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Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for yourweekly Dose of DX. I'm Bill, AJ8B. The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DXcolumn in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com 9X – Rwanda - F8FUA, Alain Esquirol, is active holiday style as 9X5KM from Kigali, Rwanda, until June 13. He operates CW, SSB, and digital modes on all HF bands, with possible 160-meter activity depending on local conditions. His station has a hexbeam, dipoles, and a vertical. 3G0Z – Juan Fernadez Island – “Update Ten days after the start of the Dxpedition, I have reached 15K QSOs across thedifferent bands and modes from 160 to 10m. Keep an eye to the low bands, Robinson Crusoe 3G0Z is ONAIR!  VR2XAN, Alberto, is QRV as XX9TXN from Macao until June 9, SSB, CW and FT8, on all bands 160-6, “with a special focus on North America.” He says he will attempt SSB on 80M “and maybe 160.” QSL to IV3SKB. TF1OL, Ólafur, and his wife will be on Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, from June 12 to June 23 for a 10-day stay. During this time, he will be active on FT8 and FT4 on 80 through 6 meters under the callsign D4OL.  VK2CJR, Chris, operating as 3D2CJR, is operating holiday-style until June 9th, around the Nadi, Fiji Islands area with possible short visits to a few outlier islands. He is operatingmostly on 20 meters, probably using FT8 when time and conditions allow, with modest power of around 30–50 watts and a vertical or simple dipole setup depending on the location. As he is traveling light and prioritizing familytime, this will be a casual trip with some radio activity rather than a full DXpedition, and logs will most likely be uploaded after the trip due to limited internet access. DL2SBY, Kasimir, is QRV from Zanzibar as 5H1KB until June 12. He will use an ICOM IC-7300 with an amplifier and vertical antenna.We arrived here (LHI) safely on Monday 1st June and by 6pm we had all three stations up and running. Two x FlexRadio Aurora 520Ms and a trusty old IC7000 dedicated for FT8. Antennas are DX-Commander and an 80m Doublet, with a2nd short vertical for the IC7000. Bands will be as planned, 80 -10m, CW, SSB and FT8.And a first for our team: ClubLog Livestream. Check it out if you haven't used it before, it is a great way to see what bands we are on and who we are working, not to mention getting near real-time confirmation of your QSO. If you need (orjust want) Lord Howe Island in your log, continue to listen out for us; we're here until 14th June running three stations.SU8SOS is an Egyptian Amateur Radio Society (ERASD) activity focused on emergency communications, public demonstrations, and training for licensed operators and young volunteers to support relief, rescue, and community service during emergencies and disasters. The SU8SOS teamwill be active until June 10 on SSB and FT8 F/H across all HF bands, with QSL management by VE1AYM. 5H – Tanzania EA5JVW, Alex, isQRV as 5H3VW from Tanzania and Zanzibar Island until June 10. This will be a holiday-style portable operation from various locations around Zanzibar Island and Tanzania. Activity is expected daily between 15:30 and 17:00 UTC (18:30–20:00 local time), subject to travel plans and propagation conditions. Operation will be mainly on 20m, with possible activity on 40m, using SSB. QSL will be available via QRZ Logbook, eQSL, and bureau. 8Q – Maldives 8Q7ML will be active from Embudu Island, Maldives on June 7–14. Operator LU8MIL, Ivan, plans a holiday-style operation mainly on the 20–6 meter bands, with possible 40 meters, using FT8 and SSB.             If you have questions or need information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week! 

The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of theDailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com 3X – Guinea – Elvira, IV3FSG, is QRV from3X3A on Roume Island (AF-051), Republic of Guinea, until April 25. Thisself-funded, single-operator DXpedition will focus on making contacts across HFand 6m bands using SSB, CW, and FT8/4/2 modes, utilizing two Icom IC-7300radios and multiple antennas. Roume Island is historically known as the"Treasure Island" of West Africa. https://www.qrz.com/db/3X3A   Z8 - South Sudan - The International DX Pressand OM3JW report that Diya, Z81D, aka YI1DZ, has had his World Food Programcontract extended by eight months and returns to Juba this week.  He will be on the air in his spare time, FT8and SSB, mostly on weekends.  QSL toOM3JW through OQRS.   C5 – Gambia - The 425 DX News reportsthat F4AGG and F5RAV will be on the air as C5D on digital modes RTTY, PSK andFT8 and as C5C on SSB and CW, between April 24 and May 8.  They plan a side trip to the Bijol Islands,AF-060, as well.  From the island thecallsign will be C5B, and on the RS-44 satellite.  C5D's QSL is through LoTW only.  C5C and C5B are both via LoTW or direct viaF5RAV.  4W6DA, Timor-Leste - VK4MAP, DarrenJohnston, has been active holiday-style since April 2 as 4W6DA. Heis mostly on 10M SSB, but is also on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 12M, using an ICOMIC-7300 at 100W into two wire antennas. QSL via VK4MAP and include four U.S.dollars or four Euros.   3B9N, Rodrigues Island - VU3OPT (akaOM0GA), Suvarna, has just completed the first week of a seven-week DXpeditionto Port Mathurin, Rodrigues Island (grid square MH1Øqh), where he is operatingas 3B9N. He will be there until May 20. He plans a trip to Lakshadweep (VU7) inthe second half of this year and is also considering a trip to Sri Lanka (4S)or Bangladesh (S2).D6 -Comoros -After completing his FH/UR9IDX operation from Mayotte Ivan will continues his journeyin the Indian Ocean with a month-long stop in the Comoros as D60DX. Listenfor him on CW and SSB S0 - WesternSahara – Naama, S01A, and Azman,S01AH, will be QRV as S09S until May 31st, operating from the Sahrawi Republic.Theyare running 100 watts to dipole antennas and multiband beams. They will beoperating QO-100, from several grids. Look for S09S to also be QRV duringthe CQ WPX CW Contest, May 30-31. QSL via Club Log and LoTW. 8R –Guyana - 8R1TMis QRV until May 10, weekdays between 2300-0300Z on 160-6M CW,SSB, digital and satellite.  PY1SAD, Aldir, says on the weekends it's"full time" on 160-6, the same modes. OX – Greenland- Bo, OZ1DJJ, isQRV as OX3LX from Aasiaat Island (NA-134), Greenland until April 25th. He isthere on a work assignment and will be QRV in his spare time.VK9/C - Cocos (Keeling) – Mark, VK9BSA, and Deena, VK9DEE, are QRV fromCocos-Keeling. Band conditions have not been favorable, and Mark willmainly be operating on weekends and some evenings. There is no fixedoperating schedule yet. FO/M - Marquesas Islands- The TX9W teamheading to the Marquesas Islands report they will depart in eleven days.They plan to be active from Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands on April 19.

Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for yourweekly Dose of DX. I'm Bill, AJ8B.The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com3B9 - Rodrigues Island - VU3OPT, aka OM0GA, Suvarna, is QRV as 3B9N from Port Mathurin, Rodrigues until May 20. FO - French Polynesia - On Monday, FO/F6BCW, Didier, reported that the island's internet network had been down for approximately 1.5 hours and may remain unavailable until Tuesday. Severe weather, including heavy squalls and violent thunderstorms with lightning, caused significant damage to temporary antenna setups. The 30m and 40mbands are currently unusable, and the Vertical Dipole Arrays (VDA) nearly collapsed. The main station itself remains operational. Monitoring of beacons showed zero EU signals, and no European opening was expected Monday.  -4W - Timor-Leste – On April 1st, VK4MAP, Darren, arrived in Temor-Leste and on April 5 got on the air with the 4W6DA callsign, "holiday style." He should now be QRV from AtauroIsland in the East Timor Coastal Islands Group.  He willhave callsign 4W6DA/P then.  Darren says he will mostly be on 10M but also 80, 40, 20, 15 and 12, and it is "voice only."  He hasan ICOM IC-7300, two wire  antennas to choose from, and 100 watts.  QSL via VK4MAP with 4 USD or 4 EURO to cover the postage. D6 - Comoros - After completing his FH/UR9IDX operation from Mayotte Ivan will continues his journey in the Indian Ocean with a month-long stop in the Comoros as D60DX. Listen for him on CW and SSB S0 - Western Sahara – Naama, S01A, and Azman, S01AH, Azman, will be QRV as S09S until May 31st, operating from the Sahrawi Republic, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sahrawi Republic. They are running 100 watts to dipole antennas and multiband beams. They will be operating QO-100, from several grids. Look for S09S to also be QRV during the CQ WPX CW Contest, May 30-31. QSL via Club Log and LoTW. A little bit in the future, we will see 3XFSG, the Republic of Guinea, activated by Elvira, IV3FSG, from April 11 to the 25. She will operate HF and 6M, “all modes,” with two “lowerpower” stations and vertical antennas. Elvira expects a couple of daily power outages that will force her off the air.TN - Congo - "Father Darek", HF3GD,  is now in Brazzaville on a new "pastoral and humanitarian mission."  In West Africa he also has the callsigns TJ1GD, TL8GD, and TT1GD.  In The Congo he will be TN8GD, HF and 6, "FT modes," CW and SSB.  He is waiting for his Logbook of the World certificate.  Darek is also hoping  to set up remote operation capability when the infrastructure there can support that.  QSL using Club Log OQRS or direct to SP3EOL.8R – Guyana - 8R1TM is QRV until May 10, weekdays between 2300-0300Z on 160-6M CW, SSB, digital and satellite.  PY1SAD, Aldir, says on the weekends it's "full time" on 160-6, the same modes. OX – Greenland- OZ1DJJ, Bo, is QRV as OX3LX again from Aasiaat Island (NA-134), Greenland until April 25th. Heis there on a work assignment and will  be QRV in his spare time.VK9/C - Cocos (Keeling) - VK9BSA, Mark, and VK9DEE, Deena, QRV from Cocos-Keeling. Band conditions are currently not favorable, and Mark will mainly be operating on weekends and some evenings. There is no fixed operating schedule yet. FO/M - Marquesas Islands- The TX9W team heading to the Marquesas Islands report they will depart in eleven days.They plan to be active from Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands on April 19. This week, the DX Mentor YouTube episode will feature CE3/N5NU & K0MD discussing POTA and DXing from Chile. Give it a watch and let me know what you think. 

Foundations of Amateur Radio A little while ago I discussed a lovely article by programmer, artist, and game designer "blinry" called "Fifty Things you can do with a Software Defined Radio". This week it occurred to me that I could use their article as a framework to further explore my Bald Yak project. If you're unfamiliar, the Bald Yak project aims to create a modular, bidirectional and distributed signal processing and control system that leverages GNU Radio. For that to happen, I need a solid understanding of GNU Radio and its ecosystem. While I've been playing with it off and on for a decade or so, I have yet to build anything substantial for the simple reason that there was a puzzle piece missing. Last week I discovered it .. by accident. One of the fundamental things I'm attempting to achieve is the creation of a system that doesn't care which radio device you're using. In case you're wondering, I'm doing this because there is a proliferation of device specific software that cannot keep up with the influx of new hardware, doesn't consider the growing use of network connected radios, forced by increased RF noise levels in many communities across the world, not to mention, connecting increasingly expensive computing hardware to lightning rods. If everything goes to plan, it should be possible to use the project with any radio device. This is easier said than done. In GNU Radio this complex issue is addressed by having different blocks that represent different devices. You'll find receiver specific source blocks and equivalent sink blocks representing transmitters. While that's all fine and usable, it means that if I were to publish, say an FM receiver flowgraph, essentially a collection of blocks representing software that implements an FM receiver, I have to decide how I want to deal with the specific device. Do I select an RTL-SDR dongle as the device in my flowgraph and let you figure out how to make it work on the HackRF or the PlutoSDR sitting in your shack, or do I make it completely hardware agnostic, requiring you to wire it all together for your specific situation? Neither is desirable, or simple. Added to this is the problem that trying to make this work using a traditional analogue radio would cause more issues, since there isn't a Yaesu FT-857d block, nor is there one for an Icom IC-7400, let alone something from last century. Someone with some GNU Radio experience might point out that there are source and sink blocks for an audio device, which would allow you to plug one of those radios into a sound card and access the receiver, or transmitter, that way. While that would work, it requires that the radio is physically connected to a computer that's running GNU Radio. It would also give you all manner of headaches attempting to change frequency in the same way as you could using an RTL-SDR dongle. There are several ways to get remote radio control working across a network. For example, using 'rigctld' and 'Hamlib', we can change frequency on over 300 analogue radios, but even if you do, you'll discover that getting the audio across the network creates a whole range of new issues, not to mention that GNU Radio doesn't talk to Hamlib compatible radios. This is why many remote radio solutions are implemented as remote desktop sessions to a computer that is physically connected to the radio. While attempting to solve a completely unrelated challenge last week, I came across 'SoapySDR', described as a vendor and platform neutral SDR support library. Essentially it's a project that allows an application to interact with different devices without needing to support individual radios. This allows an application developer to write their software to support SoapySDR and from then on benefit from its ability to talk to lots of radios in a variety of different ways. For example, one of the in-built features is called 'SoapyRemote' which allows you to connect to a SoapySDR radio and interact with it across a network. Specifically, you can send and receive, as well as control the radio, essentially bundling together both the audio and control signals. SoapySDR also includes a tool called 'soapy-audio'. While documentation is sparse, it appears to support Hamlib, which means that you can, at least theoretically, connect a low powered computer, like for example a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, to your analogue radio and access and control it across the network. Best part? It's supported by GNU Radio and many other applications. I've started creating a repository with the "Fifty Things you can do with a Software Defined Radio", one directory per thing, that will contain the bits needed to run inside GNU Radio and across the network to any SoapySDR compatible hardware. Now, before you get as excited as I am, there's a few hurdles. I'm not yet sure of the status of soapy-audio, but it looks promising. I have the bits sitting on my computer and I'm working through them. For example, I'm not sure if the current implementation supports transmit. I also have anecdotal evidence that Hamlib support is incomplete, but I don't yet know to what extent. I anticipate some coding in my future. I suspect it will be the equivalent of building a new SoapySDR module, but time will tell. I can tell you that I'm running an RTL-SDR dongle connected to a low-power computer and I can connect to it across the network with GNU Radio on my workstation and run a proof of concept FM receiver flowgraph. There's no reason for either computer to be in the same room, let alone the same country. You'll find the project on my VK6FLAB GitHub page. I plan to work my way through the 50 items and discover what I don't know about GNU Radio. Feel free to play along. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

News of Silent Keys:- Greg Ackman VK4BBX and Ray Hinks VK4LU Sad news to report that TARC Life Member Ray Hinks VK4LU has gone Silent Key. Ray was a former member of the Queensland Police Service, a foundation member of the Townsville Civil Defence Volunteers, and a volunteer with the Townsville Division of the Queensland State Emergency Service. Ray came to Australia with his family from the UK when only a nipper but could remember the bleak weather in Blighty. He much enjoyed the tropical weather of Townsville, constantly scoffed the weather boffins' forecast for rain and rugged up well when the temperature in North Queensland dipped below 15C. Ray did great things for theTARCinc, serving as Treasurer and also setting up through the local federal members of Parliament permission to print the magazine of renown, Back-scatter, an arrangement that continues to this day. While in good health, Ray was also active on HF and out in the field, helping with many comms support events. He enjoyed holidays away fruit picking and occasionally touring the Cape in his old but reliable Hi-Lux van (he went places with the 2-wheel drive vehicle many 4WD drivers would avoid) and always said that he would be lucky to see 70years old. Well, he made it to 92. During the last year, Rays's health started to decline even more, and a diagnosis of Stage 4 Cancer sealed the deal. He enrolled in the Volunteer Assisted Dying scheme, set his affairs in order and went Silent Key in Townsville University Hospital on Friday, 23rd January at 0400UTC. Before passing between 0335 and 0338UTC Ray's daughter Yvette, went on-air as Ray's Second Operator through the Townsville VHF Repeater and asked for any stations to send Ray any last messages. TARC Club Station VK4WIT responded, wishing Ray good DX and best journeys on his DXpedition in the next world. Ray's funeral was a private service attended by family members. Vale Ray Hinks VK4LU - Silent Key. VK4BBX Two men died in a light plane crash north of the Gold Coast shortly after taking off from a private airstrip at about 6 am on Tuesday en route to a small town near Tamworth in NSW. Police have confirmed the 73-year-old pilot from Beenleigh and his male passenger, believed to be from Sydney, died at the scene. They were the only occupants of the plane which came down just after take-off in bushland in Jacobs Well, near the Heck Field Airstrip, shortly before 6 am on Tuesday. The Pilot? VK4BBX Greg Ackman Greg was the founder of Mobile One antennas. He built the business from a garage-based operation during the 1970s. He became a ham in late 2021. VK4BBX was a familiar face in the Australian amateur radio community, often showcasing Mobile One products at field days and events. Vale VK4BBX. This is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club. The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club presents Redfest 2026 – Saturday, the 11th of April at Deception Bay North State School. This year's highlight: major prize draw for the brand-new Icom IC-7300 Mark II transceiver! Enjoy hands-on workshops with excellent technical speakers, including the FreeDV team from Victoria, demonstrating open-source digital voice over HF. Plenty of resellers offering new and pre-loved gear, plus breakfast, morning tea, and fresh barista coffee on site. Join us for trading, learning, prizes, and great company on Saturday, 11 April 2026. We can't wait to see you at Redfest!" For the Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm Secretary John VK4JPM, and here's our QNEWS for the week starting Sunday, 1st of February. Let's start by welcoming four new members who joined over the last little while: a big hi to Eddi, Mark, Bruce and Alan - you know who you are. They've taken the discount, where membership of the club right now is half price, $20... all this stuff for the price of four coffees!

Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for your weekly Dose of DX. I'm Bill, AJ8B.The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.comKP5 - Desecheo Island – On Monday, KP5/NP3VI began operations from Desecheo Island, the first time KP5 has been on the air since 2009. NP4G, Otis, and several other team members were on the island setting up the antennas, stations and solar panels. We have an update from the KP5 team - Desecheo DXpedition 2026 Update“Please be patient—this is only Day Two of a planned 30-day activation. This DXpedition represents a completely new operating concept designed specifically for environmentally sensitive, highly regulated, and restricted locations. As with any first-of-its-kind effort, refinements are ongoing. Our team leaders, along with electrical and software engineers, are actively fine-tuning operating schedules, band and mode selection, RF power levels, and overall system performance to optimize results as conditions evolve. Due to Desecheo's geographic location, North American stations are currently dominating propagation. That said, our operators have been explicitly instructed to listen for DX stations and to give them priority whenever possible in order to broaden log coverage. We ask for your patience as we work through the pileups and strive to put as many stations as possible into the log.A primary goal of this DXpedition is to deliver as many ATNOs as we can worldwide. Thank you for your understanding, your support, and your cooperation.Good luck in the pileups—and we'll see you in the log!73,Steve N2AJMedia Officer & PilotDesecheo DXpedition 20265H - Tanzania - Dr. Charles, NK8O, is QRV from Tanzania as 5H3DX until February 9 with limited radio activity due to other commitments. He plans to operate mainly 20 to 10 meters, possibly 6 meters if conditions allow, using simple antennas. A more extensive operation is expected in April, and he is exploring remote operation, though limited Internet access is currently a challenge.VP0/H - South Shetland Islands - LZ0A (LZ1AAW), Ivo, continues his activity from the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island. He is QRV in his spare time and has been reported on FT8 on 20 and 15 meters. QSL via LZ1KDP.3X, Guinea - Herman, YB3GIH, is QRV from Boff as 3X/YB3GIH and plans to remain there until about June while working on a contract. His station setup includes an ICOM IC-718 at 100W and a homebrew vertical antenna. He is operating on 20 and 15M SSB. QSL options are eQSL, Club Log, and LoTW.TY - Benin - Gerard's, F5NVF, flight to Benin was delayed by snow in Paris, but he plans to be active on CW as TY5GG later this week where he is scheduled until April 6.PJ2 - Curacao – Jeff, K8ND, operating as PJ2ND, is QRV in Curaáao and will stay until January 30. He will participate in the CQWW 160 Meter CW Contest as PJ2T later in the month and will be active on the bands as PJ2ND until then. QSL for PJ2ND goes via K8ND or Logbook of the World, and for PJ2T via KU9C or Logbook of the World.6W – Senegal – Rudi, 6W/DB1RUL, is QRV and will continue to January 20. He plans to upload the log to LoTW. Other routes are the bureau to his home callsign, or direct with 2 USD. 4S - Sri Lanka – Peter, 4S7KKG, says everything is the same as in previous years. "I'll be here in 4S until the end of March!" His other call is DC0KK. QSL direct or bureau through Club Log OQRS or, he calls it "direct-direct," with SASE and 2 USD to his German home QTH. Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week!

Join me with @HamRadioCrashCourse and @hamradiotube tonight for First Look at the new HF Radio from ICOM. Special Thanks to @GigaPartsHuntsville for this loaner radio. Get yours here - https://geni.us/AqkkeKL - Use Code KC5HWB to earn double points!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Paul en Ko gaan in deze 63e aflevering van de Technische Praatje podcast weer voluit praten over onze prachtige radiohobby. Om te beginnen hebben zij het over de 40 meter hexbeam add on! En waar was Paul mee bezig op de foto's onlangs gepost in onze facebookgroep? Waar komt het voor de radiozendamateur zeer handige bindriempje vandaan, oftewel de tie wrap? Wat zouden wij zonder dit handige hulpmiddel moeten beginnen? DARES, wat is dat nu precies? Paul legt dit in deze aflevering haarfijn uit. Verder komt er ook een heilige headset voorbij . En uiteraard de allereerste gebruikers ervaring betreffende de Icom IC 7300 mk2. Dit en nog veel meer technische praatjes van Paul en Ko in deze “Andijk Am See Is QRV!” aflevering.

In this episode we meet Paul, KI7ADC, and Raoul, W7RPS, both avid users of the Icom IC-905 VHF/UHF/SHF radio.  We talk about what attracted them to operate on the microwave bands and what it took to get their portable stations all set up.  Paul and Raoul live in the Portland metro area and have had experience on the ground and mountain topping with the IC-905.  They have explored using SSB, FM, D-STAR and ATV modes on 1.2 GHz, 2.4 and 5.6 GHz. If you have ever been interested in moving up the frequency spectrum to the microwave bands, the IC-905 is a very easy way to get up and on the air.

Learn how to operate 2-meter sideband on a ham radio net with this step-by-step guide! Discover tips for setting up your radio, joining a net, and mastering clear communication on the 2-meter band. Perfect for beginner and experienced ham radio enthusiasts looking to enhance their SSB skills. Subscribe for more ham radio tutorials!Support the ARRL Teachers Institute - https://arrl.org/30daysEquipment in this video:ICOM IC-9700 - https://www.gigaparts.com/icom-ic-9700-vhf-uhf-transceiver.htmlEarn double points with code KC5HWBM&P Coax - https://hr2.li/cablesSave 10% with code HR2CABLESBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Hello and welcome to episode 79 of The DX Mentor – a discussion with Bob, WB2UBW, about his amateur radio journey, the Western Kentucky DX Association, and the upcoming DX Workshop. In addition to Bob, we also have Brian, AD8FD with us. I'm Bill, AJ8B. If this is the first time you are joining us, Welcome! We have a back catalog covering many aspects of DX in bothpodcast and YouTube format. Please check us out. If you like what you find, please subscribe, like, and share to always be notified about upcoming events!    Another way to keep in touch and to see what we are up to is via the DX Mentor Facebook page. I will be posting aboutupcoming podcasts as well as other DX events so please follow us.   You can check the show notes for any of the information that we discussed today.  Here is a bit about our guest today.  Bob was first licensed as WN2UBW in February of 1974. He bought a Hammarlund HX-50A transmitter and used his fathers Realistic DX-150A receiver. After stringing up a dipole for 80 meters, the fun began. Bob has operated from New York, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, back to Ohio, and now to Western Kentucky. His QTH is in Central City, KY on 2.1 acres. He currently uses an Icom IC-7610 andan end fed antenna for HF and an Icom 9700 for VHF/UHF.You can find Bob Active on most modes including digital (PSK-31 & FT8) Active on all bands from 160 through 440. He has also been getting into some 144/220/432/1296 weak signal communications.I love DXing, Building, Repairing, Ragchewing, etc. The Western Kentucky DX Association is an amateur radio club in Bowling Green, Kentucky, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in working other amateurs all over the world. The club was founded in the early 1980's. Since that timethe members have worked many DX stations during contests and regular day-to-day operations.Since its creation, the club has had several different special activities including:Awarding a colorful certificate to any DX station that submits a log showing they worked three of our members.Supporting a special event station for admirers of the Corvette sports car made only in Bowling Green. Each year Bowling Green hosts a Corvette Homecoming during which hundreds of Corvette owners visit our city.Setting up for Field Day each year and operating QRP (CW and SSB). National rankings as high as 4th in our category have been achieved.

Join us as we dive into operating FT8 from a state park for Parks on the Air (POTA)! Perfect for ham radio enthusiasts and POTA activators looking to master FT8 in a portable setting. Don't miss expert tips, gear recommendations, and real-time QSO footage! #POTA #FT8 #HamRadio #parksontheairDonate to ARRL Teacher's Institute: https://arrl.org/30daysEquipment in this video:ICOM IC-705 - https://amzn.to/3UYZsMQArmoloq Cage for 705 - https://armoloq.com/icom/ic-705/Panasonic Toughpad: https://amzn.to/485kQYiBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Foundations of Amateur Radio I've owned a Yaesu FT-857d radio since becoming an amateur and at the time I was absolutely blown away by how much radio fits inside the box. It's smaller than most of the commercial radios I'd seen when I bought it. I came across a video by Michael KB9VBR, the other day showcasing a wooden cigar box with a complete, well, almost complete POTA, or Parks On The Air, activation kit. I say almost, since Dave KZ9V, the owner of the kit, points out that the box doesn't contain an antenna. It made me wonder how small is small? According to RigPix, the lightest transmitter on an amateur band, in this case, the 5 GHz or 5cm band, is an Amateur TV transmitter. Weighing in at 3.9 grams. The Eachine TX-06 is capable of FM with about 18 MHz of bandwidth with an audio sub-carrier. Of course, that's not a transceiver, but I thought it worth mentioning in case you needed an excuse for something tiny in your shack, besides, as far as I can tell, there's never too much Amateur TV in the world. I've built a crystal radio on a breadboard which is tiny, but it doesn't transmit, so to set the stage, I think we need to limit ourselves to transceivers, that is, a device capable of both transmitting and receiving, on amateur bands. Before continuing I'd like to express my thanks to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com database that he's been maintaining, in notepad, since 2000. Without the invaluable information documented for the currently 7,512 radios, I'd be spending an awful lot of time hunting for information. Moving on, the FaradayRF board is a transceiver, capable of using 900 MHz or the 33cm band. It comes in at 30 grams, but without a computer it's a circuit board with potential. The PicoAPRS by Taner DB1NTO, is a 2m transceiver specifically for APRS, weighs in at 52 grams and similar in look and a third of the weight of an Ericsson T18 mobile phone. Speaking of mobile phones, the PicoAPRS does WiFi and Bluetooth, can pair with your phone and act as an AX.25 modem. I'll confess, I'm drooling. Moving right along, for 70cm there's a Rubicson Walk 'n' talk, weighs in at 65 grams. Mind you, the RigPix database puts this under the "License-free / PMR446" section which comes with a sage warning, check your local laws before transmitting. There's a few Alinco DJ-C models for different markets that operate on 2m or 70cm, weighing in at 75 grams. The ADALM Pluto weighs 114 grams, but you'll need a USB power supply of some sort to make it do anything. It can operate between 70 MHz and 6 GHz, but the user interface is limited to a single button and LED, so if you want to interact with it, you'll need some external technology. Moving on to HF transceivers, weighing in at 199 grams, without the bag, but all the options, is the Elecraft KH1. Transmits on 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m and 15m and receives between 6 and 22 MHz. It's CW only, but you can receive SSB. If CW isn't your thing, RTTY and PSK can be used on the 40m band with a Silent System Handy PSK 40. Presumably the Handy PSK 20 runs on 20m. Both weigh in at 250 grams. The Zettl P-20xx SSB does SSB, AM, FM and CW, transmits on 10m, 11m, 12m and 15m as well as the MARS frequencies and receives between 14 and 30 MHz, weighs 300 grams. Even comes with CTCSS. Another Elecraft model, the KX2 weighs in at 370 grams, does 80m to 10m and the WARC bands, does SSB, CW and data. Mind you, you'll also need to add the weight for the microphone and paddles, and factor in a computer if you want to do more than PSK and RTTY. The Expert Electronics SunSDR2 QRP does 160m to 10m, the WARC bands and 6m. Weighs in at 500 grams, has a network port and two independent receivers. Operates at 5 Watts. There's no user interface, unless you count the reset and power buttons, so I'm not sure if it can operate on any mode with just a microphone, but given the "Depending on software" disclaimers throughout, I'm going to guess you'll need to bring a computer to make it sing. The Risen RS-918SSB does all HF amateur bands between 160m and 10m, has a user interface and display, even a big tuning knob, has built-in FreeDV and does FM, SSB and CW. I'd hazard a guess that this is the lightest self-contained transceiver that you can take out on a POTA mission to a park. Weighs 623 grams and comes with an internal battery. The Elecraft KX3 also does 160m to 10m, and 6m, with a 2m option. Weighs in at 680 grams, but that doesn't include any options. And finally, we pass 1 kilogram and hit 1,100 grams and discover a radio that does all bands and modes, the Icom IC-705 with a battery, but no antenna. The Yaesu FT-817, FT-817dn and FT-818 weigh 70 grams more, but that weight includes both a battery and antenna. Of course there are other options. For example, there's the (tr)uSDX by Manuel DL2MAN, and Guido PE1NNZ, does 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m and 20m, CW, SSB, AM and FM. Comes in a kit, weighs 140 grams. It's not on RigPix, so I only know about it because it was mentioned by Dave KZ9V. Similarly, I bumped into, wait for it, a single transistor transceiver called the Pititico, in case you're wondering, Pitico means very small in Portuguese and Pititico means very very small. Designed by Miguel PY2OHH, it comes in various revisions, including one by Ciprian YO6DXE, also known as DX Explorer on YouTube, complete with a circuit board design, and with some modifications can do AM in addition to CW. It's also not in the RigPix database and I have no idea what it weighs. The point being that this rundown is intended as a starting point to explore how small you can really get and still activate the Park or Peak you intend to. While you're contemplating weight, remember to account for power, control, and most importantly an antenna or six. Again, big thank you to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com website. Also, thank you for the memories of the Spectravideo SV-318 and SV-328, the last time I bumped into one of those was in 1980-mumble when I was working in a computer shop on the Haarlemmerstraat in Leiden, Mr. Micro Zap, if you're curios. What lightweight adventures are you looking for next? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Discover the top 5 problems with the new Yaesu FTX1 radio in this in-depth review! In this video I uncover the challenges faced by this highly anticipated QRP transceiver. Great for ham radio enthusiasts, POTA/SOTA operators, and anyone considering the FTX1 vs. Icom IC-705. Watch now to learn my thoughts on this new transceiver and how it impacts your portable operations! #YaesuFTX1 #HamRadio #qrpThis video is sponsored by M&P Coax - save 10% off of all of their products with code HR2CABLES at this link - https://hr2.li/cablesIn this video:Yaesu FTX1 Radio Gigaparts Battery Box Save 5% with code KC5HWB  @KM4ACK  videos: Missing APRSReply - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFViS8zwYdQ&t=189s&ab_channel=KM4ACKYaesu's Response - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OY-M7J7Q6U&t=43s&ab_channel=KM4ACKBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

On my birthday this year, I traveled to a nearby Park and activated the Park on 12-meter FT8. I love working the 12-meter band when it is open, which is not often.Equipment used in this video:ICOM IC-705 - https://amzn.to/3Zbg5avTarheel Little Pro HP - https://tarheeldesigns.com/portable-antennasM&P Coax - https://hr2.li/cablesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

The March Giveaway is happening tonight - we are giving away an ICOM IC-7300 radio. I will have a few smaller giveaways during the stream also. I am very excited to welcome Brandon, N4BKC, from @Battlbox onto this stream. I've been wanting to catch up with Brandon for a while and he happened to be available tonight, so we're going to make this an exciting Livestream!April Giveaway sign-up list at this link https://hamradio2.com/april25Brandon's Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@CURRIN1776Battlbox Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@UC3vnC9pyxJVfKT4Zv3YILUQBuy my coffee - https://hamradiooverland.coffee/shop/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

The ICOM IC-705 is a high-featured, portable HF Radio made to take almost anywhere. The nice folks at Shack In a Box have developed this new Grab-n-Go box that keeps the radio safe, has air-induction for better cooling, and gives you easier access to all of the ports on this radio. Today I activated a POTA with this setup and worked some good DX, so let's take a look.Link to Go-Kit - https://shack-in-a-box.com/ic-705-grab-and-go-boxBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for your weekly Dose of DX as part of Ham Radios oldest Ham Radio Magazine on the air, “This week in amateur radio.” I'm Bill, AJ8B. I am not sure how many of you are interested in 60M, but overall interest is growing. One of my best friends, Joe, W8GEX, produces a 60-meter newsletter. Joe is considered by many as the godfather of 60m. With almost 250 entities confirmed on 60, I can understand why. New Zealand stations ZL4OL and ZL2CC have been heard around 0700z. Watch your 60m packet cluster for these advid 60M operators. 4U1UN has been on 60m recently. Keep an eye out for that one also. Some of the rare DX on 60 meters recently has included A51AE, 7Q6M, and T77C.Don't forget to have a look at our website 60metersonline.com. There are details about our DXCC and WAS Awards for 60 meters. . Thanks, Joe, for letting me use this information. You can learn more about 60 meters by checking out the DX Mentor podcast, episode 24. (https://youtu.be/Mq7YN6euHHM ) Just go to YouTube or your podcast app and search for The DX Mentor. Episode 24 will give you all the details about getting on 60 meters. This section of DX News comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com Inveterate DXpeditioner IV3FSG, Elvira, will operate D68Z from March 3 until at least March 18. Elvira is currently QRV. She will be operating on 160-6M CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and FT4. Elvira will use three ICOM IC-7300 radios, with one dedicated to 6M (grid locator LH18og) operational around the clock. The antenna setup will include a 6M delta loop, a DX Commander vertical for 30-10M, and an IWØRGN multiband vertical for 160-10M. To minimize duplicate QSOs, please verify Club Log online and Club Log LiveStream. For digital QSOs, monitor D68Z on PSK Reporter. IKØXBX, Francesco, will be the pilot station for this DXpedition. QSL cards are available via OQRS and LoTW. The VK9XU team ended their Christmas Island operation on Tuesday at 0257Z with around 58,000 QSOs, surpassing expectations. They thanked everyone for their discipline in the pileups. The team is now heading to Cocos (Keeling) Island. Arriving after sunset, they will start limited activity the first night and set up antennas the next day. They look forward to working everyone as VK9CU on Cocos. The DX-Adventure team is embarking on a DXpedition to the Andaman Islands (AS-001) as VU4AX from March 10th to March 20th, 2025. The team, consisting of 12 experienced operators, will be active around the clock on multiple bands from 10m to 160m, including WARC + 60m, using CW, SSB, and DIGI modes. They will operate six stations, transporting 1,150kg of meticulously prepared equipment to ensure the best possible experience. The DXpedition aims to provide a rare opportunity for QSOs, especially for USA operators, as VU4 ranks #28 for the USA and #53 worldwide. The team is supported by three experienced Pilot Stations: W2IRT Peter J. Dougherty, E21EIC Champ, and ON9CFG Bjorn. They will closely monitor propagation conditions to maximize the chances of contacts with stations across the United States. Updates and contact details for the Pilot Stations can be found on the DX-Adventure website - https://www.dx-adventure.com The DX-Adventure team looks forward to making a QSO with you from VU4 South Andaman. The DX Mentor podcast recently interview the DX-Adventure team. When that is available, I will let you know, or you can subscribe to the DX Mentor podcast and YouTube Channel to be updated.Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups!

ICOM's new HF Radio was revealed at Hamcation 2025 - we got our First Look at this fantastic new HF Radio...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

I got an IC-9700 for a project that I am working on, so today I wanted to do an unboxing and setup of that radio.Today's video is sponsored by M&P Coax - save 10% on all products with code HR2CABLES at this link - https://hr2.li/cablesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Foundations of Amateur Radio The hobby of amateur radio is one of experimentation and change. For decades this came in the form of circuit diagrams, components and scrounged hardware from anything that wasn't bolted down. New functionality came with the aid of a soldering iron. More recently, functionality comes from participation in the global electronics market where you can buy any radio you like and have it shipped to your door within hours at an unbeatable price. Mind you, buying all those unbelievably cheap radios does start adding up and if you want to use more sophisticated hardware, that too is possible, at a price, somewhere between $50 and a new Porsche. Whilst that's an option for some, for the rest of us, there are better and cheaper ways. Of course it doesn't stop there. If you connect any radio to a computer, you can use whatever software you like to encode and decode any signal you can imagine. With a traditional radio connected to a computer you can make it participate in hundreds of different so-called digital modes. Before I continue, let's look at radio in a slightly different way. Consider an antenna as a continuous source of voltages that are amplified, filtered and demodulated in some way by a radio. You can think of the combination of antenna, radio and computer as a stream decoder. To decode a signal in a new way requires a new decoder, which you could build from components or as I've said, buy online. During the week I've continued experimenting with GNU Radio. If you're unfamiliar, it's a toolkit that allows you to build so-called flow graphs that can process a signal stream. Think of it as a box of Lego that you can put together to build any type of decoder. Let me say that again. Imagine that you want to decode or transmit a mode like FreeDV, M17, APRS, Olivia, Contestia, or Hellschreiber. With the GNU Radio toolkit, all of this is possible and you won't need to buy new hardware or bust out the soldering iron every time you want to experiment with a new mode. If you have been playing with digital modes already, you'll likely point out that you can already do this today by using software running on a computer, and that's true. What that doesn't tell you is that this comes with a very specific limitation, namely that all those modes require that they fit inside a single audio channel because all those digital modes you might be familiar with are essentially using an SSB or FM signal with the audio generated or decoded by a computer. Even if you have a modern radio like for example an ICOM IC-7300, you'll still be limited in what modes of transmission you can make. ICOM limits the transmit bandwidth to 2.9 kHz. Flex Radio appears to double that to 7.9 kHz, but numbers are sketchy. The point remains, most current amateur radio technology is based around the notion that a mode essentially fits within a single audio channel and a very narrow one at that. So, why does this matter? If you run out of FT8 space on a band, right now you need to change to an alternate frequency to play, but you'll only be able to see the stations that are using the same alternate frequency, as long as they fit within the bandwidth of an audio signal. If you wanted to check out the main frequency, you'd have to change frequencies and keep switching back and forth. Using this idea, monitoring all of FT4, FT8, WSPR and all CW beacons, all at the same time becomes unimaginable, not to mention costly if you needed a radio for each band and each mode. What if you wanted to use another mode that took more than about 4 kHz, like say a 5 MHz wide DVB-T signal which you could be experimenting with on 70cm? Or, what if you'd like to compare a repeater input with its output at the same time? Or compare two repeaters together? Or find the best band to operate on right now? The point being, that there are things that simply don't fit within a single audio channel that you won't be able to play with using a traditional radio. As it happens, that too is a solved problem. Remember that I mentioned that you can think of an antenna, radio, and computer combination as a stream decoder? What if I told you that an SDR, a Software Defined Radio, is essentially a device that translates antenna voltages into numbers which you can process with GNU Radio? Whilst that does imply replacing your radio, you don't have to jump in at the deep end to start playing and even if you do decide to buy new hardware, you can get your toes wet with all manner of self build or commercial kits. Even better, you can start with the gear you already have today and become familiar with GNU Radio and when you're ready to expand your station, you can add in an SDR and continue to use the same tools to experiment. Not only that, you can do interesting things by combining what you already have. Consider for example the idea of using an RTL-SDR as the receiver with a traditional radio as the transmitter. You could decode all of the FT8 signals on a band and transmit where there was space to do so. The point being that you can do this one step at a time. Every time you download or build another GNU Radio flow graph, you can have a new decoder and as time goes on, you'll be able to decide what hardware you might want to pair it with. To be clear, I'm talking about the gradual change from component based radio using audio interfaces into software based radio. It's not like we haven't done this before. Anyone recall spark gaps, or valves? The future of experimentation is bright and it's filled with bits. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Convert a PC power supply for use on the bench. A Ground Mounted Receiving Loop, literally. 12 volt 18650 Lithium Battery Box for UPS replacement. Announcing AmateurLogic's 19th Anniversary Contest. Win an Icom IC-705 transceiver. Plus GigaParts, Intellitron accessories and Messi & Paoloni premium coax. Details at amateurlogic.tv/contest 1:19:46

Convert a PC power supply for use on the bench. A Ground Mounted Receiving Loop, literally. 12 volt 18650 Lithium Battery Box for UPS replacement. Announcing AmateurLogic's 19th Anniversary Contest. Win an Icom IC-705 transceiver. Plus GigaParts, Intellitron accessories and Messi & Paoloni premium coax. Details at amateurlogic.tv/contest 1:19:46

There are new HF Radio Bag Inserts for the Explorer Backpacks from Gigaparts. Now you can choose from a laptop sleeve, or from bags for the Icom IC-7300, Yaesu FT-891, Yaes FT-991a or Yaesu FT-817/818. Coming soon there will be a new IC-705 bag which is larger than the original, so you will be able to add a Peovi (or similar) cage to the 705 and have it fit into the new bag.SPONSOR: Save 10% on all M&P Coax at this link - https://hr2.li/cables Find all Explorer Bag options at this link - also save 5% with code KC5HWB - https://hr2.li/gigapartsAffiliate links can earn commissions on qualifying itemsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Linus Balsys, LY2H, dives into the fascinating realm of field operations in his native Lithuania, QRP techniques, Morse code, digital modes, and much more. Linus talks about his  exploration of the great outdoors with park activations, hillfort castles, chases awards, and delves into satellite communications. From his Renault Trafic campervan equipped with cutting-edge ham radio gear like the Icom IC-705 and the QRP-Labs QMX.  Linus showcases the innovation and affordability of modern equipment. In addition, Linus shares how ham radio skills have practical applications in daily life, from repairing electronics to enhancing relationships. Hear about his efforts to rejuvenate the ham community in Lithuania, attracting young enthusiasts through contests, digital operations, and educational classes. Linus also highlights the dual thrill of ham radio: the leap in technology with Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and the invaluable role of amateur radio in emergency communications, echoing its historical significance. Tune in for a journey through the intriguing and impactful world of ham radio with Linus Balsys, L2YH. in this QSO Today.

AmateurLogic.TV celebrates 18 years on the air. George reviews the Craftsman Battery Powered Soldering Iron. Jocelyn demonstrates the MFJ-1898 Portable HF + 6 Meter Antenna. Emile introduces Outlook Package Message Manager. Mike explores OpenWebRX +. Announcing the winner of our 18th Anniversary contest and Icom IC-705 prize package giveaway. 1:26:43

AmateurLogic.TV celebrates 18 years on the air. George reviews the Craftsman Battery Powered Soldering Iron. Jocelyn demonstrates the MFJ-1898 Portable HF + 6 Meter Antenna. Emile introduces Outlook Package Message Manager. Mike explores OpenWebRX +. Announcing the winner of our 18th Anniversary contest and Icom IC-705 prize package giveaway. 1:26:43

Icom recently displayed their newest receiver at the 2023 Tokyo Hamfest. This is being called the successor to the IC-R30, but I completely disagree.  It lacks most of the features that made the IC-R30 great.  To call it a successor, based on the released specs, is an insult to the former model. The IC-R15 looks to be a neutered receiver and does not include the frequency ranges commonly found on most of the Icom receivers that predated this new model. I, for one, am hopeful that these preliminary specs are incorrect and we will see a more robust version of this receiver come from Icom in the next few months. ====================================

Mike exposes an Unun. Tommy renews his FCC License step by step. Emile hits the Pi Bullseye. Announcing our 18th Anniversary Contest with an Icom IC-705 and a package of great accessories from MFJ. Contest details are available at https://amateurlogic.tv/contest 1:19:47

Mike exposes an Unun. Tommy renews his FCC License step by step. Emile hits the Pi Bullseye. Announcing our 18th Anniversary Contest with an Icom IC-705 and a package of great accessories from MFJ. Contest details are available at https://amateurlogic.tv/contest 1:19:47

Pecron sent me a Solar Generator Power Station for a video review. Overall, I like it! I took it out to the field to test it for RFI from the wide-band receiver on the Icom IC-705. The results were somewhat what you'd expect, but better than most! Check out this video and let me know your thoughts...Link to product and DISCOUNT - https://www.pecron.com/products/pecron-e600lfp-1200w-portable-power-station-lifepo4Here is 5% Discount Code: HAME600LFP（Can be used in E600LFP）

Today we take the IC-705 Go-Kit to a Park to activate Parks on the Air (POTA) - Let's see how well it works!SPONSOR: https://www.chattradio.com

I picked up an enclosure made for the Icom IC-705 from W2HVH at the Orlando Hamcation of 2023. I traded some emails back and forth with him for suggestions and questions, and now I have a really well-built go-kit for my IC-705 that I have taken on POTA and also to several Hamfests.SPONSOR: https://www.chattradio.comLink - W2hvh.com

Portable Antenna Tuner with internal batteries is GREAT for tuning the Icom IC-705 and other radios!

FIRST LOOK from the 2023 Orlando Hamcation, we stopped by the Icom booth and talk with Ray Novak, N9JA, about the Icom IC-905 SHF Transceiver. The radio isn't available for purchase yet, but it will be coming later this year, and this is the first time we have seen one live. Take a look at this video and let me know in the comments if this is the type of radio for you!

The latest version of the 200wh portable power station from Renogy is quite the performer. It has all the connections on the front panel, so no need to have cords coming from every direction to plug into the unit. Watch me demonstrate the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) testing of this device with my Icom IC-705.Link - https://renogy.sjv.io/Jrx0mE (affiliate link)

Gigaparts has once again expanded their line of Explorer products, this time with a modular backpack that is perfect for SOTA, Hiking, and other Ham Radio activities. This backpack has several modules for various items, including an Icom IC-705. Check the links below and save a 5% discount with the code of KC5HWB on this backpack and multiple other products.Backpack - http://hr2.li/abwvbSave 5% with code KC5HWB on all products at this link, including M&P Coax who sponsored this video - https://hr2.li/gigaparts

Thanks to Gigaparts for lending me this radio. Icom's newest Analog HT, the IC-T10, gets an unboxing, walk-through and programming into my Allstar Node.Sponsored video link - https://hr2.li/gigaparts

3 quick topics to chat about.... The drive at 5. Keeping you listening :)

Join the AmateurLogic crew as we celebrate 17 years. Announcing the winner of the Icom IC-705 portable transceiver and MFJ 8-Band Compact Antenna package. RSP Spectrum Analyzer, Open-Weather on-line satellite image decoder, Irwin Vice Grip Wire Strippers, and a visit from Peter, VK3PB. 1:19:42

Join the AmateurLogic crew as we celebrate 17 years. Announcing the winner of the Icom IC-705 portable transceiver and MFJ 8-Band Compact Antenna package. RSP Spectrum Analyzer, Open-Weather on-line satellite image decoder, Irwin Vice Grip Wire Strippers, and a visit from Peter, VK3PB. 1:19:42

Huntsville Hamfest was back full strength this year and we visited with lots of friends. Here's our wrap up of the 2022 Huntsville Hamfest. Also, AmateurLogic.TV celebrates 17 years October 15, 2022. We've teamed up with Icom America and MFJ again for another great anniversary contest. Prizes include an Icom IC-705 transceiver, MFJ 8-band compact HF Antenna and Power Supply. Get all the details on how you can register to win. 2:50:00

Huntsville Hamfest was back full strength this year and we visited with lots of friends. Here's our wrap up of the 2022 Huntsville Hamfest. Also, AmateurLogic.TV celebrates 17 years October 15, 2022. We've teamed up with Icom America and MFJ again for another great anniversary contest. Prizes include an Icom IC-705 transceiver, MFJ 8-band compact HF Antenna and Power Supply. Get all the details on how you can register to win. 2:50:00

This is a test of the first live broadcast, let's see how it works... Jump in the chat..

Foundations of Amateur Radio If you connect the antenna ports of two radios together and transmit from one into the other, that would be bad, right? Just how bad would it be and what could you do differently? Before I dig in, you might ask yourself why on Earth this question even arises. Consider having two radios and one antenna. You couldn't use a T-piece to connect two radios to the antenna unless both were receivers. So, after connecting and disconnecting coax for a decade, you might decide to use a two position coaxial switch instead. Set the switch to one port and the first radio is connected to the antenna, flick it to the other port and you've just avoided swapping coax between radios. I'll point out that in most cases a coaxial switch can be used to connect multiple antennas to one radio, or in reverse, connect multiple radios to one antenna. When you do start looking for a switch it would be good to test that at no point it connected any two switching ports together, potentially causing the magic smoke to escape from your radio. A less obvious issue is that a coaxial switch has a property called isolation. It's a measure of what part of a signal leaks between ports and you'll see the isolation or cross-talk of a switch described in decibels or dB. If you recall, a dB is a relative measure. It means that it's something in comparison with something else, in our case, the amount of signal going into one port compared with the amount of signal leaking through to a disconnected port. You'd think that in a perfect switch none of the signal would leak through, but it turns out that under different frequencies a switch responds differently, even one specifically designed for switching radio frequencies. It might be that a 1 kHz signal is completely isolated, but a 1 GHz signal is not, which is why when you look at the specifications of a coax switch, you'll see something like "greater than 70 dB isolation at 200 MHz". It's worth noting that the lower the frequency, the higher the isolation, indicating that in the worst case, at 200 MHz, there's 70 dB isolation, but at lower frequencies it has higher isolation, sometimes much higher. If you were to transmit into this switch with 5 Watts at 200 MHz, the amount of signal that can leak through would be 70 dB less than 5 Watts. You might recall that you can convert Watts to dBm to allow you to do some interesting calculations. As with other dB scales, it's in comparison to something else, in this case a dBm is in reference to 1 milliwatt and 5 Watts is the equivalent of 37 dBm. This means that if you had a switch with 70 dB isolation, you'd start with a 37 dBm transmission, take 70 dB isolation and end up with a -33 dBm signal leaking through. That's the same as 0.0005 milliwatts. In other words your 5 Watt transmission leaks through your coax switch to the tune of 0.0005 milliwatts. Is that enough to damage your radio? Well, that depends on the radio, but let's put some numbers against it. S9 on VHF and UHF was defined in 1981 as -93 dBm assuming a 50 Ohm impedance of your radio. So, our leaking signal, -33 dBm, is 60 dB higher than S9. You'd report it as a 60 over 9 contact, a tad excessive, but not unheard of. So by that metric, you should be fine. Many, but not all, radios specify the maximum radio frequency or RF power that they can handle. For example, according to the documentation, both the NanoVNA and a Icom IC-706 can each handle a 20 dBm or 200 milliwatt signal without doing damage. That means that your -33 dBm signal should't do any damage to those two devices. I'm off to see what the isolation is for cheap 12V relays to see if I can construct a cost effective, modular, remote control antenna switch with lightning detection. What are you building next? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Show Notes (contains affiliate links): Leah Reacts to the KX2, 705, 599 and 818.    On this week's episode of Ham Radio Crash Course, a podcast roughly based on amateur radio but mostly made up of responding to emails from listeners, hosted by Josh Nass - KI6NAZ and his reluctant wife, Leah - KN6NWZ, we talk about why you should just bring it with you, Kansas disaster research and Leah's hot takes on 4 of Josh's radios.    Have a drink with us! Today, we're drinking…  Crime   Josh has a short tip with the Ham Radio Minute: Just Bring It.    Join the conversation by leaving a review on Apple Podcast for Ham Radio Crash Course podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ham-radio-crash-course/id1400794852 and/or emailing Leah@hamtactical.com. Leaving a review wherever you listen to podcasts will help Ham Radio Crash Course reach more hams and future hams and we appreciate it!   Preparedness Corner: $20MM Kansas disaster research https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/14/20-million-headed-kansas-research-better-natural-disaster-responses/ Email Correspondent's Tower: We answer emails with ham radio questions, comments on previous podcasts, T-shirt suggestions and everything in between.   Links mentioned in the ECT:    Doug's Amish Paradise Suggestions: https://essenhaus.com/   https://www.thebluegate.com/   Midwest Reprap: https://www.facebook.com/midwestreprapfest/   How to pronounce folk: https://youtube.com/shorts/Z-tBgR0IsHU?feature=share Show Topic: Leah reacts to the Elecraft KX2, Discovery Lab599, Yaesu 818 and Icom 705.  Thank you all for listening to the podcast.  We have a lot of fun making it and the fact you listen and send us feedback means alot to us!   Want to send us something? Josh Nass  P.O. Box 5101 Cerritos, CA 90703-5101 Support the Ham Radio Crash Course Podcast: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hoshnasi Shop HamTactical: http://www.hamtactical.com Shop Our Affiliates: http://hamradiocrashcourse.com/affiliates/ Shop Our Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/hamradiocrashcourse As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.   Connect with Us: Website...................► http://hamradiocrashcourse.com YouTube..................► https://www.youtube.com/c/HamRadioCrashCourse Podcast...................► https://hamradiocrashcourse.podbean.com/ Discord....................► https://discord.gg/xhJMxDT Facebook................► https://goo.gl/cv5rEQ Twitter......................► https://twitter.com/Hoshnasi Instagram.................► https://instagram.com/hoshnasi (Josh) Instagram.................►https://instagram.com/hamtactical (Leah)  

On this episode, we talk about the golden age of broadcasting. Plus, will Christian sell his ICOM IC-705? It seems likely.  Let's talk about it. We also reveal the limited run "Sorry Sherrie" gear in the 100 Watts and a Wire Shop. All of this and more on this edition of the 100 Watts and a Wire Podcast. WebsiteContactDiscordFacebookYouTubeSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/christiancudnik)

Show Notes (contains affiliate links): How Cheap Can You Go With Ham Radio?   On this week's episode of Ham Radio Crash Course, a podcast roughly based on amateur radio but mostly made up of responding to emails from listeners, hosted by Josh Nass - KI6NAZ and his reluctant wife, Leah - KN6NWZ, we talk about how user interface matters, NOAA gives kidnapping preparedness advice and how low you can go with ham radio.    Have a drink with us! Today, we're drinking… Rum and Coke and later NEgronis.    Josh has a short tip with the Ham Radio Minute: User Interface Matters   Join the conversation by leaving a review on iTunes for Ham Radio Crash Course podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ham-radio-crash-course/id1400794852 and/or emailing Leah@hamtactical.com. Leaving a review wherever you listen to podcasts will help Ham Radio Crash Course reach more hams and future hams and we appreciate it!   What We Used This Week:    Josh suggests TTGO Meshtastic T-Beam V1.1 ESP32 433/868/915/923Mhz WiFi BLE Lora ESP32 GPS NEO-6M SMA 18650 Battery Holder With OLED https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9RmIP9   Leah suggests a small propane grill: https://amzn.to/3C7HFYR Ham Radio Crash Course A-store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/hamradiocrashcourse   Preparedness Corner: Leah takes a look at kidnapping preparedness from a surprising source: https://www.wrc.noaa.gov/wrso/security_guide/kidnap.htm   Email Correspondent's Tower: We answer emails with ham radio questions, comments on previous podcasts, T-shirt suggestions and everything in between.   Links mentioned in the ECT:    ICOM IC-705 to Xiegu XPA125B amplifier keying cable w/ RBI-1 BUFFERED Interface https://www.ebay.com/itm/ICOM-IC-705-to-Xiegu-XPA125B-amplifier-keying-cable-w-RBI-1-BUFFERED-Interface-/143898454710?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 Washington State's Ice Cream Shoppe: https://creamery.wsu.edu/ferdinands-ice-cream-shoppe/   Russ's track system: https://www.strip-curtains.com/order/track_trolley_hardware.php   Don's Video: https://youtu.be/11n4rsUtS6w   Nathan's Southern Vermont Ham Radio YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCcvbSWxFngDIGvtTI10gSpA   Show Topic: How Low Can You Go With Ham Radio?  Thank you all for listening to the podcast.  We have a lot of fun making it and the fact you listen and send us feedback means alot to us!   Want to send us something? Josh Nass  P.O. Box 5101 Cerritos, CA 90703-5101 Support the Ham Radio Crash Course Podcast: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hoshnasi Shop HamTactical: http://www.hamtactical.com Shop Our Affiliates: http://hamradiocrashcourse.com/affiliates/ Shop Our Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/hamradiocrashcourse As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.   Connect with Us: Website...................► http://hamradiocrashcourse.com YouTube..................► https://www.youtube.com/c/HamRadioCrashCourse Podcast...................► https://hamradiocrashcourse.podbean.com/ Discord....................► https://discord.gg/xhJMxDT Facebook................► https://goo.gl/cv5rEQ Twitter......................► https://twitter.com/Hoshnasi Instagram.................► https://instagram.com/hoshnasi (Josh) Instagram.................►https://instagram.com/hamtactical (Leah)  

Celebrating 16 years of AmateurLogic.TV. Peter, VK3PB drops in for and update from downunder. George shows some of his favorite tips and projects from the last few years. Tommy demonstrates a neat battery capacity tester. Emile discovers new Cheap Tricks with Echolink. Announcing the winner of our 16th Anniversary contest! Cliff Boand, WA0JTW will receive an Icom IC-705 Transceiver, AH-705 Auto Tuner, LC-192 Backpack, MFJ-4230MV Power Supply, MFJ-2012 OCF Antenna, and RG-8X coax.

George demonstrate RN Noise, free AI noise suppression plug-in. Emile rides out Hurricane Ida while stationed on emergency stand by. Tom Apalenek, WA2IVD joins us to share his first visit to Huntsville Hamfest. AmateurLogic's 16th Anniversary Contest. Someone is going to win a great Icom IC-705 transceiver package. Details at amateurlogic.tv/contest. 1:21:26