Yesterday was one of those rare days where I had no pressing reason to leave the house—other than the temptation of a POTA activation. These days are a rarity, and honestly, staying home often wins out. As much as I love POTA, it’s also nice to settle in and simply enjoy being at home.
Yesterday afternoon, I deployed an EFHW antenna outside and tinkered with digital modes I hadn’t used in a while—mainly FT8, FT4, and PSK31. I connected my IC-705 to my MacBook Pro over WiFi using the excellent SDR-Control app.
When the cold started to bite (14°F/-10°C with a brisk breeze), I retreated indoors to my warm shack. With a mug of hot chocolate in hand, I performed a small ritual I repeat every few months as part of my field radio workflow:
Re-reading the manual
That’s right!
I typically have a particular radio I want to revisit. Yesterday, I focused on the KH1 and the MTR-3B, as well as the new Currahee (see above).
Recently, while using the KH1 in the field, I couldn’t recall how to move between CW message memory banks (M1, M2, M3 and M4, M5, M6). Even though I know this radio well—since I’m in the testing group, it’s one I’ve explored extensively—I had a mental blank. So, I grabbed the manual, found the answer, and practiced the process until it felt second nature again.
After that, I skimmed the manual cover to cover. I didn’t read every single word but focused on pages that covered features I rarely use during POTA or SOTA activations.
Every time I do this, I learn something new.
I decided to make a short video about this habit of mine and why I think others should give it a try (see below). I get so many questions from readers about how to operate their radios—often their only radio—and it’s clear that many haven’t opened the manual since unboxing their rig. Instead, they rely on Google or YouTube for answers.
When someone asks me how to perform a specific function, I don’t want to sound grumpy by saying, “Read the manual!” Instead, I point them to the exact page they need and encourage them to read the entire manual. It doesn’t take that long and there’s a reward in the end.
Here’s the thing: when you invest in a high-quality transceiver, you owe it to yourself to fully explore its functions and features. Why not maximize your “return on investment” by understanding everything your radio is capable of?
Reading the manual isn’t just about solving immediate problems—it’s about discovering hidden gems that could enhance your experience on the air.
On the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast, we’ve talked about this very topic, and it turns out I’m not the only one who re-reads manuals regularly.
So, do you ever revisit your radio manuals? Have you found this practice helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts—please share in the comments!
Video
Here’s the video I posted on YouTube:
Excellent point! I often reread the manuals for all my radios. A practice I found helpful for understanding everything is to create a shortened version of the manual in my own words. You could do a “cheat sheet” or distill the information into a shorter version focusing on the features of the radio you use most often (or least often since you may not remember those features as easily). I typically will create one of these and keep it in my bag with the radio I am using at the time. You can add in local repeater information, radio protocols, etc. By recreating the manual in your own words, it helps to lock it into memory. Thanks!
I keep the PDF copies of all my radios’ manuals in my Google Drive and then set them to “Make available offline” so I can refer to them in the field when necessary. This is particularly useful for my HTs, which I can never remember how to program in the field.
Thank you, Thomas, for this post.
When I purchased my KX2, I also purchased a copy of Fred Cady’s book as it was recommended to me. I know I at least got through Chapter 2 because I’ve circled certain items in that chapter. However, I am not sure I progressed much further as it was an overwhelming read for this newbie.
However, having used the rig as much as I have by now, it is time to dive in! I have the book sitting on my desk next to my laptop and will slowly digest it over the next week.
I also thank Bryce and Jared for their tips.
72,
The POTA Babe
Teri KO4WFP
Great advice! There have been several times where I’ve forgotten how to do something on a particular rig. A periodic refresh of the manual is a great idea.
I am also someone who will reread manuals fairly regularly. At times I’m delighted to remember some of the abilities my equipment has!
I got into this habit as a professional software developer. I made it a habit to at least review the entry-level documentation for whatever systems I was using or programming for, since that is where the entire philosophy behind the system is explained, and it changes more than you would expect. But that’s software, which changes when the wind blows. Radios tend (I know, updates come out all the time) to stay more stable than software developer tools.
I’m an odd duck who will read manuals recreationally, even for radios I do not own. The advent of PDF manuals has been a joy for me. My first step in any equipment acquisition mission is to find the PDF of the manual and read it. Sometimes that’s all I need to know something isn’t for me.
Again, I am an odd duck that likes to read the instructions and always wonder why people are proud not to read them.
Couldn’t agree more Thomas! The last time I was able to do a POTA (before Ohio froze over) I had my KH1 out and remember fumbling with it for a while trying to remember how to do different things.
I at least need to make laminated index cards or something similar. Or maybe just keep a PDF of the manual on my phone.
73 – Mike – KI8R