HT Radio
Handheld loadouts, programming profiles, and field-ready checklists for rapid deployment.
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How to Build a Raspberry Pi APRS iGate with Direwolf
An APRS iGate receives Automatic Packet Reporting System packets over radio and forwards them to the APRS-IS network. This lets stations heard in your area appear…
Tips and Tricks – Kenwood TH-D75A
On the Kenwood TH-D75A, you can put Band B, the lower display, into Memory Channel mode while Band A remains in whatever mode you want. Kenwood…
FT-5D GPS APRS setup
Better option for mobile use: SmartBeaconing If you’re using the FT-5D while driving, I recommend SmartBeaconing instead of a fixed 5-minute timer. It changes the beacon…
Overview — What CTCSS and DCS Are
CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) and DCS (Digital-Coded Squelch) are privacy code systems used in analog two-way radio communications. They do not create new channels nor…
AnyTone 878UVII Plus vs. AnyTone AT-D890UV + Kenwood TH-D75A
Now from a different prespective One Radio vs. Purpose-Built Stack — Which Wins in 2026? If you’ve spent any time in DMR, APRS, or mixed-mode VHF/UHF…
AnyTone AT-D890UV vs 878UVII Plus + TH-D75A
One Radio to Rule Them All… or Two Radios Done Right? The Question As handheld radios evolve, we’re seeing a push toward “do everything in one box” radios…
AnyTone AT-D890UV: The Next-Level DMR Handheld for Serious Operators
If you’ve spent any time running DMR, APRS, or multi-mode handhelds, you already know the usual trade-offs: power vs. battery, features vs. usability, and analog vs.…
GMRS Handheld Showdown: BTech GMRS-V2 vs. Retevis/Ailunce HA1G vs. Radioddity GM-30 Plus
If you’re shopping for a GMRS handheld in 2026, you’ve probably noticed the market has split into two camps: The BTech GMRS-V2, Retevis/Ailunce HA1G, and Radioddity…
BTECH GMRS-V2: A Practical, Capable GMRS Handheld for Everyday and Emergency Use
The BTECH GMRS-V2 is a purpose-built GMRS handheld designed for users who want reliable local communications without stepping into the complexity of amateur (ham) radio licensing.…
Engineering a Low-Cost APRS Node with Raspberry Pi, DigiPi, and a Baofeng UV-5R Mini
Overview APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) remains one of the most mature examples of distributed RF data networking in real-world use. Long before the rise of…
Family-Ready GMRS + Ham Emergency Communications Checklist
Simple → Capable → Resilient Layer 1 — Family & Immediate Communications (GMRS) Goal: Everyone can communicate immediately with minimal training. Licensing & Legal Radios &…
Building a Layered Emergency Communications Plan
From Family Radios to Regional Reach Emergency communications fail most often not because of equipment—but because of single-point thinking. One radio, one service, one plan is…
GMRS vs Amateur Radio for Emergency Communications
What Actually Works When It Matters When emergency communications come up, the conversation often turns into GMRS vs amateur (ham) radio—usually framed as a debate about…
Ailunce HA1G and GMRS: A Practical Look at Modern Personal Radio
What Is GMRS, and Why It Still Matters The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is one of the most practical two-way radio services available in the…
Step-by-Step: Saving the Factory Setup
Radioddity GM-30 Plus and Using RT Systems Programming Software on Windows 11 This guide is written specifically for RT Systems programming software on Windows 11 and…
Step-by-step guide: Save your handheld radio’s factory setup (before you change anything)
This workflow is written to work for most handhelds (ham or GMRS) whether you use manufacturer CPS or CHIRP. The goal is simple: create a “known-good”…
Programming Handheld Radios — and Why Preserving Factory Settings Is Best Practice
Programming a handheld radio (HT) is one of the first tasks most operators undertake after purchase. Whether the radio is destined for amateur radio, GMRS, or…
Connecting a Yaesu FT-70D to a Pi-Star Hotspot
If you’re looking to get your Yaesu FT-70D on Yaesu System Fusion (YSF) using a Pi-Star hotspot, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re running an…
HT Programming Workflows: RT Systems vs CHIRP vs Manufacturer CPS (Which Should You Use?)
Programming a handheld transceiver (HT) is one of those jobs that looks simple—until you’ve burned an hour chasing a driver issue, a cable chipset, or a…
Yaesu FT-5D: A Modern Fusion Handheld Built for Serious Operators
The Yaesu FT-5D represents a mature evolution of Yaesu’s System Fusion handheld line—combining robust RF performance, dual-band analog/digital flexibility, and a polished user experience in a…
Yaesu FT-5D and micro sd cards
Supported SD Card Content The FT-5D can read and import the following from an SD card: SD Card Requirements Reading (Importing) Data from the SD Card…
FT-5D — ADMS-15 workflow (SD-card based, stable + repeatable)
This is the safest way to manage your FT-5D programming without fighting weird clone/transfer issues. Goal 0) One-time setup: create a “radio baseline” This becomes your…
FT-5D APRS log extraction (microSD → PC)
1) Make sure the radio is actually writing APRS logs On the FT-5D: 2) Write data to the SD card (from the radio) This step matters…
Hotspot-Optimized Codeplug
Radio: AnyTone AT-D878UVII PlusTarget Use: Personal hotspots (Pi-Star, WPSD, OpenSpot, ZumSpot, etc.)Networks: BrandMeister-style dynamic talkgroupsDesign Goal: Fast access, zero clutter, predictable behavior Core Design Philosophy Hotspots…
Yaesu FT-65: A Practical, No-Nonsense Dual-Band Handheld
The Yaesu FT-65 occupies a deliberate niche in the handheld transceiver market: a rugged, affordable, analog-only VHF/UHF radio designed for operators who value reliability and clarity…
The AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus: A New Standard in DMR Handhelds
In the rapidly evolving landscape of amateur radio, few handheld transceivers manage to strike a balance between advanced digital functionality and practical everyday use quite like…