My Radio Journal
Where I tell the stories behind the signals.
It’s a mix of amateur radio adventures, lessons learned, equipment discoveries, emergency communications, DMR and APRS, Coast Guard memories, and the occasional strange or funny moment that comes with a lifetime around radios. Some entries are practical, some are personal, and some are simply stories worth telling—but they all come back to the same idea: radio is ultimately about people, communication, and the connections we make along the way.
The Phone Patch That Saved a Life
A Coast Guard helicopter was on scene, but the crew could not find the man in the water among the many boats and other objects in the bay. Then I remembered an old idea from ham radio that connected the eyewitness directly to the aircrew.
The $16 Upgrade That Brought My Radios Back to Life
A roughly $300 handheld had left me wondering whether amateur radio from my Brooklyn apartment was practical. Then a Nagoya NA-701 costing about sixteen dollars let me hear one little repeater tail—and changed the direction of my entire station.
More Than a Dot on a Map: My Journey into APRS
APRS is much more than location tracking. From my 17th-floor apartment in Brooklyn to field tests around Coney Island, I’ve been exploring how radios, GPS, iGates, DMR, messaging and plenty of troubleshooting come together—one packet at a time.
My Virtual Elmer: Learning Ham Radio with ChatGPT
ChatGPT has become my always-available virtual Elmer—a patient tutor, reference assistant, and partner in organizing what I learn. Used thoughtfully and checked against authoritative sources, AI is helping me build my station, my Operator’s Handbook, and perhaps the skills to Elmer someone else.
FROM BROOKLYN TO THE WORLD: The Maverick and HamSpot 5
A handheld radio, a little box beside my computer, and an internet connection have turned my Brooklyn apartment into a doorway to the world. The technology is impressive. The people on the other side of it are the point.
These journal entries are written with assistance from ChatGPT.
The thoughts, experiences, and final editorial choices are my own.