Link: https://youtu.be/8vo2SA5ushI

Duration: 205 min

Transcript: Download plain text

Short Summary

This Ham Radio Crash Course live stream covers BKG/QRQ CW club growth, an APRS chase game, creative antenna stories, JOTA scouting, MFJ vertical setups, and a deep dive on the new Xiegu G90/7250 tuner versus the upcoming Icom 7110. Co-host segments include Hawaii POTA planning, the youth-led VK9XY Christmas Island DXpedition, Mark Hughes (KD7DTS) recounting La Habra Heights Firewatch and El Niño prep, and an interview with small-batch Morse-key maker Erin (Aaron), who discusses his 300-order backlog, a Reddit post that triggered a 48-hour mental health crisis, his 22 Strong veteran awareness walk, and upcoming hamfests.

Key Quotes

1. "This is breathing an interesting new youthful energy into ham radio that I think a lot of people like and have really been enjoying. I think it's funny to kind of take the whole pyramid scheme concept and kind of turn it up on its head." (00:04:57)
2. "So the predominant relationship is I started th those are two clubs I started the only two clubs I've started and BKG was again inspired by you know Adam K6K Mark KD7DTS I saw those guys on YouTube doing soda and I just thought it was so cool that they had like the quan and they were making 2 meter CW cusos and it's it's so funny because everyone in 2 meters says the same thing they say oh well the 2 meter band is is dead on CW like 2 meter CW is dead." (00:15:42)

Detailed Summary

Ham Radio Crash Course Live Stream — Detailed Summary

Hosts & Setting

Josh (HRCC) hosted a long-form live stream while drinking Voodoo, an American stout from Left Coast Brewing, juggling his YouTube channel, a new job, and his kids' scouting activities. His IC-9700 was tied up on a SAT controller box for satellite VFO main/sub flipping, so he left it off the CW net during the broadcast; a co-host also missed contacts due to lacking an exterior antenna and planned to retry next session.

• Prior episodes reportedly ran from 10:00 PM to after 2:00 AM, and Josh described himself as too busy for recorded podcasts.
• The IC-9700's satellite mode keeps it unavailable for impromptu CW net participation.
• A co-host with no external antenna missed multiple live CW QSOs and committed to re-attempting next session.

BKG & QRQ CW Club Growth

The Brass Knuckles Gang (BKG) roster jumped from 552 to 585 during the stream, with three new memberships issued live out of five CW contacts, including Ryan (NJ5RY) making his first-ever CW contact. BKG was inspired by Adam (K6K) and Mark (KD7DTS) running the Quan on 2 meters to disprove the "2m CW is dead" myth, while QRQ was launched roughly two years after Forest got on CW.

• Forest confirmed BKG numbers are emailed after vetting; membership surged by 11–12 new members during the stream.
• At Huntsville Hamfest, both clubs ran a joint challenge requiring a 35 WPM Quan-on-2m CW QSO and awarded three reversible BKG+QRQ bucket hats, including to 11-year-old Maggie from North Carolina.
• Gabe (WN7JT) drove to Seattle airport to make one of BKG's first non-Utah contacts and worked Josh using BKG7 during a Tokyo layover.
• Becky rose on the downline leaderboard via Huntsville contacts, with NA7DO and WI7M→KK7D chains driving a large April–September growth surge.
• BKG now has four members in Germany, and Hans Summers of QRP Labs joined via a DL9 jump-in using Palm Pico paddles; QRP Labs radios ship from Turkey (his residence debated) with kits taking up to ~1 month internationally.
• The bkg.club website includes a top-10 direct-recruit leaderboard and a top-8 "Outbreak" view (built by Justin/N9HO) showing direct + indirect downlines; viewers interested in Australia presence were directed to the BKG Discord.

APRS Chase Game

The APRS chase activity is over-RF-only (no APRS.io) and uses a bot relay to log every QSO, scoring a point when participants CQ, message the host's callsign, beacon their location, and receive confirmation. Launched at the end of July, the activity has drawn participants from Germany, England, and South Korea, with one caller reporting cumbersome messaging on a Yaesu FT5D.

• Hosts emphasized the activity is real over-the-air radio (e.g., VHF CW), not Zello-style app audio.
• Scoring requires four explicit steps: CQ, message the host, beacon location, and receive confirmation reply.
• The bot-relay architecture logs every QSO without relying on web-based APRS aggregators.

Creative Antennas & Gear Stories

Listeners shared an extraordinary range of homemade antenna builds, from ladder-line DX Commanders and barb wire to a Christmas-light antenna that yielded a 160m FT8 contact, plus a tape-measure Yagi that reached the ISS. Josh also demoed a $43 Gossamer Gear carbon-fiber trekking umbrella and a Sony Reon Peltier neck cooler (~8-hour battery, app-controlled) for POTA, alongside an Omniixio magnetic helping-hands plate he used to build three QDXs.

• "British Rob" got Josh to try a ladder-line-fed DX Commander with 1-foot 3D-printed stakes elevating 450-ohm (later 600-ohm) feed, yielding one FT8 contact on 160m.
• Forest (KI7QCF) credits Aaron (W4ARB) at Tuskegee National Forest, Alabama, for early Alex loop YouTube videos; at Montesano State Park Forest used a makeshift straight key built from a plank with a 2x4 and threaded rods (~15 lbs).
• Shannon built a Christmas-light antenna (inspired by Josh's livestream) and made a 160m FT8 contact.
• Matt (C6AM) in Nebraska used barb wire from a fence as a 20m antenna and reached Dominica on 20m SSB.
• KI5PLO built a tape-measure Yagi and worked astronaut Kjell Lindgren (KO5MOS) on the ISS, receiving autographed photos and a thank-you letter displayed in his shack.
• James's Texas Go-Kit Challenge-winning station pairs IC-705 + G90 under a purple tent with solar, a DX Commander, and a galvanized EMP trash can, spanning 440 MHz–40m; he spent ~1.5 hours talking to two scout groups but only made 2m contacts due to poor band conditions.

JOTA & Scouting

Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) falls the weekend before Halloween, with K2BSA very active and overarching information on Scouting America's website. Josh's family watched about 45 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey (recommended by his youngest son's teacher), which Josh called a slow-burn but was impressed his 10- and 13-year-olds engaged with.

• Recommended for scouts working on the radio merit badge to log required contact time.
• Josh's oldest son is in middle school and runs a student TV channel.

Go-Bags, Vehicles & MFJ Vertical

Jody runs an MFJ 43-foot vertical with a coil that puts out ~10W on 160m and up to ~100W on 80m before arcing, most effective 40m and up with 60m particularly reliable. He transmits on the MFJ vertical and receives on a mini mag loop because he lives atop an electrical pedestal transformer, using a DX Engineering ground plate and real lightning arrestor.

• Thomas Witherspoon's TR-25 go-bag hides inside a Peanuts-themed pencil case (~$4) to avoid car break-ins; Jonathan uses a fanny pack with his CFT1.
• Caller endorsed the Honda Ridgeline as a go-bag vehicle; another countered with the Ford F-150 Lightning (lockable, weather-sealed frunk with plugs).

Xiegu G90 / 7250 vs Icom 7110

A spirited debate centered on tuner match range, with commenters criticizing the new Xiegu's tuner as 10:1; speakers clarified the built-in tuner is actually a 3:1 match, placing it alongside the Icom 710, Icom 7300, and Yaesu FTDX10. A 10:1 100W internal tuner would balloon size/cost (likely pushing a $1,000 radio to $1,200), while the LDG Z-100 is comparable in board size but rated only 30W continuous, not 100W data.

• Steve (Radioddity reviewer) tested the new Xiegu 7250 tuner on a non-resonant carbon-fiber whip under poor conditions with respectable results; many online critics had not actually watched his video.
• James notes the Icom 7110 has no internal tuner at all, requiring a separate $400–$600 Icon-branded tuner.
• Josh argues the 7110 fills the gap left by discontinued Yaesu rigs (FT-857D, FT-897, FTX-1, 991A) and predicts the Yaesu FT-710 at ~$900 will outsell a $1,250 competitor because most buyers prioritize price over tuner specs.
• Xiegu firmware criticism: the X6200 had a CW keyer bug persisting over a year before a recent fix; Xiegu's manufacturing and software divisions are separate companies, slowing updates, though the G90 firmware gets prioritized due to higher volume.
• The 7110 uses a serial connection (criticized as "jankopotamus"); USB is preferred; neither G90 nor IC-7300 sales figures are public, making competitive claims speculative.
• A 12-year-old viewer, Limits, was congratulated for relicensing; the G90 was recommended as an entry-level option.

tinySA & Cable Questions

For tinySA spectrum-analyzer safety, speakers recommended using a 10W 50 dB attenuator (or 10W 40 dB); pad sets without specified wattage can blow up if they only handle 2W. The procedure is to place the 50 dB pad near the radio, then stack 1/2/3/6/10/20 dB pads on the tinySA side until it shows 10–20 dB of automatic attenuation.

• Greg Whitten asked about repurposing 120-ohm DMX (Rough Rider) cable for receive-only; receivers expect 50 ohms, so it might work but won't see a 50-ohm match.
• A 50W 50 dB attenuator was acceptable but bulky; SMA connectors were preferred.
• Hosts referenced the "mini bow fang" video saga for full tinySA context.
• A participant asked if only "jank stuff" (homemade contraptions) should be posted; host confirmed any radio contraption used on air is welcome.

New Ham Advice — Limits (age 12)

For recently relicensed 12-year-old Limits, Josh recommended the Xiegu G90 as the "Swiss Army knife of radio," emphasizing hands-on learning over remote-station shortcuts. Required accessories include a 12 amp-hour LiFePO4 battery for portable use (or a power supply at home), coax, and an antenna.

• The Yaesu FT-891 is available for $669 but lacks G90 features; used IC-7300s sometimes appear at hamfests for ~$500.
• Remote Ham Radio (confirmed free per Lucas) enforces a Discord minimum age, so Limits can't join yet; Contest Daddy (Connor) runs the youth program and is reachable on Instagram.
• DMR via QRZ confirmations is cited as a popular non-HF option for long-distance contacts overseas.
• Josh bought an IC-7100 for $850 for his club to give away, noting they're "really expensive" now.
• Jay shared that his father obtained a mast from a Harrow Club member near London originally donated by King Hussein of Jordan, which still sits in Jay's back garden; the host has a QSL card from one of Hussein's contacts framed on the wall.

Hawaii POTA Planning

Airline rules cap lithium batteries at 12 amp-hours for the Hawaii POTA tripper, whose equipment includes an IC-705, an X Commander Expedition battery, a 17-foot whip vertical, and a Chameleon-style vertical with a base coil. KH6WI in chat warned that midday is a poor Hawaii propagation window and recommended the 705 over the G90 for activations because voice memories outweigh the G90's extra ~10 watts (about half an S-unit).

• Recommended HF bands are 15 and 20 meters, with 20m as the practical upper limit; Hawaii is roughly 3 hours off the caller's local time.
• Hawaiian POTA parks are often beaches, limiting parasitic-element space; James plans to activate Wiki Beach, with Mauna Kea visitors center (Moana) on the Big Island recommended (SSB, CW, FT8 activations, picnic tables).
• KH6WI worked "the entire country" of Japan on one activation with pileups making Hawaii-to-Japan easy.
• Strategy: prioritize activating as many parks as possible (Josh attempted 2–3/day) rather than obsessing over directional north/south island side; an azimuthal/great-circle map helps because cardinal directions differ from great-circle bearings.
• Josh brought a 50W QRP kit rather than an FTX radio to Hawaii, noting 50W vs 100W is only about half an S-unit.
• A previous CW contact with Adam in San Diego was made from Mauna Kea; Russ pointed to Oxcom's Diamond Head fishbowl-area station with 100W for POTA.

VK9XY Christmas Island DXpedition

The youth-led VK9XY DXpedition to Christmas Island is 550 days out, organized by HRCC community and Discord members. Youth leaders Max and Connor are advised by W6ZT (Greg Marco) and WZ GJ (Glenn Johnson), described as legendary DXers; Max has prior Bouvet Island experience.

• The website is vk9xy2026.com (referenced elsewhere as 2026vk9xy20226.com).
• Josh plans a future livestream featuring Max and Connor to discuss the expedition.

Balloon Operations & Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

A caller (KI5PLL) from Enid, Oklahoma, plans to attend the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta — the world's largest balloon event with 700+ balloons and altitudes reaching 6,000 ft — to attempt FM 2m contacts from a hot air balloon. Josh warned that balloonists often use cheap Baofengs without frequency discipline, recommending listing about five simplex frequencies and switching on interference.

• Plans include APRS OTA messaging via the FT5D's pre-programmed messages and using the balloon icon on the map.
• First-time balloon riders go through a "balloonist's prayer" — kneeling to drink champagne hands-behind-the-back, then being doused with whatever liquid is available (the speaker has been doused with coolers of milk).
• An Oklahoma balloon fiesta in Arcadia was happening the same weekend, with altitude possibly reaching Enid.

Used Radio Deals & FTM-510 vs ID-5200

Painy Joe in Apple Valley bought an IC-705 for $550 (battery and SO-239 adapter included) from a friend in Cypress, discounted from an $800 asking price; the seller's son used the radio about 10 times and the friend twice. He also heard faint CW from the livestream using the IC-705 with a signal stick despite rooftop solar panel noise.

• The friend is also selling an Icom 7200 ("the big brick") 100W base for $400, framed as a prepper/military-style rig; Painy Joe has set up FT8 and DMR on the IC-705 from his patio.
• The Yaesu FTM-510 differs from the Icom ID-5200 primarily by including a KISS TNC enabling Bluetooth/USB data access on VHF/UHF, plus a bigger screen, priced significantly higher.
• Yaesu System Fusion has more embedded repeaters than D-STAR but generally doesn't expose TNC/packet-level control (FPGA-based) the way Kenwood or the new Icom does.

Jonathan / hamgadgets.com Updates

Jonathan announced three updates: Amic paddles v3 (ring magnets like PTY keys to stop movement on metal surfaces, changes by Dan at Hamfest in about a week), CFT1 half upgrade, and mini mics. KX2 and QMX radios provide electret microphone bias internally, allowing direct point-to-point wiring, while Yaesu's dynamic KN element with 5V bias requires Jonathan's mini mic to include a bias circuit.

• Mini mics now support multiple radios — IC-705 and Yaesu variants are designed, with a "Shu V" cable in testing; expansion will take 1–2 months due to cable lead times.
• Kits are sold via hamgadgets.com, with sales handled by Dan W7RF as a profit-split day job.

Mark Hughes / KD7DTS — Firewatch, El Niño, Grid Mix-Up

Mark Hughes ran the Firewatch net during a Boondock Echo session because the scheduled operator was in Portugal and too far for 440, and served as net control during a La Habra Heights fire that burned a couple of houses, issuing updates every 15 minutes. His group purchased additional radios for El Niño prep, some arriving the day of the call, and a meteorologist will present regional forecasts at La Habra Heights City Hall on October 3rd at 10:00 a.m., recorded on YouTube.

• El Niño prep in La Habra Heights includes sandbag workshops for elderly residents, food-price increase advising, gutter/drain cleaning, and community support; the host warns this El Niño could be the largest ever for the area, with fast-moving water as the biggest fatal risk even for strong swimmers.
• Mark built "AI Slop," connecting an LLM to an SDR for automated radio inspection/sensing/observation/listening/processing.
• During an earlier CW/2m contact, Mark repeatedly asked for a grid square while Josh gave DM13; correct grid is DM03 (near Joshua Tree) and Mark wanted a six-character grid.
• Confusion happened while Josh was operating a SOTA summit using 100W from his condo roof via a soda backpack and fire escape; Mark first tried a 5/8 whip and twin-chung antenna unsuccessfully, then used an FT-857 with a three-element Yagi to complete the contact.
• The CQ Worldwide contest was active during the weekend, making 14.100 MHz busy with RTTY; Kyle AA0 (A0) is very active in RTTY contesting.
• Josh plans a RTTY-only SOTA activation using the KX2's Morse-to-RTTY mode (Morse in, RTTY out, decoded on the KX2's scrolling bottom-right display), with a test planned for the next evening on HF.

Modern Mors Interview — Erin (Aaron)

Erin (Aaron), a small-batch Morse-key maker, openly discussed how a disgruntled customer's Reddit post drew 779 comments and plunged him into a 48-hour mental health crisis when the customer demanded a third option (push to the front of the queue) beyond waiting or full refund, which Erin refused. He framed the impolite fan mail and hung it on the wall of his shack so it appears in every video he posts.

• Erin ordered his own key as pre-order number 275 and is still working through orders from March and April; processing one customer's status update by email takes 8–10 minutes per person.
• Production is done in batches of about 20 per color, so a higher order number (e.g., 1750) can ship before a lower one (e.g., 1700).
• Aaron plans to reduce his website to two color combinations (Henry Ford Model T approach), with creative custom colorways only in person at Dayton, Huntsville, and Pacific Con hamfests.
• New molds can cost up to $30,000; Aaron ordered a smaller injection molding machine at the show and intends to make molds in his own machine shop and learn mold flow analysis.
• Erin signed up with St. Louis–based 22 Strong for 22-day veteran suicide awareness; he has personally lost six veteran friends to suicide, woke at 4 a.m. for an event with ~400 participants, and completed 10 miles / 22,000 steps.
• The day after the event, Erin planned a 32-hour drive to Pacific Beach, Washington, having walked 14.5 miles in a 24-hour show period per his step counter.
• A caller urged Erin to stay off Reddit, calling it a cesspool, and recommended firing difficult customers since a ~$100 profit is not worth the aggravation.
• The host signed off the Discord with "73," saying good night and noting he was off to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey with his kids.

Notable Callers & Milestones

• E-Rock passed the Technician exam ~20 minutes before mentioning it in chat and thanked Josh for the videos.
• A listener "Josh" earned his Technician in April and General in August after being introduced to ham radio by his father via HRCC content.
• Joe Walsh (Eagles) is referenced as a hard-to-find ham who primarily operates AM; Eagles performed at the Sphere in Las Vegas the previous week with ~10 shows remaining before another "retirement."
• Seaglass asked about Leia pursuing her Extra class license, noting she was one of the few women he heard on ham radio.
• 2E0 JML asked when a BKG UK expedition would happen so he could learn CW in time.
• Bill K0WH runs Ham Radio Tectonics; member ~275/276 of BKG.
• RF Nomad is in Oklahoma City and a hot-air-balloon enthusiast whose sick kids kept him home from an event.
• A caller reported working Guam on RTTY on 15 meters, fitting the time of day.
• Ross KC5CNT said he sent direct messages and praised the production.
• The host recommended RF Nomad reach out to Sean for potential collaboration videos and mentioned ballooning friends who already know Sean and his call sign.