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A Bird 43 wattmeter score at the swap, two new budget handhelds worth a look, and Rory's CW skills getting sharper through QSO parties and daily POTA hunting set the stage for a packed Episode 15.

FT2 mode is here and it is fast - we're talking 3.75-second transmit/receive cycles and roughly 240 QSOs per hour at peak. But speed costs you something: the weak-signal performance drops significantly compared to FT8, and your time sync has to be nearly perfect. We map out where FT2 makes sense and when you should stick with what works.

Then we head south - way south - to Bouvet Island. The 3Y0K DXpedition has the bands blazing and livestreams running via Starlink. But not every station should be in that pile. We talk strategy and sportsmanship: use PSK Reporter or GridTracker to confirm your signal is actually going that direction before calling, understand how Fox and Hound works, and know when your antenna and geography just are not going to win the slot.

The market news is hard to ignore: significant Yaesu MSRP increases across popular rigs including the FTDX10, FT-891, and FTDX101MP. We break down why tariffs, logistics, component costs, and yen-to-dollar swings are all pushing prices up - and whether waiting for Hamvention deals still makes sense.

Finally, HamClock lives on. After the passing of its creator Elwood, the community moved fast. Hamclock.com (W4BAE) restores the data feeds with redundancy and a simple host file edit. OpenHamClock offers a polished browser-based and self-hosted option. HamVision is an emerging alternative worth watching. And Geochron remains a solid turnkey choice for those who want it to just work.

We wrap with a genuine win from the ARRL: amateur operators are exempted from foreign adversary contact reporting requirements. When the community organizes, good things happen.

Don't miss a single episode! Follow Everyday Ham on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and more, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at @EverydayHam. Ideas or feedback? Email us at cq@everydayham.com.

Short show intro audio clip

Short outro audio clip

The Everyday Ham Podcast is hosted by James Mills (K8JKU), Jim Davis (N8JRD), and Rory Locke (W8KNX) – three friends who dive into the world of amateur radio with a casual, lighthearted twist.

Follow us at: Website: https://www.everydayham.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayhampodcast/

Send us a text

Do you really need that new radio? In Episode 14, James (K8JKU), Jim (N8JRD), and Rory (W8KNX) get honest about the pressure to upgrade ham radio gear and share what they’ve learned from their own buying mistakes.

We begin with a moment of remembrance for Elwood Downey, creator of HamClock, and share what his contributions meant to the community. Then we catch up around the shack — Jim’s new CW trainer, James’s hotel radio experiments from Germany, and Rory’s progress with Morse code through the Long Island CW Club.

The main topic digs into upgrade pressure. Jim confesses his $10K shack might not outperform his old $890 FT-DX10 and $99 end-fed combo. Rory makes the case that antennas matter more than radios. James shares his FTX-1F disappointment and why he went crawling back to his trusted FT-891. The unanimous takeaway: more antenna, less radio.

We also talk BuddiHEX plans, hamfest buying strategies heading into Hamcation and Hamvention season, and preview our upcoming trip to Orlando.

Don’t miss a single episode! Follow the Everyday Ham Podcast on your favorite podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and more) and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

https://www.everydayham.com

Short show intro audio clip

Short outro audio clip

The Everyday Ham Podcast is hosted by James Mills (K8JKU), Jim Davis (N8JRD), and Rory Locke (W8KNX) – three friends who dive into the world of amateur radio with a casual, lighthearted twist.

Follow us at: Website: https://www.everydayham.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayhampodcast/

Send us a text

Five watts, a tiny coil antenna on a travel tripod, and a camera-bag station that reaches across states—CW isn't a relic, it's a practical advantage. In this episode, we invited Terry W8TMB to walk us through how he learned Morse code without drowning in drills, why CW pairs perfectly with POTA and QRP, and what actually works when your sending is solid but your copy lags behind.

We compare two popular learning paths: CW Academy and Long Island CW Club. CW Academy offers a free, semester-style program with fixed class times and steady accountability—great if you thrive with structure. Long Island CW Club takes a different approach with flexible, year-round carousels, multiple time slots each week, and an emphasis on getting on the air early. Their $30/year (or $90 lifetime) membership includes about 170 classes per week, a powerful browser-based practice tool, and thoughtful accessibility options for autistic, visually impaired, and hearing-impaired hams.

From there we dig into practical tactics: stop counting dits and dahs—train your ear to recognize full characters. Use Farnsworth spacing to create breathing room. Drill random call signs to break predictability. Send back what you copy immediately to lock it in. Ditch the decoders and cheat sheets; they slow your ear. Code-talk license plates on road trips, work short daily sessions, and aim your practice at real exchanges like POTA and simple contests.

Terry's field kit shows what's possible: a CFT-1 five-band QRP rig, a 3D-printed coil antenna from Ham Radio Duo, and a 16Wh battery that lasted two hours with 75% remaining. As bands shift with the solar cycle, CW keeps you in the game.

🔗 RESOURCES:

• CW Academy: https://cwops.org/cw-academy/
• Long Island CW Club: https://longislandcwclub.org/
• Morse Mania App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/morse-mania-learn-morse-code/id1511042196
• LCWO: https://lcwo.net/
• V-Band: https://hamradio.solutions/vband/

Don't miss an episode! Follow the Everyday Ham Podcast on your favorite podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and more) and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

🎙️ Hosts: James K8JKU, Jim N8JRD, Rory W8KNX Guest: Terry W8TMB

Website: https://www.everydayham.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayhampodcast/

Short show intro audio clip

Short outro audio clip

The Everyday Ham Podcast is hosted by James Mills (K8JKU), Jim Davis (N8JRD), and Rory Locke (W8KNX) – three friends who dive into the world of amateur radio with a casual, lighthearted twist.

Follow us at: Website: https://www.everydayham.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayhampodcast/