In Remembrance of Mitch Savage, EA7KDO / KJ5NL (SK) With deep respect and heartfelt sadness, we remember Mitch Savage, EA7KDO / KJ5NL, who became a Silent Key on February 6, 2024. Born on August 13, 1949, in Kingston, Oklahoma, Mitch lived a life defined by service, innovation, and an unwavering passion for amateur radio. Mitch served his country as a U.S. Army Warrant Officer 4 from 1967 to 1974, flying Huey helicopters in Vietnam. After his military service, he studied telephone engineering and went on to operate his own commercial long-distance telephone company — a reflection of his lifelong dedication to communications technology. Licensed in 1964 as KJ5NL, Mitch embraced amateur radio early in life. In later years, beginning in 2016, he immersed himself in digital modes including DMR, Fusion, D-Star, P25, NXDN, and WiresX. He was never content to simply operate — he innovated, experimented, and helped others grow. In 2017, Mitch moved to Spain with his beloved wife Yolanda, settling first in Almuñécar and later in Motril. From his “Dungeon” — the ham shack in the basement of his condo — he reached operators across the globe. In 2018, Mitch co-founded the TGIF Network, helping grow it into a major DMR hub with talkgroups such as 31665, 23456, and many others. His influence shaped the infrastructure many of us use today. He also contributed to the development of MNet and continuously experimented with hotspots, Nextion screens, RADXA Zero systems, RS978 SDR, and even balcony antennas. Those who spent time on TGIF remember Mitch not only for his technical expertise but for his generosity. He patiently coached newcomers through SSH prompts to add custom DMR servers to Pi-Star, guided operators in configuring transceiver codeplugs, fine-tuning RX/TX offsets, and solving countless technical challenges. Conversations with Mitch could seamlessly move from digital radio configuration to the finer points of billiards — always delivered with humor and warmth. Mitch was more than a skilled operator. He was a connector of people. He believed amateur radio was about fellowship as much as frequency. He listened. He encouraged. He mentored. He built community. Every QSO that travels across TGIF today carries part of his legacy — through the network structures he helped design and the Nextion screens he crafted and inspired. Mitch is survived by his loving wife Yolanda and his family. Though he is now Silent Key, his signal continues in the friendships he fostered and the network he helped create. Fair winds and following seas, EA7KDO. 73 and Silent Key

What’s new: Live nets can now be joined directly from the calendar using SelfCare. The Net Scheduler is now live for Talkgroup administrators and available through the TG admin panel (far-right icon). Admins can create, edit, and manage scheduled nets using the new interface. This is a testing phase — feedback is appreciated. Please report issues to support@tgif.network .

An issue affecting delivery of some automated emails (including account verification and password resets) has now been resolved. All email services are operating normally. If you attempted to register or reset your password earlier and did not receive an email, please try again. For assistance, contact support@tgif.network . Thank you for your patience. — TGIF Network Operations

We are currently experiencing an issue with the automated registration system on the TGIF Network. As a result, automated registration emails may not be sent or may not complete as expected. Our team is actively investigating the issue and working to resolve it as quickly as possible. Existing users and network services are not affected. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience. Further updates will be provided once the issue has been resolved. — TGIF Network Team

Hi everyone,

We’re excited to introduce the latest Beta Custom Scan tool, now live on the TGIF Network. This new feature brings commercial DMR–style scanning to your hotspot, intelligently following activity across multiple talkgroups while prioritising clear, uninterrupted audio.

Where to find it:
Look under your TGIF Dashboard, beneath your callsign.

Key features:

• Scan up to 10 talkgroups
• Priority-based scanning (Priority 1 = highest)
• Configurable dwell time for stable audio
• Manual HOLD with lock indicator

Important:
Your radio must support Open RX / Promiscuous / Digital Monitor for audio to be heard. Contacts are display-only and do not enable reception by themselves.

Custom Scan is designed for stability, clarity, and correct radio behaviour, rather than rapid talkgroup hopping.

— TGIF Network Admin Team
January 2026

Earlier today, the TGIF Network experienced an unexpected outage. A 6-monthly cron job accidentally changed a critical database permission, which caused the server to go offline for around one hour.

Once the fault was identified, the TGIF Admin Team corrected the issue and restored full service. All systems are now operating normally, and the underlying problem has been permanently resolved.

We apologise for the downtime and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

Thank you for your continued support of the TGIF Network.

2025-11-22 (Florida, USA)

Hi everyone,

Our hosting provider will be migrating servers in Chicago to a new CoreSite facility starting at 12:01 AM CST on Tuesday, November 11. This move is completely outside of TGIF’s control, and during the transition, some TGIF services may go offline for several hours on one morning this week — most likely November 12 or 13.

Please note:

• The downtime is temporary and part of a large-scale hardware upgrade by the data center
• All services should return to normal once the migration is complete
• There is no need to open support tickets — our team is already monitoring the situation

Once completed, TGIF will be running on new, faster, and more reliable infrastructure.

— TGIF Network Admin Team
November 11, 2025 – 12:37 PM CST (Chicago)

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who kindly donated to keep the TGIF Network service running. Thanks to your incredible generosity, our server costs are now covered for the next 12 months or so.

Your support ensures that the TGIF Network continues to grow strong, stay reliable, and serve the community worldwide. We are truly grateful for each and every contribution that made this possible.

With funding secured, we can now focus on improving and expanding the network’s features for all of you. If you still wish to support the network further, donations remain available via the Network Dashboard.

2025-09-16

We’ve recently expanded and now run three servers across different providers to keep the TGIF Network growing strong.

To help cover these costs, we’ve set up a new PayPal donation system. If you’d like to support the network, we’d be grateful for any donation — every contribution helps keep the servers online and the community running.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in the past with recurring payments. The donation link will be available on the Network Dashboard in several places until we reach a stable funding level.

Rob will also talk more about this on Friday night’s Net.

Your generosity goes directly toward funding our servers, and it makes a real difference. Thank you for supporting TGIF.

2025-09-07 11:30 CDT (UTC-5)

We’re excited to announce the release of the new and improved My DMR Contacts page.

Features include:

• Live updates showing contacts keying up in real time
• Self-Care integration — click a talkgroup to apply it instantly
• Track up to 10 contacts in a clean, mobile-friendly layout
• Status badge showing how many contacts are added

You can find My Contacts under your account.

July 27, 2025 @ 10:00 AM

Our email system is now back online.

December 1, 2024 @ 6:30 AM

We are working to fix our email system. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

November 26, 2024 @ 7:30 PM

A server reboot was issued for updates. New registrations and the approval system have been fixed.

July 22, 2024 @ 3:30 PM

It is with great sadness that we report that our good friend Mitch (EA7KDO) became a silent key on February 6, 2024.

For those fortunate enough to have known Mitch, his profound impact and unwavering friendship are undeniable. The memory of Mitch Savage will endure indefinitely, his legacy forever etched in our hearts.

As the founder of the TGIF Network, Mitch leaves behind a remarkable contribution to amateur radio and beyond.

This Friday’s TGIF Net will be dedicated to Mitch, providing a space for us to gather, reminisce, and honour his life and achievements.

Rest in peace, Mitch.

Our heartfelt condolences extend to Mitch’s wife and family during this difficult time.

February 6, 2024

The issues in Chicago are due to components in our routers overheating following a major datacenter outage involving their cooling system.

As a result, we are currently unable to stop packet loss. We are actively monitoring the situation and awaiting updates from the facility regarding a permanent fix.

January 14, 2024 @ 11:48 AM PT