Recent Posts

I recently got my hands on the Kenwood TH-D75, Kenwood’s flagship handheld radio, marking their return to the amateur radio market. It comes in at a steep price for a handheld, but are the features worth it? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this radio.

For years, the amateur radio community relied on the SMSGATE APRS SMS bot to bridge communications between APRS and cellular networks. This service allowed ham radio operators to send text messages to phones from their radio equipment, providing a vital link between digital amateur radio and conventional telecommunications. However, recent regulations aimed at preventing text spam required SMSGATE to cease operations. Fortunately, a new solution has emerged: the APRS SMS Bot. This service maintains the crucial bridge between APRS and SMS, though with one important change – phone numbers must opt-in before they can receive messages.

In the digital age, ham radio continues to evolve with new ways to communicate and share data. While we’ve added new digital modes such as FT8, one of the most versatile methods for sending information across distances without relying on the internet is still packet radio. This technology enables ham radio operators to send and receive digital data packets, offering a reliable form of communication for message relays, emergency use, and experimentation.

As ham radio continues to grow, operators are finding new and innovative ways to communicate and share data without relying on the traditional internet infrastructure. One such innovation is the development of ham radio mesh networks. These networks allow ham operators to build decentralized communication systems, enabling a wide range of uses from emergency communications to local community projects.

Is it possible to take an old weather station with no computer connectivity and pull the data to send to APRS? Turns out, this is a fairly doable project with certain models of weather stations. In my case, an older Acurite 5-in-1 weather station with a remote display worked perfectly. Let’s take a look at how!

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is a mode that can be used to transmit data and text messages via radio. There are a myriad of uses for APRS in off-road applications. Let’s take a look at some of them!

The South Coast Amateur Radio Service (SouthCARS) Net is an ARRL recognized service net available every day of the year. Let’s take a look at the history of the net and the service it provides!

Whether for emergency use or simply to have fun making contacts, using Amateur Radio off-road can be a great option. It can be fun to try to make radio contacts from remote locations and useful to stay in contact with friends or family members. But Amateur Radio can also be useful to have on board in case of emergency situations. Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of utilizing Amateur Radio off-road.

This past weekend I experienced first hand how Amateur Radio can be used in an emergency situation when other methods of communications fail. A routine off road trip turned into a rescue situation as I came across a rollover accident on a trail. Special thanks go to the Alford Memorial Radio Club and the participants of the “Turnip Truck Net” on their W4BOC repeater.

Amateur Radio often conjures the image of an individual sitting in a dark room, surrounded by antique equipment making ominous beeping sounds, trying to hear another voice through a wall of static. With the advent of Social Media, Smartphones, and online chat rooms, isn’t this method of communication obsolete? What keeps Amateur Radio relevant?