What Experienced Hams Aren’t Telling You (But Should)

 Early in my amateur radio journey, I’d ask a more experienced operator something like, “Which HT should I get?” or “How much battery do I need to make it through Field Day?” I was looking for a clear, confident answer—or at least a direction to point my compass. Instead, the reply was almost always the same: “It depends.”

Looking back, I now understand that this was the right answer… but at the time, it was incredibly frustrating. What they were really trying to teach me was that you often need more information before you can make an informed decision. A 10Ah battery alone might last the duration if you’re running a 5W rig, but it’s probably not going to cut it if you’re using a 100W rig for multiple days.

Take digital modes as another example. Suppose you’re trying to choose between System Fusion, D-STAR, and DMR. Which one is “best”? Well, you could buy the newest, fanciest DMR radio out there—but if no one in your area uses DMR and there aren’t any local DMR repeaters, you’ll be stuck talking through your own hotspot. On the other hand, if your local community is active on D-STAR and you’ve got multiple D-STAR repeaters nearby, that’s where I’d want to be. In my experience, the mode that connects you to the local crowd is usually the most enjoyable.

Maybe instead of answering with a vague “It depends,” we experienced operators should try saying, “We need a little more info before we can give you a good answer.” And at the same time, new hams need to know that some of the homework is theirs to do—because what works perfectly for one operator may not work at all for the next.

The Simple Trick to get Others Interested

 How do we get others interested in something we think is genuinely exciting? Maybe you’ve recently discovered APRS or fallen down the Meshtastic rabbit hole. Yet in many parts of the country, coverage for either mode is limited or nonexistent. So how do we spark interest and build momentum? Let’s use Meshtastic as our example. 📡

The truth is, you have to be the evangelist in your area. You need to be able to explain why it’s cool, how it’s useful, and what others stand to gain by getting involved. Sitting on the sidelines and hoping someone else will push things forward won’t cut it. Coverage in my hometown is still sparse, but that hasn’t stopped me from sharing my enthusiasm. I’ve seen Meshtastic running at full throttle at both Hamcation and Hamvention, and I know what it’s capable of. 🚀

To get started, you really only need to convince one friend to join you. With two people, you can begin real-world testing. Bring your nodes to a club meeting and show others what they can do. Be honest about your results—Meshtastic is great, but it does have limits. Being upfront about those limitations sets realistic expectations and builds trust. And once a few club members see the shiny new gadgets in action, curiosity will spread. Not everyone will be interested, and a few may dismiss it entirely—and that’s okay. Keep going. 💪

Last summer at the Air Show, I carried a node with me. To my surprise, another club member brought theirs too. Even more unexpected: after I sent out a weather alert 🌦️on the longfast channel, somebody outside the club replied with a “thank you.” Fast-forward to today, and we now have at least half a dozen members showing up to meetings with their own Meshtastic nodes. 📱

This doesn’t just apply to Meshtastic. That’s simply the example. Whatever niche you’re excited about, you can bet there’s at least one other person in your ham circle who will be excited too—once someone takes the lead. ✨

What Could Go Wrong?

 I’ve always been a big fan of trying something new — in ham radio and in life. If we’re not experimenting, we’re not growing!

For my first five or six Field Days after getting my ticket, I made it a point to add something new each year. That first year was all about just showing up and learning as much as I could. The second year, I built my first go box. The third year, I tried (and failed 😅) to run the whole event on battery power alone. Even though it didn’t quite work, I learned a ton. The next year, I added solar panels and started figuring out what did work.

That sense of adventure has stuck with me ever since. Until last December, our local club had always passed a lot of data by voice during the Christmas parade. Last year, we decided to shake things up 🎄💻 — we moved most of that traffic to digital using FLDIGI and a CSV spreadsheet. It worked really well! And because we still had voice as a backup, there was zero stress if something didn’t go as planned.

We’ve also been running APRS for the parade the past few years, and this year, I want to try something new again. The plan: set up a Meshtastic “repeater” about 50 feet in the air and equip as many club members as possible with Meshtastic nodes. I fully expect to walk away with a few lessons learned — but that’s part of the fun! 😎

BTW...this is my new favorite Meshtastic node. Perfect for everyday carry and a great first node that won't break the bank.

Of course, we’re not tossing out what already works. We’ll still have all the proven systems running just like in years past. But by adding something new into the mix, we’ll get to see whether Meshtastic could play a bigger role in future events.

After all, if we don’t experiment, we’ll never find out what’s possible. ⚡

The Simple Secret to Choosing the Best HT

  In one video you might see me grab the Kenwood D75, and in the next, I’m raving about the Icom ID50 — while yet another clip has me touting the Baofeng Mini. 📻 I get it — seeing all those different radios can be confusing — especially for a new ham. But in reality, it’s super simple: I pick the radio that best fits my needs for that particular day or outing.

Some days I’m in the truck most of the time, and since it’s already equipped with an APRS setup, there’s really no need to carry an additional APRS radio on my belt. On that kind of day, the Icom ID50 is perfect. 🚗

Other days, I might need access to the 220 band, which means reaching for either the VX6 or D74/75. But if the day calls for running System Fusion, neither of those will cut it — that’s when I reach for the trusty Yaesu FT5. While I don’t love the APRS interface on the FT5 and it doesn't give us access to the TNC, it’s the only HT I own that handles System Fusion, and it gets the job done. 💪

The main takeaway? 🎯 Pick what you need based on the situation. If you’re just planning to chat on 146.52 FM or the local repeater, almost any handheld will do. The key is to analyze your needs so you can choose the right HT for the day.

And remember — don’t let YouTube or anyone else decide for you. Only you know what works best for your setup, your activities, and your budget. 👍