DIY Antennas, QRP, SDR & Ham Radio Projects from VU3DXR
The digital modes category focuses on non‑voice, non‑CW communication modes such as SSTV, FT‑type modes, WEFAX, DRM, and other soundcard‑driven modes on HF and VHF. Posts typically walk through the complete chain: radio or SDR setup, interface wiring, software selection (WSJT‑X / JTDX, MMSSTV, fldigi, etc.), audio levels, and example screenshots or recordings
Shifting Meshtastic to the 433 MHz amateur band offers superior range and higher power limits. This deep-dive guide explores how licensed hams can legally build high-performance mesh networks while staying compliant with international radio regulations.
While Meshtastic has long dominated the LoRa scene, MeshCore has emerged as a serious contender for structured, infrastructure-based communication. Here is how they stack up for the modern ham.
Imagine a digital network where every radio node talks to others, passing messages automatically without the internet. That’s Meshcore. This post explains how ham operators can use cheap LoRa boards to build resilient, local data links for texting and telemetry.
The amateur radio landscape is shifting rapidly with the rise of the “FT” digital modes. While FT8 remains the king of weak signals, the faster FT4 and the experimental FT2 are challenging its dominance. This guide breaks down the technical differences, performance trade-offs, and best use cases for each mode to help you master the HF bands.
Meshtastic is an open-source LoRa mesh networking platform that lets ham radio operators build off-grid text messaging and GPS tracking networks with no infrastructure. Whether you are an experimenter, an emergency communications volunteer, or simply curious about where digital modes are heading, this guide covers everything you need to know to get started with Meshtastic ham radio.
FT2 promises to clear a pile-up in the time FT8 takes to finish a single exchange. But speed always costs something — here is what the global ham community has actually discovered after months of real-world use.
This guide explains DRM basics, SDR devices, and a complete working setup using HDSDR and DREAM. Build a DRM receiver step by step while learning how digital radio works on SDR platforms.
It took just one night — February 16, 2026, 22:47 UTC — for a small group of Italian radio amateurs to change the digital HF landscape forever. FT2, developed by Martino Merola IU8LMC of ARI Caserta, compresses a full ham radio QSO to as little as seven seconds, running four times faster than FT8 and twice as fast as FT4. Within two weeks, it had been spotted on PSKReporter from dozens of countries, spawned two incompatible software implementations, and ignited a fierce debate about open-source ethics, automation, and the soul of amateur radio digital operating. This is the complete story of FT2 — the mode, the schism, and what comes next.
In February 2026, amateur radio gained its fastest weak-signal digital mode — and immediately fractured it. FT2 promised ~4-second QSOs and contest-level throughput, but within days of its first on-air tests it split into two incompatible implementations. Here’s the full story of the “FT2 war,” why it happened, and what it means for HF operators everywhere.
Developed by Martino Merola, IU8LMC, from the ARI Caserta team in Italy, FT2 is a genuinely operational new digital mode — not vaporware, not a proposal. It was publicly verified on 16 February 2026, with dozens of real QSOs logged on 40m and 80m bands.