HIGGINSREPORT

Bitter Cold VHF and UHF: Winter Enhancement, Snow, and When to Strike

Bitter cold does not boost signals by itself, but it helps set up a layer where warmer air sits above colder air near the ground. That layer bends VHF and UHF farther than usual. This post explains which winter patterns signal a likely opening, how […]

2025 Japanese ham radio tariffs: Price Projections & Analysis

2025 Japanese ham radio tariffs – they’re coming! When President Trump announced on July 7, 2025, a 25 percent tariff on Japanese imports—effective August 1—many hobbyists wondered what it would mean for their favorite rigs and accessories apnews.comreuters.com. Japan is home to the major amateur‐radio […]

Kenwood TM-D750A Release Date, Pricing & Feature Comparison Guide

Kenwood TM-D750A Release date could be fast approaching. Kenwood’s upcoming TM-D750A promises to reinvigorate the triband mobile market when it ships in Summer 2025, combining legacy APRS/D-STAR functionality with modern conveniences. Below is the latest information on specs, release timing, pricing expectations, and how the […]

Ham Radio Field Day 2025: Complete Guide to Rules, Scoring & Setup

What Is Field Day?ARRL Field Day is amateur radio’s annual “open house,” combining emergency‐response training, informal contesting, public outreach, and camping into one 24-hour operating marathon. Held every fourth full weekend of June, Field Day challenges radio amateurs to set up stations in “the field” […]

Ham Radio Solar Storm Impact May 2025: HF Blackouts & VHF Propagation Surges

Ham Radio Solar Storm Impact. May 2025: HF Blackouts & VHF Propagation SurgesThe Sun’s recent uptick in activity, marked by a powerful M8.1 flare on May 31, 2025, and ensuing geomagnetic disturbances, has had measurable impacts on ham radio communications. As solar cycle 25 peaked […]

Lead-Free vs. Tin-Lead Solder: How Electronics Solder Has Changed in 30 Years

That’s not your Daddy’s solder! Lead-Free vs. Tin-Lead Solder, over the last three decades, the world of electronics assembly has undergone a quiet revolution: the solder we rely on to join tiny components to printed‐circuit boards has fundamentally changed. If you picked up a spool […]

Yaesu SPA-1 100W Portable Amplifier Preview: Specs, Release Timeline & Pricing

Yaesu SPA-1: A 100 W Linear Amplifier for Your FTX-1F Portable Rig—What We Know So Far Yaesu’s new FTX-1F portable transceiver will deliver up to 10 W on HF and 6 m, perfect for field operations. But what if you need more oomph for serious […]

License to Transmit: A 007 Guide to Earning Your Technician Ham Radio License

Amateur radio unlocks worldwide communication, technical exploration, and vital public‐service roles. In the United States, the FCC regulates amateur licenses under Part 97. The Technician Class license is the fastest way to get on the air—here’s how to earn yours, what you can do with […]

AT&T Email-to-Text Service Shuts Down June 17, 2025: Impact & Top Alternatives

On June 17, 2025, AT&T will pull the plug on its long-standing email-to-text (and text-to-email) gateway—ending nearly two decades of free interoperability between SMS and standard email. Whether you’ve used it to send a quick “on my way” from your laptop, hooked your server-monitoring alerts […]

Top 5 Ham Radio Handhelds for Beginners (2025): Prices, Features & Buy Links

As a newly licensed ham, your first handheld transceiver (HT) sets the tone for years of on-air fun, experimentation, and public-service work. Below are five popular HTs—ranked by price (low → high)—that balance cost with quality, durability, and features you’ll actually use. Here are the […]

Hamvention 2025 New Radio Preview: Yaesu FTX-1F, Kenwood TM-D750A & More

Dayton Hamvention® is the world’s largest gathering of amateur-radio enthusiasts, held May 16–18, 2025 at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Each year manufacturers use Hamvention to unveil—or at least preview—their latest transceivers, accessories, and concepts. Here’s a look at the […]

Yaesu FTX‑1F Preview: Release Date, Specs & Pricing Guide

Any day now! The much anticipated Yaesu FTX‑1F represents the next generation of field‑portable, all‑mode HF/VHF/UHF transceivers from the maker of the legendary FT‑817/818 series. Here’s what we know so far—confirmed specs, release timing, rumored pricing, and informed speculation. Release Timing & Availability Key Specifications […]

How to Get Your GMRS License: FCC Application Guide

How to Get Your GMRS License, obtaining a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license is one of the simplest FCC authorizations—and it unlocks higher‑power, repeater‑capable UHF communications for you and your family versus FRS. Below is a step‑by‑step guide to getting your GMRS license, an […]

Amateur radio LED interference

Amateur radio LED interference, residential LED lighting promises energy savings and long lifespans—but poorly designed or cheaply made fixtures can unleash broadband noise that plagues amateur radio operations. Here’s a look at how LED RFI manifests, which HF/VHF bands suffer most, the FCC’s technical limits […]

Encryption vs. Transparency in Public Safety Radio: A U.S. Legal Perspective

Transparency in public safety communications has long been a cornerstone of democratic accountability. While modern police radio systems increasingly adopt encryption to shield tactical operations, blanket encryption of all local emergency services channels runs counter to both federal regulations’ intent and the public’s right to […]

Create CLP‑5130‑2N: AMSAT – Keep it simple stupid

Want to work Leo satellites with your amateur radio? You might be thinking, that sounds complicated. You might not have the room or the funds for an antenna array. Unless you want to do EME, I believe I’ve found a reasonable compromise between cost/performance with […]

Anytone 878 custom display

Customizing the display on your AnyTone 878 handheld transceiver allows you to personalize your device by changing the boot screen, background image, font colors, and more. Below is a detailed, step-by-step guide to help you through the customization process using the AnyTone CPS (Customer Programming […]

FT8 or not FT8, that is the question

Amateur/ham radio has a rich history of experimentation, innovation, and a passion for exploring new technologies and communication methods. Among the modern advancements that have significantly transformed amateur radio is FT8, a digital communication mode that has rapidly gained popularity worldwide. Developed by Joe Taylor, […]

Introducing the Higginsreport, again

Welcome to the all new, new Higginsreport. Radio communications and other tidbits for the masses. I started this project in response to being banned on Facebook for a time. Now it continues with a recent change with a focus on Amateur radio and other forms […]

Police Scanner a thing of the Past

Looks like you might want to throw out all your paper weights and make room for your radio previously known as a police scanner. Your police scanner is a thing of the past . About all you’ll hear on it these days is snow plow […]

Climate Change: Weather to Hope?

Welcome to another enlightening edition of the Higginsreport, where we fearlessly tackle pressing issues that dominate our world. Today, we delve into the multifaceted topic of climate change, exploring its causes, implications, and the startling revelations that often get lost in the mainstream narrative. Buckle […]

It’s a smokescreen: Canada Farts and the whole world gags

So, you’re in the Midwest, huh? Look out the window lately? Or have you been too busy glued to your phone, oblivious to the foggy spectacle unfolding outside? Well, let me tell you, my friends, things aren’t what they seem. It’s a smoky mess out […]

Ford: No more Am radio