Category: General

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.

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?