Podcasts about qrp labs

GB2RS News Sunday the 31st of August 2025 The news headlines: Plan your RSGB Convention weekend with the newly released programme Volunteer for the RSGB as the Honorary Mature Members' Officer RSGB representatives and practical activities at the National Hamfest  Have you bought your ticket for this year's RSGB Convention yet? The weekend's draft programme has just been released, detailing all the inspiring speakers that the Society has lined up for your enjoyment. If you want to improve your technical knowledge, be sure to add the presentation by Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs, to your must-see list. Hans will introduce the concept of polar modulation SSB, along with the story of the practical implementation of polar modulation SSB in the QRP Labs QMX and QMX+ transceivers. Perhaps you'd like to get some operating tips? In which case, Walt Hudson, K4OGO, is one to add to your weekend schedule. Walt, also known as ‘Salty Walt', will discuss different types of antennas and his experience with them when operating portable. If you'd like to discover something new within amateur radio, then join Kjetil Vinorum, LB4FH, for a presentation on ‘elmering' in an online world. In addition, Mike Walker, VA3MW, will present an exclusive look at the new Aurora transceiver from FlexRadio Systems and will showcase how the Aurora pushes the boundaries of software-defined radio. With a wide-ranging programme to spark your interest, three exciting workshops, the Special Interest Groups room, GB3HQ and much more, this year's Convention is one not to be missed. The event takes place between Friday the 10th and Sunday the 12th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Tickets are selling fast, so to view the full programme and book, go to rsgb.org/convention  The RSGB has announced an exciting new volunteer role, which will be tasked with attracting older people to amateur radio. The Honorary Mature Members' Officer will also be responsible for retaining and engaging with our existing senior members. The individual will research organisations or groups with memberships that include older people who may be interested in amateur radio as a hobby. They will also help to identify ways the RSGB can support lifelong enjoyment of amateur radio, including accessibility, training and social engagement. If you are an RSGB member and interested in this role, go to rsgb.org/volunteers  to read the full description. If you'd like to apply or have a chat about the role, email the Nominations Committee Chair, Will Richardson, 2E0WYA via nominations.chair@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB will have a large presence at the National Hamfest at Newark Showground on Friday, the 5th and Saturday, the 6th of September. In addition to an extensive book stall and membership stand, the Society will be running a range of exciting practical activities and demonstrations. These include a semi-interactive display of the CubeSat and a web-based dashboard from a Tiny Ground Station running remotely. There will be the opportunity to play ‘MORSE', a minimalist, wave-based strategy game operated with just two controls. You can also have your CW skills tested at a range of speeds. On Saturday, there will be an opportunity to get hands-on, building a Kanga FM receiver kit. The activities are all free of charge, and there is no need to book in advance. Members of the RSGB Board, staff and representatives from specialist committees and teams will also be in attendance and are looking forward to meeting you, answering your questions and offering support. If you know an up-and-coming HF DXer who has made rapid progress in the last year and has some real achievements to show, you have until Friday, the 12th of September, to nominate them for the RSGB's G5RP Trophy. The award is not limited to youngsters or the newly licensed but is open to anyone who has recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. Please email your nominations to Ian Greenshields, G4FSU, via hf.manager@rsgb.org.uk Worked All Britain's new Summer Saunter award is being extended to include an Autumn Amble. There is now a rota of volunteers to act as regular net controllers from 10.30 am UK time on the 40m band. Other nets will run on an ad hoc basis, whenever activity is planned. To find out more, visit the Worked All Britain website.  And now for details of rallies and events Telford Hamfest is taking place today, Sunday, the 31st of August, at Harper Adams University Sports Hall. The doors open at 10.15 am. Admission is £5, but young people up to the age of 16 will be admitted free of charge. Lots of fascinating titles are available at the RSGB bookstall on site. More details are available at tinyurl.com/tdars25 On the 14th of September Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally will be held at Caister Lifeboat Station, Caister-on-Sea, NR30 5DJ. The doors will be open to visitors from 9 am to 2 pm, and there is no entrance fee. For more information, email Zane, M1BFI via m1bfi@outlook.com Now the Special Event news Members of Central Uusimaa Radio Amateurs Association, OH2AP, are active throughout 2025 as OF60AP to celebrate their club's 60th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station, see tinyurl.com/oh2ap25 Special callsign GB70RS is in use to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the RSGB's weekly news service GB2RS, which has been running continuously since the 25th of September 1955. A team of amateurs is using the callsign on a variety of bands and modes. QSL via the Bureau, Logbook of the World and eQSL. For more information, visit the GB70RS page at QRZ.com Now the DX news Antonio, IK7WUL, is active as TY2AA from Benin until the 7th of September. Recently, the station was spotted on the 10m band using SSB. For more information, visit the TY2AA page at QRZ.com Domenico, IK1MNF, is active as IK1MNF/IA5 from Isola d'Elba, EU-028, until the end of September. He is mainly using SSB on the 20 to 6m bands. QSL via Domenico's home call. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Now the contest news The World-Wide Digi DX Contest started at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 30th and ends at 1200 UTC today, Sunday, the 31st of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Monday the 1st, the RSGB Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 2nd, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855 UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 2nd, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 3rd, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 3rd, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also, on Wednesday the 3rd, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 6th and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday, the 7th of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and your age. On Saturday the 6th, the CWops CW Open takes place in three four-hour sessions between 0000 and 2359 UTC. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and name. The RSGB 144MHz Trophy Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday, the 6th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday, the 7th of September. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Both RSGB SSB Field Day and IARU Region 1 Field Day start at 1300 UTC on Saturday, the 6th and end at 1300 UTC on Sunday, the 7th of September. Using all modes on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 7th, the Worked All Britain 2m SSB Contest runs from 1000 to 1400 UTC. Using SSB on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain Square. This year, the QRO and QRP contests are combined. The full rules are available on the Worked All Britain website. On Sunday the 7th, the 5th RSGB 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 28th of August 2025 This week saw a change in HF propagation with a perceptible move towards more autumnal conditions. The 10 and 12m bands have started opening up to the USA, at least on FT8. As we move into September, this will improve further. Also, as we head towards the Autumnal Equinox, we can expect better conditions on north-south paths, such as the UK to South Africa. The week saw the solar flux index climb to 226 on Thursday, the 28th, thanks to a host of sunspots, mainly in the Sun's southern hemisphere. Over the last seven days, the Sun also provided us with 12 M-class solar flares. Any associated coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, were not Earth-directed, so these had little effect, and the Kp index stayed firmly at 3 or below. The latest updates suggest that there is only a ten per cent chance of a strong X-class solar flare. FT8 continues to be the preferred HF mode, or so it seems, with stations in China, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon making their way into UK logs on the 12m band. The 10m band has also been humming with South America rolling in during late afternoon and early evening. This can only get better as we move into September and October. NOAA predicts that the coming week will start with a solar flux index of 155 tomorrow, the 1st. This may be a little pessimistic, but we'll see. It also predicts that the solar flux index will drop off as the week progresses, ending the week at 125. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be good for the first half of the week, but then decline from the 4th of September. Batten down the hatches as a Kp index of 6 is forecast for the 5th, with unsettled conditions lasting until the 10th of September. Check for auroral HF signals on the 5th, or even the possibility of visible aurora from the UK. We recommend you get your HF DXing in early next week! And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO Last week saw some lovely late-season Sporadic-E on the 6 and 4m bands, including Spain, Italy, and east into Ukraine. There was an opening to Brazil on the 24th that reached as far as East Anglia, but, as usual, stations on the south coast and west of the country had the best of the transatlantic QSOs.   This is the last bulletin in the nominal 2025 Sporadic-E season, which lasts from May to August. However, last week was a good reminder not to give up too soon, as there were several CW and SSB paths showing up, particularly on the 10 and 6m bands. There were also a few reports on the 4m band. The daily Sporadic-E blogs on propquest.co.uk  come to an end today, the 31st, but the site will continue to provide the maps as usual. To help you, notes on how to interpret the maps are available on the website. Thanks to all the Sporadic-E operators who have submitted logs to the various clusters this year. The change over to unsettled weather is now complete, and we will see rain and thunderstorms in most areas from time to time. It's a good period to check out rain scatter propagation if you are set up for the gigahertz bands. The heavier rain is well-captured by the many online rain radar displays to help you track the most active scattering volumes, which move with the stronger winds quite high up in the atmosphere. Speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour are common. There is one note of contrast with the model evolution after midweek. One branch sticks with low pressure to the following weekend, while another outcome tries to bring in a ridge of high pressure and a chance of Tropo propagation. If the latter turns out to be the actual evolution, it may prove useful for the 144MHz Trophy and Backpackers Contest next weekend. However, it may not have arrived in time for the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday. The solar conditions are still providing some interest for auroral propagation, but with a Kp index less than 3, nothing of use radio-wise. Look for a Kp index increase beyond 7 for that. Meteor activity is currently between major showers, so expect random activity, which suggests early mornings for checking out meteor scatter prospects. Moon declination is negative, reaching a minimum on Monda,y the 1st. So, it's a week to check out your equipment rather than to operate. With the Sun still high in the sky, it's easy to check system performance with Sun noise. Path losses started to fall after apogee on Friday the 29th. 144MHz sky noise is close to 3,000 Kelvin on Monday, dropping back to moderate on Wednesday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 24th of August 2025   The news headlines: Apply to be the RSGB Youth Activities and Engagement Champion The Tonight@8 webinar series is back with a brilliant autumn line-up Hans Summers, G0UPL confirmed as the RSGB Convention after-dinner speaker The RSGB Youth Team is looking for a proactive, enthusiastic and innovative person to join its team as the Society's volunteer Youth Activities and Engagement Champion. The role will take the lead on youth-focused activities and create resources for young Foundation licence holders. If you would like to help inspire young people to explore new aspects of amateur radio, then read the full role description via rsgb.org/volunteers  and then get in touch with the Youth Board Liaison Ben Lloyd, GW4BML via gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk  This exciting role will be working collaboratively with Ben, as well as the existing Youth Champions and RSGB Outreach Team. You can see some of the amazing projects the team has been working on by visiting the RSGB Youth web pages via rsgb.org/youth The Tonight@8 autumn programme kicks off on Monday the 1st of September with a fascinating presentation from Kristen McIntyre, K6WX. During the 45-minute session Kristen will explain Maxwell's Equations in a visual and relatable way that aims to leave viewers with an understanding of a topic that can often feel impenetrable. Maxwell's Equations are essential for radio amateurs and explain how RF signals propagate, antennas radiate, and common-mode currents form. By the end of this informative webinar, you'll be able to see how Maxwell's four simultaneous differential equations combine to bring the world of radio to life. Kristen discovered amateur radio when she was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1979 and has been active ever since. Among other roles, she is the ARRL First Vice President and has also recently been inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Learn more about Kristen and this not to be missed webinar by going to rsgb.org/webinars  Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs has been confirmed by the RSGB as the after-dinner speaker at its Convention in October. Following the gala dinner, Hans will be sharing the emotions he experienced during the nine months he spent adding SSB to the QMX transceiver. Tickets for the gala dinner, along with those for the full Convention programme and the three exciting workshops, can be purchased via rsgb.org/convention  This year's RSGB Convention takes place at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes between Friday the 10th and Sunday the 12th of October. Book now and join like-minded radio amateurs for an action-packed programme. The RSGB Examination Standards Committee is pleased to announce the publication of an updated version of the Direct to Full syllabus. The significant changes from the previous version are the moving of some points between Section One on Licensing and Section Two on Operating. These changes bring the Direct to Full syllabus into line with the latest version of the three-part syllabus. You can find the updated syllabus and change documentation on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/syllabus  These changes will come into effect from January 2026, so please choose the correct version of the syllabus for the date you plan to take your exam. Four young RSGB members have spent the last week near Paris for this year's Youngsters on the Air summer camp. The event was a huge success with activities that included group member Sophie, M7IJG asking a question to Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT during the camp's ARISS contact with the International Space Station. Hear more from the young radio amateurs by reading their blog via rsgb.org/yota-camp RSGB members, and the wider amateur radio community, are invited to a ‘Meet the President Day' at the RSGB's National Radio Centre on Thursday the 28th of August. The Society's President, Bob Beebe, GU4YOX, will be present throughout the day to welcome members, hear their views, and discuss the work of the Society in supporting and promoting amateur radio. RSGB members, don't forget to download your free entry voucher to Bletchley Park via rsgb.org/bpvoucher The Maritime Radio Historical Society in the United States, in cooperation with the Cipher History Museum, has arranged to transmit an Enigma message via the maritime radio coast station KPH, near San Francisco. The transmission will take place on Saturday the 30th of August at 2000UTC. KPH listeners, intercept operators and codebreakers everywhere are invited to try their hand at receiving the transmission and decrypting the message. For more information, including details of certificates that are available for decrypting the message, visit tinyurl.com/mrhs2025 And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 24th, the Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place at Heron's Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes. Free on-site parking, catering and disabled facilities are available. The entrance fee is £3. The doors open to the public from 9am. For more information visit mkars.org.uk/mkrally The Torbay Amateur Radio Society Rally is also taking place at Newton Abbot Racecourse today, the 24th. The doors open at 10am and entry costs £3. You can find out more via torbayars.org Tomorrow, the 25th, the Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society Radio Rally will take place at the Ramsey Rural Museum, Wood Lane, Ramsey, PE26 2XD. For more information visit tinyurl.com/hunts25 Telford Hamfest is taking place on Sunday the 31st of August at Harper Adams University Sports Hall. The doors open at 10.15am. Admission is £5 but children up to the age of 16 will be admitted free of charge. The G-QRP Club will be present again with a Saturday Buildathon. More details are available at tinyurl.com/tdars25 Now the Special Event news In memory of Maximilian Kolbe, special callsign 4A2MAX is active until the 31st of August. Kolbe is venerated by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of amateur radio operators. Activity will be on the 80 to 6m bands using CW, SSB and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com or via EA5GL. To celebrate the International Amateur Radio Union's 100th anniversary, members of the Atlantic Coast DX and Contest Group are active as CG9IARU throughout August. The station was spotted recently on the 20m band using SSB. QSL via VE9CF. See QRZ.com for more information.  Now the DX news Aldir, PY1SAD is active as 8R1TM from Guyana until the 23rd of September. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes on all bands and via satellite. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com, or directly to PY1SAD. Don, KW7R is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands until September. He operates CW and FT8 on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Now the contest news Today, the 24th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 26th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The World Wide Digi DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 30th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 31st of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 21st of August Last week was relatively good from an HF propagation standpoint, with only a few periods with an elevated Kp index thanks to a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole. The Kp index hit 4.67 on the 19th of August and 4 again on the 20th due to the solar wind hitting earth at more than 600 kilometres per second. Luckily, the interplanetary magnetic field remained mostly neutral, or north-facing, and the density was low, saving us from more disruption. Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 120 by Thursday the 21st. This is still high enough to affect the ionosphere, but well down on recent highs in the 140s and 150s. The daytime critical frequency has mostly remained above 7.5MHz, meaning the 40m band has managed to remain good for inter-UK contacts. This has also meant that maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path hit 21MHz and even 24.9MHz at times. Nighttime critical frequencies have been around 5MHz, giving an MUF over 3,000km of below 14MHz and sometimes even as low as 10MHz. It may be another month or so before we see daytime F2-layer openings starting again on 28MHz. In the meantime, focus your efforts during daylight on 21MHz and below. T30TTT in Western Kiribati remains one of the DX stations to chase, mostly on 18 and 21MHz. The operators are alternating between using CW, SSB and FT8. Other choice DX worked included Jim, E51JD on South Cook Islands who has been active on the 17m band using SSB. TY5AD in Benin, Africa has been worked on the 10m band using FT8. And 3G1P, an IOTA DXpedition in Chile, was logged on the 15m band using SSB. Closer to home, today, the 24th, is the last chance to work OG0C on the Aland Islands. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 120s, until the end of the month when it could rise to 130 and even 150. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 28th of August when the Kp index could hit 4. Otherwise, make the most of the relatively settled conditions over the first half of next week to work some choice DX! And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO After this weekend, the weather changes from a Tropo high pressure pattern to an unsettled story with areas of low pressure and fronts together with wind and rain. This will remove any Tropo options and replace them with a possibility of rain scatter on the GHz bands. The auroral conditions have recently produced minor enhancements, although nothing too exciting so far radio-wise. It's worth noting that the autumn, along with spring, are times of the year when auroras are more likely. So, it's a good time of the year to keep abreast of the Kp index, especially if the Kp index goes above 5. We are at the tail end of the broader period of the Perseid meteor shower, ending today, the 24th. This leaves random meteor activity as the only option for a while. As those of you who are active in the mode already know, it tends to favour the early pre-dawn period for better chances of catching meteor scatter. Sporadic-E is hanging on for the last week or two of the 2025 season, but opportunities become much rarer. You'll need to keep a close watch on band reports to capture these increasingly fleeting events. In the main Sporadic-E season, there are usually two well-defined peaks of activity in the morning and late afternoon. However, in the tail of the Sporadic-E season you are just as likely to find it around the middle of the day as at any other time. The daily Sporadic-E blogs at propquest.co.uk  finish at the end of August, but in some years the last events have extended into the first week of September.  Moon declination is still positive, but falling, going negative on Monday. So, Moon window lengths and peak elevation will follow suit. Path losses are rising again as we approach apogee on Friday the 29th. 144MHz sky noise was low until lunchtime on Friday the 22nd, when the Sun and the Moon were very close in the sky. This continued throughout the Moon window on yesterday, the 23rd, and will revert to moderate-to-low next week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 7th of July 2024   The news headlines: A revised Direct to Full examination syllabus has been released The RSGB has announced its representative for the 2024 YOTA camp The RSGB British Science Week Time challenge is an opportunity for constructors The new amateur radio licence has now been in effect for a few months and changes to the licence conditions have necessitated revision to the examination syllabus. Tony Kent, G8PBH, who is the RSGB Examinations Standards Committee Chair, has announced that he is pleased to release version 2.0 of the Direct to Full syllabus, including these revisions. Compared to the version in current use, the only section that has seen major changes is Section 1: “Licensing and station identification”. Section 2: “Operating practices and procedures” has seen some minor changes, for example with regard to suffixes. The RSGB will begin examining to version 2.0 of the syllabus on the 1st of October 2024. It will not be taking any bookings for Direct to Full examinations to take place in September. You can find the syllabus on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/direct-to-full The RSGB is pleased to announce that it will be represented at this summer's Youngsters on the Air camp by Rhys Williams, M0WGY / AJ6XD. The event, which is organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club, will be held between the 16th and 23rd of August 2024 in Prague, Czechia. Rhys is currently studying aerospace engineering at Cambridge University and is going on to do a PhD in engineering at Oxford University from September. He says he has found a lot of joy in the building aspect of amateur radio and enjoys contesting with his university amateur radio club. Find out more about Rhys and this inspirational annual YOTA camp on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/yota-camp Are you looking for your next construction challenge? Then the RSGB British Science Week Time challenge could be for you. The task is to provide a method of either measuring the frequency of a radio frequency source or signal or providing a time reference to a radio operator or radio system. You must use readily available components, materials or other resources. The activity is open to all ages and is divided into three categories: under 18 or still in school; under 21 or an undergraduate up to the age of 23; and a category with no age restriction. You can enter as an individual or as a group. The winner of each category will win a prize of £150 with the winners being announced at this year's RSGB Convention in October. The deadline for entries is the 1st of September. You can find out more, including how to enter, by visiting rsgb.org/bsw and selecting the ‘Time-related challenge' link under the BSW24 header. Don't forget you can get involved in the new GR2HQ Challenge next weekend, the 13th and 14th of July, as part of the IARU HF World Championship contest. You can take part as individuals but also benefit your club, so why not encourage your club members to take part whether they are regular contesters or not? During the contest, Headquarters Stations represent their countries and the RSGB's station GR2HQ will be run by a network of about a dozen stations around the UK and islands. You will be able to submit your log, including QSOs with GR2HQ, to the RSGB contest robot for the GR2HQ Challenge. If you include your club or group name when you submit your log, each QSO with GR2HQ will count towards an aggregate score for your club or team. You can read more in the June RadCom feature on the GR2HQ Challenge and you can see the rules on the RSGB website at thersgb.org/go/gr2hq TX Factor has released its latest episode in which there is a look at the IC-R15 communications receiver, the latest offering from Icom. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR discuss how best to configure the Anytone BT-01 Bluetooth microphone with the Anytone AT-D578, which will be a boon for mobile operating. Finally, there is the second part of a feature on operating via the QO-100 satellite with the Groundstation 2 from DX Patrol. Watch this and previous episodes on the TX Factor website at txfactor.co.uk or on its YouTube channel. A reminder that the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is tomorrow, Monday the 8th of July when Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs will give a presentation on the QMX+ multi-mode 160 to 6m transceiver kit design and features. This is a great opportunity to find out more and ask questions live on the night. You can watch on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about the webinar on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars  And now for details of rallies and events Barford Radio Rally is taking place today, the 7th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Norwich, NR9 4AB. The doors open at 9 am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry is £2.50 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. To read more about the event visit norfolkamateurradio.org or email David, G7URP via radio@dcpmicro.com The Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is also taking place today, the 7th, at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. The doors open at 10.30 am and admission costs £3. Traders bring and buy, club stalls, car parking and catering are all available on-site. Contact Ken, G0FIC on 01209 821073 for more information. Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will take place next Sunday the 14th, at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridgeshire, CB22 6RN. The doors open at 9.30 am for visitors and at 7.30 am for traders. The event features a car boot sale, talk-in, trade stands, clubs and a bring-and-buy area. A free marshalled car park and burger van will be available on site. For more information visit cambridgerepeaters.net and click on the Rally tab. Also on Sunday the 14th, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Summer Rally is taking place at Rasen Festival Hall, Caistor Road, LN8 3HT. The doors open at 10 am and entry will cost £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. More information, including contact details, is available via tinyurl.com/LSWC2024 The McMichael Radio and Electronics Rally and Car Boot Sale is also taking place on Sunday the 14th of July. The venue will be Reading Rugby Club, Holme Park, Sonning Lane, Reading, RG4 6ST. The doors open at 9 am for visitors and at 8 am for traders. Refreshments and ample parking will be available. For more information visit mcmichaelrally.org.uk  Now the Special Event news Special callsign OR100LGE is used by members of Liege Radio Club, ON5VL throughout 2024 to celebrate the Club's 100th anniversary. Look for activity on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via ON6YH. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log. SK100FRK is the special callsign in use by the Falu Radio Club, SK4AO to celebrate the 100th anniversary since it was founded. The station will be active until the end of 2024 and details of an available award can be found at QRZ.com  Now the DX news Bo, OZ1DJJ is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 16th of July. He is QRV on the 6 and 4m bands, as well as on the HF bands, often using FT8. QSL via OZ0J. Zsolt, HA8PX is active as S79/HA8PX from Mahe, AF-024, in the Seychelles until Wednesday the 10th of July. He operates mainly CW, but also some SSB and FT8, on various bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly.  Now the contest news VHF National Field Day started at 1400 UTC on Saturday the 6th of July and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 7th of July. Using all modes on the VHF bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 7th, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 10th, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 11th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The IARU HF World Championship starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 13th of July and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 14th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and ITU zone. On Sunday the 14th, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 4th of July 2024 After a rough spot last weekend, the Sun has since behaved itself, allowing HF propagation to get back to normal. To recap, the Kp index hit 7.67 on Friday the 28th of June, thanks to incoming plasma from a coronal mass ejection. For a time, it looked like we might have a repeat performance of the 10th of May when the Kp index hit 9 and there was a visible aurora across the UK. This time around, however, conditions calmed down again and 24 hours later the Kp index was back to 2.33. Since then, the Sun has remained calm with only two M-class and zero X-class flares, and the Kp index is back in the 1 to 3 range. This means that the ionosphere has had a chance to build up and we have been seeing MUFs over a 3,000km path exceeding 21MHz and often reaching 24MHz. That's pretty good considering we are in the Summer HF doldrums. An analysis of the Sun's active sunspot regions shows that two are growing, five are declining and one is stable. WSPRNet.org shows that signals have been getting to the UK from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Far East on the 15m band, while 28MHz is still mainly open to short-hop Sporadic-E contacts across Europe. The solar flux index has declined over the past week and was sitting at 167 on Thursday the 4th of July. Next week, NOAA predicts it will remain around the 170 mark, with quiet geomagnetic conditions. However, solar flares and coronal mass ejections remain hard to predict so keep an eye on Solarham.com and Propquest.co.uk for a real-time view of solar and geomagnetic conditions. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather sequence to the end of next week is much like an autumn pattern in that the story is all about areas of low pressure, showers and weather fronts. None of this suggests that Tropo will be a feature of the weather. In fact, high-pressure systems simply do not appear on the charts at all. We can leave rain scatter on the list and, since it is technically summer, or meant to be, there is a lot of energy in any showers. Indeed, some may be heavy and thundery and are probably good rain-scatter candidates. Meteor scatter, in the absence of major showers, is most likely around the dawn period when random meteors tend to be more prevalent. The solar conditions continue to offer much variability and it is always worth checking for elevated Kp index values, which can be a signal for aurora to occur. As a general guide check the bands when Kp reaches 5 or higher. The Sporadic-E season continues, although recently there have been some higher-than-ideal Kp indices, which unlike for aurora need to be at lower values, say below a Kp index of 3, for ideal Sporadic-E conditions. The other ingredient that tends to promote Sporadic-E is the presence of jet streams in the upper atmosphere around 10 to 15km up. It is believed that these can generate atmospheric gravity waves that can propagate up to the E region at 110km where they become part of the process for making Sporadic-E. This unsettled autumn-like weather is providing plenty of jet streams, so it continues to be worth checking for Sporadic-E. A quick look at the upper air pattern suggests that paths towards Scandinavia and the Baltic may be productive, and perhaps to Iberia later next week. Moon declination is close to maximum positive this coming weekend so Moon peak elevation will be high. Moon apogee is on Friday the 12th so EME path losses continue to increase. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 30th of June 2024   The news headlines: The IARU HF Championship is coming up Learn about the QMX+ transceiver at the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar The Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual report   The IARU HF Championship contest will be held between the 13th and 14th of July and there is a great opportunity for you to get involved in a different way this year. During the contest, ‘Headquarters Stations' represent their countries and the RSGB's station GR2HQ will be run by a network of about a dozen stations around the UK and islands. This year, the RSGB Contest Committee has introduced a new challenge to encourage individual stations to work the GR2HQ station on each band-mode slot. You will be able to submit your log, including QSOs with GR2HQ, to the RSGB contest robot for the GR2HQ Challenge. If you include your club or group name when you submit your log, each QSO with GR2HQ will count towards an aggregate score for your club or team. There will be two results tables, one for individuals taking part and one for clubs, so your QSOs can contribute to both! Why not encourage your club members to take part in this special challenge whether they are regular contesters or not. By contacting the GR2HQ station you'll also help the RSGB's position in the contest – last year the RSGB came third and the Society would love to improve on that result. You can read more in the June RadCom feature on the GR2HQ Challenge and you can see the rules on the RSGB website at thersgb.org/go/gr2hq The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is on Monday the 8th of July when Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs will give a presentation on the QMX+ multi-mode 160 to 6m transceiver kit design and features. This is a great opportunity to find out more and ask questions live on the night. You can watch on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about the webinar on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars The Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual report, relating to activities in 2023. Whilst the report shows that in 2023 there were fewer candidates across all licence levels, the number of people taking exams so far in 2024 has increased significantly. Another item in the report relates to the preparations that are being made to release the bank of questions for the Full licence exam. The ESC Chair, Tony Kent, G8PBH says that it has long been recognised that a review of the question bank, particularly at Full level, is well overdue and has been delayed multiple times by things such as the need to revise the syllabus for EMF and the new licence changes. Reviewing the question bank is the next priority of the ESC and the Exams and Syllabus Review Group and will begin on the 1st of September when Syllabus 1.6 is up and running. The ESC and ESRG believe it is better that this review is conducted before the bank is published as this should reduce the workload on the community and the exams teams in making and responding to queries on questions that may be withdrawn. They are hoping to release the questions in January 2025. To see the full ESC report go to rsgb.org/esc  and click on the minutes, papers and reports tab on the right. The team from hi-impact based on the Wirral is planning its first high-altitude balloon launch of 2024. This time, working alongside staff and pupils from Monks Coppenhall Academy near Crewe, they will launch at 11am on Wednesday the 3rd of July 2024, from their usual location in Cilcewydd, near Welshpool in Wales. They will be running a HABduino and encourage all amateurs and short-wave listeners to upload telemetry to SondeHub. The frequency will be 434.650MHz USB, transmitting 50 Baud RTTY, 425Hz Shift and using 7N1 data format. The callsign is MONKS_HAB. Updates will be posted on hi-impact's Facebook page and on X @hiimpactconsult This year, the Churches and Chapels on the Air event will take place on Saturday the 14th of September. If you are planning to put your church or chapel on the air, please email John, G3XYF via jhwresdell@gmail.com and he will add you to the list of participants. And finally, don't forget that today, the 30th, is Alexanderson Day. The unique Alexanderson alternator, with the callsign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions on 17.2kHz using CW. At 0830UTC, the alternator will be started up and at 0900UTC the first transmission will take place. A second transmission is scheduled for 1200UTC. You can read more about the event and historic transmitter at alexander.n.se   And now for details of rallies and events   Dunstable Downs Radio Club's annual rally is taking place today, the 30th, at Stockwood Park in Luton. As always, there will be plenty of plots available on the day for £10 each. The fee for car parking will be £4 per vehicle for visitors. Both of the usual entrances for traders and visitors remain unchanged. However, the road that runs along part of Newlands Road on the south side of the park is closed so please plan your route accordingly. For more information visit ddrcbootsale.org Burton on Trent Amateur Radio Club Mini Rally and Barbecue is set to take place on Saturday the 6th of July. The venue will be The Barley Mow public house, Burton on Trent, DE5 9AP. Ample car parking will be available, and admission will be free. In addition to all the usual stalls, there will be a live demonstration of the Club's remote access station. For more information phone Barry on 01283 540570 or see the Club's Facebook page. Barford Radio Rally is coming up next Sunday, the 7th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB. Doors open at 9am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry is £2.50 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. To read more about the event visit norfolkamateurradio.org or email David, G7URP via radio@dcpmicro.com Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is also taking place next Sunday, the 7th, at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. The doors open at 10.30am and admission will cost £3. There will be traders, bring and buy, club stalls, car parking and catering is available on site. Contact Ken, G0FIC on 01209 821073 for more information.   Now the Special Event news Durham and District Amateur Radio Society is participating as one of the bonus stations in the popular 13 Colonies special event. The special callsign GB13COL has been issued for the occasion and will be active from 1300UTC on the 1st of July to 0400UTC on the 8th of July. The primary focus of the event will be the HF bands, but the station will also be working on VHF and UHF bands, and via satellite, for QSOs using SSB, CW, FM and various digital modes. If you would like to visit the club, or want further information about GB13COL, please contact Ray, G0VLF on 07904196283 or email g0vlf@yahoo.co.uk Special callsign GX4LMR will be operated by The British Railways Amateur Radio Society from the 5th to the 14th of July to commemorate the first amateur tests on a moving railway train in 1924. Operators plan to concentrate on the 40m band, depending on conditions. QSL via the Bureau.       Now the DX news Sylvia, OE5YYN is active as OE20SOTA until the 31st of October to mark the 20th anniversary of Austria joining the Summits on the Air programme. For details of a certificate that is available see QRZ.com A member of the 69th Russian Antarctic Expedition, Igor, RQ8K will be stationed at Progress Station, Antarctica until the end of April 2025. In his spare time, Igor is active as RI1ANE and uses FT8 on the HF bands regularly.   Now the contest news Today, the 30th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 1st, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. VHF National Field Day starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 6th of July and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 7th of July. Using all modes on the VHF bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 7th, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.       Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 27th of June 2024 We had another lucky week with quite a high solar flux index, low Kp geomagnetic numbers, few solar flares and no coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, of note. In fact, you couldn't ask for better! But is that all about to change? With nine active solar regions on the Sun's surface and the return of old region 3664, now renamed 3723, it would be a brave person to suggest otherwise. So, let's take a closer look at the Sun. Of the nine active regions that are visible, four are classed as stable, one is classed as declining and four are classed as growing. With a solar flux index of 181, there is plenty of UV radiation around. However, we are currently in the summer doldrums so maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, are lower than they are in the Autumn and Winter. In other words, we are not going to see a return to reliable worldwide DX conditions on the higher bands until mid to late September. There is currently only a 5% chance of a strong X-class solar flare, although a bright coronal mass ejection was observed for a second day off the Sun's west limb. This was directed away from our planet so shouldn't affect us. NOAA predicts that the Kp index could rise due to CME arrivals from an event that left the Sun on the 24th of June. Expect a Kp of 4 or 5, with a reduction in the MUF until the geomagnetic disruption abates. It also predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the region of 190, hopefully with a low Kp index after the ionosphere settles again. MUFs over a 3,000km path are generally between 18 and 23MHz during daylight and around 18MHz at night. This means that for the next month or so we may expect 14MHz to remain open throughout the night.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current week finishes with a return to unsettled weather and cooler air, after a brief taste of summer, particularly in the south of Britain. There will be lows drifting in from the Atlantic during the coming week, as well as the occasional passing weather front. Although there was some Tropo last week, during the brief period of high pressure, this is unlikely to be repeated in the coming week. Therefore, we have a continuing random chance of some rain scatter, but you will need one of the many online weather radar displays to track the scatter regions down. Since next week also looks windier, you might have to keep one hand on the rotator! Meteor scatter is once again down to random events, which means an early start in the shack to capture the higher rates in the early mornings. The solar conditions continue to keep trying to creep into VHF affairs with a higher Kp index and thoughts of radio aurora, but it's probably not a strong shout. Now to our last item – Sporadic-E. There is still the broad summer Sporadic-E peak, which extends into the first week of September in a good year, so you have plenty of time. It will not always be there but, in a test analysis of Dourbes data in June 2022, 84% of the days reached 10m, with 18% up to 6m and around 10% to 4m or above. This makes it worth using the 10m band to highlight the regions of activity and then check the 6m beacons in case it strengthens to bring in the higher bands. Moon declination goes positive again this coming weekend so Moon peak elevation and window lengths will increase. Perigee was on Thursday the 27th so EME path losses are increasing again. 144MHz sky noise is low at the start of the coming week and moderate later. From Friday afternoon on the 5th of July to midday on Saturday, the Moon and the Sun are very close in the sky, meaning high noise for all but the narrowest beamwidth antennas. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

In this episode, we join  Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. This episode's feature is Ham Radio 2023 Round-Up including Elecraft, ICOM, ACOM, QRP-Labs, Arriona, ELAD SDR and IARU. We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate UK Amateur Radio Licence Proposed Changes. ICQPodcast Discusses with RSGB post Ofcom Announcement. Report sheds some light on Icom's amateur radio strategy Satellite Enthusiasts Encouraged to Take the 'LEDSAT' Challenge Edison Research: Motorists Still Love Radio RadioGPT to Be Used at Univ. of Fla. Media Lab

Chris and Elecia talk with Mark Smith (aka SmittyHalibut and N6MTS) about amateur radio, interconnect standards, and podcasting. Mark is a host of the Ham Radio Workbench podcast. His company is Halibut Electronics (electronics.halibut.com). He's been working on Open Headset Interconnect Standard and Satellite Optimized Amateur Radio (SOAR). Find Mark as SmittyHalibut on YouTube, github, and Mastodon. Chris talked about getting into WSPR in 197: Smell the Transistor but we first talked about it in 76: Entropy is For Wimps Chris has spec'd out his intended project at QRP Labs, the QCX+ 5W CW Mini. Transcript

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Leslie Butterfield G0CIB, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Bill Barnes N3JIX to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature covers interviews from Ham Radio 2018 with RSGB, Elecraft, BHI, SDR Play and QRP Labs. Proposed $2.8 million Manufacturer Fine The Great FT8 Debate Could a New Entry Level Licence Boost VHF/UHF Activity? Easier Access to UK 70.5 MHz Experimental Band Free book SDR for Engineers Radio Ham Astronaut Named as Minister for Science Try Thailand's Amateur / Ham Radio Exams Z6 Prefix is Illegal

One final piece of content from the 2018 Hamvention.  Every year, the QRP Amateur Radio Club International hosts a QRP conference called Four Days in May that proceeds Hamvention.  The event is home to a large collection of amateurs passionate about low power operation and building their own radios. George attended the event on Thursday and was able to capture talks by Hans Summers G0UPL of QRP-Labs fame and Dr. Jack Purdum W8TEE, famous in the BITX40 community.  Hans talks about the development of his smash hit new transceiver kit, the QCX and Jack talks to us about homebrewing. Special thanks to QRP ARCI President Preston Douglas WJ2V for allowing us to record these great talks. If you would like more information about QRP ARCI or are interested in joining, please visit http://www.qrparci.org/ We have launched the all new http://www.HamRadioWorkbench.com/ !  This includes our new Online Store where you can order Ham Radio Workbench projects that are currently in production.  You can also find documentation for previous projects, an archive of our podcast episodes, and a new Blog where George and Jeremy will post articles. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Save 10% on a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt foldable solar panel with Anderson Powerpole adapter cable - no code needed!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763QKSXY The giveaway for a free 30 Watt PowerFilm Solar Panel may still be active!  http://bit.ly/WorkbenchPodcast Hans Summers G0UPL QRP-Labs - https://qrp-labs.com/ Hans’ personal site - http://hanssummers.com/ Presentation and thoughts from FDIM - http://www.qrp-labs.com/dayton2018.html Dr. Jack Purdum W8TEE Co-author “Arudino Projects for Amateur Radio” - https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Projects-Amateur-Radio-Purdum-ebook/dp/B00O2A7I5O The JackAl board for the uBITX - https://ubitx.net/2018/05/21/jackal-is-here/ Jack’s presentation from FDIM - http://traffic.libsyn.com/workbench/W8TEE-FDIM-2018-Homebrewing-Radio-Gear.odp.pdf Adafruit ADABox - https://www.adafruit.com/adabox/ ZUMSpot Digital Voice Radio Hotspot - https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015993 MMDVM Github - https://github.com/g4klx/MMDVM Pi-Star - https://www.pistar.uk/ Leo Bodnar Mini GPSDO - http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=301 Time Nuts - http://www.leapsecond.com/time-nuts.htm Uputronics Raspberry Pi uBLOX GPS Module - https://v3.airspy.us/product/upu-rpigps/ KF7IJZ’s Overview of the new Hytera AR482G - the commercial gradio DMR Radio for Amateurs - https://youtu.be/igEXMLJ0QZY Precision Frequency References with Dr. Frank M Howell K4FMH - https://www.hamradioworkbench.com/podcast/precision-frequency-references Airspy R2 with 10MHz frequency Input - https://v3.airspy.us/product/a-airspy/ Airspy Groups.io - https://airspy.groups.io/g/main/topics FlexRadio 6400 - http://www.flexradio.com/amateur-products/flex-6000-signature-series/flex-6400/

Eric Swartz WA6HHQ, co-founder of Elecraft, joins us to guide our understanding of RF receiver performance specifications.  Eric introduces us to common receiver specs such as Sensitivity, Noise Floor, Dynamic Range, Intermod Dynamic Range, Phase Noise, and RMDR.  He tells us what they mean in real-world receiver performance terms, how they are tested, and whether it’s better to have a higher or lower number in each one.  It’s also the final episode before the 2018 Hamvention and George and Jeremy share our plans for our Booth, special offers, and exclusives for show listeners who stop by booth 3104 in Xenia. Show Topic Begins at 1:09:36 Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Hamvention DMR Hotspot - 439.3125 TG 31075 George will be giving a forum presentation - Saturday, May 19 - 2:45 Room 3  - “Quick tips for setting up your workbench, HamRadio Workbench Build Projects” Want to be on the show?  Come to the booth and tell us what’s on your workbench! Project documentation will be indexed and available on this page - http://hamradioworkbench.com/ham-radio-workbench-project-board-index PowerFilm Solar 30Watt Foldable Solar Panel giveaway - http://bit.ly/WorkbenchPodcast We will announce the winners via our company Facebook page on or around June 1. Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Visit Digilent at booth 3002 QRP ARCI - Four Days in May - http://www.qrparci.org/fdim QRP Labs - https://www.qrp-labs.com/ Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio - https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Projects-Amateur-Radio-Purdum/dp/0071834052 W6DQ QRZ Page - https://www.qrz.com/db/w6dq Sam Zeloff - Garage Chip Fab https://hackaday.com/2017/02/25/the-fab-lab-next-door-diy-semiconductors/ https://hackaday.com/2018/04/24/first-lithographically-produced-home-made-ic-announced/ https://hackaday.com/2018/05/03/more-details-on-that-first-home-made-lithographically-produced-ic/ Amp Hour Interview with Sam - https://theamphour.com/390-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof/ Sam Zeloff Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7E8-0Ou69hwScPW1_fQApA Bletchley Park - https://bletchleypark.org.uk/ Update on George’s Projects on his blog - http://www.kj6vu.com/ Anker Powerline Cables - https://www.anker.com/products/110/Cables USB In-Line Multimeter - https://www.amazon.com/Eversame-Multimeter-Chargers-Capacity-Banks-Black/dp/B01D9Y6ZFW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525531260&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+meter Randy K7AGE YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/K7AGE Eric 4ZIUG QSO Today Podcast - https://www.qsotoday.com/ Jeremy’s Workbench made from IKEA Algot Shelving - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Db6TKjGUQAAfvQ8.jpg:large IKEA Algot Shelving - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/22798/ IKEA Bekant Desk - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09022804/#/S19022808 RF Receiver Specifications Guide from Eric Swartz WA6HHQ Elecraft Mailing List - http://www.elecraft.com/elist.html Sensitivity - How well can the receiver hear weak signals? Minimum Discernible Signals - noise is generated inside the radio from the amplifier stages and how much amplification is available in the receive chain to bring a signal above the radio’s internal noise floor As sensitivity increases, you can degrade dynamic range To measure, start by injecting weak signals until you observe the signal level out of the speaker roughly double in amplitude (3dB) Lower values are better (bigger negative number), allowing you to detect weaker signals Most HF radios are between -125 to -130 with -135 to -138 being on the higher side of performance Noise Floor The internal noise figure generated by the radio with the antenna removed Dynamic Range Strong Signal Handling - how does the radio perform when there are strong signals adjacent to where you are tuned? IMDR3 - Intermodulation Dynamic Range When multiple strong received signals overload the first receiving amplifier in your radio, the signals get clipped When the radio has a broad banded receiver, this clipping begins to act as a mixer and creates intermodulation showing up at different frequencies Additional unwanted signals are created in the receiver when multiple strong signals are present To measure, begin with two signals apart - the difference between the MDS/sensitivity and the level required to set the signal generator to to cover up the weak signal Higher values are better - 90dB range above noise floor is average, mid 90’s to 100 dB is on the higher side of performance Blocking Dynamic Range A strong signal overloading your receiver thereby reducing the gain of the receiver. Receivers can have challenges when a strong signal is physically near the radio To measure, inject a signal until it causes receiver overall gain to drop one DB Higher values are better - typical better than 130dB of BDR, mid 130s to 140s is on the higher side of performance Phase Noise An indication of the quality and “cleanliness” of local oscilator (VFO, or Crystal Master Oscillator) Denotes whether they introduce jitter or noise to the received signal Lower is better Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range (RMDR) RMDR is tied to phase noise Impacted by how clean your oscillator is To measure, listen in 500hz bandwidth and measure how strong an injected signal has to be to raise the noise floor on the freq you are tuned to (1-3dB noise floor increase) This ratio is the RMDR Higher values are better - 110-115 dB As multiple signals get closer, the RMDR drops Sherwood Engineering Receiver Comparison List - http://www.sherweng.com/table.html

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Chris Howard M0TCH, Dan Romanchik KB6NU and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is QRP Labs. We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate Imminent Shutdown of Repeater Group BBC Operating Licence Revealed by Ofcom Amateur Radio Recognized in Norwegian Resource Register FM Satellite Launch in November FCC Scraps Telegraph Regulations RadioShack Re-Opens with Local Ham Radio Club Partner Australian Amateur Radio Licences Renewal Reminder RSGB Exam Syllabus Review

Chris and Elecia talk with each other about science fiction, advertising, ham radios, debugging tools, and programming languages. You can buy Embedded.fm t-shirts until May 18, 2017. You can always buy Elecia’s book: Making Embedded Systems. And don’t forget we have a Patreon if you’d like to support the show directly. Some science fiction we mentioned: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, Nightfall and Last Question by Isaac Asimov, and the All This Time video from Jonathan Coulton. Digilent sent us goodies to review: one Analog Discovery 2 and two Digital Discovery units. So we did, though we didn't cover the high speed adapters and other nifty goodies. Check out Alvaro Prieto’s Troubleshooting tools HDDG talk for some additional information on the devices. For the giveaways, rules are in the show, hit the contact link to enter. Contest ends May 19th. Chris has been doing low-power ham radio contacts (WSPR) using an Ultimate 3S kit from QRP Labs. We talked about WSPR some with Ron Sparks in episode 76: Entropy Is For Wimps Make with Ada competition is back! It start May 15, 2017. We talked the 2016 competition with Fabien Chouteau in episode 158: Programming Is Too Difficult For Humans. Elecia is still fighting with Ubuntu before she can build her robot typist with her NVidia Jetson TX2 board. Philip Freidin sent in Stanford CS department’s reply to the lightning round question of “what language should you learn in the first college course?” Even better, he sent a link to a google spreadsheet showing how many schools answer the question. Elecia was on the Jennylyn Show. (I’ll update with a link to the specific episode on YouTube when it is available.) March Madness ended with PyBoard as the champion, more info on getting your winner’s hat soon.    

As a 2009 QRP ARCI Hall of Fame inductee - Hans Summers, G0UPL,  is an electronic experimenter and amateur radio innovator extraordinaire.  Hans pays careful attention to compact and minimal parts count to achieve the design goals of his homebrew projects. Hans is the owner of QRP Labs joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in a conversation about QRSS slow data transmissions, high altitude balloon transponders, and shares his ham radio and electronic builder story.