Amateur Radio News and Notes Podcast

Ed N2EC
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Technology
  • Weekly

News and notes for Amateur Radio Operators and members of the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club compiled by Ed N2EC. mvarc.substack.com

  1. 21h ago

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 10/30/2026

    In the log this week * Contest Spotlight: The Zombie Shuffle 10/30/2026 * Special Event Spotlight: National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week 11/1/2026-11/7/2026 * The YASME Foundation Awards their Excellence Award to the Reverse Beacon Network * United States Clocks “Fall Back” to Standard Time This Weekend * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Contest Spotlight: The Zombie Shuffle 10/30/2026 Today, Friday, October 30, 2026 brings the 29th Annual Zombie Shuffle to the air. The Zombie Shuffle is a QRP Contest focused on CW Operation that begins at 1500 Hours Local Time (wherever you are) and ends at Midnight Local Time. DX, Hawaiian, and Alaskan stations are encouraged to “operate whatever time works for you during the shuffle”. The contest starts early to allow the higher bands to get into the mix and the primary geographic focus is North and South America. Stations can request a Zombie Number at the email listed on their web site and can assume a special Zombie name of their choosing. You’ll hear Zombies calling “CQ BOO” on the air, especially if the bands are “undead”. Bands in play are 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters around the QRP areas of activity at 28.060, 21.060, 14.060, 7.030, 7.040, 7.106, and 3.560 MHz. Use of sked pages and self spotting on QRP spotting sites is allowed. The mode is CW only and the power level is 5 Watts or less. The exchange is Honest RST, State/Province/Country, Zombie Number, and Zombie Name. So for a station in Virginia with a Zombie number of 6666 and a name of Vlad it would be “549 VA 6666 VLAD”. There are also bonus stations that will send 4321 as their Zombie number. The scoring is a bit wild ... and they have a summary sheet that helps you calculate everything. Essentially you sum up by bands the number of QSOs and multiply it by the sum of Zombie numbers ... then add together all those values and add 666 for a “crummy band bonus”. As you can imagine scores escalate quickly! There is also a “rebirth rule” where you can work a station again after 2 hours on the same band. They also encourage you match callers code speed and encourage a comfortable speed with 13-18 WPM being typical. The point is to have fun. Logs are due by November 15, 2026 via email, and just a summary sheet is sufficient. You can also send along photos if you’d like. Full information can be found at https://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/pg.html. So break out your QRP gear and contact the undead tonight. Good luck. Special Event Spotlight: National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week 11/1/2026-11/7/2026 Image Courtesy Dog Day Amateur Radio Club The Dog Day Amateur Radio Club will be operating as K0DOG from November 1st until November 7 to celebrate National Animal Shelter Appreciation week. Operators will be calling CQ via CW and SSB on the HF bands and seek to recognize the importance and needs of animal shelters. They will be looking for your call and urging you to support your local shelter with whatever support you can provide. On the announcement on QRZ they mention several ways you can get involved and make a difference. QSL Cards are also available via SASE. They mention they will be spotting on DX Summit and DX Heat, so look for them on the bands, and show your support. For more information visit the links below. Good luck. https://www.qrz.com/db/K0DOG https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/national-animal-shelter-appreciation-week-1-7-november-2026-ses-by-k0dog.1007625/ The YASME Foundation Awards their Excellence Award to the Reverse Beacon Network Image Courtesy Yasme Foundation The Yasme Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation supporting scientific and educational projects related to amateur radio, announced the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) as the recipient of their Yasme Excellence Award earlier this month. The Reverse Beacon Network is a global network of software defined radio stations running skimmer software to listen to the amateur bands and report stations heard around the world in near real time. It is an amazing resource that allows users to test the reach of their signals and to better understand propagation conditions and the performance of their equipment. The network is run by a team of volunteers and typically has 250 active nodes that monitor the bands and report on signal frequency, signal to noise ratios, and the speed at which the CW signals are sent. This data is also used by other tools like spotting networks for Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air among others. Congratulations to the RBN team for this well deserved reward and thank you to all the volunteers who make this fantastic resource available to the world. United States Clocks “Fall Back” to Standard Time This Weekend This weekend the clocks in the areas of United States that observe Daylight Saving Time will be falling back by an hour on Sunday morning at 2:00 AM. This has the impact of adding an hour to the offset with Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) which does not change. For the Eastern Time zone the UTC offset will go from UTC-4 to UTC-5 which gives one less hour to get in an activation before the start of the next Zulu day for Parks on the Air activators. The United States will remain in Standard Time until March 14, 2027 when it will “Spring Forward” and return to Daylight Saving Time once again. Don’t forget to set your clocks back, enjoy an extra hour of sleep, and check the batteries in your smoke detectors while you’re at it. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Gambia (C5R), Solomon Island (H44MS), Lesotho (7P8EA), Eswatini (3DA0GY), Sao Tome and Principe (S9R), Ogasawara (JD1BQP, 7M1KJW/JD1), Tanzania (5H3MB), Rodrigues Island (3B9/M0CFW), North Cook Islands (E51MWA), Mali (TZ4AM), Nepal (9N7XT), Senegal (6W/I2YSB, 6W/IK2HKT), Barbados (8P/PZ5TW), British Virgin Islands (VP2VP Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47JA), Vanuatu (YJ0SP), Antigua (V26JJ), American Samoa (KH8A), Rwanda (9X5KM), Grenada (J3/N9GB), Wallis and Futuna (FW3GT), Kenya (5Z4GO/p), Juan Fernandez Island (XR0Z), Montserrat (VP2MCV), and Cape Verde Island (D44PX). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 89 and the estimated sunspot number was 22 with 2 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at very low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 420 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be low today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to active levels today, at unsettled to minor storm levels Saturday, and at quiet to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are unlikely with a predicted probability of 1% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the Zombie Shuffle we spotlighted earlier. Also on the air will be the ARRL EME Contest, the UK/EI DX Contest on SSB, the Russian WW MultiMode Contest, the North American SSB Sprint Contest, the Silent Key Memorial Contest, the EANET Sprint, the Classic Exchange on CW, the High Speed Club CW Contest, and the Real Time Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Ciprian YO6DXE uses his VLF receiver to listen to the transmission by SAQ Grimeton on 17.2 kHz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNdvQkNq6Ao Peter VK3YE builds and tests the $50 Pebble HF 7 MHz transceiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYxDJAqnwrI Ciprian YO6DXE builds a simple dipole for the 70 cm band to receive slow scan television images from the ISS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIB4uZHUqqY Tim K5OHY shows how you can use a web site to model antennas with no software required - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQCnG8Bo0k Mike K8MRD shows 10 of his favorite 3D prints for amateur radio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNuDQ8-aY8g Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk with Forrest KI7QCF about the Brass Knuckle Gang, QRQ Crew, and CW on the latest Sofas on the Air - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP08SRKkgUg Gabe KL1FI reviews the soon to be released Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSx6ZP_DdGY Craig KM6LYW shows the new XARA Modem software i

  2. Oct 23

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 10/23/2026

    In the log this week * Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide DX SSB * eBay Restricts Sales of Radio Transmitters with Exemptions for Some Amateur Radio Gear * HOA Lobbying Groups Seek to Block Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act * Russia Constructing New Over The Horizon Radar * MVARC Presentation Saturday: Understanding Ionospheric Propagation and Forecasts * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide DX SSB This weekend brings one of the most popular contests of the entire year: CQ World Wide SSB. The contest usually has over 35,000 contestants that get on the air the last full weekend of October for SSB and November for CW. The event starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, October 24 (so 8 PM Eastern Time on Friday) and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday (or 7:59 PM Eastern Time on Sunday). The goal is to make as many contacts with different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible. The opportunities for working DX in this contest cannot be overstated. In contests like this, some folks have managed to get a DXCC in a single weekend. Even working more casually, getting 50 or more countries isn’t unlikely. Even if you’re not planning on submitting a contest entry, working the stations is a great way to get some incredible DX in your log, and the QSOs count for them too, even if you don’t submit a log. Of course, submitting one is encouraged and helps their software do proper log checking, so if you can, join in the fun. There are operators around the globe with powerful stations waiting for your call. The contest is limited to the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands and the exchange is a signal report along with your CQ zone. For East Coast folks that would be “59 05” -- so quite a simple exchange and no serial numbers to worry about. QSO points are 3 points for contacts on different continents, 2 points for North American contacts in different countries, 1 point for contacts on the same continent but different countries (outside North America), and 0 points for contacts in the same countries (but you do get CQ Zone and Country multipliers for those QSOs). The score is the total number of QSO Points multiplied by the sum of zone and country multipliers. There are several categories you can enter at various power levels. For Single Operators there is the classic Single Operator category where no spotting assistance is permitted and the Single Operator Assisted category where you can use QSO spotting networks. Power levels are High Power (over 100 Watts), Low Power (Over 5 Watts up to 100 Watts), and QRP (5 Watts or less). Entries may also be Single Band or All-Band. In addition to the main categories there are overlays like “Classic Operator” which specifies no spotting assistance and operating for up to 24 of the 48 hours, Rookie for ops licensed within the last 3 years, and Youth where the op is 25 years of age or under. For Multi-Operator categories (All-Band Only) there is Multi-Single where only one transmitted signal on one band is permitted during any 10 minute period with power levels either High or Low. Multi-two has a maximum of 2 signals on 2 different bands. Multi-Multi allows all 6 bands to be activated simultaneously with one signal per band at any time. And Multi-Distributed has a maximum of 6 transmitted signals with one per band at a given time from stations in different locations (but the same DXCC entity and CQ Zone). There is also a club competition where you can add a club you’re a member of and within a 250 mile radius circle from the center of the club area for additional awards. Participants get certificates automatically from the site and plaques will be awarded for top performance in categories. Logs must be submitted in Cabrillo format within 48 hoursof the end of the contest (2359 UTC October 27, 2026). Full rules can be found at https://cqww.com/rules.htm. This is always an exciting contest, and I encourage you to get on the air and work the world this weekend. Good luck! eBay Restricts Sales of Radio Transmitters with Exemptions for Some Amateur Radio Gear Popular online marketplace eBay announced the imposition of new requirements to list FCC IDs for any devices that transmit radio signals. This includes things like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, routers, and two way radios. The change in listing requirements is due to newly implemented FCC Rules that seek to “protect Americans against insecure gear”. Most transmitting gear sold in the U.S. is required to have an FCC ID, however, since Amateur Radio gear is able to be made without an FCC ID, this could be a problem for online sales. Fortunately, when the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) reached out to eBay, they replied “eBay allows the sale of devices capable of operating only on frequencies that the FCC has allocated for use by Amateur Radio Service licensees. As these devices do not require FCC equipment authorization, FCC IDs will not be required for these listings as an amateur licensee may use his or her license to operate such radios.” They continue to say that if gear is able to transmit outside of the amateur bands an FCC ID will be required. In the event a listing is removed for lacking an FCC ID erroneously, eBay states “the affected seller should inform eBay and we will assess whether to remove restrictions from the listing.” For more information about the policy and rules visit: https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/resources/fcc-id https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-rules-strengthen-rules-governing-dangerous-gear-0 https://www.arrl.org/news/ebay-restricts-listings-of-radio-equipment-but-exempts-ham-band-only-gear HOA Lobbying Groups Seek to Block Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act Image Courtesy https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/the-capitol As covered in past editions of Amateur Radio News and Notes, there has been significant lobbying for the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, which seeks to limit the ability of Homeowners Associations and other entities from unduly restricting amateurs from installing antennas. Support for the bill has been growing and a significant campaign has been underway to move bills H.R. 1094 and S.459 toward passage. On September 24th, the Community Associations Institute, an HOA advocacy group, announced their plans to lobby against the bill along with several other pieces of legislation. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) encourages all amateurs to contact their representatives to voice their support for the bill. To that end, the site https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ makes it easy to have letters sent on your behalf in just a few clicks. For more information visit: https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/944030308/community-association-advocates-bring-the-voice-of-78-million-americans-to-congress Russia Constructing New Over The Horizon Radar Image Courtesy Ingmar Runge, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Stars and Stripes reports that Russia has been building another massive over the horizon radar facility in Kaliningrad which borders Poland and Lithuania. The radar facility is reminiscent of the Duga radars (pictured above) that were notorious for their interference on the HF bands in the 70s and 80s and known as the “Russian Woodpecker”. These new radars are more than 1,600 feet in length and are believed to be built to detect aircraft and missiles up to 1,900 miles away. Stars and Strips reports it is not clear whether they are yet operational, but we can only hope that this new facility will not cause widespread interference to the amateur bands. For more information visit https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2026-10-21/russia-kaliningrad-radar-nato-23216406.html. MVARC Presentation Saturday: Understanding Ionospheric Propagation and Forecasts This Saturday, October 24, at 10:30 AM Eastern Time, the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club will be hosting its monthly meeting and this month’s talk will be on the topic of “Understanding Ionospheric Propagation and Forecasts”, presented by your author, Ed N2EC. One of the most frequent questions I get regarding Amateur Radio News and Notes is how to interpret the forecast information provided in the Solar Activity Update. This talk should provide insight into how propagation works and how to interpret the different measurements and predictions in forecasts. It will cover how the sun interacts with our ionosphere to impact propagation, how that interaction allows signals to travel around the world, and how to know which bands will be most effective. The meeting will be held at the Fairfax County South Building, 8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309, Room 219 at 10:30 AM. We will also be having a hybrid meeting online. If you’re interested in attending send an email to NewsAndNotes@mvarc.org to request connection information. We hope to see you there with good propagation, and good DX. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX As is to be expected on a CQ WW SSB Contest weekend, there will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Solomon Island (H44MS, Lesotho (7P8GE, 7P8EA), Somalia (6O2M), Fiji (3D2HM), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47JA), Eswatini (3DA0GY), Saint Vincent and Grenadines (J88PI), Sao Tome and Principe (S9R), Ogasawara (JD1BQP), Vanuatu (YJ0CA), Samoa (5W0ZP), Tanzania (5H3MB), Rodrigues Island (3B9/M0CFW), North Cook Islands (E51MWA), Micronesia (V63SC), Mali (TZ4AM), Nepal (9N7XT),

  3. Oct 16

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 10/16/2026

    In the log this week * Parks on the Air Support Your Parks Weekend This Weekend * Event Spotlight: DX Marathon Sprint Starts 10/17/2026 * ARRL Online Auction 10/16/2026-10/22/2026 * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Parks on the Air Support Your Parks Weekend This Weekend Image Courtesy Parks on the Air This weekend brings the Autumn edition of Parks on the Air Support Your Parks Weekend. This is always a fun event that starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (8 PM Eastern Time Friday) and continues until 2359 UTC on Sunday, October 18, 2026 (7:59 PM Eastern Time Sunday). The main purpose as stated by POTA is “to get out in the parks, and have as much fun as possible”. The bands are usually filled with activators from around the world, so it is a great time to make easy contacts and get new parks in your log. Special Support Your Parks awards are available for participating for both hunters and activators and issued automatically when activator logs are submitted. To see current spots of activators on the air and for more information visit https://pota.app/. So get on the air and support your parks this weekend. Good luck. Event Spotlight: DX Marathon Sprint Starts 10/17/2026 Image Courtesy https://dxmarathon.com/ This weekend the 2026 DX Marathon Sprint kicks off at 0000 UTC on Saturday, October 17th (8 PM Eastern Time Friday) and continues until 2359 UTC on Monday, October 26 (7:59 PM Eastern Time Monday). The CQ DX Marathon is a year long event that starts on January 1st that goes until December 31st where participants compete to get the most number of DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible. The DX Marathon Sprint is a 10 day event that is also part of the larger marathon that aims to promote DXing activity for existing and new participants in the DX Marathon. Unlike traditional contests, credit is given for all contacts on all bands from 160 meters to 6 meters, including 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters. The DX Marathon Sprint also overlaps with the CQ Worldwide SSB contest next weekend and any contacts made in that contest also count for the Sprint. Operating classes include Unlimited, Limited, Formula, or QRP. Modes can be all modes or a single mode (CW, SSB, or Digital). There are no Single Band entries. There is also an experimental “Classic” class this year for those wishing to limit themselves to SSB and CW. Contacts through repeaters, satellites, aeronautical mobile, and maritime mobile are not permitted. Operations must be from a single location and must be entirely via radio frequencies. Each participant in the CQ DX Marathon Sprint will receive a certificate of merit sent to them electronically. Logs must be sent in no later than November 1, 2026 at 2359 UTC. This promises to be a fun way to get some DX in your log on your own terms. For full rules and details visit https://dxmarathon.com/rules/2026-sprint/. Good luck. ARRL Online Auction 10/16/2026-10/22/2026 Image Courtesy ARRL The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) will be running their 21st annual ARRL Online Auction starting Friday, October 16 at 10 AM Eastern Time. There will be a wide variety of gear from QST review articles, pre-owned equipment, vintage books, all kinds of gear donated from sponsors, and even mystery boxes available for bidding. The proceeds from the auction will benefit ARRL education programs. The event will be hosted at https://arrl.auctionanything.com/ and registration is required. For more information visit https://www.arrl.org/news/preview-the-2026-arrl-online-auction. The auction is a good way to support a good cause and get some good gear as well. Good luck. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Wallis and Futuna (FW1P), Solomon Island (H44MS, H49A), Lesotho (7P8GE), Gambia (C5R), Somalia (6O2M), Iceland (TF/PD9DX), Albania (ZA/AE5X), Montserrat (VP2MAW, VP2MBJ, VP2MBK, VP2MBN, VP2MBL, VP2MAU, VP2MBM), Fiji (3D2HM), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47FWX), American Samoa (KH8/AG4ZP), Eswatini (3DA0GY), Bangladesh (S21HRG), Bermuda (W9HT/VP9), Saint Vincent and Grenadines (J88PI), Sao Tome and Principe (S9R), Ogasawara (JD1BQP), Samoa (5W0ZP), Tanzania (5H3MB), Micronesia (V63SC), and Mali (TZ4AM). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 126 and the estimated sunspot number was 104 with 5 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 563 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be low with a slight chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to unsettled levels today and at quiet levels on Saturday and Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 10% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 25% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 10% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the JARL WW RTTY Contest, the 902 MHz and Up Fall Sprint, the New York QSO Party, the Illinois QSO Party, the Worked all Germany Contest, the Stew Perry Topband Challenge, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Argentina National 7 MHz Contest, the Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint on CW, the UBA ON Contest on 2 meters, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Michael KB9VBR takes a look at the updated Chameleon PRV 2.0 Antenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBizdw8d_dY Walt K4OGO tells us that 10 meters is back and works a bunch of DX from the beach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQlm1D21hm8 Chad N0YK shows us his legal limit 2 meter SSB station with a 55 foot Yagi with 18.5 dBi of gain and 50 kW of ERP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiH0utSxSbc Josh KI6NAZ takes a look at the Shadow Slot VHF/UHF Slot Antenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ4To_y3Ors Steve KM9G looks at a 3D printed case for the Rig Expert Stick analyzers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhk0EZ5yS8 Rick N1RM talks about how to setup an HF station to fit your situation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71lAnl37gCM Walt K4OGO takes a look at the EAntenna EADelta 11 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkfLmKFw0g Dugbo KD7RT participates in the Flight of the Bumblebees and takes us along - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO2_YxAfxLI Ciprian YO6DXE talks about his passion for amateur radio operating and building - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOw1CyztTAk John AE5X shows us his portable QRP Operations from Albania as ZA/AE5X - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BsEEXNTfE8 Kevan G8KBP operates from Menorca to Majorca with his new call sign - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNUz_mVw6cY Kevin W1DED talks to Jeff NA9P about the 10 tools Jeff thinks a beginning DXer needs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAbfKyXNKIc Craig KM6LYW shows us Modem73 for digital communication - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kg7IRlLOzk That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

  4. Oct 9

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 10/9/2026

    In the log this week * AMSAT Space Symposium Live Streaming Friday and Saturday * Contest Spotlight: Scandinavian Activity Contest * WRTC Announces Croatia as 2030 Location * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. AMSAT Space Symposium Live Streaming Friday and Saturday Image Courtesy https://www.amsat.org/ This weekend brings the 44th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting in Jacksonville, Florida. This year, AMSAT is streaming all the presentations on their YouTube Channel, so even if you’re not in Jacksonville this year, you can join in the fun. The presentations start on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 1 PM Eastern Time (1700 UTC) with presentations on the CubeSat Simulator project, teaching technology to middle and high school students, and a celebration of 25 years of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. The presentations continue on Saturday morning at 9 AM Eastern Time (1300 UTC) with presentations on tracking amateur satellites, updates on AMSAT’s operations and initiatives, modernizing AMSAT satellite command and control, SDR-Gen2 Status updates, and an AMSAT engineering update. If you’re interested in satellites in amateur radio, this promises to be a very informative set of talks. For more information visit AMSAT’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@amsatna and their web site at https://www.amsat.org/. Contest Spotlight: Scandinavian Activity Contest Image Courtesy https://www.sactest.net/blog/ This weekend brings this year’s edition of the SSB portion of the Scandinavian Activity Contest. The aim of the contest is to promote amateur radio activity in Scandinavia and communications between the region and the rest of the world. For the purposes of the contest call signs from Svalbard and Bear Island, Jan Mayen, Norway, Finland, Aland Islands, Market Reef, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland are considered to be part of Scandinavia. The fun starts at 1200 UTC (8 AM Eastern Time) on Saturday, October 10, 2026 and continues until 1159 UTC (7:59 AM Eastern Time) Sunday. Bands include 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Entry categories include Single Operator, Multi-Operator Single Transmitter (MULTI-ONE), and Multi-Operator Multi-Transmitter (MULTI-MULTI). For Single Ops there is also a choice of power level of High (1500 Watts or less), Low (100 Watts or less), and QRP (5 Watts or less). Scandinavian Single Ops also may enter as single band and International Single Ops can do a “low band” entry using only 80 and 40 meters. The exchange is signal report plus a serial number starting at 001. Stations may be worked 1 time per band. QSO points for Scandinavian stations are 2 for every European station (outside Scandinavia) and 3 points for Non-European stations. For non-Scandinavian stations European stations get 1 point per Scandinavian QSO and non-European stations get 1 point for Scandinavian QSOs on 20, 15, and 10 meters and 3 points for Scandinavian QSOs on 80 and 40 meters. Multipliers are each DXCC entity for Scandinavian stations and each worked prefix number (0-9) in each Scandinavian DXCC entity. Those without a prefix number count as the 0 call prefix. Multipliers count for each band. Final score is QSO points multiplied by the sum of multipliers worked on all bands. Logs must be submitted in Cabrillo format and they ask you to keep all QSOs including dupes in your logs to facilitate log checking. Electronic submission is required no later than 5 days after the end of the contest. More information about the contest and links to the rules and log submissions can be found at https://www.sactest.net/. This promises to be a fun way to work the Scandinavian countries on the bands. Good luck. WRTC Announces Croatia as 2030 Location Image Courtesy https://www.wrtc2030.hr/ On October 3, 2026 the World Radiosport Team Championship Sanctioning Committee announced that it had accepted the application from the Croatian Amateur Radio Association to host the 2030 edition of WRTC. The event will be held in the Slavonia region of Croatia which is bordered by the Danube, Drava, and Sava rivers. Accordingly, the first qualifying event for WRTC 2030 will be the 2026 9A DX Contest. Congratulations to the Croatian Amateur Radio Association for their selection. For more information visit https://www.wrtc2030.hr/. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Namibia (V51WH), Maldives (8Q7JH), Samoa (5W0AF), Wallis and Futuna (FW1P), Democratic Republic of Congo (9T0MD), Lesotho (7P8LZ, 7P8JL, 7P8TR), Gambia (C5R), Dodecanese (SV5/TF1OL), Solomon Island (H44MS, H49A), Somalia (6O2M), Svalbard (JW5X), Iceland (TF/PD9DX), Albania (ZA/AE5X), Malta (9H/IQ8BBV), Montserrat (VP2MAW, VP2MBJ, VP2MBK, VP2MBN, VP2MBL, VP2MAU, VP2MBM), Fiji (3D2HM), Vanuatu (YJ1JXZ), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47FWX), and Eswatini (3DA0GY). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 119 and the estimated sunspot number was 69 with 3 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at high levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 396 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be moderate with a slight chance of X-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to major storm levels today, at quiet to active levels on Saturday, and at quiet to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 10% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely with a predicted probability of 55% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 10% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the Scandinavian Activity Contest we spotlighted earlier also on the air will be Oceania DX Contest on CW, the Makrothen RTTY Contest, the QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party, the 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Arizona QSO Party, the Pennsylvania QSO Party, the South Dakota QSO Party, the PODXS 070 Club 160 meter Great Pumpkin Sprint, the UBA ON Contest on CW, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content George VK2AOE shows his group's effort for the Oceania DX SSB Contest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R519-GonRHw Ralph WA2PUX explains how a MOSFET works - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvA3OpML9WE Walt K4OGO uses a portable Moxon antenna to get DX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McfJA-62Nfc Josh KI6NAZ sets up an M17 hotspot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyiUrrL7zeE Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about solar storms that are going to make for a stormy weekend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDhIs2WfZKc George VK2AOE explores listening to airband communications with an SDR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfn1txuz1Mc Kevin W1DED talks to the VK9XY team about their upcoming Christmas Island DXpedition - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmBq9D8rKf8 Tim G5TM makes a multi-band vertical antenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36C8HkF6aM Tim K5OHY uses WSPR to compare antenna performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iznGtKa5NX4 Robert W5ITR takes a look at the new JTTY mode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01AktAezqk Jim WT1W shows the tool he developed to do RF exposure calculations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHj7-_bM34U Josh KI6NAZ sings the praises of the iFixit Soldering Station - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqm9LtPDF8A Walt K4OGO does a test run of his DX travel kit from the beach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zlPCTxDbIs Steve KM9G looks at the Boondock Edge for offline transcription of radio signals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZDKUySSCNA That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

  5. Oct 2

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 10/2/2026

    In the log this week * Contest Spotlight: Oceania DX Contest SSB * FCC and HHS Open Comment Periods for RF Exposure * JTTY Mode Added to WSJT-X Release Candidate * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Contest Spotlight: Oceania DX Contest SSB This weekend and next weekend brings the 83rd Oceania DX Contest with SSB this weekend and CW next weekend. The fun on SSB starts on Saturday, October 3 at 0600 UTC (2 AM Eastern Time) and continues until 0600 UTC Sunday (2AM Eastern Time). The stated objective of the contest is for those in Oceania to contact as many stations as possible both inside and outside the Oceania region and for those outside of Oceania to contact as many stations inside of Oceania as possible. Bands in play are 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Entry categories are Single Operator at High Power (1500 Watts and under), Low Power (100 Watts and under), and QRP (5 Watts and under), Multi-Operator Single Transmitter (High Power), Multi-Operator Two Transmitter (High Power), Multi-Operator Multi Transmitter (High Power), Short Wave Listener (SWL), and Check Log. The exchange is RS(T) plus a progressive serial number starting at 001 and incremented by 1 for each contact. Multipliers are the number of different valid prefixes (the first letters and number of a call, e.g. N8, OE2, LY1000) worked, per band. Contact points are 20 points on 160 meters, 10 points on 80 meters, 5 points on 40 meters, 1 point on 20 meters, 2 points on 15 meters, and 3 points on 10 meters. Total score is the sum of contact points multiplied by the sum of multipliers. Logs must be submitted no later than 2359 UTC on Sunday, October 25, 2026. This contest is an exciting way to get lots of Oceania DX in the log. Kevin W1DED had a great interview with Grant VK5GR and Holger ZL3IO at where they discussed the contest as well as some of the strategy to be able to work stations on the other side of the world via long path. For full rules and details visit https://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/. Good luck and good DX. FCC and HHS Open Comment Periods for RF Exposure The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have opened comment periods for RF safety issues. The FCC issued a public notice seeking comments from qualified individuals in reference to a remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2021 about potential health impacts of radio frequency exposure. The HHS issued a Request for Information along with a press release seeking comment on health experiences and clinical observations, exposure standards, risk assessment, and existing scientific evidence. As the ARRL notes, these inquiries do not change the current FCC RF exposure rules that apply to amateurs. However, if rules are found to be insufficient, changes could be forthcoming. For more information visit the links below. https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-and-hhs-initiate-new-proceedings-on-rf-exposure https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-requests-comment-rf-exposure-remand-0 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/21/2026-19252/request-for-information-on-electromagnetic-fields-emfs-radiofrequency-rf-radiation-and-wireless https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-seeks-public-input-electromagnetic-fields-wireless-radiation.html JTTY Mode Added to WSJT-X Release Candidate Image Courtesy WSJT-X GitHub The WSJT-X project announced that the latest release candidate for the popular software known for weak signal modes including FT8 has a brand new mode intended to work similarly to Radioteletype (RTTY) that they are calling JTTY. In the release notes for WSJT-X 3.2.0-rc1 they say that JTTY is meant for keyboard-to-keyboard communication and it improves the weak signal performance of RTTY and a provides a low error rate. It does not require the time synchronization that many of the other WSJT modes require and uses a 4-tone GFSK waveform with 1.888 second frames in 127 Hz of bandwidth. It is still early days for JTTY as it is only in the release candidate and not the main version of the app, but as it moves to general availability it should be widely available to anyone who uses the WSJT-X suite. DXZone has an article that goes into detail on the new mode and how to use it at https://www.dxzone.com/jtty-digital-mode-wsjt-x/. The recommended center of activity from the developers is at 14.090 MHz and is subject to change. More information can be found at the links below. https://www.dxzone.com/jtty-digital-mode-wsjt-x/ https://wsjtx.github.io/wsjtx/Release_Notes.txt MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Namibia (V51WH), Maldives (8Q7JH), Samoa (5W0AF), Naoero (C21DA), Greenland (OX3LX), Ogasawara (JD1BON, JD1BOK, JE1NVD/JD1, JI1CRM/JD1), Wllis and Futuna (FW1P), Cyprus SBA (ZC4OL), Democratic Republic of Congo (9T0MD), Micronesia (V61GSE), Lesotho (7P8LZ, 7P8JL, 7P8TR), Juan Fernandez Island (XR0Z), Gambia (C5R), Solomon Island (H44MS, H49A), Somalia (6O2M), Svalbard (JW5X), Iceland (TF/PD9DX), and Albania (ZA/AE5X). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 92 and the estimated sunspot number was 38 with 2 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at very low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 315 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at very low levels with a slight chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to minor storm levels today, at quiet to active levels on Saturday, and at unsettled levels to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 15% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the Oceania DX Contest on SSB we spotlighted earlier along with the George Batterson 1936 QSO Party, the Collegiate QSO Party, the TRC DX Contest, the German Telegraphy Contest, the IARU Region 1 UHF/Microwaves Contest, the California QSO Party, the International HELL-Contest, the 50 MHz Fall Sprint, the IARU Region 2 Area G HF SSB Contest, the UBA ON Contest on SSB, and the Peanut Power QRP Sprint. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about solar storms, coronal holes, and the week ahead in solar weather - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ACtQ6iGhno Michael N4FFF and Becky N4BKY give an introduction to satellite operation on both FM and linear satellites for CW and SSB - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvne7jfZovw Johnny W5KV takes a look at an inexpensive magnetic loop antenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtjbVnaHHZE Mike K8MRD restores a Yaesu FT-8800 he picked up at a hamfest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiozAjwOL-s Michael KB9VBR reviews the DX Launcher antenna launcher system - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHhpzUl7fU Cleo from Huge If True takes a look at the Sun and how it works from the inside out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNkxTjirY-Q Callum M0MCX shows how he used AI to build amateur radio software - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYaTEF5seKs Tim K5OHY builds a 40 meter loop from his doublet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21W7lu5dmKo Steve KM9G takes a look at what's inside the new Xiegu G7250 -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAaz5RHYPB4 Jim WT1W looks at updates to ChronAlert - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQCLiE0O8Mw Mark KD7DTS and Tim N7KOM activate SOTA with 2 meter CW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVmQvQ4LXDs Mike K8MRD shows his load out for a new radio bag from AliExpress - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-fcpL28FDg Tim K5OHY compares RBN data for a dipole and a 40 meter loop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga-SmFOKoz0 That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

  6. Sep 25

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 9/25/2026

    In the log this week * Xiegu Announces Price of G7250 SDR and Begins Pre-Sales * Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide RTTY Contest * Special Event Spotlight: Masonic Lodges on the Air * ARDC Accepting Volunteer Applications for 2027 * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Xiegu Announces Price of G7250 SDR and Begins Pre-Sales Image Courtesy Radioddity After the initial teaser in July, Radioddity has started pre-sales and announced a price for the Xiegu G7250 SDR. The radio is selling for $999 US with delivery expected in November to December depending on the shipping method chosen. The rig is a 100 Watt Direct Sampling Software Defined Radio with 90 Watts on the 6 meter band. It also has a 7 inch touchscreen and physical buttons on a control head that is split from the main RF unit. It also has a 3:1 internal ATU and inbuilt sound card for digital modes. There have been a handful of reviewers online who have started to receive pre-production versions, so expect more information to be forthcoming. For more information visit https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-g7250. Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide RTTY Contest Image Courtesy https://cqwwrtty.com/ This weekend brings the CQ World Wide RTTY DX Contest, one of the largest RTTY contests of the year. The organizers expect 15,000 participants and over 3,600 log submissions this year. The fun starts on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 0000 UTC (8 PM Eastern Time on Friday Night) and continues until 2359 UTC Sunday (7:59 PM Eastern Time on Sunday Night). The stated objective is to contact as many amateurs in as many CQ zones, countries, and US/Canadian QTHs as possible. There are only 5 bands in the RTTY contest including 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. The contest exchange is an RST plus CQ Zone, so for East Coast stations it would be “599 05” and US and Canadian stations can also send their QTH (e.g. “599 05 VA”). QSO Points are 3 for contacts on different continents, 2 for the same continent but different country, and 1 point for stations in the same country. Multipliers are CQ Zones, Countries, and U.S. States and Provinces. Total Score is QSO Points multiplied by the sum of Zone, Country, and QTH Multipliers. Operating categories include Single Operator and Single Operator Assisted at the High Power (1500 Watts or less), Low Power (100 Watts or Less) and QRP (5 Watts or Less) for all bands or single bands. For Multi-operator categories there are Multi-Single with only one transmitted signal at High or Low Power, Multi-Two with a maximum of two signals at High Power only, Multi-Multi with all 5 bands being able to be activated simultaneously at High Power only, and Multi-distributed for up to 5 transmitted signals one per band from different locations at High Power only. There are also overlays for single ops for Classic operator with no spotting assistance with 24 total hours operated with 60 minute minimum off times, Rookie for ops licensed within the last 3 years, and Youth for ops 25 years age or younger. The full rules can be found at https://cqwwrtty.com/rules.htm. Logs must be submitted within 48 hours of the end of the contest. Full information about the contest can be found at https://cqwwrtty.com/. Good luck. Special Event Spotlight: Masonic Lodges on the Air Image Courtesy https://cqmorelight.com/ This Saturday brings the 5th edition of Masonic Lodges on the Air. Started in 2021, the objective of the event is to contact as many Masonic Lodges as possible during the contest period. The fun starts at 1400 UTC (10 AM Eastern Time) on Saturday and continues until 2200 UTC (6 PM Eastern Time) for a total duration of 8 hours. The entry categories are Single Operator, Multi-Operator Single-Transmitter, and Multi-Operator Multi-Transmitter. In all cases one call sign should be used. The exchange for those operating from a Masonic Lodge is call sign, lodge name, Number, and Jurisdiction (e.g. “K4US Mount Vernon 219 Virginia”). For stations not at a Masonic lodge the exchange would be call sign and state or province (e.g. “N2EC Virginia”). DX stations send DX for the location. QSO Points are 1 for each non-duplicate contact and multipliers are the number of Lodges worked (1 per Lodge, regardless of band). Final score is the QSO Points multiplied by the sum of Multipliers. The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club will be operating once again this year from Mount Vernon Lodge No. 219 as K4US, so look for us on the air. For more information visit https://cqmorelight.com/. Good luck. ARDC Accepting Volunteer Applications for 2027 Image Courtesy ARDC Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a foundation whose mission is to “support, promote, and enhance digital communication and broader communication science and technology, to promote amateur radio, scientific research, experimentation, education, development, open access, and innovation in information and communication technology”. ARDC has significant resources from its endowment generated by the sale of 25% of the 44 net IP address space and uses those funds to provide grants to further its mission. To that end, the ARDC is seeking volunteers to participate in reviewing grant applications, advise on technical matters, communicate with the public, and provide internal oversight. Applications are open from September 15, 2026 until October 30, 2026 and are open to amateur radio licensees or those with technical degrees or experience in digital communication. ARDC has been making a significant impact in advancing and supporting the amateur radio hobby, so consider volunteering with ARDC. For more information visit https://www.ardc.net/volunteer-with-ardc-in-2027/. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Namibia (V51WH), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47YA, V47RCX), Curacao (PJ2/K5SL), Malawi (7Q5C), Reunion (FR/F1TEQ), Cape Verde (D4SAL), Maldives (8Q7JH), Samoa (5W0AF), Bermuda (VP9I), Naoero (C21DA), Greenland (OX3LX), Ogasawara (JD1BON, JD1BOK, JE1NVD/JD1, JI1CRM/JD1), Mariana Islands (KH0/JR1FKR), Kyrgyzstan (EX9A), Mexico (4A5E), Philippines (DV1IIW), Guam (AH2R), Mayotte (FH/F1TEQ), Democratic Republic of Congo (9T0MD), Micronesia (V61GSE), Juan Fernandez Island (XR0Z), and Gambia (C5R). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 112 and the estimated sunspot number was 124 with 8 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to active levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 4 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 437 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a slight chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to active levels today and Saturday and at at quiet to unsettled levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 20% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings both the CQ World Wide RTTY DX Contest and Masonic Lodges on the Air we spotlighted earlier along with the Bill Windle QSO Party, the YU DX Contest, the Maine QSO Party, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party, and the UBA ON Contest on 6 meters. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Steve KM9G tries to hack the new Xiegu G7250 to see what can be accessed within - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbSmkJ_sp7Q Walt K4OGO talks about getting his Australian license VK4OGO and compares the licensing process - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKfrTyTBPR4 Rob N1NUG participates in the statewide activation of Rhode Island for Parks on the Air - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Empb0Z17T-c Peter VK3YE builds a Vanyusha regenerative receiver on a soup can - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI7dvHxw2cE Vince VE6LK does a 2 meter CW contact across the Canada/US border to join the Brass Knuckle Gang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDDPQb5FmkM Callum M0MCX shows his new Radio Commander electronic glass cockpit for radios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ebm7Z3Qqxs James M0GQC does a SOTA activation with a kite raised antenna in Wales - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvlCSUjvyw Ciprian

  7. Sep 18

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 9/18/2026

    In the log this week * Dayton Hamvention Announces First Woman Chair * The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passes US House of Representatives * Contest University Celebrates 100 Years of Yagi-Uda Antennas * First Class Operators Club (FOC) Awards the WRTC Organizing Committee its G3FXB Memorial Award * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Dayton Hamvention Announces First Woman Chair Image Courtesy https://hamvention.org/ Dayton Hamvention, sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association announced that Hazel Everetts N8PTL is the new General Chair for Dayton Hamvention as it celebrates its 75th year in 2027. Hazel is the first woman to chair Dayton Hamvention, the largest hamfest in the world. She has been active in the event for many years and was the Assistant General Chair for the last two years. Also announced was Steve Keller AE8AT who will serve as the Assistant General Chair this year. Congratulations to Hazel and Steve. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passes U.S. House of Representatives After much discussion, the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” (H.R. 979) successfully passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill now moves on to the U.S. Senate as S.315. If it passes in the Senate, it would go onto the President, who has given the measure his support. The bill seeks to require automobile manufacturers to include AM radios in their vehicles for at least the next 8 years. Many car manufacturers have been removing AM radio from their newer cars, especially electric and hybrid vehicles, as the electric motors can generate significant interference with AM radios that can be costly to fix. The bill has been endorsed by a wide ranging coalition of groups ranging from the National Association of Broadcasters, to the American Association of Retired Persons, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Many of the Primary Entry Point Stations for the Emergency Alert System are clear channel AM stations. AM stations are able to be heard much further away than FM stations, especially at night. Coverage of the act can be found at the links below. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/979/all-info https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/315 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-gives-green-light-to-bill-requiring-am-radios-in-new-cars https://www.nab.org/advocacy/issue.asp?id=6719 https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/u-s-house-passes-bill-to-require-am-radio-in-new-cars https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/am-radio-for-every-vehicle-act-2025/ Contest University Celebrates 100 Years of Yagi-Uda Antennas It was 100 years ago in 1926 that Hidetsugu Yagi and Shintaro Uda invented the Yagi-Uda antenna that has become the standard for directional gain antennas. To celebrate its centenary Contest University (CTU) will be hosting a webinar on Zoom entitled “The Yagi Turns 100” detailing the history of the Yagi-Uda antenna. The presentation will start at 1600 UTC on Saturday, September 19 (Noon Eastern Time) and is free and open to all. A recording of the talk will be posted to http://contestuniversity.com/ the following week. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the Yagi-Uda antenna, this promises to be a very informative talk. More information can be found at the links below. https://www.arrl.org/news/contest-university-celebrates-100-years-of-yagis https://w3lif.org/yagi (Zoom Link) http://contestuniversity.com/ First Class Operators Club (FOC) Awards the WRTC Organizing Committee its G3FXB Memorial Award Image Courtesy WRTC Facebook Page The First Class Operators Club (FOC) awarded the Al Slater G3FXB Memorial Award to the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) Organizing Committee at their Annual Dinner on Saturday, September 12, 2026. According to the FOC, the award is “presented once a year to an individual, group or society that has, in the judgement of the Committee, made an outstanding contribution to the hobby”. The WRTC team organized a successful edition of the competition this year, and have received praise for how they handled the investigation and rescoring of this year’s event after evidence surfaced of impropriety. The award has been given every year since 1993. Congratulations to the WRTC Organizing Committee for receiving this year’s award. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Franz Josef Land (RI1FJZ), Nepal (9N/OM0GA), Turks and Caicos (VP5/K5UR), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47YA, V47RCX), American Samoa (KH8WW), Seychelles (S79/DL2SBY), Curacao (PJ2/K5SL), Reunion (FR/F1TEQ), Maldives (8Q7JH), Samoa (5W0AF), Bermuda (VP9I), and Ogasawara (JD1BON, JD1BOK, JE1NVD/JD1, JI1CRM/JD1). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 97 and the estimated sunspot number was 11 with 1 numbered sunspot region visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at very low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 567 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at very low levels with a chance of C-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to active levels today, at quiet to unsettled levels on Saturday, and at quiet levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are unlikely with a predicted probability of 5% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the FRAPR 10 Meter Contest, the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the Scandinavian Activity Contest on CW, the Texas QSO Party, the Iowa QSO Party, the New Hampshire QSO Party, QRP Afield, the Washington State Salmon Run, Wisconsin Parks on the Air, the Feld Hell Sprint, the North American Sprint on RTTY, the ARS Flight of the Bumblebees, the BARTG Sprint PSK63 Contest, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Walt K4OGO builds an OCF Dipole as a Vertical with great results - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI2npgY4c3k Josh KI6NAZ installs the TH-D750 in his truck and shows us the setup - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JooZnl-4gI IMSAI Guy takes a look at a battery powered soldering iron - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtj2hki135A Hayden VK7HH muses about how radio clubs can build engagement through kit building - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb3kA2q5ZRY Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about space weather that kept this week interesting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdaQau3mlnk Lewis M3HHY takes a look at a stealthy underground transmitter for emergency services - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V1nyqfRvT8 Mike K8MRD looks at a spike kit from Sean W9FFF for the POTA33B mast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFLu4gcO3Eg Tim K5OHY makes a V-Dipole into a doublet with clever home made ladder line - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZBsUXsak9Y&t=1s Practical Engineering takes a look at every U.S. electrical outlet and how it is used - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_1wzYQwnts Josh KI6NAZ gives a tutorial on how to solder and builds a kit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBtSflrgJ28 Jim WT1W takes a look at the ChronAlert mapping system for amateur radio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNvSf7ZOveM Mike K8MRD puts the new Heil BM-17 headset through its paces and likes what he hears - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9wWrPx4TN0 Ramon EA5IW takes his Yaesu FT-817 to the top of a mountain for QRP DX and beautiful views - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uoFGmTT0iM Sean W9FFF reviews the ThinkNode M9 for Meshtastic and MeshCore - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcDtkbGj1pI Jasonoid designs and installs a 3D printed power distribution box for his truck with USB power and Anderson PowerPoles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKbAgL6AoRc That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

  8. Sep 11

    Amateur Radio News and Notes 9/11/2026

    In the log this week * Special Event Spotlight: Route 66 On The Air * Contest Spotlight: Worked All Europe (WAE) SSB * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Special Event Spotlight: Route 66 On The Air 2026 marks 100 years since US Highway 66, frequently called the “Mother Road”, was established. The historic road connected Chicago, Illinois and Santa Monica, California traveling through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona along the way. To commemorate the history of Route 66, the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club will be coordinating Route 66 On The Air for the 27th year. There will be 22 club stations each with a 1x1 call sign on the air from September 12, 2026 until September 20, 2026. If you’re able to work at least one of the special event stations you can request a certificate or decal on their web site. Additionally, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66, they will be offering a special challenge coin this year only. Applications can be found on their site and fees apply. You do not have to submit logs. More information can be found at https://w6jbt.org/. This is always a fun event to see how many of the stations you can get in the log. So get your kicks on Route 66! Good luck. Contest Spotlight: Worked All Europe (WAE) SSB Image Courtesy DARC This weekend brings the Worked All Europe (WAE) DX Contest on SSB. Only intercontinental DX counts, so the European DX will be eagerly answering your calls. The fun starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, September 12th (so 8 PM ET Friday night) until 2359 UTC on September 13th (7:59 PM ET Sunday) on SSB on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. Operating classes include Single Op who are limited to 36 hours of total operation and Multi-Ops who can work all 48 hours. The exchange is Signal Report + Serial Number and stations can be worked once per band. This can be a great way to get DX from Europe in the log. There is an interesting twist in this contest you should know about: QTC Traffic. QTCs are a way to get additional points by sending additional information back to a European station. The QTC must include a time, call sign, and a serial number of the reported QSO. In the rules they give an example QTC as “1307 DA1AA 431” which would mean that DA1AA was worked at 1307 UTC and sent serial number 431. Each QSO can only be recorded once (and not back to the original station) and when correctly transferred gives one point to the sender and one point to the receiver. Up to 10 QTCs can be sent between two stations and it can be done via several contacts. They can be sent via a series so if you were going to send 5 and were on your 3rd one, you would send “3/5” for the QTC. This is somewhat unique in contests, and if someone asks you to send a QTC and you don’t want to, you can just say no, but it is a challenging way to get some extra points in the mix. Multipliers in the contest are the number of countries defined in the WAE Country List (see the rules for that) worked per band. For European stations every non-European DXCC entity is a multiplier with some exceptions laid out in the rules. There is also a multiplier bonus for a “band weighting”: 80 meter countries get multiplied by 4, 40 meter countries get multiplied by 3, and 20/15/and 10 meter bands get multiplied by 2. Final scoring is the total number of QSOs plus QTCs on all bands multiplied by the sum of all multipliers weighted by the band factor. There is a lot going on in this contest, so definitely peruse the DARC site for rules and additional details https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/wae-dx-contest/en/. Have fun and good luck! MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Franz Josef Land (RI1FJZ), Namibia (V51WH), Iceland (TF/DA6IC/P), Madeira (CT9/DK8MM. CR3W), Grenada (J38LD, J38DX), Cape Verde Island (D44TWO), Nepal (9N/OM0GA), Guyana (8R1TM), Kosovo (Z68PX), Vietnam (3W9C), Turks and Caicos (VP5/K5UR), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V47YA, V47RCX), Mariana Islands (KH0N), American Samoa (KH8WW), Seychelles (S79/DL2SBY), and Cyprus (P3CR). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 115 and the estimated sunspot number was 107 with 7 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 470 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a slight chance of M-class flares today and very low with a slight chance for M-class flares on Saturday and Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to unsettled levels through Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 10% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the WAE DX Contest on SSB we spotlighted earlier, also the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Colorado QSO Party, the New Jersey QSO Party, Ohio State Parks on the Air, the Africa FT4 DX Contest, the ARRL September VHF Contest, the North American Sprint on CW, the IRTS 70 cm Counties Contest, the IRTS 2 m Counties Contest, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php. Interesting Online Radio Content Paul K3XEC builds his own OFDM system called Pigeon from scratch and shows us how he did it - https://k3xec.com/pigeon/ Josh KI6NAZ takes a look at the only production M17 radios currently available - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH69ip7vpSQ Mike K8MRD explores a new park and activates POTA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atEitEQA8-E IMSAI Guy takes a look at the soon to be released Dr. PD USB-C Protocol Analyzer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqSRi0lMTk8 Charlie N0CVL compares vertical and dipole antennas for noise and sensitivity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aDpN7SF80M Walt K4OGO builds an OCF dipole using whips - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfGRbBL0UOo Jim WT1W looks at the CQV SWR120 HF Power and SWR meter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arB6aihwG80 Kevin W1DED talks to Bill the organizer of the Ham Widows Ball for WRTC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N062pygpyns Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about a series of storms that hit us earlier this week - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQgzXKOV2ow Linas LY2H shows us his custom amateur radio van - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m0d5FNZ6Zg Ciprian YO6DXE continues his experiments with his BBB-4 VLF Receiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN4nDxmBdtI Doug N4HNH explains the differences between the split modes on FT8 and how they impact performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpdocYbTDls Tim K5OHY makes a DIY V-Dipole and puts it through its paces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ4i3W5rRGI Lewis M3HHY takes a look at an all-band radio with RDS and a directory of stations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG7WxFayEPc Bob WV7W explains why a NanoVNA is more than an antenna analyzer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY3zNlK8I0k Josh KI6NAZ shows the gear he takes on trips with radios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSscqEjBDM8 Walt K4OGO tests out the MA-06 Antenna with 2 dipoles and one feedpoint - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrl2aksZK4 TJ K9KJ shows how he sets up CW keying for N1MM on Icom radios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZWBIijG7HE George VK2AOE shows the design process for his new CW key build - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMvxW8vzjM4 Craig KM6LYW uses his DigiPi 2.2 to build a data transceiver for $60 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPDgt279CTQ Josh KI6NAZ builds a CFT1 CW Transceiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AahIhFka5c Michal KB9VBR talks about NVIS antenna deployment for regional communication - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihTNyAre7Xc Mike K8MRD reviews a 30 Ah battery box kit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSm8X96SCQ Walt K4OGO tries out a cobweb antenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylx2WA6BlJw That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

See All (82)

About

News and notes for Amateur Radio Operators and members of the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club compiled by Ed N2EC. mvarc.substack.com

Information

You Might Also Like