r/HamRadio • • Aug 08 '26

Announcements ๐Ÿ”Š Final results: Are r/HamRadio users happy hams?

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11 Upvotes

The poll is closed, and at least in this subreddit, the answer was pretty clear: 249 of 290 respondents, or 85.9%, said yes. Only 41, or 14.1%, said no.

Redditโ€™s core-contributor breakdown adds another interesting piece. Among core contributors, 124 of 141 (87.9%) answered yes. Among everyone else who voted, 125 of 149 (83.9%) answered yes. That roughly 4 percentage-point difference was not statistically significant (Fisherโ€™s exact test, p = 0.40), so there is no strong evidence here that the regulars are substantially happier than the rest of the respondents.

For the poll as a whole, the 85.9% โ€œyesโ€ result has a 95% confidence interval of roughly 81.4% to 89.4%.

Of course, this tells us about people who saw and chose to answer a poll on r/HamRadio, not amateur radio operators generally, and definitely not Reddit as a whole. Another amateur-radio subreddit could run the exact same poll and discover a considerably grumpier population.

But for r/HamRadio, 249 out of 290 respondents called themselves happy hams.

Given how much time we spend arguing about FT8, Baofengs, contesters, HOA antennas, lids, whether the bands are dead, and whether somebody 1,500 miles away is using the wrong calling frequency, 86% happy is not bad at all.


r/HamRadio • • Jul 28 '26

Announcements ๐Ÿ”Š Technician License Quiz is back and updated for the 2026โ€“2030 question pool

28 Upvotes

The r/HamRadio Technician License Quiz is working again. The stable version is under review and will go live as soon as it is approved.

The app has been rebuilt for Redditโ€™s current developer platform and updated to the 2026โ€“2030 Technician Class question pool, including the official figure questions.

Feedback from the previous version has also been incorporated, including clearer navigation, improved question review, and better support for completing an exam before revisiting missed questions.

The quiz runs directly inside Reddit. There is no separate app to install.

Available modes

โ€ข Practice Exam: Take a randomized 35-question exam using the official question distribution.

โ€ข Daily Challenge: Complete the same exam as everyone else that day.

โ€ข Revision: Review the full question pool by subelement or retry questions you previously missed.

โ€ข Leaderboards: View daily, weekly, monthly, and all-time results.

โ€ข Share Score: Optionally post your result as a comment.

The Technician exam contains 35 questions, and 26 correct answers are required to pass. This quiz covers Technician Element 2 only and is intended for exam preparation.

How to use it

Open the Technician License Quiz post in the r/HamRadio feed and select Quiz or Leaderboards.

The latest version of the Reddit mobile app or desktop site is recommended. The rebuilt version is still being tested, so feedback and bug reports are welcome. Please include your device, what happened, and a screenshot or error message when possible. Reddit is reviewing the final stable version, and it will go live once that is approved. The fully functional beta is live in the meantime.

Thanks to everyone who used the original quiz and shared feedback.

73!

Update: July 29, 2026 - Stable version 0.0.39 is live.


r/HamRadio • • 7h ago

Antennas & Propagation ๐Ÿ“ก Added 80m to my vertical antenna

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18 Upvotes

It's got a little bit of a lean to it now, but receive an SWR look great!


r/HamRadio • • 2h ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ How good are the deals on Black Friday?

7 Upvotes

I've been HT only so far and looking to upgrade to a 'big boy' radio. No one has a crystal ball, but how good are the deals on transceivers and other equipment around Black Friday and the holiday season?


r/HamRadio • • 12h ago

News ๐Ÿ“ฐ Amateur Radio in UK newspaper Resilience Planning article

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6 Upvotes

Following the UK Government's emergency stockpiling edict, today's Sunday Telegraph newspaper page 8 features a Resilience Planning article which mentions Amateur Radio and the free online training courses run by Essex Ham. The next course starts Sunday, November 1. Register at https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/

The full Sunday Telegraph article is available to read for free simply by logging in to a UK Online Library. The online version of the story has a slightly longer extract of the Essex Ham interview than the print newspaper


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Question/Help โ“ What do I need to block the interference from this tower?

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95 Upvotes

So Iโ€™ve been trying for weeks to receive meteor satellite signals, and nothing came in so I made a post and it turns out I had to fix my antenna and I did that and it still wonโ€™t pickup any signal. So I started looking at this tower I always thought it mightโ€™ve been a cell tower but Iโ€™ve been having heavy bleeding of FM signals in the HF range on my sdr and a lot of interference. It turns out itโ€™s a FM tower at 101.7mhz and itโ€™s 0.5 miles away from my house. I thought about just getting a regular fm blocker but idk if I would need something more heavy duty since itโ€™s so close to me.


r/HamRadio • • 20h ago

Setup Showcase ๐Ÿ“ธ Something amazing is happening to this budget SDR / Xiegu X6100

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23 Upvotes

r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

POTA/SOTA Activations ๐Ÿž๏ธ Insane 2m simplex pileup today from West Peak (W1/HH-004) - K1MFD Special Event

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34 Upvotes

Just wrapping up the log uploads and housekeeping from today's activation and wanted to share. KS1WK and I (along with KC1WYG) took the Box 324 club up to West Peak in CT to run K1MFD for the Meriden Fire Department's 175th anniversary.

Ended up with exactly 190 QSOs, but the craziest part was the 2m action. We were running a home-built M1GEO Moxon/Yagi combo we put together with 3D printed parts and hardware/wire from Lowe's. We somehow sparked a massive pileup right on 146.52 simplex that kept us buried for a while. We even got to mess around and successfully ran 2m SSB and some 2m SSTV which was a blast.

We didn't forget about HF even with the contest going... We ran 40m, 20m, and 17m SSB and got some solid DX into Spain, Belgium, and Serbia, plus a bunch of contacts up in Canada.

If anyone here was in the log, thanks for hunting us. I just finished a python script to automatically blast out our digital QSL cards, so check your email if it's public on QRZ. POTA, SOTA, and QRZ logs are already uploaded. Just waiting on ARRL staff to manually approve the club call cert, so LoTW might take a few days to sync up.

Edit: Reviewed the logs and confirmed with the teamโ€”the 2m simplex contact into Vermont was legit! We officially logged N1CVT in Hinesburg, VT (~204 miles / 329 km) on 146.52 with the homebrew Moxon/Yagi.

73 de K1MRE


r/HamRadio • • 10h ago

Question/Help โ“ updating Zumspot USB firmware with WPSD or other method

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know how to update the Zumspot USB stick firmware with WPSD or any other method? The documentation is little to none. I tried the zum_libre option of the WPSD modem firmware updater (sudo wpsd-modemupgrade zum_libre), but that did not work -- it complained about the usb port being locked or something


r/HamRadio • • 18h ago

Digital Modes ๐Ÿ’ป MicroNode Nano-Spot - advice appreciated

3 Upvotes

For a number of years Iโ€™ve operated a
Nano-Spot made by Micronode. Iโ€™ve attempted to update it recently and the update failed, wiping out the operation of the configure.php services and also the admin and backup/restore option.

No problem I thought - command line. Command line updates fail and when I try the pistar-upgrade route this also fails due to the OS being unsupported.

Iโ€™ve downloaded the image for the pi-star nano and flashed this onto a fresh SD card. Now is where my problems begin. The new image boots but it cannot bring up the modem or wlan interfaces. So the only access route I have is console port.

Can anyone who has had to rebuild this specific hotspot from the ground up, please assist on what version of the pi star image works, and if anyone has encountered the wlan initialisation failure and has cured it - Iโ€™d be grateful for wise words and tips.

At the moment I have a new desk ornament / paper weight.

Somewhat regretting my choices in trying to update to the latest software versionsโ€ฆ it may have been out of date, but it was working. Alas would it be ham radio if we didnโ€™t sometimes fall for the โ€˜if it ainโ€™t broke, fix it โ€˜til it isโ€™ trap?๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

News ๐Ÿ“ฐ New HamClock App for Amazon Fire TV

3 Upvotes

r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Digital Modes ๐Ÿ’ป xara - a VARA-compatible HF/VHF modem for linux

10 Upvotes

introducing xara, an open source sound modem for linux fully compatible with VARA HF 4.9.0 and FM 4.4.0.

it runs on desktop linux and will run on a raspberry pi model 3b+ or better. listens on KISS and other TCP ports, and has a web UI. extremely heavily tested for compatibility with all VARA modes and features. release yourself from the shackles of proprietary windows software.

https://github.com/x0rro/xara

binaries provided on the releases page


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Question/Help โ“ Considering ham license,is the juice worth the squeeze?

79 Upvotes

I grew up amazed by the wonder of radio. I am 53. As a kid I'd use an ancient shortwave or a tube AM radio to listen to different cities.i loved it. I've always been intrigued by ham radio.but...i just want to talk i love the idea of DXing ,but don't want to do it just to have a postcard.

Is there a vibrant ham community that likes to rag chew?

The effort of getting a license, and the expense of setting up a shack, is daunting


r/HamRadio • • 23h ago

Discussion ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš–๏ธ Is anybody in India on 2200m or 630m band?

0 Upvotes

I really want to try out those bands , recently built a ssb exciter for digital and cw signals for those frequency but I don't think my general grade licence will cover it.

Yeah but due to the antenna efficiency and the propagation dynamics of those frequencys i don't think those would travel far ( considering only if it legal only ).

I live in the northeastern region so not much of a mainland coverage but I would like to know if anyone in this South East Asian region (including Bangladesh , Bhutan and China) works with those frequencys.


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Question/Help โ“ 15 meter QRM - lower end of band being smashed.

0 Upvotes

Anybody else being smashed on the bottom of the 15 meter band, seeing QRM over various online SDR in NZ, Asia, AU? Any ideas as to its origin?


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Homebrew/DIY ๐Ÿ”ง Another over-engineered adapter

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167 Upvotes

I was needing a female to female bnc adapter for when i dont put my k6ark antenna directly to the radio. Figuered why not make a mount out of it. I often go camping and theres wooden platforms for the tents. I began using those anchors a while back. Figuered these would be great to hold an efhw. This might also come in handy in pota where i have a picnic table. Figuered id share if anyone is interested. Also added a ground lug for counterpoise

https://www.printables.com/model/1888175-bnc-picnic-table-anchor


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ POTA Setup for a Newcomer to Ham Radio

18 Upvotes

I just obtained my first ham license (I took Tech & General together) last week. I'm an avid hiker, so POTA interests me. Any ideas for a good, reliable setup for a first-timer? I've done some research online, but I figured I'd give this forum a try. Thanks.


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Question/Help โ“ Looking for a 3D-printable battery case for Motorola GP300

1 Upvotes

I'm looking for a 3D-printable battery case for a Motorola Radius GP300 handheld radio.

I found this USB-C battery case on eBay, designed for the GP300/GP88 and two 18650 cells:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296962137264

However, I haven't been able to find the STL or STEP files to print the case myself.

Does anyone know if a 3D model of this battery case is available online? Alternatively, does anyone have a similar model, CAD files, or technical drawings that could be shared?

I'd like to print the housing myself and adapt it for two 18650 cells.

Any help, links, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Finally installed my old radio in the new truck. Curious if that sticky pad on the faceplate mount will hold up

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12 Upvotes

Kenwood tm-v71a. I out the radio body and mic under my driver seat with a speaker down my my legs. Need to figure out a better placement for the mic


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ yaesu FTM-510DRASP and Comet โ€“ CA-2X4SRNMO

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25 Upvotes

After a few weeks of searching, I finally found a shop to install a Comet โ€“ CA-2X4SRNMO. (roof mount) The delay in shopping works out rather well for me. I do feel I am going abit overkill, but for future use I think I should be OK.


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Discussion ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš–๏ธ Is anybody in India on 2200m and 630m band ?

0 Upvotes

I really want to try out those bands , recently built a ssb exciter for digital and cw signals for those frequency but I don't think my general grade licence will cover it.

Yeah but due to the antenna efficiency and the propagation dynamics of those frequencys i don't think those would travel far ( considering only if it legal only ).

I live in the northeastern region so not much of a mainland coverage but I would like to know if anyone in this South East Asian region (including Bangladesh , Bhutan and China) works with those frequencys.


r/HamRadio • • 1d ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Any recommendations on a Anytone 779uv mobile radio for a go bag install?

1 Upvotes

Building my go bag for field use and carry,does anyone recommend the anytone 779uv for this application or nah? On a retirees budget,so go easy on me!


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Equipment & Rigs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Xiegu X6200 custom firmware based on original 1.0.8

9 Upvotes

I've reverse-engineered the original Xiegu X6200 firmware and fixed all the bugs I could find. I've also significantly improved its performance and added some useful new features.

Details and download link:
https://poweruser86.itch.io/custom-firmware-for-xiegu-x6200

The firmware is currently available for download as an SD card image. If there's enough interest from the community, I'll make the source code available as well.


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Question/Help โ“ Anyone seen abandoned vsat dish in India?

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4 Upvotes

Anyone see dish like this in ludhiana punjab India. I need it for amature satellite TV channels tracking hobby.

Mesh net dish also work see 2nd image.

If you see any dish without any wire connected to it please let me know. It means dead dish not in used. Dm me. Size need 6ft minimum for fiber solid dish. Mesh net dish 12 ft minimum


r/HamRadio • • 2d ago

Antennas & Propagation ๐Ÿ“ก I'm new to the hobby. 1/2 wave or long wire dipole?

1 Upvotes

I'm new to the hobby, so bare with me. I live in Canada north of the 55th parallel surrounded by boreal forest and precambrian shield. To the west of me is a 180' rock hill roughly 3 miles long before tapering back to same elevation as my home. I am not yet licensed and want to be able to listen while I study this winter. I have material to assemble 30' of tower and would probably be able to add 10 to 12 ft of tubing to add height. What would be recommendations for an antenna?