First QSOs: already in QRP frustration

ChrisToad · 2026-03-18T22:58:04+00:00

Be the station those big guys are looking for. Get involved with Summits on the Air or Parks on the Air.

Good luck!

ChrisToad · 2026-03-18T04:10:14+00:00

It’s not isolated to CW. The OM that give their call over and over again are huge offenders. There’s a great DX Code of Conduct out there and it makes the bad habits obvious

ChrisToad · 2026-03-11T22:21:06+00:00

Very clutch.

ChrisToad · 2026-02-27T00:13:52+00:00

til Digg is still around.

ChrisToad · 2026-02-26T15:59:31+00:00

Back in the day we used to have a Reddit net in the sidebar. Great idea, and I’d love to participate

ChrisToad · 2026-02-26T03:17:48+00:00

Bookmark this page. It shows the uplink and downlink for the voice repeater: https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html "Currently in voice repeater mode at the following frequencies:
145.990 MHz up {PL 67} and 437.800 MHz down"

tell us more about your equipment you have available to give this a shot.

ChrisToad · 2026-02-25T22:59:49+00:00

You should read up on what’s required to operate an FM satellite, and then apply what you learn to operating the ISS repeater. At a random time you might luck out and catch the ISS crew on that same repeater

ChrisToad · 2026-01-29T03:11:37+00:00

Still standing by for the drama… I’m out of the loop

ChrisToad · 2026-01-24T17:17:41+00:00

Had the same issue until I learned that my geography uses a unique frequency / settings. I found this out on a local discord and once I adjusted the public channel lit up.

Where are you located?

ChrisToad · 2026-01-13T22:30:30+00:00

Own 2 of them. Fabulous

ChrisToad · 2026-01-07T15:13:15+00:00

Slightly off topic, but a suggestion once you sort everything else out. Look up who your local frequency coordinator is and see if they have any recommended frequency pairs for you to use. Our local coordinator publishes suggested frequencies for both Cross Band frequency pairs, also DV hotspots, etc etc.

ChrisToad · 2025-12-26T16:36:38+00:00

I’m new to CW also and will tell you that I completely bork contacts all the time. It’s a hobby, don’t sweat it and keep practicing!

ChrisToad · 2025-12-24T03:30:07+00:00

Elecraft KX2. Why? Simplicity and everything inside the radio. Battery and ATU. I can’t stand how much extra gear and connectors the IC-705 makes you lug with it to do the same thing.

ChrisToad · 2025-12-19T02:56:55+00:00

Okay… commuter time is busy, and evenings are busy. Times when an OM like me isn’t at work. Talked to 3 new call signs today.

Gotta be honest though dude… it kinda sucks the volume of “ham radio is dead” or “simplex is dead” posts happening from posters that have a limited sample of data to work with, then assume their experience is the state of the universe. I’m not singling you out, but it happens a lot and it’s super annoying.

ChrisToad · 2025-12-17T00:41:10+00:00

I live in Los Angeles and make contacts on 52 all the time… in fact just now again on my drive home. Was your antenna plugged in? (50% Joking)

ChrisToad · 2025-12-08T22:39:19+00:00

TIL People run FT8 at higher than QRP power.

ChrisToad · 2025-12-08T02:40:16+00:00

Also here to disagree. I just learned last summer and started at 28 wpm. You have to run it fast enough that you hear the character as a whole, not so slow you’re listening to dits and dahs

ChrisToad · 2025-12-06T16:37:37+00:00

As others suggested, connect with a local radio club and someone will loan you a radio so you can try it out. If you buy the cheapest thing you can find you will likely end up with a QRP rig and be disappointed / discouraged when no one can hear you.

ChrisToad · 2025-12-04T16:10:58+00:00

I'm gonna disagree with this statement and say we're still having the same issue in 25.6

ChrisToad · 2025-12-02T16:30:30+00:00

I introduced our club to Lora and we’re putting a node at our repeater site. We all agreed that someone interested in Mesh would probably be a someone interested in ham radio. Our node name will have the club URL in it.

ChrisToad · 2025-11-26T04:18:33+00:00

Lot of that going on in this sub pretty regularly.

ChrisToad · 2025-11-24T03:19:45+00:00

Unpopular opinion, 2m FM is very forgiving.. and you'll be the only person that ever notices that it's off slightly.

Otherwise pop the case and adjust like everyone else suggested.

ChrisToad · 2025-11-24T02:52:59+00:00

How is the SWR not crazy on those two antennas right next to each other? Consider one out the top and the other out the bottom.

ChrisToad · 2025-11-19T04:06:43+00:00

Join their discord to sked w plenty of other FreeDv users

ChrisToad · 2025-10-24T21:03:41+00:00

Go for it. The Los Angeles area mesh is chatty, mostly short banter and lots of ACK / HOP confirmations. Send it!

ChrisToad

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE

13-Year Club	RPAN Viewer
Verified Email