be a Good Elmer

    Part of our Clubs and Nets guide. Elmer is one of those ham radio traditions that everyone talks about fondly and almost nobody explains well. It just means a mentor, someone experienced who takes a new ham under their wing and helps them actually get on the air instead of just passing a test and…

  • Clubs and Nets: Finding, Joining, and Running Them

    A radio is just a box until you plug it into a community. Clubs and nets are how most hams actually learn the hobby, find mentors, and have somewhere to check in when it matters. This is the map to everything on QSO Journey about finding, joining, running, and sometimes starting your own club or…

  • The Ultimate Guide to Arizona Amateur Radio & GMRS Clubs (Plus Regional Frequency Cheat Sheet)

    Part of our Clubs and Nets guide. Whether you are hitting the backroads in a 4×4, preparing for emergency communications, or scanning the airwaves from your shack, Arizona has one of the most active radio communities in the country. From massive statewide VHF/UHF repeater networks to dedicated regional GMRS systems, keeping track of frequencies, tones,…

  • How to Run a Net People Actually Want to Check Into

    Part of our Clubs and Nets guide. I have sat through weekly nets that were nothing but a name, a call sign, and a signal report to know exactly why check-in numbers decline over time. Running a net well is a skill, and most of what separates a net people look forward to from one…

  • Net Topics That Actually Get People Talking

    A quick-reference list of net topics for when check-ins wrap up fast and the net needs somewhere to go.

  • Programming and Organizing Memory Channels on the FTX-1

    How I organize memory channels on the FTX-1 by band and purpose, and the fastest way to load them without fighting the touchscreen.

  • Contesting with the FTX-1: Menu and Setup Tips for Faster Runs

    How I set up the FTX-1 for a contest weekend, from menu shortcuts to logging integration that keeps the run moving.

  • Setting Up the FTX-1 for POTA: A Portable Field Kit Walkthrough

    What actually goes into my FTX-1 POTA kit, from the radio and antenna down to the small stuff that saves an activation.

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