Many thanks to Michael (OK7SE) who writes: Hello Thomas. Michal (OK1SIM) has put together an online map that might be useful for activation planning. You might want to check it out: https://ham-map.com/ I usually activate “what’s available,” so I like that I can generate a map that aggregates SOTA, POTA, GMA, and WWFF for a … Read more

Many thanks to Eric (WD8RIF), who notes that if you live in the US and have incoming packages from China or Hong Kong via the USPS, you may experience delays. Here’s the story from the BBC: US Postal Service halts China parcels after Trump tariffs (BBC) The US Postal Service (USPS) said it has stopped … Read more

Many thanks to Bob (K7ZB), who shares the following guest post: Experimenting with Low Voltage on the (tr)uSDX by Bob (K7ZB) I wanted to see how the (tr)uSDX would perform at lower voltages, so I decided to power it with a 6V Eveready lantern battery. With this setup, the radio delivered 1.1W to the antenna … Read more

By Teri KO4WFP Note: This is the second article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the first article, it is available here: Elmodel Wildlife Management Area. Thursday, January 2nd, Daisy and I headed to Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The park is a short 45-minute … Read more

On Thursday, January 16, 2025, I had a long list of errands to run in town, including a session with my physical therapist. After all the heavy lifting and chainsawing I’ve done post-Hurricane Helene, my shoulder has been letting me know it’s not too happy. The PT sessions are definitely helping, though—they’re tough, but I’ve … Read more

Last year, I mentioned—either in a field report or video—that I carry a full Elecraft KH1 field kit in my everyday backpack, my EDC (Everyday Carry) pack. That led to a great question from Terry, a reader who was studying for his ham radio license at the time. He wrote: “Thomas, thank you so much … Read more

Last year, at the Tokyo Ham Fair, Yaesu unveiled the long-awaited FTX-1F portable HF transceiver. After years of speculation, we finally have a successor to Yaesu’s venerable FT-817/818 product line on the horizon—a radio series with an impressive run of over two decades. I’ve enjoyed reading the flurry of comments that continue today from readers … Read more

By Teri KO4WFP After six months devoid of POTA/camping trips, it was time for Daisy and I to hit the road, this time returning to southwest Georgia. There are parks on that side of the state I want to activate but the travel time necessitates a longer stay. My son has two weeks off from … Read more