Amateur Radio, GMRS & Meshtastic Links
Curated links for licensing, band plans, shortwave listening, online SDR tuners, mobile apps, mesh networking, emergency comms, cases, go-boxes, brands, and dealers — organized by category.
Educational reference only — verify frequencies, licensing, and regulations with the FCC and local coordinators before transmitting. East Tennessee local frequencies →
Licensing & Study
Ham Radio Prep (affiliate link)
Guided Technician, General, and Extra courses with practice tests — use code RADIOCOMMS for 10% off.
hamradioprep.com →Ham Radio Operating & Reference
Unified Radios Directory
FM and DMR repeater directory with map view — filter by band, mode, and DMR network.
directory.unifiedradios.com →HeyWhatsThat Path Profiler
Terrain-based VHF/UHF line-of-sight between two GPS points — enter coordinates or pick on the map, see path profile, obstructions, and Fresnel clearance.
heywhatsthat.com →RadioReference.com
Frequency database for public safety, aviation, and scanners.
radioreference.com →POTA, SOTA & Portable Operating
POTA — Parks on the Air
Official POTA program — activate parks, chase activators, log contacts.
parksontheair.com →Band Plans & Frequency Charts
IARU Region 2 Band Plan
International band plan for the Americas — HF through microwave.
iaru-r2.org →FCC Frequency Allocations Chart
Official US spectrum allocation table across all radio services.
fcc.gov →EiBi HF Frequency List
Database of shortwave broadcast, utility, and military frequencies.
eibispace.de →GMRS Channel Chart (myGMRS)
All 30 GMRS channels, repeater offsets, and common tone usage.
mygmrs.com →RadioReference Database
Public safety, aviation, marine, and business frequency lookups.
radioreference.com →Shortwave Listening (SWL)
KI4TQN HF & Shortwave Guide
75 curated SW broadcast targets plus HF nets from the Tri-Cities — English, Spanish, French, German.
→short-wave.info
HF broadcast schedules searchable by frequency, time, and language.
short-wave.info →Prime Time Shortwave
Curated schedules for English-language shortwave broadcasts.
primetimeshortwave.com →National Radio Club
Premier US organization for AM and shortwave broadcast listening.
nationalradioclub.org →Utility Monitoring Wiki
Reference for HF utility stations — aviation, maritime, military, and more.
umbernite.com →Universal Radio (Shortwave)
Dealer for shortwave receivers, antennas, and listening accessories.
universal-radio.com →GMRS Operating & Reference
Meshtastic & LoRa Mesh
Meshtastic Web Flasher
Browser-based firmware flasher for Heltec, T-Beam, and other nodes.
flasher.meshtastic.org →Meshtastic Discord
Active community for troubleshooting, projects, and mesh networking.
meshtastic.org →Software & Programming
CHIRP
Free open-source radio programming for Baofeng, Wouxun, and dozens more.
chirp.danplanet.com →CHIRP Beginner's Guide
Step-by-step CHIRP wiki for first-time radio programming.
chirp.danplanet.com →Digital Modes, DMR & Hotspots
BrandMeister
Largest DMR network — talkgroups, hotspots, and repeater linking.
brandmeister.network →WPSD (W0CHP Pi-Star Dashboard)
Modern Pi-Star dashboard and hotspot management interface.
w0chp.radio →Mobile Apps (Android & iPhone)
RepeaterBook App
Offline GPS repeater lookup for ham and GMRS — works without cell data once downloaded. Android & iOS.
repeaterbook.com →HamStudy Mobile
License practice exams on your phone — Technician through Amateur Extra.
play.google.com →EchoLink
Connect to ham repeaters and conference nodes over the internet. Android & iOS.
echolink.org →BrandMeister Hoseline
Stream and monitor live DMR talkgroups from your phone — companion to the web Hoseline.
play.google.com →DroidStar
DMR, D-STAR, YSF, and AllStar client — AMBE USB dongle or MMDVM hotspot required.
play.google.com →VoxDMR
Android DMR client that talks to servers directly — no AMBE dongle or hotspot required.
play.google.com →ODmaster (TidRadio)
Bluetooth radio programming from your phone for TidRadio/Baofeng models — requires a BT programmer.
play.google.com →APRSdroid
APRS position reporting and messaging from Android — pairs with radio or internet gateway.
aprsdroid.org →Meshtastic
Official mesh texting app for LoRa nodes — Android & iOS setup guides and store links.
meshtastic.org →Rattlegram
Acoustic SSTV and digital modes through the phone speaker and mic — handy for experiments.
play.google.com →Zello
Push-to-talk over cellular or Wi-Fi — team or family bridge when radios are not available. Android & iOS.
zello.com →ATAK-CIV
Team situational awareness mapping — civilian version for SAR, emcomm, and field coordination.
tak.gov →Scanner Radio
Listen to live police, fire, EMS, and aviation scanner feeds by location.
play.google.com →Look4Sat
Satellite pass predictions for amateur radio, NOAA, and weather satellites.
play.google.com →Heavens-Above
ISS passes, bright satellites, and night-sky tracking for portable ops planning.
play.google.com →ISS Detector
ISS and satellite visibility alerts with pass details and weather checks.
play.google.com →Online Tuners & Web Monitoring
BrandMeister Hoseline
Stream live DMR traffic — monitor nets and emergency talkgroups online.
hose.brandmeister.network →RadioReference Live Audio
Community-submitted live scanner and radio audio feeds.
radioreference.com →Meshtastic Map
Live map of Meshtastic nodes reporting position and telemetry.
meshtastic.liamcottle.net →Emergency Communications
FEMA Independent Study
Free ICS/NIMS courses — essential for emergency communicators.
training.fema.gov →Starlink (affiliate link)
Satellite internet for off-grid and disaster-affected areas — backup when local infrastructure fails.
starlink.com →Garmin inReach
Satellite SOS and two-way messaging when cell and radio coverage are unavailable.
garmin.com →Zello
Push-to-talk over cellular or Wi-Fi — bridge until ham, GMRS, or mesh is available.
zello.com →ICS Forms (FEMA)
Standard Incident Command System forms used in emergency operations.
training.fema.gov →Iridium Satellite
Global satellite phone and data for remote and disaster deployments.
iridium.com →Communities & Forums
Dealers & Retailers
BTECH / Baofeng Tech (affiliate link)
UV-5R, GMRS-V1, and other BTECH radios — official US distributor.
baofengtech.com →Retevis (affiliate link)
Budget-friendly GMRS and ham radios — RB48, RT series, and more.
retevis.com →TidRadio (affiliate link)
Programmable GMRS and ham radios with custom firmware options.
tidradio.com →BridgeCom Systems (affiliate link)
Repeaters, mobiles, and commercial-grade radio gear.
bridgecomsystems.com →Alpha Antenna (affiliate link)
Portable HF/VHF antennas — dipoles, verticals, and field kits.
alphaantenna.com →Amazon gear picks (KI4TQN)
Curated ham, GMRS, emcomm, and field-power products with our Associates tag.
→Amazon — Baofeng UV-5R (affiliate link)
Most common first ham handheld — pair with CHIRP cable and NA-771 antenna.
amazon.com →Amazon — Midland GXT1000 GMRS (affiliate link)
Family GMRS pair for property and repeater use.
amazon.com →Amazon — Bioenno 9Ah LiFePO₄ (affiliate link)
Field emcomm battery — size your system in the power hub.
amazon.com →Ham Radio Brands
Baofeng / BTECH (affiliate link)
UV-5R, UV-17, and other budget dual-band handhelds.
baofengtech.com →BTECH (Baofeng Tech) (affiliate link)
UV-5X3 tri-band, GMRS-V1, and official BTECH models.
baofengtech.com →GMRS Radio Brands
Meshtastic & LoRa Hardware
Antennas & Accessories
Alpha Antenna (affiliate link)
Portable HF/VHF antennas — dipoles, verticals, and emcomm field kits.
alphaantenna.com →Powerwerx — Anderson Powerpoles
Standardized DC power connectors used across ham radio.
powerwerx.com →Cases, Go-Boxes & Field Storage
Seahorse Protective Cases
Affordable waterproof cases — popular for portable ham and GMRS kits.
seahorseprotectivecases.com →Apache Cases (Harbor Freight)
Budget Pelican-style cases in multiple sizes for emcomm go-box builds.
harborfreight.com →Zarges Aluminum Cases
Lightweight aluminum transit cases for field radio and mesh node setups.
zarges.com →Case Club (Custom Foam)
Pre-cut foam inserts for Pelican and Apache cases — radio-specific layouts.
caseclub.com →Maker Pipe
Modular aluminum framing for building custom go-box enclosures and racks.
makerpipe.com →Ammo Can Go-Box Guide (KB9VBR)
Step-by-step DIY emcomm go-box build using a surplus .50-cal ammo can.
jpole-antenna.com →Weather & Safety
NWS Morristown (East TN)
Local NWS office covering East Tennessee and southwest Virginia.
weather.gov →