Tag: review
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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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The Buddipole BuddiHex: A Field Day 2026 Field Report
A 6-band hex beam that set up fast, blew past my expectations, and reminded me exactly why it’s a special-event antenna and not a weekly one.
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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.
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Dummy Loads, Wattmeters, and the Other Tools I Actually Use
Beyond a radio and an antenna, a handful of basic test tools make troubleshooting and tuning something you can actually do yourself rather than guess at. Here is what earns a permanent spot on my bench.
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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.
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My Recommended First Ham Radio Station: Budget and Mid-Tier Builds for New Hams
Two complete station recommendations for new hams, one budget and one mid-tier, covering radios, antennas, and power supplies for VHF/UHF and HF.
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Yaesu FT-891: One Radio for the Shack, the Truck, and the Field
The FT-891 is built to be compact enough for a dashboard yet capable enough for a full base station. Here’s how it actually holds up in all three roles.
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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.
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RigExpert Stick Pro Review: Why I Love It, Plus How It Compares to the Rest of the Lineup
My honest take on the RigExpert Stick Pro after putting it to work on antenna projects, and a breakdown of how it stacks up against the rest of RigExpert’s analyzer lineup.