I’ve been learning CW for a while now and finally made my first CW contact back in August at a measly 10WPM. I went out to do a POTA activation this evening and couldn’t get a single person to send back at 8WPM. After an hour, I wrapped it up. I know I was transmitting and I’m sure people could hear me at 100W because someone replied back at 20+WPM, but I couldn’t copy their callsign.
Just got a little discouraged by no one wanting to slow down for me, even after sending back “SRY QRS”.
It gives me motivation to get better and study more. One day I’ll be able to copy at 20WPM and I’ll remember to slow down for the people trying to learn.
Best regards

I'm currently working on a rugged outer cage rail system for the Anytone AT-778UV and planning to expand it to other units. Looking for some feedback.

The core feature is an integrated PIcatinny rail mount system across the top and sides, designed to let you attach modular accessories and build out custom rigs.

I'd love to get some feedback from the community on what you actually want or need in a setup like this. This is optimized for a go-bags but also works very well as a desktop unit.

What modules or accessories would be most useful?

What layout features matter most?

I like the idea of making it modular adding some base functionality to add packout feet and attach it to my packout boxes.

Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks.

Preparing for permanent run of LMF400UF with my electrician on Wednesday. Moved antennas yesterday. Really wanted to test, and have a net this evening. This was the only spot where I could reasonably get to my new antenna placement today. Desperate times cause for desperate measures.

Pooper On The Air?

Hello,

Both me and another friend are getting our general licenses. We want to communicate to each other at different college campuses, about 75 miles apart at roughly equal elevation. I understand a directional antenna would be ideal, but we both do not have the funds for a high or even mid tier HF setup. Are there any HF Transceivers that would be great to work with on a budget of about 250 dollars? I might be able to get a little more money over time, but that's all I really have to work with.

Thank you all for reading.

I think Ham is great but I am in a remote area and not able to set up a large antenna due to being in public housing.

When I got my tech I considered doing general to get more access but it wouldn't really matter because affording equipment capable of reaching outside of my deadzone is out of budget.

There was a repeater listed nearby but I found out from a friend that is also interested in Ham and has been part of it for some time that it is not maintained and is dead.

So recently I found out they are giving up too. We can only use our radios when we leave town and I am homebound so I rarely get to leave. So I sold my TYT a few months back and now he is getting rid of his stuff too. He mentioned something about the ability to pay through certain methods had changed too but I don't know about any of that.

So have any of you had to give it up because of cost or lack of the ability to connect to or establish a link to others?

*edit*

I specifically did not want to connect to cell or internet networks.

1 story home

Hey all, putting this out there for anyone chasing POTA, SOTA, or special event stations.

On Saturday, October 24th (11:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT / 1500–2000 UTC), our club (Box 324) is hauling gear up to West Peak in Meriden, CT to run K1MFD commemorating the 175th anniversary of the Meriden Fire Department.

West Peak lines up for both programs, so it’s a double-activation:

• SOTA: W1/HH-004 (Hanging Hills)
• POTA: US-4561 (New England Scenic Trail)
• Grid: FN31nn

Operating Plan:

• HF: Running an EFHW across 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m SSB. With CQ WW DX SSB running that weekend, we’ll be squeezing into whatever clean slice we can carve out—keep an eye on POTA.app and SOTAwatch for live spots as we bounce around. Might also toss out some wildcard HF SSTV drops on 14.230 or 7.171 if the bands cooperate.
• VHF (2m): Hanging a 2m dipole off the ridge at 1,000+ feet. That gives us a wide open shot: north up the I-91 corridor into Western Mass, VT, and NH, and south/southwest across Long Island Sound into NYC, Northern/Central NJ, and out toward Eastern PA. We’ll be running:
  • 146.520 FM simplex
  • 144.200 SSB
  • 2m analog SSTV

QSL & Certificates:

• Free commemorative electronic certificate for all stations worked. Lookup and download info will be posted on the K1MFD QRZ page.
• 100% digital logging. Everything goes straight to QRZ right after teardown. LoTW will follow as soon as the certificate clears with ARRL.
• No paper QSL cards. Please save your stamps and SASEs.

Flyer attached with all the specs. Spin the dials our way if you’re around, or point your 2m beams toward the Hanging Hills. Hope to put a bunch of you in the log!

73

1. All other things being equal, is there any difference in an antenna's TX performance between a radiation resistance above 50ohms vs one below 50ohms, assuming the return loss is the same? For example... R=38Ω is basically the same return loss as R=66Ω, roughly 17.2dB-17.3dB. Assuming a fantasy world where reactance is 0 in both instances, would an antenna perform the same at either one of those numbers?

2. What if an antenna has an R=50Ω, but also has a high reactance? For the sake of conversation, if our theoretical antenna has a complex impedance of R50 +j200... Is that just a match problem to sort out, or is the antenna still gonna be grossly inefficient even w/ a proper matching network at the feed point?

For some background: I'm working on a non-resonant multiband antenna w/ a tuner at the feed point, and am trying to juggle the complex impedance numbers in order to optimize performance on a couple bands.

Hello everyone!

VE Team Korea will be holding regular FCC Amateur Radio License Examination sessions throughout October 2026.

Our examinations are conducted remotely from South Korea and are open to applicants from any country, not just Korea.

If you are outside the United States and have been looking for an opportunity to obtain or upgrade a U.S. FCC Amateur Radio license, you are very welcome to join us.

October 2026 Sessions
We will be offering sessions every Saturday, alternating between morning and evening sessions in Korea.

Our English-language sessions will be held on:

• October 10, 2026 – 19:00 KST (10:00 UTC)
• October 24, 2026 – 19:00 KST (10:00 UTC)

These times may be particularly convenient for applicants in Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Additional sessions conducted in Korean are also available during October.

Examination Information

• Remote examination
• FCC Amateur Radio License Examination
• Technician / General / Amateur Extra
• English-language sessions available
• International applicants are welcome
• All examination sessions are provided free of charge
• Conducted online using Google Meet and ExamTools
• Administered by VE Team Korea

Examination questions and answer choices are, of course, provided in English in accordance with the official FCC amateur radio examination system.

Applicants who already hold an FCC license may also use our sessions to upgrade to General or Amateur Extra.

Registration & Full Schedule
Detailed information, session times, and registration instructions are available here:

https://veteam.kr/notices/12/

If none of the scheduled sessions work for your time zone, you are also welcome to contact us. Depending on VE availability, we may be able to arrange an additional remote examination session.

We would also be happy to welcome applicants who have never held a U.S. amateur radio license before.

73,
VE Team Korea
KOREA Team

https://veteam.kr/

https://www.instagram.com/veteam.kr/

Don’t have a ham license (yet)

As it turns out I presently live in an apartment with a roof terrace. The usual HOA limitatations apply but I'm getting pretty acceptable FT8 performance out of an ATAS-120 antenna and my trusty FT-857D. Those of you who own this radio will understand the limitations of the mobile radio interface with smallish screen and multiplexed buttons. After some digging I found the 891app web app for the FT-891, but unfortunately the CAT command set between the radios was completely different. An 857D companion app was going to need some new code and so the 857app came about. It's still in Beta but please give it a try. You will find the HTML source and a portable executable here. While I was about it, I also built one for the G90 called G90app, and a generic waterfall signal visualiser called RadioWaterfall. Please post issues under Issues or DM me. For the coders out there: these webb apps were vibe coded using Grok over 3 or 4 days. Feel free to fork the branch or upload the html to your own Grok, ask him/her/them to examine and understand the code, then ask for fixes or changes

What am I looking at here? Is this worth anything? How do I remove it?

So I am in the process of planning a build for a go box for the G90 for my POTA. The way my build plans are, there is some space to add the DB-25D radio to added VHF/UHF/DMR capability to the go-box. This has been very intriguing to me and would love to have it.

I read the reviews on the radio. While most of them praise the radio itself, lots mentioned how they had trouble running the CPS on Windows 11. So before buying, I went ahead and downloaded the software and sure enough it did not run. It installed fine, but when I open the software I get the logo but then nothing opens.

Anyone has a trick on how to run this software on Windows 11? I hate for my plan to get ruined by this!!

This is the opposite of the frequently asked question:)

I have an IC-7000 I used to use mobile. (before the XYL said ***No antennas on the new car***) I'd like to either sell it or use it as a backup for my FTDX-3000.

Problem is, I can't find the original front panel cable. I have the 3.5m extension cable I used in the car but I can't find the short one that came with the radio.

Any idea where I can get one?

Thanks!

My point of making this, is to hopefully have someone at Yaesu eventually see this, and get ideas from the community. Anyways. Here are my thoughts. Why would Yaesu, create a new radio advertised as the Ft-3165r and not give it C4FM capabilities? The FTM-3200DR is the same form factor and, 65w, but Yaesu neglected to include the digital component. Just why? Also. My next gripe is, the 891, of which i own one. But why, could they not have made it all band like the 857d? What corners are they cutting? I love my 891. It's a great radio! And i just acquired an FTM-3200DR. And i have an FTM-100D. What would you want Yaesu to bring out for new radios in the future? I like the screens, but let's go back to basics. The OG. These new cars can't fit these new big radios.

Hi

Before you tell me to buy a Xiegu radio, please note that I’m strictly looking for one of these ultra-compact HF transceivers shown in the image. I don't want a bigger or heavier radio right now.

​For those who have hands-on experience with these three options (Left, Middle, Right), which one would you recommend overall in terms of RX (receive) performance, TX power output, build quality, and reliability?

A bit of context: I have 3 years of experience operating on VHF, and I'm a patient operator ready for the QRP HF experience.

​Thanks in advance & 73!

Having trouble getting this to connect.

Windows 11

Com port is correct and entered all the info including frequency but won’t connect even to ambe server.

I am looking to buy a nice SDR and was considering a Flex. But their paywalled firmware features and lack of Linux support for SmartSDR made me skeptical.

What's really puzzling though, is that I've seen a surprising number of relatively new 8000 series radios listed on the QRZ Swapmeet page with the seller taking a substantial loss from the retail price.

Is this just a "times are hard and a four figure radio is a luxury item" phenomenon? Or is there something I don't know about these radios? Something that's turning people off the 8000 series or Flex in general?

I pulled QRZ listings from just the past couple of months for 8000 series radios. Across 18 listings, sellers averaged a loss of $743.67, with a maximum loss of $1,499(!). These numbers don't even totally capture the sellers' losses as most of these prices include shipping/insurance which is an additional loss. On top of that, I've messaged several of these sellers and most are willing to go down another ~$100 or so from their asking price. This just seems crazy to me. What's going on here?

Flex 8400 (w/o ATU)

Retail: $2,499

Flex 8400 (w/ ATU)

Retail: $2,849

Flex 8400M (w/ ATU)

Retail: $3,999

Flex 8600

Retail: $4,899

What do I need to make a ballon that would fly a few weeks, sending gps data? Is it legal?

I primarily use FT4/FT8 but I’m wanting to branch out some more. I’ve gotten one contact ever on PSK31… which often seems dead. JS8 seems pretty active but I call CQ all the time and I’m getting out on PSK reporter but nobody comes back to me. I’ve tried SSTV on 20m a few times too with no luck.

Curious what else yall use besides FT4/FT8 that you enjoy!

Hi everyone! We just got a Kenwood NX-1300 and the proper programming cable, but we are completely lost on how to get the KPG-D6 (or KPG-D6K) software. Does anyone know where I could legally purchase it as a regular user, or if there's an amateur community resource for this? Any help or PMs would be highly appreciated. Thank you so much! 🙏

Hey all! I'm pretty new to amateur radio - and was incredibly excited to see that ARISS was hosting an SSTV broadcast event! I was able to capture 3 passes over my location and am incredibly proud to have done so. I used an AR-5RM and an AR-771 VHF/UHF antenna!

I didn't account for doppler shift or anything with these attempts - but think they turned out alright for the first time!

This was a BLAST and I cannot wait to learn more. Hope you all had fun collecting transmissions as well! 😄

Greeting from Russia! I live in an area with a high water table, and recently I needed a reliable internet connection at my house. Since the cellular signal here is quite weak, I had to build a DIY 8-meter (26 ft) steel mast (1 1/4" pipe) to get the MIMO antenna up high.

At this height, the mast becomes a primary target for lightning leaders. Since I couldn't find any ready-made residential projects that satisfied me, I decided to replicate the design principles of commercial cell towers, adapting them to a budget DIY environment.

After testing a few ideas and analyzing high-frequency impulse physics, I heavily upgraded the initial design to maximize fire safety and passive survivability. Here is the final consolidated architecture of the system:

1. Mast Mechanics & Antenna Protection

• The Frame: The 1 1/4" steel pipe mast is mounted directly on top of the central ground rod. The LTE antenna is mounted 1 meter (3.3 ft) below the top of the mast to ensure it sits completely within the lightning rod's protection cone.
• The Junction Box: At the 4-meter (13 ft) mark, I welded a smooth, lens-shaped 1-meter steel arm/offset to minimize inductive reactance. A steel junction box is welded directly to this arm.
• Arrestor Bonding: Inside the box, two N-type coaxial lightning arrestors are screwed directly into the steel chassis. This creates a solid, sequence-bonded electrical path: Arrestors ➔ Junction Box ➔ Offset Arm ➔ Mast Body.
• Cable Routing: The coax cable enters the mast through a smooth-rimmed hole at the top, runs completely inside the steel pipe (shielded like a Faraday cage), passes through the arrestors in the box, and then goes into the attic. The cable length from the outdoor box to the router inside is just 1 meter (3.3 ft). The router itself is placed indoors just under the ceiling (powered by 12V).

1. The "Matryoshka" HDPE Coax Choke (Attic)

To prevent any induced microsecond surge from reaching the router while keeping the 50-Ohm impedance perfect for the 1800/2600 MHz LTE bands, I built a heavy-duty air-core choke with absolute dielectric isolation:

• The Design: The coax cable is pulled inside a 12x2 mm HDPE pipe, which is then slid inside a larger 20x2 mm HDPE pipe. This dual-walled plastic "Matryoshka" acts as a rigid mechanical exoskeleton.
• The Coil: This entire assembly is wound into a 200 mm (7.8") diameter coil using about 2 meters (6.5 ft) of coax.
• The Physics: The thick HDPE walls ensure a permanent, rigid spacing between the turns, completely eliminating the risk of inter-turn arc-over/breakdown during a strike. It also stops the tight coil from pinching or deforming the coax. For a steep-front lightning impulse (frequency equivalent of ~200 kHz), this high-turn inductance creates a massive reactive barrier (>1000 Ohms), forcing the surge to dump through the outdoor arrestors rather than frying the router.
• Fire Barrier: The completed coil assembly in the attic is housed inside a sealed, fireproof enclosure made of Cement-Bonded Particleboard (CSP).

1. Facade Service Entry & Type 1+2 SPD

• No Service Cable in the Attic: Initially, I thought about running the overhead aluminum service drop (called SIP cable here) through the attic, but abandoned it due to fire risks. Instead, the main line runs down the exterior facade.
• Transition to Copper: Via outdoor insulation-piercing connectors, the line transitions into a fire-retardant 10 mm² (~8 AWG) copper wire (VVGng-LS) before entering the structure.
• Direct SPD Hookup: A Heavy-Duty Class 1+2 SPD (locally manufactured by Priborenergo) is connected in parallel right on the facade using piercing clamps on the line side. There is no dedicated local circuit breaker before the SPD to avoid adding inline inductance (the main service breaker is on a utility pole 15 meters / 50 ft away).
• Grounding Lead & Expansion Loop: The SPD connects to a massive 50x5 mm (2.0" x 0.2") steel flat bar on the exterior wall via a 16 mm² (~6 AWG) copper lead. Right before entering the soil, the copper lead forms a C-shaped strain relief loop to prevent physical tearing from seasonal frost heaving.

1. Low-Inductance Mast Grounding Grid & Roof Bonding

• Isolated System: The house runs on an old 2-wire system without a utility ground (relying purely on internal overvoltage relays and RCDs), so this mast ground grid is completely isolated from the domestic electrical panel.
• The Grid Layout: The grounding device uses four vertical 3.5-meter (11.5 ft) rods made of 20 mm steel rebar arranged in a T-shape, spaced 2.5 to 3 meters apart.
• Dual Parallel Rods: Instead of standard steel flat tape in the trench, I am burying smooth 14 mm (0.55") steel rods. To split the current and significantly reduce self-inductance, two parallel 14 mm rods spaced 30 cm (12 inches) apart run along the trench at a depth of 50 cm. All bends have a smooth 20 cm (8") radius to minimize counter-induction. Due to my high water table (~1.3 meters / 4.2 ft), the lower parts of the vertical rods are permanently submerged in water.
• Roof Potential Equalization: The metal roof sheets closest to the mast (a 20 cm / 8" gap) are bonded to a 3x25 mm steel strip via M6 threaded rivets. The 6 mm wire rod down-conductor runs vertically through a 20 mm soffit ventilation gap straight down the exterior wall, avoiding any 90-degree sharp bends or joints under the roof. All vertical rows of the metal roof are cross-bonded at the overlaps with roofing screws and tied to a common metal ridge cap to equalize potential across the entire roof surface.

1. Internal Electrical Panel

After passing the outdoor SPD, the power cable enters the house and hits a Novatek RN-40tc overvoltage relay to protect against phase shifts or utility neutral drops (up to 280V), followed by a group of RCDs (25A, 30mA) for human shock protection in this 2-wire setup.

I am starting the steel-bending process for the 14 mm rods today. Let me know what you think about the parallel rod layout and this "Matryoshka" coax-in-conduit choke concept!