EHAM      QTH     QRZ     ARRL      HRO      ICOM      KENWOOD    YAESU  ELBO ROOM  COMMENTS

MONDAY EDITION: I have a couple of items on the list today. I am replacing a on/off switch on a little generator and then finishing  a 220 MHz J Pole antenna. The antenna is all soldered up but  I need to attach a S0239 to one side of the pipe. I know it will not solder on very easily so I am going to solder on a piece of copper stock and then rivet the SO239 to it....in theory anyways. I will shoot a picture when its done and tuned..

Ham Radio Foxhunt Transmitter

This is a clever Spartan build. In order to create a radio beacon for use in a “fox hunt” [Jim] combined a SR-T300 walkie talkie module with a phototransistor and oscillating LED circuit. The phototransistor and oscillating LED are secured face-to-face inside heat shrink tubing which isolates them from ambient light. When the LED flashes on the phototransistor powers the radio which transmits a tone in the UHF band.

A fox hunt is a game played by radio enthusiasts in which players use radio signals to triangulate and find a hidden beacon. [Jim]’s circuit is the beacon, and when it’s powered by a three volt CR2032 battery, it transmits a strong signal over several hundred yards at 433.5 MHz, within the amateur radio UHF band.

If you’re interested in radio beacons you might like to read about the WSPR beacon.

Ham Radio in Popular Culture: TV Shows, Movies, and Books

Ham radio has made its appearances in various forms of popular culture over the years. Here are a few examples:

TV Shows:

• “Emergency!”: The popular 1970s show often depicted the use of ham radio communication in emergency situations.
• “Fargo”: In the show, the character Hanzee Dent uses ham radio to communicate with a local ham operator in order to track a suspect.
• “Jericho”: The post-apocalyptic show features ham radio communication as a means of communication in the aftermath of a disaster.
• “MacGyver”: The TV show features the character MacGyver as an amateur radio operator who often uses his handheld ham radio to communicate with others in different parts of the world.
• “The Walking Dead”: Ham radio is used by various characters throughout the show to try and make contact with other survivors or communities outside their own.
• “The X-Files”: In the episode “Max”, Mulder and Scully use ham radio to communicate with a group of UFO enthusiasts who believe they have captured a signal from an alien spacecraft.
• “Breaking Bad”: In one episode, Walter White uses a ham radio to listen in on police frequencies and avoid being caught.
• “Stranger Things”: The characters often use portable radios to communicate locally, and in a few episodes they use them to communicate longer distances across the nation.

Movies:

• “Frequency”: The movie tells the story of a man who is able to communicate with his deceased father through a ham radio that somehow allows communication across time.
• “Apollo 13”: Ham radio communication is used to establish contact with the crew during their space mission.
• “Jurassic Park III”: Ham radio is used by the characters in the movie to try and make contact with a rescue team after their plane crashes on an island filled with dangerous dinosaurs.
• “The Peacemaker”: George Clooney’s character uses a ham radio to communicate with the U.S. government during a crisis involving stolen nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe.
• “The Andromeda Strain”: Ham radio is used by a group of scientists to communicate with a satellite and track down the source of a deadly virus.

Books:

• “The Art of Possibility”: In the book by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, a group of hams use their radio equipment to create a world-wide network that facilitates communication during natural disasters and other emergencies.
• “Alas, Babylon”: In the novel by Pat Frank, ham radio is the only means of long-distance communication in a post-apocalyptic world.
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”: In the novel, Lisbeth Salander uses her ham radio to communicate with a hacker friend and obtain important information.
• “Peak”: In the book by Roland Smith, a teenage boy uses his ham radio to communicate with his father during a climbing competition.
• “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”: In this memoir by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, the author describes how he used ham radio to communicate with people outside of his village in Malawi and gain access to educational resources.
• “The Road”: Ham radio is mentioned briefly in Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel as a means of communication, although its actual use is not described in detail.

 

WEEKEND EDITION: Beautiful boating day on the island....

Amateur Radio Helps Locate Missing Mother and Son

Amateur radio had a crucial role in locating a mother and her 9-year son lost in California’s Stanislaus National Forest. On Friday July 11, 2025, the pair was reported overdue from a day trip to Camp Wolfeboro, a popular scout camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, according to a news release.

On Saturday July 12, the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team (SAR) was conducting its monthly training exercise along the Stanislaus River when members received notification that Tami and son Stirling had been reported missing since Friday afternoon and were not answering their cell phones.

The SAR team set up a command post at Black Springs Off-Highway Vehicle riding (OHV) Recreational Area and quickly began initiating a road-based search using four-wheel-drive vehicles and air support from the California Highway Patrol.

Joining the search was a Deputy and a Forest Service Law Enforcement Ranger who responded to 911 texts from campers in the area that a vehicle possibly matching the description of the pair’s missing car had been found. The SAR team began to find handwritten notes posted near a remote Forest Service road and then another about a mile away that included a telephone number and the names of the missing individuals. Just before 6:00 PM, the car and the lost mother and son were found. But the rescue was not over.

SAR team members were unable to communicate with their command post using conventional frequencies and cell phones from their deep woods location. So they used amateur radio frequency to report their emergency traffic. The call was immediately answered by a retired El Dorado County communications supervisor, who is also an amateur radio operator, monitoring from his home. He contacted the El Dorado 911 center, which provided the information to Calaveras County Dispatch. The SAR command post was notified, and the mother and her son were transported to waiting family members.

Young Stirling also had a hand with the rescue. He used his scout whistle to blow SOS, the internationally recognized Morse code distress signal, to give searchers a better chance of locating their position.

Amateur Radio Newsline Report
**
FCC EYES SPECTRUM AUCTION, EMERGENCY-ALERT OVERHAUL

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week in Washington, D.C., where the FCC has announced it is ready to return to auctioning parts of the spectrum - and to overhauling the country's emergency-alert systems. Kent Peterson KCØDGY brings us up to date.

KENT: In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is preparing for two major initiatives: the return of auctioning spectrum licenses and a top-to-bottom assessment of the nation's emergency alert system.

The FCC's ability to auction spectrum had expired but was restored in a bill signed by President Donald Trump on July 4th. The frequencies eyed for auction are in the so-called "AWS-3" band, for advanced wireless services. These are unused microwave frequencies that have been allocated for 5G commercial wireless. The auctions would be the first of their kind in the US in four years.

The FCC has also prioritized a systemwide re-evaluation of the nation's emergency communications technology. The Emergency Alert System makes use of radio and TV while the Wireless Emergency Alerts utilize mobile devices. The FCC is set to vote on moving ahead with this systemwide assessment at its August 7th meeting, with an eye toward pushing for upgraded technologies.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(FCC, RADIOWORLD, CORDCUTTERS NEWS)

**
ORGANIZERS CONDUCT FIELD TESTING AT WRTC SITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you took part in the IARU HF Championship on the second weekend of July and you happened to work one of five stations operating from the grounds of the Euston Estate in Suffolk, England, you were also part of the field test for the World Radiosport Team Championship taking place next year.

The five stations were on the air from actual site locations for an important training exercise, testing of the masts, antennas and radios -- and a little experimentation -- to prepare for next year's competition. Volunteers got a chance to practice setup of the equipment and give a thorough test of the scoreboard and IT networking system.

Despite some minor issues, the exercise was declared a success - right down to the report from the operators that there were no issues with interference between stations, which were running 100 watts. The organizers wrote on the WRTC website: [quote] "Activity will be different next year - hopefully 10m will be more co-operative - and the interest in chasing 50 real WRTC stations will be higher." [endquote]

(WRTC 2026)

**
SILENT KEY: DAVID COURT, EI3IO, INFLUENCED SHAPE OF AMATEUR SPECTRUM

PAUL/ANCHOR: A globally prominent telecommunications expert whose input helped the IARU shape use of the amateur spectrum has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Global telecommunications governance was the speciality for David Court EI3IO, who played a key part of the IARU Region 1 executive committee and a major force in such regional telecommunications organisations such as CEPT.

David, who became a Silent Key earlier this month, infused his volunteer work with regulatory and technical expertise gained over the decades in his professional work in telecommunications policy and regulation. The IARU credits his input with helping to promote amateur access to the 6-metre band, the use of which was approved on a secondary basis in many countries during World Radiocommunication Conference 19. The IARU announcement also credited David with successful defence of the amateur HF bands at times when sharing or reallocation was proposed for other purposes.

In 2020, David was presented with the IARU Region 1 Medal.

There were no further details about his death.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(IARU)

**
SILENT KEY: JOSEPH ARCURE, W3HNK, RENOWNED QSL MANAGER

PAUL/ANCHOR: The man who some hams called the most recognized QSL manager in the world has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: Devoted to chasing DX within a year of getting his ham radio license in 1956, Joseph Arcure, W3HNK, soon established a niche for himself as a QSL manager for hundreds of those DX stations. According to his obituary on the DXNews website, Joe was so devoted to helping manage and send QSL mailings that he soon became [quote] "the most recognized QSL manager in the world." [endquote] He never refused a request from any ham seeking his QSL services and often funded some of the mailings himself. Many praised him for the human touch he brought to every task, a quality that made many cherish the QSL cards they received.

Joe became a Silent Key on Sunday the 20th of July.

According to his obituary, he confirmed 337 current DXCC countries as an operator. Over the years, he also became an enthusiastic DXpeditioner himself. In 1979, Joe was inducted into the CQ DX Hall of Fame.

The obituary noted that [quote] "his legacy endures in every confirmation, every new contact and every operator inspired by his example." [endquote]

Joe was 91.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(DXNEWS.COM, QRZ.COM)

**
HAM RADIO PLAYS KEY ROLE IN MOTHER-SON RESCUE

PAUL/ANCHOR: The reason this next story has a happy ending is because everyone did everything right: the search-and-rescue team, the ham radio operators and perhaps most importantly, the mother and son in need of rescue in a remote section of a national forest in California. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB takes us there.

RALPH: The GPS was to have safely guided a mother to a campground with her 9-year-old son on July11th. Instead it mapped a route that left their car stuck in the rugged terrain after they lost their GPS signal.

Hours later, they were reported missing to the Calaveras County Sheriff's office by a caller who had the mother's travel agenda and said the family had failed to check in as they had planned. A search and rescue team was dispatched in four-wheel-drive vehicles to the area the next day where campers reported that they had seen the family's sedan. The team soon discovered handwritten notes, posted by the mother at nearby locations, indicating that the vehicle was stuck and they were stranded, The boy, meanwhile, periodically blew a whistle in three short bursts, an audible, universal distress call. Mother and son were found safe at their car, only a mile or so away from where the notes were posted.

Because of the thick canopy of Stanislaus National Forest, the rescue team could not use cell service or the usual radio frequencies to update the command post -- but one team member, a licensed ham, used his amateur radio to hit the KA6GWY repeater in Placerville. It bears the callsign of Frank Yost, a retired El Dorado County Communications supervisor who was monitoring the frequency at the time on 146.805 MHz. He passed the call along to emergency dispatch and the message was quickly relayed to Calavaras County.

Lt Greg Stark, one of the Search & Rescue coordinators, told Newsline everyone - including mother and son - did everything right. He said that the team was able to safely transport mother and son, extricate the car and let the command post know that no helicopters or additional backup resources were needed. He said that one backup resource proved invaluable: ham radio. It also provided some inspiration. The lieutenant told Newsline [quote]. "It enhanced our communication ability and now it has spurred some of our other team members to look at getting their license."

**
CANADIAN TEST CANDIDATES FACE NEW QUESTION POOL

PAUL/ANCHOR: The questions on the basic-level exam for hams in Canada have changed. Andy Morrison K9AWM has more details.

ANDY: A team of volunteers from provinces throughout Canada is developing a new bank of questions for the Advanced Amateur Radio Certificate, according to the Radio Amateurs of Canada website. Many members of this team completed the new question pool for the basic-level certificate earlier this year and it was released in January by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The questions took effect for basic examinations starting on the 15th of July, providing the first major update for that level of examination since 2013.

Writing on the RAC website, Dave Goodwin VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer, said the 984 questions were developed by a committee of 20 instructors and accredited examiners - many of whom are now working on the advance-level questions.Those questions are expected to become available in 2026.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(RAC, WIA)

**
AMATEURS READY TO ACTIVATE BRITISH WATERWAYS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Now here's an idea we'd like to float in your direction: British Inland Waterways on the Air. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what's involved.

JEREMY: If you use the lakes, canals, or any other waterways in Great Britain almost as much as you use your radio, now is the time to combine the two activities. Registration has begun for British Inland Waterways on the Air, which takes place during the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The organisers are encouraging early registration, hoping that radio operators will identify the days they are operating and on what modes.

The event takes place on Saturday the 23rd August to bank holiday Monday 25th. You can operate on or near the various waterways throughout the UK; primary bands will be 2 metres and 40 metres.

If you want to register - or see who is already on board for the weekend, visit the website in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, A team of hams from the UK will be on the air as GMØFRT/p from the Shetland Islands, IOTA number EU-012, until the 28th of July and will be active in the IOTA Contest. Outside of the contest, they will be using CW and SSB on 30, 17 and 12 metres, as well as FT8 on 6 and 4 metres. QSL via LoTW.

Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League's HQ station 6K0MF in Chungbuk, are marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule by operating as HL8ØV from August 1st through to the end of the month. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

In Malaysia, members of the Terengganu DX-ARRES group in West Malaysia are celebrating the 68th anniversary of independence from British rule by operating from 1st of August through to the 30th of September using the callsign 9M1957M on CW, SSB and FT8 modes on 80-10 metres. QSL direct to 9M2RDX.

Steve, ZL2KE, will be active again as E51KEE from Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-013, in the South Cook Islands from the 3rd through to the 18th of August. Steve will be using CW and some SSB on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 metres. QSL via IK2DUW, direct. See QRZ.com for additional details.

We also remind listeners that amateurs around the world will be on the air for International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend on August 16th through to the 17th. More than 250 lighthouse entries will be active in more than 40 countries. For a list of registered lighthouses see the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: illw.net ]

(425 DX BULLETIN, ILLW)

**
KICKER: THE HEIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH ABOVE SEA LEVEL

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story is about both a "first" and "last." The last summit in the SOTA DL Association to be activated is a "first" for a very determined ham in Germany. We hear about him from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Despite 18 years as a SOTA activator that have won him at least two high-ranking awards for operating in the German Alps, Dzianis, DD1LD, had some unfinished business. This month, it stood before him, all two thousand four hundred and thirty metres of it above sea level: the Tiefkarspitze, the single summit in the SOTA DL Association that had gone unactivated in the 20 years since SOTA-DL was established in Germany.

His harrowing mountain ascent on July 18th was punctuated by intense rockfall - not unexpected but nonetheless terrifying. As he wrote in his blog, he was compelled to ask: [quote] "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" [endquote]

Still, he made it to the summit where he soon logged his first QSO with his good friend Mario, DJ2MX. Then came the pileups. Finally, he went QRT after one more QSO: another close friend, Andy, DL2DVE. With 66 in his log, he had transformed that lonely, daunting rocky outpost into a shared space among friends. Dzianis, as solo activator, had turned a personal challenge into a triumph for himself and the DL-Association.

FRIDAY EDITION: This mornings activity is to go pickup  a hf vertical antenna being donated to the club. I believe it is a Hy-gain brand.....Also picked up a 220 transceiver with LiPo battery an ground plane antenna, we have a 220 repeater in town and one 10 miles away, so many radios/modes to explore and so little time.....

Meme Appreciation Month is Happening Right Meow

Meme Appreciation Month is in full swing and will continue through August 15th. Entering its 5th year, 2025 celebrates year three thanks to the efforts of Chuck Norris (DC0NORRIS). Memes will be appreciated on all the megahertz and all the modes with a bias toward FT8 and SSTV.

Do you even QSL? Look for the following special meme callsigns:

• DC0NORRIS
• DL0LOL
• OE01MIKU
• GB0OTY
• GB4NGS
• HA6RID
• SO2NIC
• SQ6FMBY
• HF0FURRY
• SP0FENNEC
• HF0AAAAAA
• SP6ZOLW
• 3Z3Z3Z
• YO0F
• YP3PE
• VC2NORRIS
• VB2CATGIRL
• VB2CAP
• K0K
• K4B
• K3T
• DU0LINGO
• DU0W0

A Discord space is available to join and awards are being given. 

 

 

Alinco DX SR8

THURSDAY EDITION: I bought an Alinco DX SR8 from a club member to give to a friend who needs to get back on the air. I never owned an Alinco radio so I checked the reviews, not bad for the price. I got it on the air last night paired it with an LDG Z11 tuner. The radio has it quirks for sure but first thoughts are the receiver is quite pleasant to listen on. I did plug in a  MFJ enhancer speaker and it sounds even better. Major thing is power levels not adjustable but fixed at three levels up to 100 watts and selecting features are clunky t best....but you get what you pay for, nice large display though. I will try making some contacts today...

2025 One Hertz Challenge: An Ancient Transistor Counts The Seconds

If you’ve worked with germanium transistors, you’ll know that many of them have a disappointingly low maximum frequency of operation. This has more to do with some of the popular ones dating from the earliest years of the transistor age than it does to germanium being inherently a low frequency semiconductor, but it’s fair to say you won’t be using an OC71 in a high frequency RF application. It’s clear that [Ken Yap]’s project is taking no chances though, because he’s using a vintage germanium transistor at a very low frequency — 1 Hz, to be exact.

The circuit is a simple enough phase shift oscillator that flashes a white LED, in which a two transistor amplifier feeds back on itself through an RC phase shift network. The germanium part is a CV7001, while the other transistor is more modern but still pretty old these days silicon part, a BC109. The phase shift network has a higher value resistor than you might expect at 1.8 MOhms, because of the low frequency of operation. Power meanwhile comes from a pair of AA cells.

We like this project not least for its use of very period passive components and stripboard to accompany the vintage semiconductor parts. Perhaps it won’t met atomic standards for timing, but that’s hardly the point.

This project is an entry in the 2025 One Hertz Challenge. Why not enter your own second-accurate project?

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend is August 16-17

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) will take place August 16th through 17th. Originally started in 1993 by the Ayr Amateur Radio Group in Scotland as the Northern Lighthouse Activity Weekend, ILLW now coincides with many countries' honoring of lighthouses in August each year.

The ILLW usually takes place on the 3rd full weekend in August each year and attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. It is one of the most popular international amateur radio events in existence probably because there are very few rules and it is not the usual contest type event.

More information is available on the ILLW website.

WEDNESDAY EDITION: It's over to the radio club for coffee, donuts, and a little socialization....

ARRL Files Comments to Protect 70-Centimeter Amateur Band

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oppose part of an application that would impact the 70-centimeter amateur band for telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) of satellites. The application, from AST & Science, LLC (AST), requests “unprecedented authorization to 430-440 MHz for a constellation totaling 248 satellites to communicate with five ground stations using up to five channels with up to 256 kHz bandwidth.”

READ ARRL’S FULL COMMENTS [PDF]

The formal opposition, filed by ARRL’s Washington Counsel, asserts that the permission AST seeks to use the 430 – 440 MHz band “should be denied because AST does not demonstrate need for TT&C spectrum beyond that available within existing allocations.”

The filing goes on to highlight just how unprecedented the request is:

The Requested Spectrum Is Not Allocated for the Requested Purpose
               The 430 – 440 MHz band is not allocated domestically or internationally for the requested space-to-Earth and Earth-to-space satellite TT&C operations. As others already have noted in this proceeding, signals in this band from AST’s current 5-satellite constellation have been observed throughout the world, including in the United States, notwithstanding that the satellites are authorized to communicate only with five ground stations well outside the United States. From the operations by the current five satellites, it appears that the satellites at times have transmitted continuously in the 430 – 440 MHz band throughout their orbit, not just when in communication with one of the authorized ground stations. This activity defeats the purpose of preventing interference in the United States by limiting operations in this band to ground stations distant from the United States. Authorizing an additional 243 satellites to use this band, which would result in multiple satellites over the U.S. at all times, would effectively usurp this band’s allocated use.

The 70-centimenter band is also used in emergency communications. As recently as early July, ARRL volunteers serving in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) made headlines for providing critical communications in flood-ravaged areas of the Texas Hill Country. Allowing the 70-centimeter band to become overrun with TT&C operations could impact the ability for the Amateur Radio Service to be used in future disasters. “TT&C operations in the 430 – 440 MHz band are capable of causing harmful interference to radio amateur communications, including to amateur satellites operating in the 435-438 MHz subband,” the comments state.

The comments go on to outline why the application would be non-compliant with the ITU Radio Regulations Treaty.

Reply comments to the application are due by August 5, 2025. ARRL will continue to promote and protect amateur radio spectrum.

 Hams Decode SSMIS Satellite Data Removed by DoD, NOAA

The Register reports that SatDump now features software which will decode data transmitted by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) onboard defense meteorological satellites. The release from SatDump comes after the US Department of Defense announced that data from the satellites would no longer be made available to the public.

Lead developer and ham radio operator Alan Antoine said the US authorities were turning off the online distribution of real time data while the satellite passes over the US stations at Wallops Island, Virginia, and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Access to the latest versions of SatDump are available on GitHub.

Source: The Register

 A Collection of Lightning Detectors

You would think detecting lightning would be easy. Each lightning bolt has a staggering amount of power, and, clearly, you can hear the results on any radio. But it is possible to optimize a simple receiver circuit to specifically pick up lightning. That’s exactly what [Wenzeltech] shows in a page with several types of lightning detectors complete with photos and schematics.

Just as with a regular radio, there are multiple ways to get the desired result. The first circuits use transistors. Later versions move on to op amps and even have “storm intensity” meters. The final project uses an ion chamber from a smoke detector. It has the benefit of being very simple, but you know, also slightly radioactive.

You might think you could detect lightning by simply looking out the window. While that’s true, you can, in theory, detect events from far away and also record them easily using any data acquisition system on a PC, scope, or even logic analyzer.

Why? We are sure there’s a good reason, but we’ve never needed one before. These designs look practical and fun to build, and that’s good enough for us.

You can spruce up the output easily. You can also get it all these days, of course, on a chip.

 

TUESDAY EDITION: No news this morning to speak of....enjoy the day

The Fight to Save Lunar Trailblazer

After the fire and fury of liftoff, when a spacecraft is sailing silently through space, you could be forgiven for thinking the hard part of the mission is over. After all, riding what’s essentially a domesticated explosion up and out of Earth’s gravity well very nearly pushes physics and current material science to the breaking point.But in reality, getting into space is just the first on a long list of nearly impossible things that need to go right for a successful mission. While scientific experiments performed aboard the International Space Station and other crewed vehicles have the benefit of human supervision, the vast majority of satellites, probes, and rovers must be able to operate in total isolation. With nobody nearby to flick the power switch off and on again, such craft need to be designed with multiple layers of redundant systems and safe modes if they’re to have any hope of surviving even the most mundane system failure.

That said, nobody can predict the future. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, there will always be edge cases or abnormal scenarios that don’t get accounted for. With proper planning and a pinch of luck, the majority of missions are able to skirt these scenarios and complete their missions without serious incident.

Unfortunately, Lunar Trailblazer isn’t one of those missions. Things started well enough — the February 26th launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 went perfectly, and the rocket’s second stage gave the vehicle the push it needed to reach the Moon. The small 210 kg (460 lb) lunar probe then separated from the booster and transmitted an initial status message that was received by the Caltech mission controllers in Pasadena, California which indicated it was free-flying and powering up its systems.

But since then, nothing has gone to plan.

Spotty Communications

According to NASA’s blog for Lunar Trailblazer, Caltech first heard from the spacecraft about 12 minutes after it separated from the second stage of the Falcon 9. At this point the spacecraft was at an altitude of approximately 1,800 kilometers (1118 miles) and had been accelerated by the booster to a velocity of more than 33,000 km/h (20,500 mph). The craft was now committed to a course that would take it away from Earth, although further course correction maneuvers would be required to put it into its intended orbit around the Moon.

The team on the ground started to receive the expected engineering telemetry data from the vehicle, but noted that there were some signals that indicated intermittent issues with the power supply. Around ten hours later, the Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft went completely silent for a short period of time before reactivating its transmitter.

At this point, it was obvious that something was wrong, and ground controllers started requesting more diagnostic information from the spacecraft to try and determine what was going on. But communication with the craft remained unreliable, at best. Even with access to NASA’s powerful Deep Space Network, the controllers could not maintain consistent contact with the vehicle.

Tumbling and Off-Course

On March 2nd, ground-based radars were able to get a lock on Lunar Trailblazer. The good news was that the radar data confirmed that the spacecraft was still intact. The bad news is that the team at Caltech now had a pretty good idea as to why they were only getting sporadic communications from the vehicle — it was spinning in space.

This might not seem like a problem at first, indeed some spacecraft use a slight spin to help keep them stabilized. But in the case of Lunar Trailblazer, it meant the vehicle’s solar arrays were not properly orientated in relation to the sun. The occasional glimpses of sunlight the panels would get as the craft tumbled explained the sporadic nature of its transmissions, as sometimes it would collect just enough power to chirp out a signal before going dead again.

But there was a now a new dimension to the problem. By March 4th, the the spacecraft was supposed to have made the first of several trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs) to refine its course towards the Moon. As those TCMs never happened, Lunar Trailblazer was now off-course, and getting farther away from its intended trajectory every day.

By now, ground controllers knew it was unlikely that Lunar Trailblazer would be able to complete all of the mission’s science goals. Even if they could reestablish communication, the vehicle wasn’t where it was supposed to be. While it was still theoretically possible to compute a new course and bring the vehicle into lunar orbit, it wouldn’t be the one that the mission’s parameters called for.

A Data-Driven Recovery Attempt

The mission was in a bad place, but the controllers at Caltech still had a few things going in their favor. For one, they knew exactly what was keeping them from communicating with the spacecraft. Thanks to the ongoing radar observations, they also had highly-accurate data on the velocity, position, and rotation rate of the craft. Essentially, they knew what all the variables were, they just needed to figure out the equation that would provide them with a solution.

Over the next couple of months, the data from the radar observations was fed into a computer model that allowed ground controllers to estimate how much sunlight would hit Lunar Trailblazer’s solar array at a given time. Engineers worked with a replica of the spacecraft’s hardware to better understand not only how it operated while in a low-power state, but how it would respond when it got a sudden jolt of power.

The goal was to find out exactly how long it would take for the spacecraft to come back to a workable state when the solar array was lit, and then use the model to find when the vehicle and the sun would align for long enough to make it happen.

It was originally believed that they only had until June for this celestial alignment to work in their favor, but refined data allowed NASA and Caltech to extend that timetable into the middle of July. With that revised deadline fast approaching, we’re eager to hear an update from the space agency about the fate of this particularly tenacious lunar probe.

Meet the Hobbyists Behind Today’s Smartest Radios

Do you remember your first portable radio?

For Sjef Verhoeven, it was a Sony Walkman in 1993. As is common in the Netherlands, he would often ride his bike. That spring, he heard FM stations from the U.K. at a distance of about 300 kilometers. All day long, various BBC affiliates were audible.

“I had to find out why that was possible,” he said.

Verhoeven, 47, eventually became an electrical engineer for a wholesaler in radio and TV equipment in the Eindhoven area of the Netherlands. He earned his amateur radio license (PE5PVB) in 1999.

Marek Farkaš, 27, represents a newer generation. He grew up in Slovakia and knew the local frequencies of radio stations he could receive at a young age. Now living in the Czech Republic, it was Farkaš’ girlfriend, Ester Vlčková, who referred him to the FM DX Wikipedia page to shine light on the hobby of listening for distant FM signals in which now he invests a good deal of his time.

Read more – RadioWorld: http://bit.ly/40wRfCK

MONDAY EDITION: Beautiful day for a little maritime mobile operation...

DXLook – Where Your Signal Is Heard

We’ve all been there.

You call CQ on 15 meters, the radio’s alive, conditions seem okay… but you’re not getting answers. So, you do what most of us do — check propagation. Maybe you fire up PSK Reporter, or flip to WSPRnet, or check the DX Cluster. But you end up hopping between tabs, trying to piece together the story of what’s actually going on out there.

That’s exactly what led me to build this tool.

At its core, DXLook is a real-time HF propagation map for amateur radio operators. But unlike other tools that show you where someone else’s signal was heard, DXLook helps you answer “Where is my signal being received right now?”

Reception-Focused, Not Just Propagation

Propagation maps are great — but most of them are based on predicted or averaged conditions. DXLook flips the perspective and focuses on actual reception data, in real time. It visualizes who’s hearing your signal, what band they heard it on, and how strong it was. Think of it as your personal propagation mirror.

So instead of asking “Is 20m open?” you can now ask “Who’s actually hearing me on 20m — right now?”

All the Data, One Map

This is where DXLook stands out.

Instead of depending on a single source like WSPRnet or PSK Reporter, it brings all the major reception sources together:

• WSPRnet: beacon-level SNR across the globe
• Reverse Beacon Network: CW/FT8 spots with detailed timing
• PSK Reporter: digital mode activity
• DX Clusters: voice spots and DX alerts
• POTA: Parks on the Air activator activity
• Plus solar data overlays: MUF, SFI, A/K index, and day/night terminator

You can filter by mode, band, view from your local Maidenhead grid to see what’s being heard in your region.

Who It’s For

Whether you’re a new Technician trying to understand how far your signal travels, or a seasoned DXer trying to squeeze the most out of the grey line, DXLook helps you see the invisible. It’s also pretty handy during contests, POTA activations, or just for those “Is anyone out there?” moments.

No Login. No Tracking. Just Radio.

DXLook runs in your browser, no sign-up needed, no nonsense. It’s open to everyone — just visit dxlook.com and you’re in. You’ll see an interactive map updating live as new reception reports come in.

It’s not meant to replace other tools, but to unify them — and give you a clearer picture of what’s happening on the bands, right now.

So next time you spin the dial and wonder if you’re being heard… fire up DXLook.

See you on the air.
73,
Rodrigo – AK6FP

A History of the Tandy Computers

Radio Shack, despite being gone for a number of years, is still in our cultural consciousness. But Tandy, the company behind Radio Shack for many years. Did you ever wonder how a leather company started in 1919, because, briefly, a computer giant? Or even an electronics retailer? [Abort Retry Fail] has the story in three parts. Well, three parts so far. They are only up to the Tandy 1000.

At first, the company made parts for shoes. But after World War II, they found that catering to leather crafting hobbyists was lucrative. Within a few years, they’d opened stores across the country, making sure that the store managers owned 25% of their stores, even if it meant they had to borrow money from the home office to do so. Meanwhile, Radio Shack was in Boston selling ot radio amateurs. By 1935, Radio Shack was a corporation. In 1954, they started selling “Realist” brand equipment (what we would come to know as Realistic, of course).

In 1961, Tandy decided to branch out into other hobby markets, including radio hobbyists. But Radio Shack, dabbling in consumer credit, was sunk with $800,000 of uncollectable consumer credit.

In 1963, Tandy purchased the struggling Radio Shack for $300,000, which was a substantial amount of money in those days. Tandy immediately set about making Radio Shack profitable. Tandy would eventually split into three companies, spinning off its original leather and craft businesses.

Then came computers. If you are at all interested in the history of early computers, the TRS-80, or any of the other Radio Shack computers, you’ll enjoy the story. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. We can’t wait to read part four, although sadly, we know how the story ends.

We don’t just miss the Radio Shack computers. We loved P-Box kits. Yeah, we know someone bought the brand. But if you visit the site, you’ll see it just isn’t the same.

Blog – Hackaday Read More

WEEKEND EDITION: Did you ever notice that owners of Flex Radio and Elekraft products are constantly sending them back for repairs? I have......

FlexRadio Equips ARRL with FLEX-8000 Series Station for W1AW

There is a new addition to Studio 1 at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut: a complete station of the latest gear from FlexRadio, including a FLEX-8600™ Signature Series SDR transceiver, a Maestro C Control Console, Power Genius XL (PGXL) amplifier, and Radiosport RS60CF headset. The equipment is the latest addition to W1AW, which hosts a complement of equipment in each of three operating studios under rotating agreements with major amateur radio manufacturers.

During his visit to present the station to ARRL on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, FlexRadio Chief Technology Officer Stephen Hicks, N5AC, described the station as an addition for the benefit of ARRL members and all visitors to W1AW. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and CEO David Minster, NA2AA, were on hand to receive the equipment on behalf of ARRL.

“The FLEX-8600 provides all of the latest features that we have,” said Hicks. “And with all the Flex radios, they are continuously upgradable, so we have software releases on an ongoing basis and add features and functionality to it. … ARRL members can come in here and try this equipment out and get used to it.”

ARRL Director of Marketing and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, expressed gratitude for the collaboration with FlexRadio, saying “We’re grateful to have W1AW equipped with a full FlexRadio station, allowing members and visitors to operate and enjoy this current-generation technology when they come to experience the latest in amateur radio innovation.” Inderbitzen explained that ARRL’s partnership with FlexRadio and its ongoing arrangement with manufacturers highlights a shared commitment with the industry to advance amateur radio by offering a hands-on experience to W1AW visitors.

Hicks and his FlexRadio colleague, Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP, also provided a highly informative presentation to ARRL staff on the forthcoming FlexRadio Aurora™ series of 500-watt SDR transceivers. Their talk highlighted the radio’s innovative use of polar modulation to address intermodulation distortion — a common challenge in linear amplification methods — while also reducing power consumption and heat generation.

Opposition to NextNav and AST SpaceMobile Encroachment on Amateur Radio Spectrum Continues

AST SpaceMobile and NextNav continue to receive pushback from groups opposing the potential encroachment of amateur radio spectrum by these companies.

Communications Daily reports that Connected Devices for America Coalition held a meeting with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voicing their concerns over NextNav's proposed restructuring of the 900 MHz band. The coalition described the band as a "workhorse" for unlicensed innovation.

Separately, an amateur radio operator based in Germany has filed a petition with the FCC to oppose AST SpaceMobile's request to utilize portions of the 70 cm band allocated to amateur radio use.

Without a clear showing that AST does not cause harmful interference under §4.4, let alone the incapability to cause interference under §4.2, the application should be denied.

The comment period for AST SpaceMobile's request to utilize amateur spectrum is open through July 21st.

Amateur Radio Newsline Report

SATELLITE'S EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE OKS AMATEUR BAND USE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Washington, D.C., where the FCC has approved an experimental license for the satellite of a 5G mobile provider - and the license approves use of some amateur radio frequencies. We have details from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

KENT: AST SpaceMobile, the Texas-based rival of SpaceX, has been approved for an experimental license to test a low-earth orbit satellite that is the prototype for its planned mobile phone connectivity from space.

The US Federal Communications Commission granted the license on Friday, July 11th, giving the company the ability to test a satellite that has a phased-array antenna that enables it to function as a cell tower from space. Known as FM1, it is at the center of the 5G broadband provider's hopes to build a satellite-to-phone internet system. The FCC has assigned the callsign WP2XRX, which expires on July 1st, 2027. A copy of the license online shows that it authorizes experimental operation only on 37.5 GHz-42 GHz, and 2.235 GHz, 2.245 GHz for mobile satellite services.

The amateur radio frequencies, 430-440 MHz, also appear on the license. The 5G service requested those frequencies to conduct telemetry, tracking, and telecommand between ground stations and its satellites. The company seeks FCC approval for operation of 248 low-earth orbit, non-geostationary satellites. Its present license only permits five.

AST SpaceMobile has been developing its network in association with AT&T and Verizon. SpaceX is partnering with T-Mobile.

A copy of the license can be seen using the link to the FCC website that appears in the text version of this week's newscast.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

[DO NOT READ: https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=380200&x=. ]


STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, Amateur Radio Daily reports that a ham in Germany has asked the FCC to oppose AST SpaceMobile's use of amateur radio frequencies on 70 cm and is seeking proof that its operation cannot cause interference to radio amateurs. A comment period remains open on the FCC website through the 21st of July.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, PC MAG, FCC)

**
CANADIAN AMATEURS IN YUKON TERRITORY GET SEPARATE SECTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The amateur radio map of Canada has undergone a change with the creation of a new section. Andy Morrison K9AWM has the details.

ANDY: Radio amateurs who live in Canada's Yukon Territory now have a section to call their own. Radio Amateurs of Canada has separated the Yukon Territory from the overall Territories section and given it a designation of its own. It now carries the abbreviation Y U K, setting it apart from hams in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Those regions will continue to be part of the section known as "Territories," which carries the abbreviation T-E-R.

Radio Amateurs of Canada made the announcement in the July/August 2025 issue of the journal, The Canadian Amateur. The change took effect on the 1st of July. While the new section may have consequences for ARRL Field Day, Sweepstakes CW, Sweepstakes SSB and the 160 metre contest, the changes are not expected to have an impact on any major contests from the ARRL or RAC. Organizers of QSO parties may need to review their operating rules.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(DX NEWS)

**
4 TEENS ON DAVE KALTER MEMORIAL DX ADVENTURE CALL CQ

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Listen for the pileups as four young amateurs get on the air from Curacao during the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us who they are.

TRAVIS: It is always a bit of a homecoming every year when the young participants in the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure arrive in Curacao at the super contest station of the Caribbean Contesting Consortium. From the 17th through to the 22nd of July, the adventurers' host Uli, DL8OBQ will be extending a welcome to Oklahoma brothers Izzy Russell, KJ5CMP, and Josiah, WD5JR, and their father, John N5VOF. Agnes Wagner, AD8IR, and her brother Ben, AD8FQ, are accompanied by their grandmother, JoAnn, a fan of CW even though she is not a licensed amateur operator herself. As in previous years, the group's log is destined to fill up with several thousand QSOs as the young operators call QRZ under the callsign PJ2Y from the island that is IOTA number SA-099.

The adventure opportunity, which is open to licensed amateurs between the ages of 12 and 17, bears the name of its cofounder Dave Kalter, KB8OCP, who became a Silent Key in 2013.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(YOUTHDXA.ORG)

**
YOUTH ON THE AIR JUNIOR CAMP HOLDS FIRST SESSION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Youth on the Air in the Americas camp has ended its run in Colorado - and now it is time for the camp's much younger version to shine in Ohio, as we hear from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: Youth on the Air Junior Camp USA, the younger sibling of Youth on the Air in the Americas, is preparing to welcome campers for the first time this month – and you can too, by working them when they get on the air. The debut session of this camp is being hosted by the West Chester Amateur Radio Association at National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester, Ohio. Youngsters under the age of 15 will be calling CQ with the special event callsign W8Y throughout the weekend of July 25th and at specially scheduled times.

When they are not in the shack, the campers will be involved in radio-related activities similar to those at the regional YOTA camps for young people 15 through 25. You can participate too by watching the opening ceremony at 1700 UTC on Friday, July 25th on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel, where videos will highlight some of the day’s activities. Of course, getting these youngsters in your log is the best way to support them. Be listening on the HF bands, especially at the following dedicated times: Friday, July 25th from 2230 to 0100 UTC; Saturday, July 26th from 1500 to 1600 UTC and Sunday, July 27th from 2000 to 2100 UTC.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO

(YOTA)

**
STUDENTS SOLAR-CAR EVENT GETS GOOD MILEAGE WITH HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur radio isn't the only activity that seeks good mileage from the sun. How about solar-powered automobiles? High school students are putting these homebrew vehicles to the test and amateur radio is celebrating that challenge, as we hear from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

KEVIN; The Texas Motor Speedway is the scene of the Solar Car Challenge, an event that has been encouraging high school students to experiment with alternative energy since 1993.

According to a post in the QRZ.com forums, special event station K5S will be on 20 meters from the 17h to the 25th of July to celebrate the cars built by students from California, Florida, Washington state, Texas and elsewhere. Listen for radio operators around 14.340 MHz for SSB and 14.074 MHz for FT8. They'll be on the air from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. US Central Time. The actual four days of the race are the 20th through to the 23rd.

Naturally, everyone is hoping for good terrestrial - and solar - weather. Everyone, start your engines!

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE, QRZ.COM)

**
CW OPS PREPARE TO FLY WITH 'FLIGHT OF BUMBLEBEES' EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Adventure Radio Society is challenging CW ops to turn down their power and get outdoors with the trees and the bees. Jim Damron N8TMW explains.

JIM: So here's the buzz: If you're a CW operator and enjoy QRP, four hours on July 27th have been reserved just for you. It's the annual "Flight of the Bumblebees," organized by the Adventure Radio Society and anyone can operate from 1700 to 2100 UTC.

Because the objective is for bumblebee stations to work portable and home-based stations to chase bumblebees, it promises to be quite a hive of activity. You'll know you're working a bumblebee because the operators will append /bb [stroke b b] to their calls. Each bumblebee will be assigned their own number so that they aren't just...bumbling along.

This popular event has also worked well for POTA hunters and SOTA chasers but, as always, there are rules to follow and there is a necessary exchange of bumblebee numbers and other information - but always, short and sweet.

For details, visit the Adventure Radio Society website. The link appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org. The society was formed in the 1990s by Russ Carpenter, AA7QU, in Oregon, to promote the enjoyment of QRP radio outdoors.

[DO NOT READ: https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html ]

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(ADVENTURE RADIO SOCIETY)

**
HAMS REUNITE MISSING DAUGHTER WITH FAMILY AFTER 8 YEARS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, hams helped a family reunite with a missing daughter they had long since given up for dead. We hear the details from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: The parents of a woman missing from West Bengal, India, for eight years were reunited with her in early July by amateur radio operators after she was found in Bangladesh. Her parents told local media that she had disappeared from home eight years ago and they were convinced she had died during that time. Local media reports said that the woman, who is now 28, has been determined to have mental challenges.

A report in the Indian Express said that Muhammed Abdul Gani Fitu, S21BD, a ham in Bangladesh, first spotted the woman at a railway station not far from the social services agency he operates. He told the newspaper that when he spoke with her, he was surprised to learn she was from India. He contacted amateurs in West Bengal and provided information about her home village and her parents' names, which she was able to provide.

In West Bengal, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said he received the woman's photos and other details and asked Sanjib Sarma, a shortwave listener who belongs to the West Bengal Radio Club, to assist by locating her parents. They were tracked down the next day and, following a video call between them and her daughter, arrangements were being made with government authorities for her eventual return after her medical condition could be further assessed and managed.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(INDIAN EXPRESS)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, a 12-person team will be using the callsign 9M8A from Satang Besar Island, IOTA number OC-165, East Malaysia from the 26th of July through to the 10th of August. Listen for them operating CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on 80 through 6 metres. They will also participate in the IOTA contest. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Maxim, OH7O [OH H Seven OH] is on the air as 8Q7YY from the Maldives, IOTA number AS-013, through to the 25h of July. His main mode is SSB but he will occasionally operate using FT8. Listen for him on 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 metres. See QSL details on QRZ.com.

Be listening for Jo, F8GDP, operating holiday style as F8GDP/p from Oleron Island, IOTA number EU-032, from the 20th of July through to the 1st of August. He will operate mainly using CW and occasionally FT8. Listen for Jo on 60, 40 and 30 metres. QSL via the home call.

Team J45E will be on the air from the 24th through to the 29th of July from Kos Island, IOTA number EU-001. Listen on 80 through 10 metres where operators will be using CW, SSB and the digital modes. The team will also participate in the IOTA contest. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: A LIFE-SAVING DISTRESS CALL SENT IN 'DOG MODE'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Finally, there are two tiny ham radio heroes in our final story for this week. Both prevented a hiking accident from turning into a tragedy. We'll let Ralph Squillace KK6ITB share the details.

RALPH: A July 4th hike in the Swiss Alps near the Italian border turned into a fight for life for one hiker after he lost his footing and plunged into an icy crevasse that trapped him 8 metres deep below the glacial surface.

The hiker was not alone. He'd held onto his amateur radio HT and used it to call for help. According to various media accounts, although his signal was picked up nearby, that radio operator could not narrow down the hiker's location. He reached out to emergency services instead.

The hiker was also not alone because he had a companion: his small dog, believed to be a Papillon [Pap-EE-Yon]. The little dog remained steadfast in the snow, sitting atop of the glacial hole that held the man captive. As it turns out, the shivering, barking dog is what got the helicopter rescue crew's attention first before they even saw the crevasse.

The Air Zermatt rescue team was able to lift the hiker and his dog to safety and flew them to a local hospital. Air Zermatt released a statement later calling the effort an "extraordinary" rescue mission. Neither the hiker's name nor the dog's name were made public.

Hams know that a lifesaving HT is always a plus for such hikes -- but for extra assurance, perhaps the next essential in the amateur radio "go kit" out to be something called an "LD" -- which in this case, stands for "Loyal Dog."

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

FRIDAY EDITION: Gorgeous day, balmy and windy on the isle....We use the 555 chip below below in many circuits at the club to teach electronics. Our favorite circuit is the simple code oscillator as well as timer circuits....and they are wicked cheap to buy.

Few electronic ICs can claim to be as famous as the 555 timer. Maybe part of the reason is that the IC doesn’t have a specific function. It has a lot of building blocks that you can use to create timers and many other kinds of circuits. Now [Stoppi] has decided to make a 555 out of discrete components. The resulting IC, as you can see in the video below, won’t win any prizes for diminutive size. But it is fun to see all the circuitry laid bare at the macro level.

The reality is that the chip doesn’t have much inside. There’s a transistor to discharge the external capacitor, a current source, two comparators, and an RS flip flop. All the hundreds of circuits you can build with those rely on how they are wired together along with a few external components.

Even on [stoppi]’s page, you can find how to wire the device to be monostable, stable, or generate tones. You can also find circuits to do several time delays. A versatile chip now blown up as big as you are likely to ever need it.

Practical? Probably not, unless you need a 555 with some kind of custom modification. But for understanding the 555, there’s not much like it.

We’ve seen macro 555s before. It is amazing how many things you can do with a 555. Seriously.

Safety Stand-Down: Look Up and Live

THURSDAY EDITON: 2025 Maine State Convention & Hamfest is coming up.....

2025 Maine State Convention & Hamfest

August 2, 2025 8 AM to NOONAugusta Civic Center

WEDNESDAY EDITION: Damn humid early, but its summertime...Our tax dollar at work....

A 15 (and 10) meter high-pass filter for Field Day

TUESDAY EDITION: Not much ham news this time of year, people ae out enjoying the wx

MMDVM Project Drops Support for M17 Mode

MMDVM, a popular software and hardware project that powers many amateur radio hotspots, has announced the intention to drop the M17 digital voice and data protocol as a supported mode. First communicated to the OpenDV Groups.io list on July 12th, the project's maintainer cited a number of grievances and rumours behind the decision.

Inclusion of M17 among the supported modes of the MMDVM project has been a major benefit to the current rate of adoption of M17. The first commercial radios supporting M17 shipped in the second half of 2024.

The M17 Project is an open source digital voice and data protocol that is positioned as an alternative to digital modes that require use of proprietary encoders.

MMDVM is an open source project that enables amateur radio hotspots to support multiple digital voice modes including D-STAR, DMR, YSF, P25, NXDN, and POCSAG.

Interesting Read....

Britons are more regular swearers than Australians or Americans, but what are their top swear words? Britons F*ck: 67% use regularly Sh*t: 65% Bloody: 54% Australians Sh*t: 61% F*ck: 56% Bullsh*t: 52% Americans Damn: 55% Sh*t: 54% F*ck: 47% 👇 more in chart below

MONDAY EDITION: I installed a new fan on an Alinco 330 power supply a few weeks ago and when I turned it on the fan did not come on, I was mystified and left it on the bench and had more pressing problems to deal with....like getting a tan....Then light dawned on Marblehead, I was thinking about the thermal sensor that went bad on the Henry repeater amplifier recently. The thermal sensor had given up the ghost. While waiting for a new sensor, I just wired the fans on so they ran all the time, all three of them. the specs were that the sensor turned on at 115 degrees which turned the fans on...............oops, no wonder the fan didn't go in the Alinco, it hadn't warmed up yet enough to turn the fan on. Now back to getting a tan while the sun is out, a rare phenomena around here.

Great Numbers Stacking Up for 2025 ARRL Field Day

The ARRL Solar Report

Spaceweather.com reports solar activity was at low levels with only C-class flares observed.  The largest flare during the period was a C8.9 from an unnumbered region beyond the east limb at S13.  This region was also responsible for the majority of the remaining flares alongside Regions 4136 and 4137.

An approximate M2 was observed by Solar Orbiter at 10/1326 UTC just beyond the east limb, bri…

Read more

Special Call Signs for this year’s International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Contest

Amateur radio operators in Puerto Rico will represent the United States in a worldwide amateur radio contest during the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF World Championship on July 12 – 13, 2025. The operators will use the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Headquarters station call sign, W1AW/KP4. The identifier of /KP4 is added to indicate the signal is being transmitted from Puerto Rico.

“We are very happy and honored that ARRL has given us the opportunity to use its call sign for this important contest,” said Angel Santana, WP3GW, Public Information Coordinator for the ARRL Puerto Rico Section, and the amateur radio operator in charge of organizing the 2025 event in Puerto Rico.

“Although W1AW/KP4 has been used in recent years in special events, the particularity this year is that, in addition to representing the United States, it takes place in the context of the founding of the IARU 100 years ago, which makes it more attractive while we are on the air as W1AW/KP4,” Santana added.

WEEKEND EDITION: Foggy morning start, hopefully it will burn off....30 beaches shutdown in MA from high bacteria counts, even here in Rockport we have had issues....

Amateur Radio Newsline

POTA ACTIVATOR ELECTROCUTED IN NORTH CAROLINA

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to the scene of a tragedy in North Carolina in which a well-known Parks on the Air activator died after being electrocuted. We have more details from Jim Davis, W2JKD.

JIM: Tripp Owens, N4NTO, a well-regarded POTA activator died on Friday, July 4th, when, according to investigators, his antenna mast made contact with an overhead power line at the Chicora Civil War Cemetery near the Averasboro [pron: aver-us-burro] Battlefield Historic Site, US-11375. According to several local news reports, emergency crews were called to the scene after Tripp was found unconscious in the parking lot. One news report said that fire crews found him with his foot touching the mast beneath the power lines. Power company crews turned off the power to give the responders access. Tripp was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report on the QRPer.com website relayed information from Dave W4JL, who said Tripp had been spotted on the Reverse Beacon Network between 12:02 and 12:13 UTC that morning but noted on the POTA spots page that he was going QRT. QRPer's Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL added: [quote] "This is heartbreaking news for those of us in the Parks on the Air and WWFF communities. Tripp was a well-known and well-loved North Carolina POTA operator—a dedicated hunter and activator whose callsign appears in my logs many times over the years." [endquote]

Tripp's death was ruled accidental. Within hours of the news, the ham radio community offered condolences to his family on social media and shared memories of a man who they praised for his spirit of mentorship and his gentle sense of humor. Mark Gibson, N4MQU, praised him for his achievements as a top CW operator and a devoted contester.

He had been a ham since 1985. "Ambrose 'Tripp' Owens the third was 57 years old.

This is Jim Davis, W2JKD.

(ABC-11, WRAL NEWS, QRZ.COM, QRPer.COM)

**
HAMSHACK HOTLINE TO BE DISCONTINUED

NEIL/ANCHOR: Say goodbye to Hamshack Hotline, the free VOIP telecomm service. The service announced it would be discontinued, effective the 29th of August. The project began in 2018 and grew to be a global communications network with a peak establishment of 7,000 interconnections across numerous servers. Hamshack Hotline's board of directors said it will donate whatever cash reserves it may have to a charity that supports military veterans.

(HAMSHACK HOTLINE)

**
FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT TO SPEAK AT DALLAS 'MOON DAY'

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Dallas, Texas, a former NASA astronaut will be the guest speaker at an educational event that marks the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and celebrates advances in space exploration. Sel Embee KB3TZD has that story.

SEL: Retired Colonel Carl Walz, formerly K-C-5-T-eye-E, will deliver the keynote address at the Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum during Moon Day, which celebrates space exploration and encourages attendees to participate in activities involving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Moon Day is taking place on the 19th of July, a date close to the July 24th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. The Ohio native, a former ISS astronaut, spent more than 18 hours conducting spacewalks to evaluate tools for the refurbishment of the Hubble Space Telescope.

AMSAT Ambassador Thomas Schuessler (Shoose-slur), N-5-H-Y-P, will join with satellite enthusiasts from North Texas to demonstrate CubeSats using models and a simulator, and talk about amateur radio in space. Members of the Dallas Amateur Radio Club will be on hand to also share amateur radio's role in supporting science education.

For details about attending - or if you live nearby and want to volunteer - email Tom at N5HYP-at-arrl-dot-net. (n5hyp@arrl.net)

This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.

(AMSAT NEWS)

**
YOTA AMERICAS CAMPERS LAUNCH FARTHEST BALLOON TRIP

NEIL/ANCHOR: Thirty two campers traveled from all over the world to Thornton, Colorado in June to attend the annual Americas wide camp for amateur radio operators aged 15 to 25 called Youth On The Air. Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA, has been the leader of the YOTA balloon launch team since he was 14 years old at the camp's first in person event in the Americas.

In 2022, Newsline shared Jack's story of one of his personal balloons becoming the closest any amateur radio balloon has been to the South Pole. At this year's YOTA camp, the youth team in cooperation with Edge of Space Sciences launched a high altitude balloon, tracked it by APRS, and brought back video from near space after reaching a height of 96,600 feet. But, thunderstorms prevented the launch of the two pico balloons scheduled for that afternoon.

Instead, the balloons were transported to NIST radio station WWV in Fort Collins the next day, where the campers were taking a tour of the facility and operated portable stations. The wide open spaces and clear sky at WWV proved to be a great launch site for these balloons as they started the longest journey of any YOTA Americas balloons yet. At the time of recording this edition of Newsline, one balloon is flying over Hawaii and is closing in on an entire orbit around the Earth, while the other balloon made it to western Iran before returning to the ground.

Jack told Newsline, "This all would not have been possible without the curiosity and efforts of the campers, for they were the ones assembling, balancing, and launching the balloons. I hope that through experiences like this, youth can be inspired to bring their amateur radio expertise into areas that they never thought possible, from research projects to future careers." The balloon launch was sponsored by the North Fulton Amateur Radio League. You can follow the trek of these balloons on WSPRNET.ORG under KM4ZIA and on APRS.FI under WØY-1 and WØY-11.

(YOUTH ON THE AIR)

**
SILENT KEY: AUSTRIAN MILITARY RADIO SOCIETY's MONIKA WLCEK, OE3YUP

NEIL/ANCHOR: An active and influential YL in Austria has become a Silent Key. We hear more about her from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: A near-fatal shooting in the head during an armed robbery in Vienna more than three decades ago nearly claimed the life of Monika Wlcek, OE3YUP. She ultimately emerged from a coma and recovered, though she was left partially paralyzed for the rest of her life. Her love of amateur radio, which she shared with her husband Helmut, OE3HCB, kept her in the forefront of the amateur radio community until she became a Silent Key on the 10th of June of this year. Her death was reported recently in the YL Beam newsletter.

Monika was an active member of the Forest District of the Austrian Military Radio Society and an active participant in YL activities each year at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen.

Monika was 79.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(YL BEAM)

**

NYC PROPERTY OWNER GETS "PIRATE" LETTER FROM FCC

NEIL/ANCHOR: In New York City, which the FCC considers one of the most active locations for unlicensed radio activity, another broadcaster has been charged with radio piracy. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has the details.

KENT: The Federal Communications Commission has sent a letter to a property owner in the New York borough of the Bronx, charging them with permitting unlicensed broadcasting from that location. The FCC cited complaints about a broadcast on 89.3 FM coming from an apartment above ground-floor retail establishments in June and November of 2024 and again this past January.

The letter was sent under the PIRATE Act of 2020, which strengthened the FCC's enforcement authority and raised possible penalties against pirate broadcasters. The property owners are required to respond to the agency within 10 days.

Under the PIRATE Act, the FCC can issue a maximum fine of $2.5 million if the broadcasts continue after the response period has passed.

The RadioWorld website, which carried the report, said one of its readers in New York City identified the broadcast as coming from an entity known as "Digital FM WDYM."

**
BRAZILIAN SPECIAL EVENT CELEBRATES 105-YEAR-OLD YL

NEIL/ANCHOR: At 105 years of age, the Brazilian radio operator known as "Grandma Alda" still keeps the word "young" in YL. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us about the on-air celebration held for her.

GRAHAM: The special event callsign PP105ASN was on the air for 11 days in June - but the YL being honoured has been on the air for 49 years - and she has been on the planet for 105. Her name is Alda Schlemm Niemeyer, who is known widely as "Grandma Alda."

To mark her 105th birthday this past spring, her fellow members in the Blumenau Amateur Radio Club used SSB and FT8 on HF -- as well as 2m FM simplex. The club's president, Mauro Cerqueira Leite, PP5BSD, told Newsline there were a total of 1,200 QSOs and they were acknowledged via digital QSL,

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(YL BEAM, BLUMENAU AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**
'NIGHT OF NIGHTS' HONORS LONG-GONE MARITIME TRADITION

NEIL/ANCHOR: Every year, devoted volunteers return the tradition of maritime radio to the air in California. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB tells us how.

RALPH: The silencing of the last maritime radio station in the US in California in 1999 gave voice to an effort to create the Maritime Radio Historical Society, K6KPH, to preserve its treasured Morse Code tradition.

Every year, the event, "Night of Nights," celebrates this tradition on the anniversary of the day that the station signed off - ensuring that July 12th would not mark the station's final signoff, after all. Broadcast engineers, radio operators and history enthusiasts have seen to that. They volunteered to bring new life to the receive site at the Point Reyes National Seashore and to the Bolinas Radio transmitter site - returning Morse service to the station known as KPH/KFS.

This year's 26th edition of "Night of Nights" is a collaboration of modern skills and classic style equipment, including "Marconi T" type antennas at both the transmitter and receive sites. KPH and KFS will be operating on assigned commercial frequencies while K6KPH will be operating on several HF amateur radio bands. For times, frequencies and QSL information, please check the Maritime Radio Historical Society website at radiomarine.org.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(MARITIME RADIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY; QRZ.COM)

**
DOUBLE CENTENARY FOR AMATEURS IN JAPAN

NEIL/ANCHOR: The practice of amateur radio in Japan is feeling its age - 100 years old next year - and hams there are ready to send a message that the best is yet to come. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us what's planned.

JIM: Japanese amateurs are marking a double anniversary - both spanning 100 years: They're celebrating the establishment of the Japan Amateur Radio League in June of 1926. The league was created to assist innovators and experimenters who were conducting their radio research without benefit of a licence. That changed in September of the following year, when the callsign JXAX was assigned by the government to the first of what would soon become a handful of radio telegraph and telephone stations. Ham radio kept growing so that just before the Second World War, the nation had 300 such stations.

Hams in Japan will be marking those two formative moments in history during a celebration designed to last 16 months -- the same time period between the events 100 years ago. Awards, ceremonies, special event stations, contests and an anniversary book are among the activities planned.

Clearly there's a lot to celebrate in that 100-year stretch which last year landed Japan in the Guinness Book of World Records for putting JS1YMG, the first amateur radio station, on the moon.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(JAPAN AMATEUR RADIO LEAGUE, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**
GRANT WILL HELP WITH CLUBLOG OPERATIONS UPGRADE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Expect improved operations soon from ClubLog, thanks to some grant money to cover the costs. Here's Jeremy Boot G4NJH with the details.

JEREMY: ClubLog, a service that has become a mainstay for DXers worldwide, has received an $8,000 grant in US currency for a hardware upgrade to improve operations. The funding from the Northern California DX Foundation is being given to Michael, G7VJR, ClubLog's author. In a DX foundation press release, ClubLog reminded users that the expensive upgrade of its servers is necessary to support expanded activity. Michael said: [quote] "...once the new servers are deployed, Club Log will be using cutting edge servers which are faster, more energy efficient and ready for years of high-endurance 24/7 work. " [endquote]

According to a press release from the DX foundation, the free ClubLog statistics service supports an estimated 130,000 callsigns worldwide and stores records of 1.25 billion QSOs.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Nicolas, F5TGR will be on the air from Iceland as TF/F5TGR from July 26th through to August 9th on 40, 30, 20, 15, 12 and 10m. Nicolas will be using CW, SSB and FT8. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Andre, HB9HLM is on the air holiday style as CN2NE from Morocco from the 15th through to the 22nd of July. Listen for him on 40-6 metres from grid locator IM63. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Special callsign TM5VDL is on the air through to the 19th of July from Dunkirk. This activation is taking place during the second stage of the Tall Ships Races. QSL via F8KGS.

Take [TAH-KAY], JI3DST, is using the callsign JI3DST/1 from Shikine [SHUH KEE NAY] Island, IOTA number AS-008, on the 24th through to the 28th of July and will be in the IOTA Contest. See QRZ.com for details.

Listen for Vlad, OK2WX, using the callsign JWØV from Longyearbyen, IOTA number EU-026, Svalbard from the 14th through to the 23rd of July. Vlad will be using CW, SSB and FT8 on 80-10 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: HEADQUARTERS FIELD DAY FOR OUR 2022 YHOTY WINNER

NEIL/ANCHOR: On the amateur radio calendar, ARRL Field Day is one of the most anticipated days of the year. For one YL in particular - and for Amateur Radio Newsline, the late-June event was one for the logbooks. Our final story for this week is about her - as we hear from Don Wilbanks AE5DW.

DON: With 1,536 sites in ARRL's Field Day locator, one in particular stands out: Headquarters station W1AW in Newington, Connecticut. Operators at the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station were, of course, calling "CQ Field Day" but if you were lucky enough to log this 6F-class station on Saturday, June 28th there's a good chance you may have worked Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN. Audrey was the Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the year for 2022. The Georgia resident has been in Connecticut working on an internship in support of her electrical engineering studies at Georgia Tech. Audrey is, of course, a Field Day veteran and a former operator for the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure to Curacao. Dayton Hamvention attendees may have also met her in Xenia, Ohio, as a presenter.

This year's Field Day at W1AW was a proud moment for us here at Newsline and we wish Audrey continued success and, of course, good DX.

FRIDAY EDITION: I listened in on 3928 and have not heard anyone as of late? Band conditions or what?....I never heard of Hamshack Hotline, article below

Amateur Radio Volunteers Serving During Texas Floods

THURSDAY EDITION: The key below caught my eye, looks interesting and uses less of a footprint on your desk.....

DXLook HF Propagation Map

DXLook – Where Your Signal Is Heard

We’ve all been there.

You call CQ on 15 meters, the radio’s alive, conditions seem okay… but you’re not getting answers. So, you do what most of us do — check propagation. Maybe you fire up PSK Reporter, or flip to WSPRnet, or check the DX Cluster. But you end up hopping between tabs, trying to piece together the story of what’s actually going on out there.

That’s exactly what led me to build this tool.

At its core, DXLook is a real-time HF propagation map for amateur radio operators. But unlike other tools that show you where someone else’s signal was heard, DXLook helps you answer “Where is my signal being received right now?”

Reception-Focused, Not Just Propagation

Propagation maps are great — but most of them are based on predicted or averaged conditions. DXLook flips the perspective and focuses on actual reception data, in real time. It visualizes who’s hearing your signal, what band they heard it on, and how strong it was. Think of it as your personal propagation mirror.

So instead of asking “Is 20m open?” you can now ask “Who’s actually hearing me on 20m — right now?”

All the Data, One Map

This is where DXLook stands out.

Instead of depending on a single source like WSPRnet or PSK Reporter, it brings all the major reception sources together:

• WSPRnet: beacon-level SNR across the globe
• Reverse Beacon Network: CW/FT8 spots with detailed timing
• PSK Reporter: digital mode activity
• DX Clusters: voice spots and DX alerts
• POTA: Parks on the Air activator activity
• Plus solar data overlays: MUF, SFI, A/K index, and day/night terminator

You can filter by mode, band, view from your local Maidenhead grid to see what’s being heard in your region.

Who It’s For

Whether you’re a new Technician trying to understand how far your signal travels, or a seasoned DXer trying to squeeze the most out of the grey line, DXLook helps you see the invisible. It’s also pretty handy during contests, POTA activations, or just for those “Is anyone out there?” moments.

No Login. No Tracking. Just Radio.

DXLook runs in your browser, no sign-up needed, no nonsense. It’s open to everyone — just visit dxlook.com and you’re in. You’ll see an interactive map updating live as new reception reports come in.

It’s not meant to replace other tools, but to unify them — and give you a clearer picture of what’s happening on the bands, right now.

So next time you spin the dial and wonder if you’re being heard… fire up DXLook.

See you on the air.
73,
Rodrigo – AK6FP

WEDNESDAY EDITION: I sent my Yaesu FT7250 back for service, low output and ratty audio. I got it back in two weeks. They did not tell me what was wrong but charged .45 for a pot, $90 for labor, an $34 for postage..you got to be shitting me! I had another one new in the box I bought from a club member so now I have two. They are a rock solid radio, I have had  the repaired radio in the truck for 7-8 years and it has worked great. A 50 watt 2/440 FM/C4FM radio....

NEW YORK – Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, of Columbiana, Ohio, has been selected as the 2025 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year.

Katie, 17, is the daughter of Robert Campbell, KE8LYZ, and Colleen Campbell, KB8VAQ.

Katie was introduced to ham radio at the age of 10 when her school started an amateur radio and electronics club. She was a fifth-grade middle school student at the time and quickly became licensed, advancing her way to an Extra Class ticket by the age of 11.

An honor student heading into her senior year of high school, Katie is president of the Columbiana High School Amateur Radio Club (K8LPS).

She said she was introduced to Morse Code early on and it became her favorite operating mode. 

“I learned CW through the Long Island CW Club,” she explained. “I’m pretty sure I found out about that just through my mom being on Facebook and seeing a posting about it right when they started.”

Katie became an instructor for the group and still teaches classes on sending and receiving Morse Code over Zoom as well as to members of her school club.

Katie attended Youth on the Air camps in Cincinnati in 2022 and Ottawa in 2023. Since then, she has been part of the planning staff for subsequent YOTA camps, and serves as a mentor to campers and handles public relations and social media postings for YOTA.

She was part of the K3LR IOTA Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure in 2023 and returned in 2024 to the K3LR site to lead the CW operations.

Katie is very active on the HF bands and operates in the ARRL and CQ DX SSB and CW contests, ARRL Sweepstakes and CQ WPX, as well as Youth on the Air events.

Katie has made presentations on the role of youth in amateur radio and contesting at the Dayton Hamvention, Orlando Hamcation and SEAPAC.

Katie received the Radio Club of America’s Young Ham Lends a Hand Award and the Young Amateur Communications Ham Team Friendship Recognition Award.

She also was selected as the ARRL Great Lakes Division Young Ham of the Year and has been serving as the ARRL Assistant Youth Section Coordinator for Ohio.

Katie is the net control for the Ohio Section Youth Net, which she started four years ago.

She also has served as the Young Ladies Radio League youth chairwoman and is a regular contributor to DX Engineering’s “OnAllBands” blog.

In her Columbiana school life, Katie has served as class president, student council member, various honor societies and has participated in speech and debate, theater, academic competitions and the school band.

Katie is the recent recipient of the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship. She will spend her senior year of high school studying abroad in Germany.

The YHOTY award will be presented to Katie on the “Ham Nation” program on July 30, 2025 , by host Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

Amateur Radio Newsline and Yaesu USA are primary sponsors of the award, along with Heil Sound, Ltd. and Radiowavz Antenna Company.

 The Young Ham of the Year Award was inaugurated by William Pasternak, WA6ITF, in 1986. Upon his passing in 2015, Bill’s name was added to the award as a memorial to his commitment to recognizing the accomplishments of young people to the Amateur Radio Service.

TUESDAY EDITION: A nice start to the day with sun and heat, a good day to go to the dump with the limb I took down the other day to clear the way and mount a new 2/440 Diamaond vertical antenna. I have room now to mount another wire antenna. I have a new Cobra Senior and also a new G5RV I have been meaning to put up and compare.

Ham Radio Publication Round-up

SWR
The Caribbean Amateur Radio Group has published their second issue of SWR which features DIY, Hamvention 2025, demystifying ALC, and ham radio ABCs. Viewers can sign-up for the free newsletter.

Amateur Television Journal
The July issue (PDF) features application notes, a call for submissions, Field Day ops, and new product announcements.

The Communicator
The July/August edition of The Communicator celebrates 50 years of the Surrey Amateur Radio Club. An astounding 130 pages of content includes calls for more data repeaters, a look inside rubber duck antennas, DLARC, 6 meter beacons, pico balloons, special events, and more.

The Logger's Bark
The July issue of The Logger's Bark (PDF) also weighs in at 130 pages including articles featuring the AB577 "Rocket Launcher" portable radio tower, Sea-Pac 2025 wrap-up, the open source TR1-EP DIY SDR, Putikeeg Model 20 Straight Key review, and more.

Zero Retries
Issue 0209 includes VARA FM - 12.5 kHz Bandwidth Versus 25 kHz Bandwidth, Jim Boddie NG2J - Silent Keyboard, ADRCS (IP400) Press Release, Radio Module 2 and DreamHAT+ - Unusual Radio Modules, HydraSDR RFOne.

The Random Wire
Issue 138 highlights Zero Retries Digital Conference registration, new Tecsun receiver, AllScan UCI90 interface, and trying the reRouter as an AllStar node.

ARDC
The May/June newsletter from ARDC features the 44Net Portal released as open source, grantee updates, and what ARDC has been up to.

The Canadian Amateur (Membership required)

QST (Membership required)
Topics include Second Century: IARU Restructuring (PDF). A free article, HamSCI: The Future of Ham Radio is Here, is available for download (PDF).

US Radio Orienteering Champs Crowned

Square a Voltage

Your design task, should you decide to accept it: given an input voltage, square it. Ok, that’s too hard since squaring 8 volts would give you 64 volts, so let’s say the output should be 10% of the square, so 8 volts in would result in 6.4V. How do you do it? [Engineering Prof.] knows how and will show you what you can do in the video below.

The circuit uses two op amps and some transistors. However, the transistors are used in a way that depends on the temperature, so it is important to use a transistor array so they are matched and will all be at the same temperature.

The math depends on the fact that the transistor response has a natural log term in it, and the property that the sum of two logs is the same as the log of the product of the numbers.

Because of the matching transistors, many of the terms in the equation cancel out. Because the transistors are current devices, the transistor circuit’s output current is the input current squared divided by the output transistor’s collector current. Then it is just a matter of converting the voltage to a current and back again using the right scaling.

There’s more to it, of course, but that’s the gist of it. You can dig into the math by watching the video. If the KCL references are fuzzy for you, here’s a refresher. Squaring a voltage would be pretty important for an analog computer.

MONDAY EDITION: This weekend was picture perfect for all the 4th actvities, a great kickoff to a summer of fun here on the island.

Are Service Loops a Good Idea?

Well, here’s an interesting idea: the service loop. Ever heard of it? We haven’t!

In the video, the presenter explains the service loop serves two purposes: on the one hand it may provide strain relief, but chiefly these loops are installed so there will be extra available slack in the cable if you need to rewire it some day to change the configuration of your pinout.

One major problem with the service loop may be that the single turn is enough to create an inductor which will then induce noise and cross-talk all over the place. Our rule of thumb is always to completely unroll wires and cables before using them. Do you have a theory about the benefits or problems with service loops? If you do, we’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

If you’re interested in strain relief, we’ve covered that before, and you don’t need a service loop to do it! Check out Cheap Strain Relief By Casting Hot Glue In A 3D Print and Arduino Uno Strain Relief.

FCC NEWS regarding recent budget

JULY 4TH WEEKEND EDITION: Nice parade, great cookouts, and the bonfire from the boat....

Peninsula amateur radio clubs look to connect with a younger generation

Four clubs set up together in Hampton for 2025’s annual amateur radio field day.

We are launching the boat today, just in time for the bonfire on the beach tonight. You can anchor just  offshore and watch the bonfire, fireworks, and band play at the American Legion bandstand....what a country!

Voile des Légendes Dunkerque 2025 Special Event

The Radio Club de l’Agglomération Dunkerquoise – F8KGS – is proud to announce the activation of a special event amateur radio station: TM5VDL, on the occasion of the “Voile des Légendes Dunkerque 2025” maritime festival.

Held every few years in the historic port city of Dunkerque, northern France, Les Voiles de Légende is a celebrated gathering of classic and legendary sailing ships from across Europe. The city comes alive with nautical pride, music, maritime culture—and in 2025, with radio waves!

This special callsign TM5VDL will be active from July 5th to 19th, operated by members of F8KGS Radio Club. Operators will be mainly active on HF, sharing the spirit of this majestic event with amateurs worldwide.

A special QSL card will be sent via bureau.

Join us on the air and help us celebrate the union of maritime heritage and amateur radio!

Source: Radio Club de l’Agglomération Dunkerquoise

2025 ARRL Field Day a Success

Amateur Radio Newsline Report

NEW WORLD RECORD FOR CW CALLSIGN COPY

JIM/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Germany where Europe's biggest ham radio trade fair was also the scene of a record-breaking achievement worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us up to date.

JEREMY: Ham Radio Friedrichshafen's theme this year centered around remote radio operations but strong attendance proved that hams still like to show up in person to greet one another. An estimated 11,600 guests from 52 countries made the annual trip to Germany.

Many of them were present as the ham radio fair celebrated a record-breaking moment. A 13-year-old radio amateur from Romania surpassed last year's achievement in high-speed telegraphy, As spectators watched, mostly in silence, Ianis Scutaru, YO8YNS, achieved a maximum speed of 1,160 characters per minute for callsign copy - for a total score of 395,191 - landing him in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause only after he had finished and the announcement was made. Ianis, the son of Lucian, YO8SLC, has been practicing Morse Code since the age of 8.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(LUCIAN, YO8SLC; HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN)

**
IN WEST VIRGINIA, A HIGH-FLYING FIELD DAY

JIM/ANCHOR: So how was YOUR Field Day? In West Virginia, it had one radio operator flying high, as we hear from Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ.

JEN: The East River Amateur Radio Club in Bluefield, West Virginia, picked quite the location for this year's Field Day.

DAVE: We chose the local municipal airport, Mercer County Airport, to be our venue.

JEN: President Dave Lester, N8VFR, said it was in a nice area outside of the airfield where they set up pop-ups and GOTA. As the event was winding down Sunday, and Dave was starting to think about packing up, club member and pilot, Jay Belt, K8CTI…

DAVE ....looked at me and said “let's go get on HF, up in the air.” And of course, I'm not going to say no.

JEN: Jay had put together a station, an H-F rig…

DAVE … just 20 meters. It was a quarter wave end-fed, and he had that ran from wing to tail.

JEN: Being in the air, Dave was easily getting through pile-ups.

DAVE I noticed immediately that I didn't have to turn the VFO very much at all to hear stations. You know, I guess elevation. I was just hearing everything!

JEN: They used Jay’s callsign in the air. Toward the end of the flight, Dave found THE frequency…

DAVE: …and just started calling CQ.

SOUND CLIP: “CQ Field Day – Aeronautical Mobile Station Kilo Eight Charlie Tango India”

JEN: There were some challenges. The logistics of logging and…

DAVE: ...The radio and the tuner were were screwed to this board, and I was having to balance it between my knees because there's nowhere in the plane to mount the thing.

JEN: It was a total of 39 minutes from takeoff to landing. During that time, Dave snagged eleven contacts.
It wasn’t just the aircraft on the air which made the club’s Field Day successful.

DAVE: I was completely blown away and overwhelmed by the public reaction to our Field Day. They just came out of nowhere.

JEN: There were young adults in their twenties, an amateur extra who came to GOTA for his very first time, and several people sign up for the club’s exams.

DAVE: It was definitely a positive impact on the community. And, you know, the, I guess being at the airport was, was kind of a draw.

JEN: I’d say.

SOUND CLIP: "CQ Field Day Aeronautical Station Mobile!"

JEN: Jen DeSalvo W9TXJ

**
SILENT KEY: ROGER SMALLWOOD, N8EKG, R&L ELECTRONICS EXECUTIVE

JIM/ANCHOR: The ham radio community is grieving the loss of Roger Smallwood, N8EKG, president of operations at R&L Electronics in Ohio for more than 40 years. Roger, who had cancer, became a Silent Key on Saturday the 28th of June. In his online obituary, customers and longtime friends alike recalled his friendly, easygoing manner, his helpfulness and his much-anticipated appearances at Dayton Hamvention. Many recalled the family business that helped build, which earned the popular nickname, "The Candy Store" for its assortment of amateur radio equipment.

Roger was 55.

(BROWN-DAWSON-FLICK FUNERAL HOME)

**
RUSSIAN EME COMPETITORS PREP FOR SECOND ROUND

JIM/ANCHOR: For decades now, the race to the moon has always symbolized one of the biggest challenges in global space-based competitions. The Russian EME Contest doesn't use any spacecraft, however, just VHF radio communications - and it's a race to the moon that's stirred interest worldwide for years. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF explains.

JIM: Get ready for the second round of the Russian EME contest, hosted by the Union of Radio Amateurs of Russia. The sixth annual international competition kicked off with its first round on the last weekend in June. Now competitors are preparing for the final round on July 26th and 27th. While the first round was held on 144 MHz, 432 MHz, 5.6 GHz and 24 GHz, the second round will see amateurs trying for EME QSOs utilising 1296 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 10 GHz. Once again, hams will be making use of CW, SSB and the digital modes.


(UNION OF RADIO AMATEURS OF RUSSIA, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**
OHIO YL CHOSEN AS NEWSLINE'S YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

JIM/ANCHOR: Our panel of judges has selected the 2025 Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award winner. Mark Abramowicz NT3V is chairman of the award committee and has the announcement..

MARK: She is 17 years old and from the small town of Columbiana in northeast Ohio. Meet Katie Campbell KE8LQR.

MARK w/KATIE: You are the 2025 Young Ham of the Year

KATIE: Thank you so much.

MARK: Are you surprised?

KATIE:: Uh, yeah, yeah.

MARK: Not expecting a call like this as the summer begins?

KATIE: No, I was not.

MARK:: Katie Campbell is a bright and talented advocate for youth in amateur radio whose interest in the hobby was sparked when she was 10.

KATIE: My school started an amateur radio and electronics club [in] my fifth-grade year open to just middle-schoolers that year. So, I joined and then pretty quickly made the connection that that’s’ like what my family had been sort of involved with. My grandpa had had his license since he was around 14. And, then my mom she’d also had her license since middle school.

MARK: Katie says she quickly got her ham ticket advancing all the way to Extra by the age of 11. She says she then discovered the music of Morse Code. She immersed herself in CW and contesting and rose to become president of K8LPS, the Columbiana School Radio Club located inside the science classroom of Katie’s mom, Colleen Campbell KB8VAQ.

Her dad is Robert Campbell KE8LYZ. Katie’s maternal grandfather is Thomas Frost N8GGK. It was her interest that got him radio active again.

Katie attended the Youth on the Air camp in 2022 in Cincinnati and has been a key staff member ever since, doing public relations and mentoring campers.

Katie has been a regular presenter at forums at the Dayton Hamvention, Hamcation and SEA-PAC.

Katie has another opportunity as she begins her senior year of high school: as an exchange student in Germany. She’s hoping to make amateur radio a part of her experience.

**
RUSSIA WORKS ON MODULES FOR SPACE STATION

JIM/ANCHOR: Russia's space-station partnership with the US will soon be replaced by its own orbital station as Roscosmos prepares its first modules. We hear more from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Just as the US prepares to take the International Space Station out of service in 2030, the space agency Roscosmos plans to launch the first modules for its Russian Orbital Station, the world's first drone platform space station employing robot maintenance. The move also marks the end of international collaboration in space between NASA and Roscosmos.

The Russian space agency is eyeing a 2027 launch for the first segment of its space station - the Scientific and Power Module, as the station enters a near-polar orbit. The full transition to the Russian Orbital Station is expected to be completed by 2030, just as the ISS awaits decommissioning. Other modules are also set for launch in 2030, including the gateway, the universal-node and base modules. Roscosmos expects the spacecraft to establish several stable communication channels by 2030, as the number of communication devices increases over the years. Roscosmos views the space station as a permanent fixture for Russia's space activities well outside of Earth's orbit.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA)

**

FCC ROUNDTABLE FOCUSES ON HURRICANE-RESPONSE COMMUNICATION

JIM/ANCHOR: If you are involved in hurricane-response here in the United States and are hearing this newscast before July 7th, a live-streamed roundtable, hosted by the Federal Communications Commission on that date may be of interest to you. Randy Sly W4XJ explains.

RANDY: The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a live online roundtable that it hopes will help communicators, public safety workers and power companies improve collaboration during this hurricane season in the US. The Hurricane Season Resiliency Roundtable is taking place on Monday, the 7th of July, and will be conducted by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Advance registration is required.

The program, which can be attended in person or via a livestream, will take place in three panel sessions: “Challenges to Response and Recovery of Power and Communications Outages in the Aftermath of a Hurricane,”will be the first topic covered. Collaboration will be explored in the second session, “Current Government, Intra-Industry and Cross-Industry Partnerships.” The final session will look at planning ahead. It is called “The Advance Preparation Frameworks for Power and Communications.”

The roundtable begins at 9:30 a.m. at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

To register, see the link in the text version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety/event-registration ]


This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(FCC, RADIO WORLD)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Aldir, PY1SAD is on the air as 8R1TM from Guyana until the 8th of July. He is using CW, SSB and the digital modes on 160-6 metres. He is also making contacts via satellite. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Peter LB2OB is operating holiday style from Jan Mayen, IOTA number EU-022 as JX/LB2OG for the next few weeks. He is operating primarily on 40 and 20 meters, using SSB and FT8. QSL via his home call.

Tim, NØUI is on the air as ZD7TIM from St. Helena, IOTA Number AF-022, through to the 13th of July.
Tim is using CW, SSB and maybe some RTTY on 40-10 metres. Be listening as well on 6 meters if conditions are favorable. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: TOILETS ON THE AIR? GO WITH THE FLOW

JIM/ANCHOR: Our final story isn't exactly a news leak but.....let's just say that we really can't hold it much longer. Neither can Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

NEIL: Are you sitting down? Well, it's time to lift the lid on the news: Toilets on the Air is coming in August. If you happen to be in the New York City area that month, well, you gotta go, you just gotta go! The amateur radio contest was begun by Georg DH5GH at the Chaos Communication Congress, a hacker conference in Germany. It is making its debut in the US at the HOPE 16 conference in New York City in August. Because HOPE is a hub for hackers and innovators, contest organizer Todd Mazierski KE2AEQ, thought this venue would be perfect to launch a creative challenge to licensed hams there. Activators select designated restrooms on the campus of St. John's University to make the most CW, voice and digital contacts with others on 2 meters and 70 cm.

Now let's be clear, activators are permitted to sit or stand while they are doing their business while holding their HTs -- but they must be outside the restroom doors -- and a few meters away. They can only go inside the bathroom to, uh, "go" inside the bathroom for the usual reason. Yes, you heard that right: bathroom breaks are OK. Now that's a relief!

Todd announced the contest on his blog. So did Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL. It's posted on his site, the appropriately named QRPer.com [QR-PEE-er dot com]

THURSDAY EDITION: My favorite holiday coming up along with Thanksgivng, God Bless America!

ARRL® Logbook of The World® Return to Service

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® will return Logbook of The World® (LoTW®) to service at 10:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

We are happy to be bringing the upgraded LoTW servers online, as we know radio amateurs around the world rely on LoTW to receive QSLs and apply for awards. The improvements we made will make no change in the visual appearance of LoTW but will provide e…

Read more American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources – Read More

Voile des Légendes Dunkerque 2025 Special Event

The following is a message from the Radio Club de l’Agglomération Dunkerquoise:

The Radio Club de l’Agglomération Dunkerquoise - F8KGS - is proud to announce the activation of a special event amateur radio station: TM5VDL, on the occasion of the “Voile des Légendes Dunkerque 2025” maritime festival.

Held every few years in the historic port city of Dunkerque, northern France, Les Voiles de Légende is a celebrated gathering of classic and legendary sailing ships from across Europe. The city comes alive with nautical pride, music, maritime culture—and in 2025, with radio waves!

This special callsign TM5VDL will be active from July 5th to 19th, operated by members of F8KGS Radio Club. Operators will be mainly active on HF, sharing the spirit of this majestic event with amateurs worldwide.

A special QSL card will be sent via bureau.

Join us on the air and help us celebrate the union of maritime heritage and amateur radio!

Ham radio connects the world

Russell Sawyer is a retired doctor who travels the world several times a week. He’s down in his basement searching for other ham radio operators.

"Sometimes this is like fishing," he says. "You wait patiently for someone to talk to."

There are as many as 30,000 operators in Virginia, talking about the weather, the family, the gear they use to send greetings around the world.

To broadcast on frequencies reserved for amateur operators, he had to take a test and pay $15 to the FCC. He spent $400 on some used equipment, ran a hundred-foot antenna from one tree to another in his backyard, and he was in business. This weekend, he plans to join other hams at the Earlysville Fire Station for a 24-hour marathon – hoping to interest others in his hobby.

"We’ve got some young people involved with this -- they’re in high school and have a ham radio license. In fact, I think there’s one fellow in the club who will bring several of his students to the field day and is going to set up an educational activity and do some soldering and go on the air, and we’ve got some older people who are just interested in taking it up as a hobby – learning something new, a chance to learn a new language: Morse code."

It’s fun, he says, and should the grid go down in an emergency, amateur radio operators could provide essential communications with a battery. The Albemarle Amateur Radio Club will be on the air from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday and will offer newcomers a chance to try their hand at ham radio.