My First Ham Radio Contest: ARRL International Digital 2025
It’s official — I’ve entered the world of contesting! This weekend marks my very first time participating in a ham radio contest since I got licensed, and I went all
The Day I Worked 4U1UN – The United Nations on Ham Radio
There are some contacts you never forget—and this is one of them. Today, I made contact with 4U1UN on 6 meters FT8, a rare and iconic DXCC entity operating from
My First POTA Activation: 2 Parks, 49 QSOs
Today, I activated not one, but two Parks on the Air locations here on Long Island: Belmont Lake State Park (US-2013) and Bethpage State Park (US-2014). I ran 20 watts
My First 10,000+ Mile QSO
There’s something surreal about waking up at 5 a.m., tuning your radio, and hearing a station from the other side of the world calling CQ. That’s exactly how my morning
First Night on HF: 29 QSOs on 20 Meters Using FT8
Last night, I finally got on HF for the first time — and I couldn’t have asked for a better debut. I set up my Wolf River Coils antenna for
POTAble Adventures Begins: 40 Parks. One Summer.
One of the best parts of ham radio is getting out of the shack and taking your station into the great outdoors. This summer, I’m challenging myself to do just
I’m Now an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE)!
Another step forward in the ham radio world — I just received my official ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE) credentials in the mail! If you’re new to the hobby, a Volunteer
I Passed My Amateur Extra Exam!
After a five-day study sprint, I’m officially an Amateur Extra! 🎉 I couldn’t wait for the next local test session — so I scheduled an online exam with WM7X, took
Celebrating International Marconi Day: My First Event Station Experience with W2GSB
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to celebrate International Marconi Day by operating as W2GSB, the official event station for the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. It was my first
Unboxing the Xiegu G90: A Compact HF Radio That Won’t Break the Bank
Ever since I upgraded to General, I knew I wanted to get on HF—but I didn’t want to drop a fortune right away. That’s when I came across the Xiegu
How to Study for Your Ham Radio License
Getting your ham radio license might sound intimidating at first, but it’s way more approachable than most people think. I started with zero experience—and now I’ve passed both the Technician
Programming the Baofeng UV-5R with CHIRP: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Programming a Baofeng UV-5R for the first time can feel overwhelming — especially when you’re trying to manually enter frequencies on that tiny keypad. But here’s the good news: CHIRP
General Class License Upgrade on April Fools’ Day – My Next Steps
This morning, I got the email from the FCC — my General Class license upgrade has officially been processed. And yep, it happened on April Fools’ Day! But don’t worry,
From KE2FFT to W2DIY: Changing My Ham Radio Callsign (and Everything That Came With It)
When I first got licensed on February 27, 2025, I was issued the callsign KE2FFT. A few weeks later, I decided to change my ham radio callsign, and that’s when
Handhelds, Mobiles & More: My Beginner Ham Radio Lineup
Everyone starts somewhere — and this is where my ham radio journey began. I’ve picked up a few radios along the way, each one marking a step in the learning
Welcome to W2DIY
Hey there — I’m Daniel, and welcome to W2DIY. I’m a new ham just starting out and learning the ropes of this incredible hobby. I started this blog to document