At Ham Shack Reviews, we help amateur radio operators, from beginners to seasoned hams, choose the right gear, master key techniques, and grow in the hobby. Whether you’re building your first station or refining an advanced setup, we provide in-depth reviews, how-to guides, tutorials, and insights to make your shack better.

Join thousands of hams who rely on our hands-on testing, real-world comparisons, and practical advice to get more from their radios, antennas, accessories, and more. Let us walk you through selecting gear, optimizing operation, and pushing the limits of what your station can do.

What You’ll Find Here

• Equipment Reviews & Comparisons: We test transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more, so you can see strengths, tradeoffs, and value.
• How-To & Technical Guides: From programming with CHIRP, to understanding Ohm’s Law, to predicting propagation, we break down complex ideas into actionable steps.
• Station Build & Optimization Tips: Learn how to tune your antennas, minimize noise, design your layout, and upgrade your performance.
• Modes, Digital & DX Insights: Discover the latest in digital operation, CW, satellite communication, and long-distance techniques.
• Community & Learning Resources: Connect with Elmers, volunteer for emergency comms, or submit content as a contributor.

Getting Started

1. Browse Recent Articles: Ham Shack Reviews shares posts on gear, tutorials, or propagation tips.
2. Explore by Category: Use the menu (Transceivers, Antennas, Software, etc.) to narrow down your interest.
3. Join the Conversation: We are always looking for new authors to review gear and share their experience. Just email us at W2KU@ARRL.net.
4. Support the Site: Some links are affiliate links; purchases through them fund more testing and content (at no extra cost to you). You can also donate by using by using the convenient button at the bottom of articles.

We believe ham radio is not just a hobby, it’s a path to learning, community, experimentation, and service. We want you to enjoy every contact, build confidence, and take your station to its full potential.

Off Air Interests

Building Antennas: We use antennas to transmit and receive the radio signals, understanding and building them can be rewarding and loads of fun.

Electronics: Learning to repair or build components, radios, or amplifiers is a specialty that requires several years of learning, however, it is very rewarding to finish a build. You can even earn a few dollars repairing radios for other hams.

Repeaters: Repeaters are used to receive and retransmit a signal at greater distances, these are used in VHF/UHF. You can also find them on the high end of 10 meters. A licensed amateur operator can own and install a repeater, and many have more then one.

Emergency Management: There is a large groups of amateurs that train, and volunteer themselves, and their gear to help the community when a disaster arises. We also assist in events when needed for security, parking, or fund raising events.

These are just some of the things that you can do in amateur radio.