Breaking the Amateur Radio Price Monopoly: Tony McKenzie’s RadioShopper Story & Pro Review Tips @G3LRC

G3LRC’s Ham Radio Join me for an in-depth, long-form interview with Tony McKenzie, the renowned guitar tech YouTuber and review expert with years of experience in the gear world. In this eye-opening conversation, Tony dives into the fascinating history of RadioShopper and how it shattered the price monopoly in the UK and Ireland’s amateur radio market, bringing fair and affordable equipment to radio hams everywhere.

Tony draws intriguing parallels between the
amateur radio industry and the computer sector, sharing his surprises about outdated practices that held back innovation and accessibility. Whether you’re a seasoned ham radio enthusiast or new to the hobby, you’ll gain valuable insights on how these changes revolutionised the scene.

We also explore Tony’s expertise in creating honest review videos—perfect for radio amateurs looking to start their own channels. Learn essential tips on producing engaging content, building an audience, and most importantly, how to spot dodgy reviews that mislead buyers. From red flags in sponsored content to evaluating gear authenticity, Tony’s advice is a must-watch for anyone in the hobby

If you’re into ham radio, gear reviews, or industry stories, hit that like button, subscribe for more interviews, and drop a comment below—what’s your biggest pet peeve in amateur radio pricing?

#radio #hamradio #cb #review #tech

updated 7 months ago

Breaking the Amateur Radio Price Monopoly: Tony McKenzie’s RadioShopper Story & Pro Review Tips

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-02-17 | Join me for an in-depth, long-form interview with Tony McKenzie, the renowned guitar tech YouTuber and review expert with years of experience in the gear world. In this eye-opening conversation, Tony dives into the fascinating history of RadioShopper and how it shattered the price monopoly in the UK and Ireland’s amateur radio market, bringing fair and affordable equipment to radio hams everywhere.

Tony draws intriguing parallels between the
amateur radio industry and the computer sector, sharing his surprises about outdated practices that held back innovation and accessibility. Whether you’re a seasoned ham radio enthusiast or new to the hobby, you’ll gain valuable insights on how these changes revolutionised the scene.

We also explore Tony’s expertise in creating honest review videos—perfect for radio amateurs looking to start their own channels. Learn essential tips on producing engaging content, building an audience, and most importantly, how to spot dodgy reviews that mislead buyers. From red flags in sponsored content to evaluating gear authenticity, Tony’s advice is a must-watch for anyone in the hobby

If you’re into ham radio, gear reviews, or industry stories, hit that like button, subscribe for more interviews, and drop a comment below—what’s your biggest pet peeve in amateur radio pricing?

#radio #hamradio #cb #review #tech

British Ham Radio: Who Thought THIS Was a Good Idea?

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-18 | Are UK radio amateurs paying twice for essentially the same ecosystem?

I’m an individual RSGB member paying £6.16 per month, or £73.92 per year. But an entire amateur radio club can affiliate to the RSGB for around the same annual amount.

And that raises a rather awkward question.

If you already belong to an RSGB-affiliated amateur radio club, what exactly are you getting from your individual RSGB membership that you aren’t already receiving, directly or indirectly, through your club?

The comparison becomes particularly interesting when we look at public liability insurance. Individual RSGB membership doesn’t provide personal PLI, whereas qualifying activities of an affiliated club can benefit from the RSGB’s club insurance arrangements.

So why pay for both?

In this video I follow the money, look at what individual membership actually buys, what an affiliated club receives, what you would lose by cancelling individual membership, and ask how some extremely intelligent people could sit around a table over tea and biscuits and arrive at this rather curious membership structure.

There is also a fascinating behavioural-science question here.

Loss aversion. Status quo bias. Inertia.

How much of any long-standing membership organisation’s retention comes from people positively choosing to renew, and how much comes from simply continuing to do what they’ve always done?

For some radio amateurs, individual RSGB membership will remain excellent value. For others, particularly those already belonging to an affiliated club, the arithmetic may produce a very different answer.

Could you save up to £74 a year?

Watch the numbers and make up your own mind.

📻 This isn’t an attack on the RSGB. Amateur radio benefits enormously from effective national representation. It’s a question about whether a membership model designed for another era still creates the right incentives today.

73,
Dave, G3LRC

#RSGB #HamRadio #AmateurRadio #HamRadioUK #RSGBMembership #AmateurRadioUK #RadioAmateur #HamRadioClub #HappyHeretics #G3LRC #AmateurRadioClub #RadioSocietyOfGreatBritain #BehaviouralScience #LossAversion #POTA

The wonderful study of propagation - Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZID

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-15 | You already own the laboratory. It’s called your radio shack. 📡🔬

Your amateur radio equipment can be far more than a way of making contacts. It can be a scientific instrument.

I spoke with Gwyn Griffiths G3ZIL about how radio amateurs can become genuine citizen scientists, investigating the ionosphere, HF propagation and space weather using tools including WSPR, WSPRnet, WSPR Rocks, PROPquest and HamSCI.

From measuring radio propagation to experimenting with a magnetometer, there’s real science waiting to be done from the shack.

🎥 Watch the full interview with Gwyn G3ZIL on my channel.

Your next QSO could be a contact. Your next experiment could be a discovery.

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #CitizenScience #RadioPropagation #Ionosphere #WSPR #HamSCI #G3ZIL

Your Ham Radio Is a Scientific Instrument! | Gwyn Griffiths G3ZIL

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-15 | Your ham radio is a scientific instrument. You already own the laboratory. It’s called your radio shack. 📡🔬

In this episode I talk with Gwyn Griffiths G3ZIL about a fascinating piece of amateur-radio research featured in the September 2026 edition of RadCom: using extraordinarily precise time-of-flight measurements of HF radio signals to investigate how signals actually propagate through the ionosphere.

And that conversation leads to a much bigger question:

Could ordinary radio amateurs become genuine citizen scientists?

The answer is emphatically yes.

Gwyn explains how measurements made by radio amateurs can reveal propagation mechanisms that simple signal-strength measurements may not distinguish. His work examines great-circle propagation, Sporadic-E, side scatter, propagation above the MUF and other paths, showing just how much information can be hiding inside the signals arriving at our antennas.

But you don’t need Gwyn’s experimental equipment to start investigating propagation yourself.

We explore how radio amateurs can use WSPR, WSPRnet and WSPR Rocks to investigate real-world HF propagation. WSPRnet describes itself as the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network, while WSPR Rocks provides powerful tools for searching, mapping and analysing WSPR observations.

We also discuss PROPquest, created by Jim Bacon G3YLA and colleagues. PROPquest uses real ionosonde measurements, including data from Chilton and Fairford, to help amateurs understand what the ionosphere is actually doing rather than relying entirely on predictions.

And if you’d like to take citizen science further, take a look at HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation. HamSCI brings amateur radio operators and professional researchers together to advance scientific understanding through amateur-radio observations. Its projects include ionospheric and space-weather research, and it explicitly encourages amateurs to contribute to genuine scientific work.

We even discuss another potential shack project: building or buying a magnetometer and beginning to observe changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and space weather for yourself.

The remarkable thing is that amateur radio already gives us a worldwide network of transmitters, receivers, antennas, SDRs, computers and curious people.

Every WSPR spot is a measurement.

Every unexpected opening is a question.

Every signal that doesn’t behave quite as the propagation model predicted is an opportunity to ask why?

You don’t have to be a professional scientist to do science.

You need curiosity, measurements, repeatability and the willingness to question what you think you already know.

🔬 Start exploring

HamSCI:
Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation⁠
hamsci.org

PROPquest:
PROPquest ionospheric propagation tools⁠

propquest.co.uk/graphs.php

WSPRnet:
WSPRnet propagation map⁠

WSPR Rocks:
Explore and analyse WSPR data at WSPR Rocks⁠

https://wspr.rocks

If you’re already experimenting with WSPR, propagation, SDR, ionospheric measurements, magnetometers or space weather, tell us what you’re doing in the comments. I’d particularly like to hear from radio amateurs who are already contributing observations to scientific projects.

The radio shack isn’t just somewhere we make contacts. It can be a laboratory.

73,
Dave G3LRC

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #CitizenScience #Ionosphere #RadioPropagation #WSPR #HamSCI #G3ZIL

How to spend a meaningful retirement 🤣

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-14 | Ilam in the Peak District. The weather forecast said - you are okay from 11 am, Dave. How wrong it was. An old @legalandgeneral brolly saved the day.
Parks on the Air amateur radio activation done.
Using the @BLUETTIOfficial @FlexRadioSystems and a Coyote Ugly POTA PERFormer antenna.

It’s amazing that so few have activated the parks here. When the clouds cleared, the views by wondrous.

73, Dave G3LRC

#radio #hamradio #pota #hf #dx

KEEP YOUR HAM RADIO DIRTY! The Cleaning Mistake That Could Ruin Your Rig‼️

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-13 | Think you’re looking after your expensive amateur radio by keeping it spotless? You might want to watch this before reaching for the cleaner.

In this short video, I look at something remarkably easy to get wrong: cleaning the front panel, display, knobs and controls of an amateur-radio transceiver.

There are aerosols, screen cleaners, household cleaners, alcohol-based products, detailing products, cleaning gels and all manner of chemicals being suggested online for cleaning radio equipment. But just because something makes a radio look clean doesn’t mean it has been tested as safe for the plastics, coatings, printed legends, adhesives, seals and display surfaces used by the manufacturer.

We even look at what a Safety Data Sheet actually says about the intended use of one cleaning product, and why ‘I’ve used it and nothing happened’ isn’t the same thing as proper materials-compatibility testing.

In Britain, we have the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, the national accreditation body responsible for accrediting competent testing laboratories. So when we’re talking about chemicals and materials, there is a rather better standard of evidence than somebody on the internet saying, ‘I’ve always used this.’

And sometimes the safest answer is wonderfully boring:

Follow the radio manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. A soft cloth, lightly dampened with water where specified, may be all your expensive transceiver actually needs.

Whether you own a FlexRadio, Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, Xiegu, QRP Labs or another modern transceiver, think before putting an unapproved chemical on that front panel.

📻 Your radio doesn’t need to smell of lemon. It needs to work.

If you enjoy amateur radio without the folklore, received wisdom and occasional industrial quantities of nonsense, subscribe for more.

73, Dave, G3LRC

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #HamRadioUK #RadioCleaning #Transceiver #FlexRadio #Icom #Yaesu #Kenwood #Elecraft #Xiegu #G3LRC

Thank you - Happy Heretics Radio Squad go outdoors

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-13 | The Happy Heretics Radio Squad finally escaped into the wild! 📻⛪

Operating as G8FUN, Dave G3LRC and Steve G1SJW ventured out together for our first proper group activation, taking part in Churches on the Air (CHOTA) from the magnificent Church of the Holy Angels, Hoar Cross, Staffordshire.

And what a day we had.

Great radio, plenty of QSOs, lots of laughter and, most importantly, friendship and companionship. That’s exactly what the Happy Heretics are supposed to be about. No committees, no hierarchy, no club politics. Just friends enjoying amateur radio together.

A huge thank you to Canon Paul for welcoming us, to the wonderful congregation of Holy Angels for making us feel so at home, and to Paddy for very kindly allowing us to operate from his field. Without their generosity, none of it would have happened.

And some well-deserved kudos to the equipment that helped make the activation work:

📻 FlexRadio Aurora
📡 POTA PERformer antenna
🔌 Messi & Paoloni (M&P) coaxial cable
🎙️ Heil Sound
📝 HAM2K Portable Logger
📱 Apple iOS
⛺ And ALDI, whose gazebo provided the Happy Heretics World Headquarters for the day!

Thanks especially to every amateur who answered G8FUN’s calls on 40 metres. You weren’t simply another callsign in the log. You became part of our first outing.

This is what amateur radio should be about.

Good radio. Good friends. Good fun.

And judging by this first adventure, G8FUN will be out again.

73 from Dave G3LRC, Steve G1SJW and the Happy Heretics Radio Squad.

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio #CHOTA #ChurchesOnTheAir #G8FUN #HappyHeretics #PortableRadio #HamRadioUK #FlexRadio #POTAPerformer #HeilSound #HAM2K #40Metres #PortableHamRadio #G3LRC

Portable antennas. For what reason do we pay more for less?

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-10 | The POTA PERformer by Greg, KJ6ER, or in this case, a 40m BOTA PERformer, using 2-4 elevated radials is very low-cost and highly effective.
How come that we pay a lot more for less in performance terms and for longer deployments?
It does make you think.
Featured in this. A @Lidl bike stand.
@alphaantenna 40m telescopic whip
M&P coax
@QRPLabs QMX+
And Magic Mike my trolley
73. Dave

#hamradio #radio #pota #bunkers #portable #antenna #qmx

The death of the traditional shack is here

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-09 | What if we’ve been building amateur radio stations backwards for decades?

For generations, the amateur radio shack meant a desk surrounded by transceivers, amplifiers, tuners, power supplies, computers and metres of coax disappearing towards an antenna somewhere outside.

Mike Walker, V A 3 M W, thinks there’s a smarter way.

In this long-form conversation, Mike explains the thinking behind moving the radio to the antenna and using modern networking to separate the radio itself from the place where the operator happens to be sitting.

That changes the whole concept of the shack.

Put the RF hardware where it makes engineering sense. Connect it to the network. Then operate from an iPad, computer or another suitable device wherever you happen to be.

We talk about remote operation, networking, SDR, reducing unnecessary feedline runs, the changing architecture of the amateur station and why some of our assumptions about what a “proper radio shack” looks like may simply be historical baggage.

But this isn’t just about technology.

It’s about thinking differently.

Mike has contributed enormously to amateur-radio education, helping operators understand increasingly sophisticated technology without losing sight of what amateur radio is supposed to be about: experimentation, learning and getting on the air.

The big black boxes aren’t necessarily disappearing.

They just don’t all need to be sitting in front of us.

📻 The revolution is here.

And perhaps the shack of the future isn’t really a shack at all.

G 3 L R C in conversation with Mike Walker, V A 3 M W.

If this gets you thinking differently about your own station, join the discussion in the comments. Would you put your radio at the antenna?

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #FlexRadio #MikeWalker #VA3MW #SDR #SoftwareDefinedRadio #RemoteRadio #RemoteOperation #HamRadioStation #HamRadioAntenna #SmartSDR #FlexAurora #RadioAmateur

Ham Radio Has Changed Forever: Put the Radio at the Antenna! | Mike Walker VA3MW

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-09 | What if we’ve been building amateur radio stations backwards for decades?

For generations, the amateur radio shack meant a desk surrounded by transceivers, amplifiers, tuners, power supplies, computers and metres of coax disappearing towards an antenna somewhere outside.

Mike Walker, VA3MW, thinks there’s a smarter way.

In this long-form conversation, Mike explains the thinking behind moving the radio to the antenna and using modern networking to separate the radio itself from the place where the operator happens to be sitting.

That changes the whole concept of the shack.

Put the RF hardware where it makes engineering sense. Connect it to the network. Then operate from an iPad, computer or another suitable device wherever you happen to be.

We talk about remote operation, networking, SDR, reducing unnecessary feedline runs, the changing architecture of the amateur station and why some of our assumptions about what a “proper radio shack” looks like may simply be historical baggage.

But this isn’t just about technology.

It’s about thinking differently.

Mike has contributed enormously to amateur-radio education, helping operators understand increasingly sophisticated technology without losing sight of what amateur radio is supposed to be about: experimentation, learning and getting on the air.

The big black boxes aren’t necessarily disappearing.

They just don’t all need to be sitting in front of us.

📻 The revolution is here.

And perhaps the shack of the future isn’t really a shack at all.

G3LRC in conversation with Mike Walker, VA3MW

If this gets you thinking differently about your own station, join the discussion in the comments. Would you put your radio at the antenna?

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #FlexRadio #MikeWalker #VA3MW #SDR #SoftwareDefinedRadio #RemoteRadio #RemoteOperation #HamRadioStation #HamRadioAntenna #SmartSDR #FlexAurora #radioamateur #antenna

POTA / BOTAers - the Autumn awesome DX condx are go!

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-07 | I was out on a POTA / BOTA today and despite that the band condition reports said, the path to North America was superb!
Using the @F@FlexRadioSystemsurora, M&P coax, G4ICD 1:1, @Lid@Lidle stand, AliExpress 5.6m telescopic whip, DX-10 wire transfer make the POTA PERformer antenna
Ham2k was used for live logging

#radio #radiocommunication #hamradio #cb #pota #bota #antenna

Icom IC-7110: Is This Your N+1? | Pre-Release Buyers Guide 2026/27

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-03 | The Icom IC-7110 has finally been revealed. But you can’t buy one yet.

After months of appearing under the project name X-026, Icom has now revealed the IC-7110 at Tokyo Ham Fair 2026.

And this is where things get interesting.

Because this isn’t a conventional product launch followed by a review. What we have at the moment is Icom’s pre-release information.

There is no confirmed UK price.
There is no confirmed delivery date.
There is no full production specification sheet yet.

And before this radio gets anywhere near a UK or European dealer, there is the necessary regulatory and conformity process to get through.

So this video isn’t a review.

It’s an early N+1 buyers guide.

Because let’s be honest, amateur radio has a peculiar relationship with the letter N.

There is always N+1.

The question is whether the IC-7110 is actually the radio that deserves to become N+1.

The IC-7110 is the successor to the IC-7100 and covers HF, 50 MHz, 70 MHz, 144 MHz and 430/440 MHz, with 100 watts on HF and 50 MHz and 50 watts on 144 and 430 MHz. The UK and European version gets 70 MHz as standard.

It also brings a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, real-time spectrum scope and waterfall, FT8 configuration, CW decoding, D-STAR functionality, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Dualwatch. IC-7110_pre_EN_A4_web.pdf

But some of the really interesting questions are not answered by the headline specifications.

In this video I look at:

• What the IC-7110 actually is
• Why Icom has brought back the IC-7100 concept in a very different form
• HF, 50 MHz, 70 MHz, 144 MHz and 430 MHz
• The new touchscreen and waterfall
• Dualwatch and independent receiver circuits
• FT8 configuration
• D-STAR and digital voice
• The separable controller
• Wi-Fi and networking
• Third-party software and the possibilities created by a networked radio
• How this relates to radios such as the IC-705
• What we know
• What we don’t know
• And the questions I think Icom needs to answer

Because there is a considerable difference between announcing a radio and releasing a radio.

And there is an even bigger difference between reading a specification sheet and understanding what the thing will actually be like to own.

The IC-7110 is currently pre-release information. Icom has not yet confirmed pricing, production or delivery dates.

So before we all start mentally rearranging the shack and explaining to our partners why this particular radio is absolutely essential, let’s take a proper look at it.

Because ultimately there is only one question:

Is this your N+1?

#IcomIC7110 #NPlus1 #HamRadio #AmateurRadio #Icom #DSTAR #FT8 #G3LRC #swl

BOTA PERformer Antenna (ANTO BOTA)

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-09-03 | Fellow radio hams - The charts said not! The propogation was awful - according to the charts.
Using the BOTA PERformer and the @FlexRadioSystems Aurora, on 40 metres, we had no issues. 45 stations worked in 35 minutes. Dodging rain clouds.
Efficiency counts.
So many thanks to everyone to worked me.

#radio #radiocommunication #hamradio #cb #antenna #transceiver

Marlon Brando: The Man Behind the Hollywood Mask | Ham Radio

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-31 | Marlon Brando was a ham radio operator. And the story behind it reveals a remarkable side of the man behind Vito Corleone, Stanley Kowalski and Colonel Kurtz.

One of Hollywood’s most famous actors operated amateur radio from California and from his private island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia, where he built a serious radio station and became fascinated by antennas, HF and RTTY.

In this special G3LRC interview, I speak with William J. Mann, author of The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando, to explore the man behind the legend and what his fascination with amateur radio tells us about him.

We uncover Brando’s radio callsigns, his identity as “Marty”, his relationships with other radio amateurs, his remarkable Tetiaroa antenna installation and the little-known story of the people who helped him build and operate his stations.

Among them was William Moneysmith, W4NFR, the engineer who personally worked with Brando on his Tetiaroa antenna system.

Why would one of the most famous men in the world choose to disappear behind an amateur-radio callsign?

And what does that tell us about the real Marlon Brando?

This is the story of Marlon Brando, amateur radio and “Marty”.

#MarlonBrando #HamRadio #AmateurRadio

Shocking popular choke lacking of quality‼️

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-28 | Can a £35 choke really compete with a £75 one?

And what actually happens to common-mode current when we put them into a real HF antenna system?

We put two 1:1 chokes head-to-head:

🔵 LDG RU-1:1 UnUn
🟢 Super Yagi Nexus 1:1 Common Mode Choke

Same antenna. Same coax. Same transmitter. Real RF measurements.

The antenna was a Wonder Wand Wide Bander Mk III, driven by an Icom IC-705 at 5 W.

We measured the RF current using an RF.Guru RF Current Meter, and separately checked SWR using an MFJ-259B antenna analyser.

The result?

The Super Yagi Nexus produced the lowest measured common-mode current on every band tested.

Our measured values were:

40 m: 95 µA → 20 µA
20 m: 82.5 µA → 20 µA
15 m: 62 µA → 12 µA
10 m: 48 µA → 8 µA

The LDG also reduced the measured common-mode current, but by a smaller amount.

We also looked at the effect of each choke on SWR and found some interesting differences, particularly towards the top of the HF range.

But there’s an important engineering distinction here.

The RF.Guru meter gives us a comparative measurement of common-mode current in our actual antenna system. It does not, by itself, establish laboratory S21 attenuation in dB.

Super Yagi’s published specification claims approximately 30 dB common-mode attenuation, based on laboratory S21 measurements using a VNA and test fixture. That’s a different measurement from what we are doing here.

So this isn’t a laboratory certification test.

It’s something arguably more interesting for the average amateur: what happens when you actually put these things into a working HF station?

And then there’s the price.

One choke is rated at 200 W PEP.

The other is rated at 1 kW PEP.

So what are you actually getting for your money?

Is the expensive choke worth it?

Does the cheaper choke do enough?

And which one would you put on your own antenna?

📻⚡ Welcome to the Battle of the Chokes.

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #CommonMode #RFChoke #HFRadio #Antenna #CBRadio #SWL #POTA #shortwavelistening

THE BATTLE OF THE CHOKES: Can We Make Common-Mode Current Endangered?

Dodgy RF Connectors on the Cheap

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-26 | RF Connectors. They are important and yet we are either sold lead as gold, or we buy cheap and buy twice.
These are 259 to BNC connectors are very handy.
#radio #rf #hamradio #cb #connectors #swl

Why Spending a Lot On Ham Radio Makes Sense

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-24 | The @Fle@FlexRadioSystemsora - AU-510M, makes a lot of sense as an all in one box, 8kg, totally portable xOTA rig. And even a home base station for that.
It offers all the latest tech and especially the game changing class D transmitter tech that means lower power draw and that makes this, married with a portable power station, a very easy rig to operate portable with.

Also, featured in this video is the @alp@alphaantennam when fully extended telescopic whip that was built to make a POTA PERformer in the KJ6ER design.

#radio #hamradio #cb #flexradio #aurora #au510m #pota #bota #transceiver #rig #buyersguide

Magic rig cleaner

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-23 | Cleaning a rig. Some radio shops sell stuff with amateur radio tax applied.
This is what the pros use and was recommended by a very good friend. It’s rather excellent.

#hamradio #radio #cb #swl

SWR - the Cheating Meter

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-20 | SWR: THE CHEATING METER! 📡

Is 1:1 SWR really proof that you have a great antenna?

Not necessarily.

In this video, we take a closer look at SWR, resonance, antenna efficiency and antenna tuning, and why radio amateurs can sometimes become a little too obsessed with getting that magic 1:1 reading.

Inspired in part by discussions around SWR Derangement Syndrome, including ideas discussed by Joeri ON6URE, and with a nod to Mark, the Florida Ham Man, we look at what an SWR meter is actually telling us… and what it isn’t.

A low SWR tells us that the impedance presented to the transmission line is a good match. But that doesn’t automatically tell us how efficiently the antenna is radiating.

A 50-ohm load can contain radiation resistance and loss resistance. The SWR meter doesn’t know which is which. It simply says, “Lovely. Fifty ohms. Carry on.”

And that raises the more important question:

Where did the RF power actually go?

Did it become useful radiation?

Did it become heat?

Is RF flowing somewhere we didn’t intend, perhaps as common-mode current on the outside of the coax?

We also look at the difference between resonance and efficiency, why a resonant antenna isn’t necessarily an efficient antenna, why 1:1 SWR doesn’t automatically mean a great antenna, and why an ATU isn’t necessarily the enemy when you’re trying to get RF into the air.

This is particularly important for QRP operators, portable operators and anyone using compact or loaded antennas where efficiency can be a significant compromise.

And yes… we’ll be talking about the cheating SWR meter.

Because:

SWR tells you how happy the radio is. It doesn’t necessarily tell you how happy the other station is.

73!

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #swr #CB #radio

Britain or the World’s Most Dangerous POTA ‘Park’

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-15 | Shobnall Fields has a certain reputation -
Not just for radio hams, but for locals.
This is a great example how some enthusiastic POTA activator wanted somewhere to activate, without probably thinking about it too much.

At the same time, with xOTA, planning and preparation are everything and we need something to help us.

Check out the pinned comments for the solution.

#radio #hamradio #pota #hf #dx

Antenna buying and design

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-14 | Are we choosing our amateur radio antennas backwards?

Before you spend another £100, £200 or £500 on an HF antenna, there is a much better question to ask: what are you actually trying to achieve?

In this 2026 Amateur Radio Antenna Buyers’ Guide, we look beyond SWR, marketing claims and antenna popularity to examine what actually determines the results you get on the HF bands.

The antenna is only one part of the system.

We explore antenna efficiency, radiation efficiency, ground systems, radials, counterpoises, common-mode current, feedline losses, matching networks, propagation, receiver noise, antenna height, installation, deployment time and measurement uncertainty.

We also look at a deceptively important question:

Are you buying watts you don’t need while throwing away watts you already have?

A 35%-efficient antenna versus a 90%-efficient antenna represents approximately 4.1 dB. At 100 watts, that’s 35 watts radiated versus 90 watts. To radiate the same 90 watts from the less efficient system would require approximately 257 watts at the transmitter.

And what about a 9 dB difference?

That’s almost eight times the transmitter power.

Suddenly, antenna efficiency starts looking rather different.

We also consider the things that are much harder to reproduce in amateur-radio antenna comparisons: ground conductivity, installation height, surroundings, common-mode current, feedline losses, calibration, reference antennas, receiving systems and propagation.

And there’s an important distinction between observational data and controlled experiments. WSPR and PSK Reporter can provide enormously useful data, but a collection of spots is not automatically a controlled antenna experiment.

The central idea of this video is simple:

Don’t start with the antenna. Start with the result you want.

Are you operating POTA, SOTA, DX, FT8, SSB or local communications?

Do you need maximum efficiency, rapid deployment, portability, low cost, reliability, or simply an antenna that you will actually put up and use?

Because the “best” antenna isn’t necessarily the one with the most impressive specification sheet.

It may be the antenna that gives you the best combination of performance, cost, efficiency, deployment time and reliability.

And perhaps most importantly:

Don’t let impressive numbers make the decision for you.

Understand what was measured.
Understand what was assumed.
Understand what can be reproduced.
Then make your own choice.

⸻

🔬 In this video

* HF antenna efficiency
* Radiation efficiency versus SWR
* Ground conductivity and ground losses
* Radials and counterpoises
* Common-mode current
* Feedline and coax losses
* Matching networks and antenna tuners
* Antenna height and installation
* Propagation and band conditions
* WSPR and PSK Reporter
* Measurement uncertainty
* 35% versus 90% antenna efficiency
* dB versus transmitter power
* Watts-per-pound
* Radiation Value Index
* Cost versus performance
* Portable and POTA antenna design
* Deployment time and portability
* How to compare amateur radio antennas
* How to avoid being influenced by marketing and social proof

The aim isn’t to tell you which antenna to buy. It’s to help you become much harder to sell the wrong one to.

⸻

📡 What do you think?

What’s the most important factor you consider when choosing an HF antenna?

Efficiency? Cost? Size? Portability? Deployment time? DX performance? Ease of use?

Let me know in the comments.

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio #HamRadioAntennas #Antenna #HF #POTA #SOTA #DX #FT8 #SSB #RadioAmateur #PortableRadio #AmateurRadioUK #HamRadioUK #AntennaEfficiency #CB

We Are Probably Choosing Our Antennas Backwards - losing our wealth & Watts as a result

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-13 | Are we choosing our amateur radio antennas backwards?

Before you spend another £100, £200 or £500 on an HF antenna, there is a much better question to ask: what are you actually trying to achieve?

In this 2026 Amateur Radio Antenna Buyers’ Guide, we look beyond SWR, marketing claims and antenna popularity to examine what actually determines the results you get on the HF bands.

The antenna is only one part of the system.

We explore antenna efficiency, radiation efficiency, ground systems, radials, counterpoises, common-mode current, feedline losses, matching networks, propagation, receiver noise, antenna height, installation, deployment time and measurement uncertainty.

We also look at a deceptively important question:

Are you buying watts you don’t need while throwing away watts you already have?

A 35%-efficient antenna versus a 90%-efficient antenna represents approximately 4.1 dB. At 100 watts, that’s 35 watts radiated versus 90 watts. To radiate the same 90 watts from the less efficient system would require approximately 257 watts at the transmitter.

And what about a 9 dB difference?

That’s almost eight times the transmitter power.

Suddenly, antenna efficiency starts looking rather different.

We also consider the things that are much harder to reproduce in amateur-radio antenna comparisons: ground conductivity, installation height, surroundings, common-mode current, feedline losses, calibration, reference antennas, receiving systems and propagation.

And there’s an important distinction between observational data and controlled experiments. WSPR and PSK Reporter can provide enormously useful data, but a collection of spots is not automatically a controlled antenna experiment.

The central idea of this video is simple:

Don’t start with the antenna. Start with the result you want.

Are you operating POTA, SOTA, DX, FT8, SSB or local communications?

Do you need maximum efficiency, rapid deployment, portability, low cost, reliability, or simply an antenna that you will actually put up and use?

Because the “best” antenna isn’t necessarily the one with the most impressive specification sheet.

It may be the antenna that gives you the best combination of performance, cost, efficiency, deployment time and reliability.

And perhaps most importantly:

Don’t let impressive numbers make the decision for you.

Understand what was measured.
Understand what was assumed.
Understand what can be reproduced.
Then make your own choice.

⸻

🔬 In this video

* HF antenna efficiency
* Radiation efficiency versus SWR
* Ground conductivity and ground losses
* Radials and counterpoises
* Common-mode current
* Feedline and coax losses
* Matching networks and antenna tuners
* Antenna height and installation
* Propagation and band conditions
* WSPR and PSK Reporter
* Measurement uncertainty
* 35% versus 90% antenna efficiency
* dB versus transmitter power
* Watts-per-pound
* Radiation Value Index
* Cost versus performance
* Portable and POTA antenna design
* Deployment time and portability
* How to compare amateur radio antennas
* How to avoid being influenced by marketing and social proof

The aim isn’t to tell you which antenna to buy. It’s to help you become much harder to sell the wrong one to.

⸻

📡 What do you think?

What’s the most important factor you consider when choosing an HF antenna?

Efficiency? Cost? Size? Portability? Deployment time? DX performance? Ease of use?

Let me know in the comments.

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio #HamRadioAntennas #Antenna #HF #POTA #SOTA #DX #FT8 #SSB #RadioAmateur #PortableRadio #AmateurRadioUK #HamRadioUK #AntennaEfficiency #CB

FlexRadio Aurora + iPad in the Field | TP-Link Access Point Setup & SmartSDR

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-11 | Can you operate a FlexRadio Aurora in the field using an iPad and SmartSDR, with a TP-Link access point providing the local network?

Yes… but it wasn’t quite as straightforward as we expected! 😂

In this video, I take the FlexRadio Aurora into a portable/field operating setup and attempt to connect it to an iPad running SmartSDR, using a TP-Link router/access point to create the local network.

What initially looked like it should be a simple connection turned out to involve a few important details about how the Aurora, SmartSDR and the network interact.

The end result is exactly what I wanted: the iPad can operate the Aurora remotely over the local TP-Link network, giving me a genuinely portable SmartSDR operating setup.

In this video:

📻 FlexRadio Aurora
📱 SmartSDR for iPad
📡 TP-Link router/access point
🌐 Creating a local network in the field
🔌 Connecting the Aurora without relying on an existing Wi-Fi network
🖥️ Operating the radio from the iPad
🧩 The problems we encountered
✅ How we finally got it working

If you’re considering using a FlexRadio Aurora with SmartSDR on an iPad, particularly for portable amateur radio, POTA or field operation, this should hopefully save you some head scratching.

Equipment featured:

• FlexRadio Aurora AU-510M
• Apple iPad
• SmartSDR for iOS/iPadOS
• TP-Link router/access point
• Portable field networking setup

I’m Dave, G3LRC, and this channel covers amateur radio, portable operating, antennas, SDR, POTA and the practical reality of getting radio equipment to behave itself in the real world! 📻

If you found the video useful, please like, subscribe and leave a comment. Let me know if you’re using a FlexRadio Aurora with an iPad for portable operation.

#radio #hamradio #cb #flexradio #smartsdr

Antennas = less is more. Rigs = more is more

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-10 | Another POTA activation with the @FlexRadioSystems AU-510M Aurora, the @BLUETTIOfficial small portable power, the POTA PERformer - my version- a Coyote Ugly AliExpress whip and home made tuned elevated radials and a @Lidl bike stand.
The @alphaantenna version will be deployed ASAP.

#radio #hamradio #radioamateur #CB #antenna #aurora

FlexRadio Aurora AI noise filter in action

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-09 | FlexRadio Aurora and the last firmware update delivered these filters. One such filter works very well cleaning up SSB voice. It does need a few seconds to bring the voice out of the noise.

#radio #hamradio #flexradio #aurora

Does Expensive Antenna Wire REALLY Matter?

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-07 | 📡 Does Expensive Antenna Wire REALLY Make a Difference?

Does premium antenna wire actually put more signal on the air? Or is there a better reason to buy it?

In this video I separate engineering fact from amateur radio folklore by comparing premium antenna wire, DX Commander DX-50, DX-10 and ordinary speaker wire to discover what really affects your transmitted signal.

The results may surprise you.

More importantly, I also explain when premium antenna wire genuinely is worth buying, and why professional, military and expedition-grade wire exists in the first place.

In this video we cover:

✅ Does expensive antenna wire increase your signal?

✅ Silver vs copper… does it really matter?

✅ DX Commander DX-50, DX-10 and ordinary speaker wire compared.

✅ Why the difference in transmitted signal is surprisingly small.

✅ When premium antenna wire is absolutely worth the investment.

✅ Why military-specification antenna wire is designed for strength, durability, flexibility and reliability rather than magical RF performance.

✅ Best practice for portable vertical antennas with elevated radials.

✅ Best practice for wire antennas and horizontal dipoles.

✅ Correct wire handling, folding and storage to reduce tangles and extend cable life.

✅ Why antenna height, resonance, feedpoint design and common-mode suppression have a much greater effect on your signal than the conductor itself.

I also share my portable station powered by the excellent Bluetti 1000 Wh portable power station together with the FlexRadio Aurora, a combination that’s proving superb for portable operating.

Whether you enjoy Amateur Radio, Ham Radio, CB Radio, POTA, SOTA, BOTA, portable HF or building your own antennas, this video aims to help you spend your money where it will have the biggest impact while understanding where premium products genuinely add value.

If you’ve experimented with different antenna wires or have your own favourite portable setup, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

If you enjoy practical amateur radio videos backed by engineering, real-world testing and honest discussion, please consider subscribing.

73 and happy operating!

Dave - G3LRC

Before You Buy Another Antenna… The Power Loss Almost Nobody Talks About | KJ6ER

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-06 | Before you spend another penny on an antenna, this conversation is worth your time.

In amateur radio we’re often encouraged to believe that more is better.

More power.
More aluminium.
More copper.
More money.

But antennas may be the one area where less really is more.

Award-winning antenna designer Greg Mirhan (KJ6ER) joins me to explain why antenna efficiency matters far more than many amateurs realise, how poorly designed antennas quietly waste precious RF power, and why he makes every one of his antenna designs available completely free of charge.

Greg’s award-winning POTA Performer is just one example of an antenna designed from sound engineering rather than marketing hype.

If your transceiver cost you £2,000, but your antenna throws away a significant proportion of your RF before it even reaches free space, which part of your station is really costing you performance?

Whether you’re interested in POTA, SOTA, portable operating, DX, antenna design, amateur radio or CB radio, this conversation may change how you think about antennas forever.

And yes…

These remain the only antenna designs officially approved by the entirely fictional Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Watts. 😉

If you enjoy thoughtful discussions about practical amateur radio, don’t forget to Like, Subscribe and Share.

#HamRadio
#AmateurRadio
#CBRadio
#11Metres
#POTA
#SOTA
#KJ6ER
#Antenna
#AntennaDesign
#PortableRadio
#ICOM
#Yaesu

Before You Buy Another Antenna… The Power Loss Almost Nobody Talks About | KJ6ER

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-05 | Before you spend another penny on an antenna, this conversation is worth your time.

In amateur radio we’re often encouraged to believe that more is better.

More power.
More aluminium.
More copper.
More money.

But antennas may be the one area where less really is more.

Award-winning antenna designer Greg Mirhan, (KJ6ER) joins me to explain why antenna efficiency matters far more than many amateurs realise, how poorly designed antennas quietly waste precious RF power, and why he makes every one of his antenna designs available completely free of charge.

Greg’s award-winning POTA Performer is just one example of an antenna designed from sound engineering rather than marketing hype.

If your transceiver cost you £2,000, but your antenna throws away a significant proportion of your RF before it even reaches free space, which part of your station is really costing you performance?

Whether you’re interested in POTA, SOTA, portable operating, DX, antenna design, amateur radio or CB radio, this conversation may change how you think about antennas forever.

And yes…

These remain the only antenna designs officially approved by the entirely fictional Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Watts. 😉

If you enjoy thoughtful discussions about practical amateur radio, don’t forget to Like, Subscribe and Share.

#HamRadio
#AmateurRadio
#CBRadio
#11Metres
#POTA
#SOTA
#KJ6ER
#Antenna
#AntennaDesign
#PortableRadio
#ICOM
#yaesu

Antenna choice - why use anything but this? … (for POTA and alike)

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-03 | The @FlexRadioSystems Aurora AU-510M and the POTA PERformer antenna, together with M&P coax and the @BLUETTIOfficial Elite v2 100 portable power, continue to dazzle. Many thanks to Ham2k for the marvellous activation app.

#radio #hamradio #cb #antenna #potaperformer #antenna #hf #dx

Missing out having fun with a rig?

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-08-01 | RAYNET, the UK’s emergency communications network manned by radio amateurs. The Derbyshire and Dales team were out today at the immensely stunning Dovedale Dipper fell running race.
A very well run event that starts in Hartington and really, IMHO, should be named ‘The Big Cheese.’
Many thanks to everyone involved and congratulations to all the competitors who completed the course today.

#hamradio #running #dovedaledipper #RAYNET

@peakrunning4259

Please - Stop Paying These Crazy Used Gear Prices‼️

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-31 | Is the used amateur radio market completely out of control? 🤔

Why are some ageing HF transceivers, linear amplifiers and so-called “classic” rigs still advertised at eye-watering prices when the market is overflowing with second-hand equipment?

In this short five-minute video, I take a humorous look at today’s ham radio marketplace with an original blues song, “Boat Anchors for Cash”. If you’ve ever walked around a radio rally, browsed eBay, Facebook Marketplace or QRZ and wondered whether some sellers are living in a parallel universe, this one’s for you!

Behind the laughs is a serious point. Today’s market is increasingly becoming a buyer’s market, yet many sellers are still pricing equipment as though every old transceiver is a museum piece.

Whether you’re buying an Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, FlexRadio or vintage valve equipment, good negotiation and a little patience can save you a fortune.

Do you think used amateur radio prices are finally coming back to reality? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoy honest opinions, amateur radio humour, equipment reviews, POTA activations, antenna experiments and practical operating tips, please consider subscribing.

73,

Dave, G3LRC

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio #G3LRC #POTA #HF #Icom #Yaesu #Kenwood #RadioRally #Hamfest #BoatAnchor #VintageRadio #HamShack #RadioHumour #buyersmarket

Royal Society for the Protection of Watts Presents..

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-28 | Watts. Every Watt is sacred. How come us Radio Hams / Amateurs, spend huge amounts of hard earned money on transceivers/rigs and then lose those expensive watts by using inefficient antenna systems with flashy names?

#radio #hamradio #financialeducation #CB

Dog Days for Amateur Radio

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-27 | POTA is so fabulous. The trolley, the @FlexRadioSystems Aurora, the POTA PERformer asymmetrical home brew antenna with the @rfguru radial optimisation. Plus the @BLUETTIOfficial and only 10% battery used.

#hamradio #cb #radio #antenna

Watts are expensive - POTA PERformer in action

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-25 | Fellow radio amateurs / hams - a clip to support the main video.
Let’s not be so Ham and far more evidence based. Here is some info to support, educate and inform us all when using, testing and deploying a POTA PERformer.
This ground breaking antenna has been waving in our faces for years and yet, for portable operations, we have used complicated, too much cooper wire, coil based, up a tree and too low with an EMF effect that only time will tell!!

This antenna is so easy to make, deploy, strip down and it’s multi-band and efficient. Your watts are expensive - never waste them.

#radio #hamradio #antenna #ieeeprojects #parksontheair

The Best Portable Vertical? This Test Changed My Mind

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-24 | I thought two elevated radials were enough.

After more testing, advice from RF engineer Joeri ON6URE (RF.Guru), and one accidental discovery during a live activation, the evidence changed my mind.

✅ In this video I explain why I now recommend FOUR elevated radials and why I no longer use ground-laid radials for portable HF verticals.

The POTA PERformer, designed by Greg Mihran (KJ6ER), is one of the cleverest portable HF antennas available. Greg has made the complete design freely available, allowing anyone to build a highly efficient multiband vertical for very little cost. It works from 20 metres to 2 metres using resonant elements and has rightly earned widespread recognition.

This video follows the journey from my original two-radial tests, through statistical analysis, constructive criticism from Joeri, and finally an unexpected equipment fault during a real POTA activation that completely changed my conclusion.

During my latest activation from Weaver Hills using the FlexRadio Aurora, a poor radial connection highlighted just how important redundancy can be in the real world. That experience reinforced what theory had been suggesting all along.

🎯 My conclusion: use four elevated, tuned radials. They’re simple to deploy, tolerant of real-world conditions, and, in my experience, outperform any portable system using ground-laid radials.

Greg’s PERformer design allows anyone to build a high-performance portable antenna for a fraction of the cost of many commercial alternatives, and his designs are freely available for the amateur radio community.

📊 The video includes all the measurements, test methodology, statistical analysis and the reasoning behind my change of mind.

If you’ve ever wondered how many radials a portable vertical really needs, or whether elevated radials are worth the effort, this video is for you.

73,

David G3LRC

#HamRadio #PortableHF #radio #Antenna #CB

The Best Portable HF Vertical? This Test Changed My Mind

High performing antennas. Elevation rules, and less may be more

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-19 | I tested the POTA PERformer antenna’s 2-radial elevated design against 4 and 6 radials in a real field experiment — same antenna, same band, matched-station SNR analysis from PSKReporter data. Does the award-winning POTA PERformer’s minimalist radial count actually cost you signal, or is it already at the practical ceiling?
In this video: the physics behind elevated tuned radials (Rudy Severns, N6LF, and the 1937 Brown/Lewis/Epstein research this all traces back to), why the ARRL-award-winning POTA PERformer by Greg Mihran (KJ6ER) gets away with just two radials, and my own controlled field test results comparing 2, 4, and 6 radials for POTA activation.
📊 Full data analysis, statistical testing, and infographics in the video.

#hamradio #cb #radio #antenna #pota

High Performing Antennas - 64 Radials or JUST 2? The Shocking Test Result

Who wants to do Ham Radio on the cheap?

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-18 | It was a challenge. To do a video on how to do amateur radio on he cheap. Here are my ideas. What are yours?
I must say, behaviourally, this seems nuts!

#hamradio #CB #radioamateur #radio #handheld #qrp

Ham Radio on a Budget: FREE Listening + Kits Under £50 (Beginner Guide 2026)

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-17 | Getting into ham radio doesn't have to cost a fortune — this video covers every genuinely low-cost route in, from an affordable entry-level licence to free listening stations, low-cost kits, and the digital voice apps nobody tells beginners about.

We cover the real costs (and a few tongue-in-cheek "insider" tricks that genuinely happen) — entry-level licence fees vary by country but are more affordable than most people assume — plus free WebSDR listening, club remote stations, low-cost kit builds like the QMX, Chinese clone kits, satellite operating on an affordable handheld, and what to watch out for when buying second-hand gear that's been run hard on FT8.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro and explanation
02:26 Low cost exam entry fee
03:21 Free access stations
05:21 Your local club
06:31 Kits
10:27 Boat anchors & the second hand market
11:37 Low cost HTs & free digital voice apps
14:20 Satellite operating
14:42 Antennae
15:15 Low cost kits and clones
16:32 The song that explains how some/many get gear for free!
20:36 End

If this saved you money or helped you get started, a like and subscribe helps the channel keep making evidence-based amateur radio content.

#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #BudgetHamRadio #CB

Suffixes. Is it time for /C ⁉️

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-16 | A bit of tongue in cheek humour with a serious aspect. Compromised - real name - inefficient watt burning antennas.
So that we can give these vulnerable people support /C would be handy. 73.

#hamradio #radio #communication #cb #suffix

The Mystery of a Missed POTA. Now Activated ✅

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-15 | Jackson’s Bank, it is a 2fer and sits within GB-0120, National Forest, however, it’s sat there as a park and no one had activated it.

I nipped up there and wow! What a great place.
Many thanks to those who answered by CQs and a huge thanks.

SSB and the @FlexRadioSystems remains so easy to use. Easier than a dedicated field radio - seriously.

Home made antenna for QRO.

The site is also a ROC Bunker that doesn’t exist. Yet another mystery.

#radio #radiocommunication #hamradio #cb #radioamateur #parksontheair

Trip Advisor for Radio Hams #hamradio

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-14 | Make your POTA activations way more successful. A fantastic resource from Nathan, M0NXD.
If you activate, please use this.
Many thanks in advance.

73. Dave.

POTA people. The future has landed. Trip Adviser for POTA.

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-13 | Nathan, M0NXD is to thank for this awesome work. Pre activation, we can now check out a park and prepare in advance, or swerve it.
Absolutely superb for any serious amateur / ham radio operator. Enjoy.
73 & 44, Dave, G3LRC.

I Wasted Money Coming Back to Ham Radio — Don’t Make My Mistakes (2026)

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-12 | Coming back to ham radio after years away? Here's everything I wish I'd known before spending money finding it out the hard way — noise, rigs, portable power, and the hype aimed straight at returning hams.

See the full video for the full gen.

If you're holding a full licence — or about to get one — you don't need to start small or fall for the hype. This buyers' guide covers what actually matters in 2026: why your noise floor is worse than you remember (and it's not just you), modern SDR transceivers, why a thousand-pound rig covers 99% of what most hams need, LiFePO4 portable power done properly, and why so many "miracle" antennas are really just expensive wire.

🔔 Subscribe for more evidence-based amateur radio content, POTA/SOTA activations, and gear reviews that don't rely on hype.

💬 What surprised you most coming back to the hobby? Tell me in the comments.

73, G3LRC

#hamradio #amateurradio #g3lrc #pota #antenna #transceiver

I Wasted Money Coming Back to Ham Radio — Don’t Make My Mistakes (2026)

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-12 | Coming back to ham radio after years away? Here's everything I wish I'd known before spending money finding it out the hard way — noise, rigs, portable power, and the hype aimed straight at returning hams.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:58 Radio Frequency Interference
05:05 Planning & Intolerance
06:28 Tech Stack Madness and Gaining Clarity
10:51 Rigs / Transceivers
20:16 Portable Is Where It's At
22:25 Antennas — Navigating the Monetised BS
29:15 Closing Song

If you're holding a full licence — or about to get one — you don't need to start small or fall for the hype. This buyers' guide covers what actually matters in 2026: why your noise floor is worse than you remember (and it's not just you), modern SDR transceivers, why a thousand-pound rig covers 99% of what most hams need, LiFePO4 portable power done properly, and why so many "miracle" antennas are really just expensive wire.

🔔 Subscribe for more evidence-based amateur radio content, POTA/SOTA activations, and gear reviews that don't rely on hype.

💬 What surprised you most coming back to the hobby? Tell me in the comments.

73, G3LRC

#hamradio #amateurradio #g3lrc #pota #sota
#antenna

Ham Radio - this weekend… #hamradio

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-08 | It’s almost here. The Amateur radio Olympics. A quick catch up on all you need to know.
The best contest operators in the world up against each other and with rules that create as close a level playing field as possible.

#hamradio #cb #radiocommunication #wrtl @WorldRadioLeague

A little POTA in a fascinating location

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-06 | Alport Hight. A Parks on the Air location and only activated twice before.
What a wonderful spot
Roman history
Amazing views.
Past VHF contesting spot
Views over Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire
Equipment used:
FlexRadio Aurora AU-510M
BlueTTI 1000wh power bank
Decathlon folding table
M&P coax
AliExpress 5.6m whip
Electric fence posts
Tuned to 20m lengths of copper wire.

73, Dave, G3LRC

#radio #hamradio #ham #radioamateur #flex #bluetti

FlexRadio Aurora - a few weeks on…

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-05 | Some weeks on with the FlexRadio Aurora AU-510M. I’ve been using it mainly for portable operation and I’m really enjoying it so far. In this video I share my honest thoughts after several weeks, the pros and cons I’ve found with SSB and CW, and the real cost of ownership based on typical usage.
If you’re considering the Aurora for portable or home station use, this should help give you a clearer picture.
Drop your questions below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
73, Dave G3LRC
#FlexRadio #Aurora #HamRadio #PortableHamRadio #FlexRadioAurora #AU510M

FlexRadio Aurora - the Ultimate Portable Rig? Views so far…

G3LRC’s Ham Radio 2026-07-05 | Some weeks on with the FlexRadio Aurora AU-510M. I’ve been using it mainly for portable operation and I’m really enjoying it so far. In this video I share my honest thoughts after several weeks, the pros and cons I’ve found with SSB and CW, and the real cost of ownership based on typical usage.

If you’re considering the Aurora for portable or home station use, this should help give you a clearer picture.

Drop your questions below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

73, Dave G3LRC

#FlexRadio #Aurora #HamRadio #PortableHamRadio #FlexRadioAurora #AU510M #radio #tech