Podcasts about vhf

Estas Navidades estoy viviendo una situación que muchos radioaficionados conocen bien: nuevo QTH y, de momento, sin antenas instaladas. Mientras preparo soluciones para poder sacar RF al exterior —hablando del siempre complicado paso de coaxial por una doble ventana—, la radio no se detiene… y las bandas tampoco. En este episodio hablamos de cómo, durante estas fechas, la actividad en radio se multiplica. Indicativos especiales que celebran la Navidad, parques y cimas que se llenan de activadores, y colegas que aprovechan los días de descanso para salir al aire con equipos sencillos y muchas ganas de disfrutar. Escuchamos radio real, grabada a través de un SDR remoto mientras no tengo antenas en casa: activaciones POTA desde el Montseny y desde Segovia, SOTA en VHF desde una cima de Cádiz, y un indicativo especial navideño en 40 metros. Señales fuertes, señales débiles, propagación cambiante… exactamente lo que encontramos cuando la radio se vive sin artificios. EG1XMA, EA3IPX, EA3IMR, EA1ZJ, EA3HIG, EA4BTQ, EA9ADD, EA4IOI... vamos, un montón de amigos. Pero este episodio también va de algo más importante: radio compartida. De amigos que se juntan, de hijos que acompañan y aprenden, y de cómo la radioafición se convierte, especialmente en Navidad, en una excusa perfecta para pasar tiempo juntos. Porque al final, da igual si la señal sale por una ventana, desde un parque o desde una cima: lo importante es seguir disfrutando de la radio. NOTAS DEL EPISODIO - Web de la EG1XMA https://eg1xma.riojanosporlaradio.com/ - Canal de Youtube de EA1ZJ https://www.youtube.com/@EA1ZJ - Comet CTC 50M https://www.locuradigital.com/en/antenna_cable/comet_pasamarcos_ctc-50m.htm - Diamond MGC 50 https://www.wimo.com/es/diamond-mgc-50-set - Antenas Skyline y Skyloop de Big Signal https://www.bigsignal.es/antenas/big-signal-skyline-antena-17.html Envía tus preguntas, propuestas de temas o lo que quieras: https://cqenfrecuencia.com/contacto/ O en nuestro canal de Telegram: https://t.me/cqenfrecuencia Y no olvidéis visitar nuestra web: https://cqenfrecuencia.com

Harry Anderson is the only person to have both flown solo and sailed solo to all seven continents. He is also the author of "Sailing 7 Continents Solo." We talk about his route, his boats (a Bavaria 37 and an Alures 40.9), sailing with a centerboard, heaving-to, HF radio, VHF with wireless remote handset, anchoring, shore lines, generating electricity, Deception Island, getting permits to go to Antarctica, katabatic winds, Puerto Montt, Cocos Keeling, friendly people, favorite places, Namibia, beautiful moments, safety, heaters, the NW passage, his books, and more. photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page  support the show through Patreon browse or list sailboats for sale  get remote electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrical

GB2RS News Sunday, the 28th of December 2025 The news headlines: Dr Julian Gannaway, G3YGF, is now a Silent Key Become a member of the RSGB Legacy Committee The RSGB 2026 Convention planning team opens the call for proposals It is with great sadness that we share the news that Dr Julian Gannaway, G3YGF, is now a Silent Key. He volunteered for the RSGB over many years, most recently on the RSGB Examination Standards Committee and as a corresponding member of the Spectrum Forum. He was made an RSGB Honorary Life President after serving as RSGB President in 1989. Julian's contribution to amateur radio was widespread, and we will share a fuller tribute in due course. The RSGB Legacy Fund has resources available to encourage and develop amateur radio. It is overseen by the Legacy Committee, which is a sub-committee of the RSGB Board. The Legacy Committee considers applications from individuals and groups and advises the RSGB Board in reaching its funding decision. It is currently looking for a new member to support this important work to help amateur radio move forward. To find out more, go to rsgb.org/volunteers Have you been involved in some research or been part of a project that will take amateur radio to new audiences? Maybe your organisation is working to encourage young people into STEM careers and support the radio engineers of the future? Perhaps you have discovered something new in amateur radio or have helped to make the hobby more inclusive and accessible. The Society has started planning its 2026 Convention and is offering radio amateurs the opportunity to propose a presentation or a practical activity and be part of the weekend's programme. Submit your proposal on these, or any other topics, by sending the title and at least a one-paragraph summary of your suggestion to convention@rsgb.org.uk Time is running out to be part of two exciting opportunities to make an impact with the RSGB. The Society is seeking a full-time, highly motivated Operations Manager to be part of its senior leadership team, based at the RSGB HQ in Bedford. It is also looking for a new contractor or agency to work with, to support the development of RSGB advertising and contribute to the growth of its publications and digital platforms. If you are professional, proactive and excited by either of these opportunities, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/careers  to find out more. The application deadline for both is the 4th of January 2026. A reminder that RSGB HQ is closed over the festive season and opens again for business at 8.30 am on Monday, the 5th of January 2026. The exams booking system will remain open at rsgb.org/exampay  during the festive season so you can book exams to take on the 5th of January onwards. The RSGB National Radio Centre will be operating reduced opening hours and will shut its doors at 2 pm on New Year's Eve and remain closed on New Year's Day. In addition to this, it will be shut for essential maintenance works on the 5th and 6th of January. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual. Youngsters on the Air Month 2025 has been filled with some brilliant activity from young people using the special callsign GB25YOTA. Before the year ends, there is still time to listen out for operators from the RSGB Outreach Team, Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club, the 2nd Marlborough Scouts, Hilderstone Radio Society and Jon, M0NOJ. View the operating schedule at rsgb.org/yota-month  The RSGB would like to thank everyone who has been involved with YOTA Month, from supervising young radio amateurs to making QSOs with them. If you have been involved with the event and would like your activity to be in a special feature in the March edition of RadCom, email your photos and report to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  by the 23rd of January 2026. Give something back to the amateur radio community in 2026 by becoming an RSGB volunteer. The Society has several opportunities to suit different interests and experiences. If you would like to use your skills to help strengthen the future of amateur radio and to provide services for other radio amateurs, go to rsgb.org/volunteers Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. Please note there will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday, the 4th of January 2026, but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. And now for details of rallies and events Sparkford Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 28th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil, BA22 7QX. The doors are open from 9.30 am, and admission costs £2. Refreshments and free parking are available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email luke@mymixradio.co.uk On Sunday, the 25th of January 2026, Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will be held at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. This is an indoor event with ample free parking. The doors will be open from 10 am, and admission is £3. Tables cost £10. To book tables, or for more information, contact Steve, M5ZZZ on 0777 7699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com Now the Special Event news A series of special event stations is on the air from the Netherlands during the festive period. Recently, the PD25HOHOHO station was worked on the 20m band using SSB. More information about this station, and the others in the series, can be found at QRZ.com 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 Todd, AF4CZ, is active as TG9/AF4CZ from Guatemala until the 5th of January. He is operating mainly using FT8 and FT4 on the 40 to 10m bands. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, eQSL and Club Log. Yannick, F6FYD, is active as CN2YD from Marrakech, Morocco, until the 31st of March 2026. You can find him using SSB on the 20 to 10m bands. QSL via F6FYD directly or via the Bureau. Now the contest news The Stew Perry Top band Challenge started at 1500UTC yesterday, the 27th, and ends at 1500 UTC today, the 28th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. Today, the 28th of December, the RSGB 70MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 29th of December, the RSGB 144MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, tomorrow, the 29th of December, the RSGB Youth team will be active with the GB0Y callsign during the IARU Youth on the Air Contest. The exchange is a signal report and operator age. More information about the contest is available at ham-yota.com/contest On Tuesday, the 30th of December, the RSGB 432MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday, the 3rd of January, the RSGB 80 and 40m CW Contest runs from 1300 to 1700 UTC. Using CW on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Saturday, the 3rd of January, The Marconi Club's QSO Party runs from 0700 to 2100 UTC. Using CW on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Listen for operators calling ‘CQ MCD'. Now the radio propagation report compiled by G0KYA and G3YLA on Thursday, December 23rd, 2025. We have had some solar ups and downs over the past week. A high-speed stream from a large coronal hole has kept the Kp index high at times, plus the solar flux index has been relatively low due to a lack of sunspots. The coronal hole has been massive, covering from the Sun's south pole right up to and past the solar equator. Nevertheless, there has been DX about, including PZ3OZ in Surinam on 80m FT8 and 40m CW, ZS7ANF in Antarctica on 30m CW, and TG9ADM in Guatemala on 10m CW. Also spotted have been some of the ‘12 Days of Christmas stations in the US', including W2R/5 in Arizona on 15m CW. Let's take a look at HF propagation over the next two weeks. According to NOAA, we may be in for a bumpy ride. The Kp index is predicted to rise to six on the 30th of December and stay high until early January. Meanwhile, at the same time, the SFI is predicted to rise to 170. The best time for HF may be after the 3rd of January, when the Kp index is predicted to fall to a more reasonable two to three, while the SFI remains in the 150-160 range. There should be plenty of activity on HF, with the G-QRP club's Winter Sports running up until the 1st of January, and a whole range of contests, from the RSGB's AFS CW Contest from 1300hrs UTC - 1700hrs UTC on the 3rd of January, to the Marconi Club ARI Loano QSO Party from 0700hrs UTC - 2100hrs UTC, also on the 3rd of January. Keep an eye on www.contestcalendar.com for updates. We hope you have a happy New Year and look forward to bringing you more HF propagation news in 2026. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The Christmas week saw a brief cold easterly around Christmas Day, then milder air returned around the top of the large area of high pressure. We go through the next week with the high pressure just to the north or west of Britain, and this will bring a more northerly flow across the country and, although initially milder, will become much colder again for the second half of next week. Since it is primarily a high-pressure week, there's always a chance of Tropo, but not everywhere. It's suggested you look for regions of cloud and fog for the best paths since it shows there is moisture under the inversion … a good thing for Tropo. The solar conditions are likely to offer prospects for aurora, and since this period is between two meteor showers, with the second one, the Quadrantids, peaking on the 4th at the end of the week.  Finally, a note to follow up on last week's heads-up for mid-winter Sporadic-E. It's certainly worth checking for digital modes and quite possibly for SSB/CW on 10m and 6m if there are signs of activity. For EME operators, Moon declination is rising again, and path losses are decreasing as we head towards perigee on the 2nd of January, the point where the Moon is closest to Earth. 144 MHz sky noise remains low until the 14th to 18th of January. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Dive into the nitty-gritty of ham radio gear with our in-depth Baofeng UV-7B review! In this hands-on test, we measure the power output across VHF (144-148 MHz) and UHF (420-450 MHz) bands using professional RF equipment to reveal real-world performance—does it hit the advertised 5W max, or fall short under load? We also scrutinize spectral purity with a spectrum analyzer, checking for spurious emissions, harmonics, and sideband cleanliness to ensure FCC compliance and clean QSOs. Perfect for beginner hams, emergency comms enthusiasts, or anyone upgrading from the UV-5R series. Discover if the UV-7B's compact design, dual-band capability, and affordability make it a winner—or if quirks like modulation drift hold it back.Today's video is sponsored by M&P Coax - save 10% off of all of their products with code HR2CABLES at this link - https://geni.us/hr2cablesRadio link - https://geni.us/Vagi1Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

En cette période de fêtes, Sailorz prend un peu de recul et vous propose une séance de rattrapage avec les deux épisodes de Pos.Report les plus suivis de 2025. Retrouvez toute l'analyse et les coulisses de la course au large dès le 6 janvier pour une nouvelle saison. Toute l'équipe de Sailorz vous souhaite, avec quelques jours d'avance, une très heureuse année 2026 !__Ce 234e épisode de Pos. Report refait le match de La Boulangère Mini Transat avec ses deux vainqueurs, Mathis Bourgnon, sur le proto Assomast (plan Etienne Bertrand), et Paul Cousin (AFP-Biocombustibles) en série, mais également avec Benoît Marie, deuxième en proto sur son plan Manuard à foils Nicomatic-Petit Bateau.Nous revenons d'abord sur l'annulation de la première étape, forcément frustrante pour Benoît Marie, qui était alors nettement en tête mais a accepté la décision, avant de faire route directement vers les Canaries alors que quasiment toute la flotte s'est réfugiée dans des ports portugais et espagnols.Nos invités confient leur état d'esprit au départ de la deuxième, le 25 octobre, et leur choix de route au moment de quitter les Canaries, avec une trajectoire est pour Mathis Bourgnon, qui l'avait travaillée avant de s'élancer, notamment avec Benoît Marie. Ce dernier raconte ensuite ses deux folles journées en volant, avec à la clé le record des 24 heures en Mini (352,59 milles, à 14,69 noeuds de moyenne), puis sa première sérieuse avarie en retombant d'une vague, avec la perte de son foil tribord et un trou dans la coque à combler. Mathis Bourgnon confie qu'il n'a alors pas vraiment réalisé que son concurrent était handicapé, plus focalisé sur son duel avec Alexandre Demange (DMG Mori Sailing Academy 2).Paul Cousin détaille quant à lui sa stratégie en ce début d'étape, avec une route sud que quasiment tous ont empruntée, mais qu'il fallait savoir doser, avant une seconde partie de transat qui a consisté à bien anticiper les rotations de l'alizé. Les trois marins racontent enfin les derniers jours de course, avec une nouvelle avarie pour Benoît Marie sur son bout-dehors et son spi max, qu'il a réussi dans un premier temps à circonscrire, avant de tout casser à une cinquantaine de milles de l'arrivée et d'appeler Mathis Bourgnon à la VHF pour le féliciter.Ce dernier explique ne pas avoir alors trop compris qu'il allait gagner et avoir vraiment réalisé une fois sur le ponton à Saint-François, dans les bras de ses parents, dont son père Yvon, vainqueur jour pour jour trente ans plus tôt. Paul Cousin confie de son côté l'état de fatigue extrême dans lequel il était au moment de couper la ligne en vainqueur, parce qu'il a beaucoup barré pendant les deux semaines de course, y compris la nuit, pour faire la différence sur ses poursuivants. Nos trois invités finissent par se projeter sur la suite : Paul Cousin rêve de Figaro, Benoît Marie de Trophée Jules Verne, Mathis Bourgnon d'Ocean Fifty ou d'Imoca.Rediffusé le 23 décembre 2025Diffusé le 18 novembre 2025Générique : Fast and wild/EdRecordsPost-production : Grégoire LevillainHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 2 Lupie and Becca return from the Dallas Vax Center. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Let's review the List of characters: David Belsus (50)- adjunct professor at Eastfield College, DCCCD with a side hustle in data analysis. GuadaLupie Gutierrez (32); investment advisor, David's neighbor Esmeralda Gutierrez (9); Lupie's daughter Rebecca Sampson (18); Esme's babysitter Janice Hoppler (33); librarian, arrived to partner with Dave the same day Lupie and Becca left to get vaccinated. Shawna Cooper (36); senior meteorologist at WFAA, second woman sent to Dave outside a direct request. Olivia Barnes (21); Dave's goddaughter, horticulture major at Tarleton State University in Stephenville Melanie Ustanich (22); Livy's roommate, cybersecurity major at Tarleton. Dave smiled, a pair of events immediately coming to mind. He launched into a description of when Esme had called him up. Becca had been moping all day and Esme finally got her to admit that it was her birthday, but she hadn't heard from any family. Esme knew Becca loved meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but that was a bit out of her culinary reach. She asked Dave to help out. Well, first off, it was already after 5:30pm by the time Esme figured things out and got a hold of Dave. A meat loaf can take nearly an hour to cook, after all the ingredients are prepped and combined. But, if he made smaller portions, mini-meatloaves, it would cook faster. Oh, then He could Zoom with them and the three of them could eat together. "Wait, three?" "Yeah, in the beginning of lockdown, Lupie was stuck in New York. She's an investment manager and very good at it. She was giving a week-long training seminar when it happened." "But the lockdowns weren't big surprises. We all had some heads up to prepare, maybe unofficial, but it wasn't like they came out of the blue." "Yep, and her company choose to make sure the New York office had gotten the training Lupie had been going around doing, before they lock them away in their homes. They thought they could beat the clock. Lupie was practically climbing the walls by the third day. But that's a different discussion. We can come back to that." "Yeah, we definitely need to come back to that. I can't imagine being cut off from my kid, half a continent away from her with a major pandemic racing around." "It was rough." Dave returned to the original narrative, starting back with the moment he remembered some trick he'd seen making meatloaf cupcakes and piping mashed potatoes on top like it was icing. "You didn't. You can do that?" "I'd only seen it done before, but I managed to get it right enough." "For a teen girl mostly alone on her birthday, the attempt was probably 99% alone. Execution would be bonus points." "She was crying happy on the Zoom call. Esme is young but she's sneaky when she's planning something nice. She took delivery at the door and convinced Becca to sit at the table, not knowing what Esme was bringing over. Becca kissed the camera for the first minute after they brought up Zoom." Janice giggled. "I don't blame her." Janice made a 'lightbulb' face. "Oh, is that why she made you cupcakes for your birthday?" "Well, she might have done it anyway, but it was probably why she insisted she do it herself." In thinking along those lines, Dave remembered the letter he'd gotten yesterday. That would explain why Lupie had seemed a bit miffed that day. She'd wanted to do something special for his birthday, but had bowed to Becca's exuberant need to express her gratitude. His musing turned nearer to the moment. Janice was listening to him talk about two other women in affectionate, familiar terms, knowing full well those women would be here soon and share the bed with him as well, and she showed no signs of jealousy. Yeah, they mentioned something about it in the videos, but it was odd to see. "Okay, your turn. Tell me something about you, Janice." She winced. "Okay, first off, I'd prefer Jan in normal conversation. Janice is fine at some function outside the house, some formal setting, but when it's just family and associates." "Associates? Why not just say - " "Please don't use the same word as the title of that show." Dave was puzzled for a bit, then chortled. "Oh - " "Do. Not. Finish. That. Phrase." Janice glared. Dave nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Janice was thoroughly unamused. He forcefully collected himself. "Damn, I like that show, but I can get why you would not be happy. That character is annoying as hell." Jan stared, nonplussed. "I'll be good. Promise." He picked up her hand from the table and kissed it. Jan continued to give him half-squinty eyes. "So you were about to tell me something about you. Other than your death-ray eye superpower." "It's a good thing you're cute buster." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The squint was still there, but a bemused smile dangled below it. Janice proceeded to tell about the time the library put on a summer hands-on science series. One week the guide brought frogs and first red a book about frogs and their habitats. They let the kids reach in and touch some of the frogs - after rinsing their hands with deionized water first. Then they red a chapter from Frog & Toad. During the reading, one little boy wanted to touch the frogs again. He had earlier asked to hold one, but had been told the frogs had to stay inside the tub. The budding naturalist snuck behind the speaker, opened the lid, and took out a small frog. The frog of course took the chance to leap away. The startled and dismayed boy jumped back, knocking over the tub which he had not put the lid back on. Sixteen small to medium sized frogs dumped out on the floor. Startled as they were, they began hopping away, some heading through the equally startled mass of kids. Some of the children had declined to touch the frogs earlier and were now shrieking as the second Egyptian plague of Exodus blitzed outward from the tub, directly at them. Dave was holding his sides laughing as Jan continued. Obviously, story time was over. It took an hour and a half to calm the kids down, locate parents, ask a few of them to bring a change of garments for their little one - explaining the need for that took repetition of the same story to each parent, accompanied by laughter and sympathy and one angry Karen. Collecting the frog diaspora took the rest of the day, and three hours after closing. Dave was chortling and wiping tears from his eyes for a full minute after Jan finished. Jan settled into his lap, her arms draped around his neck. They kissed softly, languidly. David jarred backward. "Oh crap, I forgot to put in the order." "What order?" "I was going to order more groceries, especially snacks, and a couple of stuffed critters for Esme." "Lupie's little girl?" "Yep, she's mad about these things called Squish mallows. I could probably randomly pick one and she'd squeal happily to receive it. I held off ordering because I wanted to get your input, you know, anything special you wanted." Dave started leading her upstairs, which had Jan happy, but a bit less so when Dave made the turn for his office instead of heading straight to the bedroom. Gamely, she played along. Truth be told, she was glad to ask for a few things. She'd only been able to bring one rolling suitcase. They made the contactless pickup order for tomorrow morning and decided Dave would pick it up, with Jan remaining at the house in case Lupie, Becca, and Esme arrived while he was gone. As the order progressed though, Jan started laying soft kisses on Dave's cheek and forehead. Then she breathed soft and hot into his ear. Only a steely self-control kept him on task to finish, and Jan could see the battle warring in him. "You are so hot like this. I've never been around a guy that didn't jump me the moment I expressed the slightest interest. Sometimes before." Dave looked at her side-eyed as she wiggled her ass on his lap. His hands trembled. "Almost done. I'm just setting the pickup parameters. And I've had responsible reasons to hold back." He clicked submit on the last page, logged out of the site, and out of his computer. "I want you so bad." He turned his full attention to her, grasping her mid-torso, standing and pressing her to the nearest wall, his body pressed against her. Jan squeaked as he lifted her up, completely under his control. When he pressed her to the wall, her eyes lit up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and eagerly responded to his lips as he took hers with authority. She moaned softly. When Dave broke the kiss, they were both panting, fire flashing from eye to eye. She lowered her feet to the ground as he let off the pressure holding her to the wall. They practically raced to the bedroom, Jan in front, her left hand behind her holding his. Jan threw off the t-shirt as she crossed the bedroom threshold. Nope, no panties. Dave reached out and squeezed one butt cheek, causing Jan to let out an "eep!" and then laugh as she turned. She immediately began helping Dave strip off his clothes, walking backward the rest of the distance to the bed. Reaching the bed, Dave was now clad only in boxers, the two of them standing, Jan's legs pressed between Dave's and the bed, their bodies in loose contact. With a double-lift of his eyebrows, Dave shucked his boxers to the floor and placed two fingers of one hand gently on Jan's chest, between her soft, modest, lovely tits. He shoved lightly. Jan smiled crazily as she fell. Dave knelt at the edge of the bed, hooking her legs over his shoulders. He dropped hungry kisses on her inner thighs. Two on the left, then three on the right. One hot, suckling kiss far up her inner left thigh. Two quick kisses on her mound, then a long suckling kiss just to the right of her labia, barely out of contact with them. Emboldened by the heat and scent of arousal emanating from her, Dave sucked the full dimension of her light brown lower lips into his mouth, suckling them, massaging them with his lips wrapped over his teeth. He slipped his tongue gently past his lips, probing gently against her slit. Sliding along it. Flicking the delicate inner labia. His left hand snaked around her right leg. As it came over her hip, he let one finger trace against her skin, moving slowly, without pretense, hurry, or delay directly to her mound, adorned with a well-kempt narrow, vertical strip of curly black hair. His finger slowed to a crawl as it changed course downward. He switched to suckling the inner petals only, bringing his right hand up, one finger standing out, to her entrance. Jan moaned as he paused. Wanting, yearning. Then he slipped his finger in just as his lipped wrapped teeth pulled softly on her inner labia. "Ha! Oh fuck yeah! Fuck. Just like that you magnificent teasing bastard!" Jan's legs worked aimlessly, not gripping him, just loosely, slowly flailing, occasionally resting on the bed, but too worked up to hold still long. One finger of Dave's left hand reached Jan's now exposed clitoris. The touch alone ran through her like an electric shock and she screamed her pleasure again. Dave rubbed her clitoris gently, but firmly as he slipped a second finger into her, driving them in and out determinedly, with a mind to building her to release. Dave moved his hand away from Jan's clit, replacing it with his flicking tongue. "Oh" Jan's back arched. Her hands gripped tightly at the sheets. Her legs pulled back, lower legs dangling from tensed upper legs. Just as she uncoiled from the last wave, Dave turned his right hand over, sliding the fingers in and out in a slightly curved posture, stimulating and locating the much beloved nerve bundle on the roof of her vagina. Jan trembled again. "Fucking yeah, fucking maestro, fucking play me like a violin." Her voice shook and paused as she spoke. Her legs trembled. Dave sensed she was close. He positioned his fingers to flick against her g-spot as he flexed them in the beckoning 'come here' motion. The jolting response from that had not yet settled when Dave took her most sensitive nub in his mouth and massaged it with is lips around its edges and the tip with his tongue. Jan came unglued, shrieking and flailing as Dave pressed his joint oral and digital assault on her nethers. She gripped his head a few times, tightly, but never for more than a couple of seconds, the power of her orgasm short circuiting every ounce of her muscle control. As she collapsed to the bed, spent, awash in bliss, Dave relented and crawled up beside her on the bed. Jan lay panting, grinning like the proverbial cat. Between gasps, she relayed the metaphor. "But I'm the one that did the eating." Dave smiled wickedly. Jan laughed wildly, caught between the need for air and the hilarity of Dave's pun. Well, maybe not so hilarious, but she was certainly susceptible to granting high praise for anything he did over the next half hour or so. As her breathing calmed, Dave and Jan moved up the bed, getting their heads on the pillows and bodies fully on the mattress. With an eager, voracious look, Jan rolled over on top of Dave, slipping on leg to either side of his hips. Reaching behind her, she aligned his rigid member with her soppy wet entrance and threw herself backwards, engulfing his full length in one hungry thrust. "Fuck yes." Jan rocked her torso back and forth, parallel with Dave's, her rock-hard nipples sliding up and down his chest. Dave took to planting a kiss on her forehead at the top of each stroke. Jan placed her dainty hands on his chest and lifted her body off of his, transitioning to a rocking motion, undulating her torso and stirring his cock within her pussy. His shaft rubbed against her g-spot each stroke as her butt moved furthest backward. Her cries signified each contact. As she grew increasingly excited, Jan began riding up and down on Dave's member. He felt his own pleasure building. Dave reached one hand to Jan's tit, gently fondling the soft flesh and thumbing her nipple. His other hand reached to their point of contact, laying his thumb on her nub and gently pressing against it. Her own motions provided a rubbing motion. "Yes" Jan's head lolled back, practically limp. Dave lightly clasped her nipple between two fingers, giving a slight rolling motion. Jan rode him faster, becoming feverish, her breathing growing ragged. Dave felt the early spasms of her pending release and knew he wouldn't be far behind. He slipped both hands to her hips. At the first moment her hips seized, he grasped her firmly, pulling downward as he thrust upward. Jan exploded in a riot of flailing arms and rippling vaginal muscles. Her scream of joy echoed around the room even as it continued to issue from deep in her throat. Dave held as long as he could before allowing his own release to burst forth, erupting into her cavity and drenching her insides with his seed. Jan's body spasmed again, a second peak to her pleasure, a second, airless scream as her breath evacuated her body. Jan collapsed on Dave, rolling off immediately. The weight of her own body too taxing on her lungs attempting to replenish her much needed air supply. Dave held her close, only enough to maintain contact, yielding her space to recover. As Jan lay their breathing, she turned her eyes to Dave. She stared at him, still gasping. Her expression was unreadable, at least by Dave. Calming finally, she hugged him fiercely, kissed his jaw, and snuggled her head against him, but left her chest pulled slightly away to give her lungs full space to do their work. "God, I thought I was going to black out there. They weren't kidding about that 'when he pops' orgasm." "Better pleasure through science, baby." Jan barked a short laugh. "Science only did the last bit. The first two were all you hun." They lay quietly, enraptured by the tender intimacy of lying in each other's arms. Jan broke the silence after several minutes. "This is the one night I have you to myself. Becca and Lupie will be here tomorrow and your attention, emotional and physical will be divided between the three of us." Dave looked at her as she paused. "I should be jealous. But I'm not. I feel like that means there's something wrong with me, even though they said that was another effect of the serum. It's one thing to hear it, but totally another to feel it. Or not feel it. No, to feel it. I almost feel a sister ship with these two women I've never met. I think if you hadn't described them to me, let me feel your affection for them, your concern for the, I might be jealous now, and then it would turn off after they arrived, but the way you talk about them, it feels like they are already here, and part of us now." "I don't know how to respond to that." "I don't either, but I think it's a good thing. The fact is, we are sharing you - your bed, your life, our lives - and we have to get along for all our sakes. I don't regret it at all, it's just a little weird when you realize it's happening." Dave looked at her silently. "Just hold me David. Hold me all night." Chapter 3 – Reunited. September 20, 2020. Dave awoke to a strange sensation. Not one he was accustomed to. He felt the smooth feel of sheets against his legs and upper torso, but not between. A weight pressed down on his abdomen and a warm wetness encompassed his cock. Oh, right he has a girlfriend now. Sleeping in his bed. Well, not sleeping at the moment. Dave cracked his eyes open to see a large lump moving slowly under the sheets, over his pelvis in time with the wondrous, rhythmic feeling below his waist. He slipped a hand to Jan's back and trailed his fingertips softly along her satiny skin. Slowly, Jan slipped her head from under the sheet. "Good morning lover." Jan placed a soft, smoky kiss on his chin, her eyes locked on Dave's. "You don't have to do that every morning you know." "Of course not." Jan grinned wickedly. "The others will get their turns too. But for now, this kitty gets her morning cream." With that she slipped the sheet down his body, exposing him from the knees up, and settled her face on his organ again. Bowing to the inevitable - and loving every minute of it - Dave slipped a hand to Jan's thigh, sliding firmly, slowly, gently along the inside of her leg. He brought his hand close to her core, then slid slowly away, down to mid-thigh. Then back up. Jan hummed approvingly as he switched from his whole hand to just a single fingertip, adding swirls into the motion. He let the swirls drift closer and closer, knowing where she ached for him to brush against. But not yet. Reaching with both hands, Dave grasped the backs of Janice's thighs, lifting her lower body and rotating it towards his face, aligning their torsos, her mouth the pivot point. She squealed and giggled around his cock before clamping her lips firmly around his organ and doubling her efforts. With her hot wet sex directly in his face, Dave braced his thumbs about an inch to either side of her clitoris and moved them in unhurried circles. He lifted his face and blew hot breath at her slit. Jan's body tensed and flexed, a sign of encouragement even Dave could clearly read. Dave latched his lips on her dripping sex and nursed on her lower lips, drinking in her juices. He could feel her labia convulsing and puckering in response to his ministrations. Jan picked up her pace again. Dave wasn't sure if it was gratitude or a race, but he resolved he would not be the only one peaking this morning. Dave slipped his hands up her torso, taking her lovely pert tits into his hands, his fingers alternately groping her fleshy mounds and teasing her firm nipples. He slipped his tongue along her slit languidly before forming a firm spear of mouth muscle braced with the tip against her entrance. He plunged his tongue inside her. Jan's body seized and convulsed, her inner muscles grasping at his oral protrusion. Jan paused her worship of Dave's cock, bringing her head up to moan softly while his wet cock stood proudly in the cool air. As soon as the waves of pleasure had washed fully over her, Jan bent her head back to her self-appointed task. Dave did the same. In another minute or so, Jan brought Dave to his peak, causing him to jet gobs of the man cream she sought into her mouth as she captured it and swallowed as his balls paused between jets. The shuddering of her serum induced climax could not shake Jan's determination to consume every drop. Her first item of her morning to do list completed, Jan righted herself, then fell into bed alongside Dave. She gave him a kiss on the shoulder and snuggled in tightly with a big, satisfied smile on her face. After basking in the afterglow for several minutes, Jan spoke. "Make me breakfast and show me how?" Jan shredded cheddar while Dave cut bacon into small pieces with kitchen shears. Dave admired the small roundness of her ass pushing out his t-shirt, just a few inches above the hem. Her pokey, pert tits making small mounds to either side of the phrase "√-1 23 S p, and it was delicious." "This is not going to be authentic Mexican. It's barely recognizable as Tex-Mex, more like Messican." Jan raised an eyebrow. "A pile of food using some ingredients connected to Mexico or using flavors associated with Mexico, and so sloppy you absolutely must use a fork or spoon to eat it." Jan laughed. "Okay, Messican breakfast it is. What would this be if it were authentic?" "Migas. But we'd have to use chorizo instead of bacon and a Mexican cheese instead of cheddar. Maybe Oaxaca, that's got a great flavor for this." Dave dropped the cut-up bacon bits into the pre-heated pan hearing them sizzle immediately. "I love that sound." Jan smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Jan loved the counter play of soft eggs with the crunch of the bacon and tortilla strips. After they'd eaten, she offered to do dishes, so Dave went to his gun closet, getting out a back holster and a pistol. Now ready for yesterday's incident, Dave checked on the chickens again, finding nothing amiss this time. Other than the need to top off the food bin and water bucket. Time for the grocery pickup rapidly approached with no word from Lupie or Becca. Jan elected to remain, in case they arrived while Dave was gone. "I'll just have to suffer through sampling the library." She didn't have a poker face. "You already took a sample in the library." That got her laughing. Dave came through the door from the garage carrying a few bags with items needing refrigeration. He paused by the library door. "Hey hun, watcha readin?" Jan startled. "Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you come in. More in the car I take it?" "Yeah, can you grab the cold stuff first? I'll start stowing things in the fridge and freezer, then join you for the rest." As they were putting away groceries, Dave asked what Jan had been reading. "Baa Baa Black Sheep. By the binding and cover condition, I'm guessing you've red it already?" "Oh yeah. I loved the old TV show as a kid, so it was a treat to read about the real life guy it was based on." That started a discussion about 80's TV shows, and the re-runs playing then, and VHF and UHF stations that wound up as a general 80's slice of life retrospective. From a sci-fi nerd point of view. The discussion continued as Dave showed Jan the rest of the house, as well as the backyard and greenhouse. They had settled into the living room, sitting on the couch, on opposite ends with their lower legs tangled together, each reading, for nearly an hour when they heard a knock at the door. As Dave opened the door, Becca slammed into him. She clutched him tight, her head tucked down, pressed sideways against his chest. She was shaking. "Wow. They said the serum would make a woman aggressive. I didn't expect this though." Lupie's face made Dave quickly realize his assumption was misplaced. "Am I missing something?" "Later, David. Please" Lupie begged. "Sign here please sir." The soldier acted as if nothing unusual was going on. Lupie had a look of concern and sympathy. Dave signed quickly and ushered Lupie and Esme in while Becca shuffled along beside him, not letting go. Jan waited, standing, in the living room. "Lupie, Esme, Becca, this is Janice Hoppler, she arrived yesterday morning. She prefers Jan among family." Lupie shook Jan's hand and said hello warmly, slightly guarded. Becca refused to let go of Dave. Jan placed a reassuring hand on Becca's shoulder. Taking a closer look, Dave realized Becca's hair looked like it had been mussed and then raked back down with fingers rather than a comb or brush. On its own, he would have put that off to poor sleeping conditions in their overnight stay at the vaxx center. Other context clues were waking up a little voice in his head that something seriously wrong had happened while the ladies were away. Dave struggled to think of things that might soothe her. "Becca, I have mandarin Jarritos in the fridge and chocolate Pocky in the cupboard." Becca shook her head. "Just take me upstairs please, Dave." "Well, we need to get the three of you settled in, Bec." Becca squeezed tighter. "Please." It came out as a near whimper. Dave's face creased with concern as he looked to Lupie. "What happened?" "I'll tell you what I know before it's my turn." Lupie told him. "We should probably do this now though." "If Esme is fine with it, I can get her settled," Jan volunteered. "Which room is hers?" "Uh, you know, the one with ;” Dave said, walking awkwardly to the stairs. As Becca realized where he was going, she coordinated her movements with his, and then tried to lead the way, nearly dragging Dave the last few steps to the staircase. "Oh, oh right." Jan's look of worry only amplified Dave's concerns. He wasn't imagining then. Something had gone seriously wrong at that vax center. As Dave and Becca neared the staircase, Becca reached the arm behind Dave's back towards Lupie, beseechingly, making a grasping motion. Lupie acquiesced, following the pair up the stairs and into the master suite, and shutting the door behind the three of them. As they neared the bed, Becca began unbuttoning Dave's shirt. Dave reached to lift her shirt up, getting only partial compliance. Becca wanted Dave naked first. Dave played along, shucking his shoes and pulling off his socks. Dave stood there, stark naked, with a still clothed Becca holding tightly to him, but standing tall now, her head resting at the base of his neck. Becca slowly rubbed her whole body against him. Dave rubbed his hands along her back, hoping it would have a soothing effect. Becca began to grind her pelvis against Dave's. "Take me David. Make me yours." Becca stared into Dave's eyes, hungry and scared. "Make it so no one can take me away from you." Dave kissed her forehead, slowly moving his hands from her back to her tummy. It wasn't fast enough for Becca. She ripped her shirt over her head, then pulled her and Dave onto the bed. Taking a cue from her urgency, Dave undid her belt, button, and zipper, then grasped the hem of Becca's pants and yanked them off her. Becca and Lupie both gasped, but it didn't sound like fear, more like,; thrilled? Dave crawled back up the bed to lay beside her. He intended to get her aroused with kisses and touches, but Becca wasn't waiting. She pulled off her panties and lay with her legs apart. "Get on me David. Get in me and mark me as yours." Dave scooted closer, and sped his fingers along her side, resting softly under her lovely, small, bra-clad tit. Becca grabbed his shoulder and pulled, rolling him on top of her. "Now David Please!" her head lunged forward, capturing his lips and kissing him fiercely. Becca's arms took Dave in a bear hug. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began bucking her pelvis. "Just do it David," Lupie spoke in her softest tones. "I'll explain later, but she needs you now. I'm sure you want to give her something gentle and caring, but right now she needs the certainty and safety of being imprinted to you." Becca nodded beneath him, her eyes imploring. Taking a deep breath, Dave maneuvered himself to place the tip of his organ against her lips. He felt an abundance of wetness and felt relief. As frantic as she was, he'd expected her to be dry as a bone. That would have made consummation impossible. Feeling Dave near her entrance, Becca shoved herself downward, but faltered. Dave's cock skidded up her slit. Becca whimpered, but stilled. Dave realigned himself, working his tip past the labia before pushing firmly. Certain of his positioning, he pushed with increasing pressure. He felt something give way, and a sharp constriction as he pushed forward a few inches. "Ah!" Becca's scream, the anguish flooding her face and the knife-like pain threatening to chop off his dick brought Dave to an instant halt. He moved to pull out, but Becca's legs tightened around him, and Lupie pushed gently downward on his tailbone. Enough to signal him to hold position. Then Dave remembered, from Janice and the videos, that the first drop of pre-cum, the first encounter, would give a woman an incredible orgasm. His own arousal was swamped by his concern for Becca, leaving him firmly erect, but not leaking anything. For her sake, he had to relax himself. Well, two birds with one stone. Dave lowered his lips to Becca's. She was now lying flat on the bed beneath him, a modest gap between their torsos. Dave kissed her tenderly and she responded. He worked his way down her jawline to nibble on her earlobe. Becca's breathing caught. Dave whispered softly to her, so that not even Lupie could hear. "I'm going to show you all the love I can for the rest of my life Rebecca Sampson. I will prize your heart and your love above the delights of your body. And when I have passed, and you remain, I pray I have left you with joy and peace." Becca sobbed, clutching him close. Dave could feel a tension leave her body. There was even a tinge of joy in her crying. She began to work her hips again, slowly, the act still a delicate one for both of them due to her tightness. Dave matched her motions. With short, slow strokes, each relaxed into the union, and Dave felt his arousal rise. The first drop of precum finally leaked out of the tip of Dave's cock. Becca's body tensed, then bucked beneath him. A wild, weird part of Dave's brain wondered if Lupie had somehow hit her with a taser. "Hah" she cried out. Becca panted, trying to recover from her first ever orgasm. Dave held her gently, kissing first her cheeks, then her forehead. As she calmed, eyes reopened, looking hungry, Dave brought his mouth down to her neck, suckling lightly at her clavicle, without leaving a mark. He kissed his way down the to the slope of her tit. Recalling her earlier uncertainty about their attractiveness, Dave resolved to dispel the worry. He kissed in an inward spiral around her tit before taking her areola into his mouth and flicking her nipple with his tongue. Becca cried out, her back arching off the bed. When she settled, she took Dave's face in her hands and kissed him. "Thank you, David. Now please, finish this." Dave began working himself forward and back, slowly within her. A little more in than out, until he was fully inside her. He could see pleasure and happiness on her face, with some pain as well. He knew he couldn't eliminate the pain, but he was glad she was now getting some pleasure out of it. He kept up his steady pace, pausing if she flinched. As her pain began to subside, he gradually increased his thrusting speed and depth. Becca's legs unclenched from his waist, hanging in the air beside his hips. "Yes, David. More, please more. Keeping going, fill me up David." Her encouragement, her body rocking beneath him in harmony with his thrusting, her interspersed moans sent David over the edge. At the moment he erupted, Becca's eyes flew open and she screamed louder than before. Her whole body spasmed wildly until she collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting ;” The oddly disturbing chant juxtaposed with the tight, satisfied grin on her face. Dave gingerly removed himself from her body and climbed off the bed. With Lupie's help, he pulled the sheets and covers from under Becca and then gently covered her. "I'll go wash up. When I come back, can you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lupie just nodded, biting her upper lip. She followed him to bathroom, where she grabbed a washcloth, wetted it, squeezed out the excess, and went back to the bedroom. Dave followed her out once he had cleaned himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." "I know, David. It was a jarring time for me, and I knew what triggered this." "I would love to share in that knowledge." Lupie grinned at the dry humor. "This morning, after Rebecca and I had completed our Oracle questionnaires, a young woman approached the three of us. She greeted Becca and took her hand to lead her away. Now all three of us assumed we were being taken to you. As Esmeralda and I rose, the lady motioned for us to sit back down. When I inquired when Esme and I would be called, and how long we would be separated from Becca, the lady said she had no idea, and began to walk off again, leading Becca. Becca got upset and asked that we all go together, since we are both to be assigned to the same man. The lady argued with her for a few minutes, then noticed another official heading over. She dropped Becca's hand and took off. Becca was disturbed by the encounter and stayed close to the two of us from then on. We got our shots and returned to the holding area to wait out the medical watch period. A few minutes after our return, a man and woman in uniform took us into a separate room to talk. I think they were officers, but I don't know what part of the army they were in. They had two pistols on their right collar. My right, their left." "Military Police." Lupie looked at him questioningly. "I have a friend who served. He thought branch insignia was one of many useful things to know in a Teot Wawki scenario." "A what?" "The End Of The World As We Know It. He's a prepper & survivalist." Dave's face clouded. "I haven't heard from him in a while, but he doesn't communicate all the time. And yeah, I think this qualifies. Big time. The world is definitely changing in major ways." "Yes, it is. So these two officers questioned us for over an hour about every detail of what happened, going over each minute, each word multiple times. I actually started to think we were accused of something." Lupie slumped against Dave's chest. He wrapped his arms around her. The strange shape of the world and the problems of today did not prevent him experiencing a deep thrill at finally having her in his arms. Lupie. Beautiful, charming, enchanting Lupie. Here. on his bed, in his arms, pouring out her troubles to him. The troubles were concerning, but to be her bastion! Her comfort! Dave's heart raced. Lupie continued. "While we were in there, they seemed mostly focused on the woman's motivation. They keyed off something Becca remembered from the woman. Give me a second; the lady said 'Come with me, you can live a life of luxury, fuck a rich man once or twice a week, pop out a few babies and be waited on hand and foot lounging by a pool. None of his blondes do any work, that's for brunettes and Hispanics.' When Becca kept resisting the lady got real mad; 'do you really wanna go off to some suburban slob, washing dishes and mopping floors, and you'll still have to give him your coochie and pop out babies, you dumb bitch?' " "So they finally let us out. Esme was thirsty and Becca needed to wash her face. Becca went in while I watched Esme at the fountain. Becca had only been inside a few minutes when she shrieked and came screaming out. She said the lady was in there. She came out of one of the stalls as Becca was washing up." Lupie paused. "After that, Becca wouldn't let go of my hand. We were held in another room under guard for a while, while they searched for her again, but eventually they brought us here." Dave added a little extra squeeze to the hug and planted a loving kiss on Lupie's forehead. She looked up at him with a smile. "Do you have any idea how comforting this feels, to be able to tell you about a problem, to be held by you, as you listen?" "I know how amazing it feels to be the one you can share your troubles with. To be the arms you want to be in." Lupie sat up, leaned in and kissed Dave full on the lips. Lips meshed and moved. Tongues darted into mouths, tangling, teasing, frolicking. Hands began to roam. Dave delighted in the thrill of touching Lupie. After all this time. All that yearning. Lupie, here in his arms. Wanting him as much as he wants her. He tugged upward at the base of her shirt, pulling it out of her skirt waistband. Lupie wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning forward, she arched her back, brushing her tits against him, with a slight side-to-side motion. Even Dave picked up that signal. All systems go for launch. Dave slid his hands under Lupie's shirt, skimming along her back. Her skin. He was touching her bare skin! Her kisses became more urgent. More than ok, his attentions were wanted. Dave brought his hands around front, outside her shirt, and began unbuttoning it. He peeled back her shirt, leaving it still draped from her shoulders, but mostly opened, revealing the center of her bra, and the middle of her tummy. She was in even better shape than Dave imagined. He had assumed all that office work and long hours - and the inevitable takeout food - had left her with a small paunch. But no. There might be enough flesh there to jiggle, but no bulge of any kind. He looked back to her eyes and saw hunger, need,; and uncertainty? Dave flung her shirt off, pressing his lips to hers, pressing her body back to the bed with his own. Lupie moaned, wrapping her arms around his torso, lightly raking her nails along his back, pulling him to her with her palms. Her body moved sinuously beneath him, enticing him. Dave slid one hand down Lupie's skirt-covered leg. To his full extension. He grasped the cloth, pulling it up to reveal her well-toned legs. Office work at her level does include a lot of walking. Her legs were masterpieces of girl next door perfection. Dave lowered himself to kiss her thighs. Lue gasped and groaned. "Oh David, please, don't tease me." She tugged on his head to draw him back. Instead, Dave grabbed hold of her panties and pulled them off in one smooth motion, neither hurried nor slow. Lupie's face brightened. Her smiled widened and lusty. Dave leaned back over Lupie. Her skirt now bunched around her waist, her legs apart. Her lovely brown, shorn lips beckoning him inside. Her inner labia fully flowered, the slightest hint of pink expressing her readiness and desire. Dave lowered himself atop her. He rested his weight on his hands and knees, aligning himself with her entrance while staring deeply into Lupie's eyes. The excitement there was unmistakable. Dave slowly pressed himself forward. Lupie brought her legs back, lifting her pelvis to him and making herself completely open to his penetration. Their mutual arousal already had a bead of precum formed on the end of Dave's organ. When he made contact with her soft petals, Lupie cried out like a banshee, her body shaking uncontrollably. She desperately clutched at Dave's torso, trying to anchor herself. When the shuddering stopped, Lupie gazed into his eyes again, the hunger undiminished. Amplified even. Dave reseated himself and thrust slowly into the woman he'd dreamed of for so long. She shook again, but not the chemically amped orgasm. The raw pleasure of being with together, of finally getting what they both wanted. Their eyes locked to one another, Dave thrust slowly, steadily while Lupie gently moved with him. Their passion built, as did the energy of their movement. Lupie clutched tightly to Dave's shoulders. He could see her pleasure building by the telltales in her expressions. He felt his own excitement building, not decreased in the slightest from having just completed the act with Becca. Lupie's body arched as she called out her ecstasy. The muscles of her passage grasped and massaged Dave's cock, kicking him over the edge as well. A second electric jolt surged through Lupie just as her natural orgasm peaked and began its decline. Her eyes rolled back and a guttural blend of cry and moan issued from deep in her chest. Lupie collapsed to the bed. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting" Dave held her in his arms for a long, satisfying moment. Dave did have other duties to attend. There were in fact, two other people still conscious in this house, and one was a newly arrived little girl that may need help adjusting to her new home. Dave slipped from the bed and pulled Lupie up so her head rested on a pillow. Her skirt more or less straightened itself as she moved, but Dave did add a bit of extra care, just to be sure. He pulled a light blanket from the walk-in closet, laying it over the sleeping form of his new partner. He draped her shirt over a nearby chair, where she could see it once she awakened. Then he dressed and headed downstairs. He emerged into the dining room to find Esme happily munching a corn dog, her plate also holding mac n' cheese and green beans. A very self-satisfied Jan sat at the head of the table, at an angle to Esme. "Ah, good you made her dinner." "Yep. OK, I just followed the box directions for the mac n' cheese. And the corn dogs were just heat up from frozen - but I did use the oven, not the microwave!" Jan beamed. Esme cleared her mouth, then, waving, said "Hi, Uncle Dave! Momma says we're living with you from now on? And; Jan helped me put my clothes in the dresser before making me dinner. Oh! And thank you for the kitty!" Seated in the chair beside Esme was a large squish mallow, solid black except for the crescents of its eyes. A cat tail and ears completed the appearance. Its presence at the table suggested the much desired 'new toy' love that Dave hoped would ease Esme's transition. Dave gave Jan a kiss. "You did great, babe. Thanks for looking out." Jan's victorious grin and the glow from Dave's praise did not quite hide her concern over the obvious, but yet unknown explanation of Becca's state upon arrival. Dave shifted his eyes in Esme's direction, then back to Jan and shook his head. "You two want to talk without me, Uncle Dave?" "And just what would we talk about Miss Esmeralda?" "I'm nine, Uncle Dave, not stupid. That lady was spooky, and Mom and Becca were in that room a long time talking with those military people. And then Becca shrieked pretty loud coming out of the bathroom. I may not know everything, but something pretty sketch happened." Dave kissed the crown of Esme's head and held her close to him for a moment. "Don't worry about it, Esme, it's over now. Those people are not going to hurt you, or Becca or your mom." To break the uncomfortable silence, Dave prodded Esme to pick a movie for the three of them. It was getting on into the evening, but there wasn't any school in the morning, so it wouldn't hurt to late her stay up past ten if it came to that. Dave did dishes while Jan led Esme into the living room. Esme needed no help setting things up though. She was nine years old after all. Dave rejoined them to hear 'let the storm rage on ; ' and see Esme, at one end of the couch, her head beginning to nod. Old tricks always work. After a tiring day, a hot meal and an old familiar movie work like magic, even on a nine year old. Dave waited another fifteen minutes for her to zonk out completely, but not get a crick in her neck. He scooped her in his arms and carried her up to her bed. Jan followed them with the fluffy critter. Jan pulled back the covers so Dave could lay Esme in the bed. He pulled off her shoes in socks before covering her gently. Jan placed the newly beloved toy beside her before they left. Once Dave shut the door, Jan shoved him against the wall and kissed him fervently. "You knew that would put her out didn't you?" Dave nodded. "That was so fucking awesomely domestic. My ovaries want to latch on to you and never let go. You obviously care for that little girl, and seeing it makes me giddy. Oh my god, I so want to have babies with you." "Did you just say the unspeakable three words?" "Hush," she said with a giggle, "don't harsh this yummy feeling." "Perish the thought." Dave kissed her tenderly. He took her hand and led her back down to the living room couch. There, he proceeded to fill her in on everything Lupie had told him. Janice's eyes grew wider as the grotesque nature of the attack on Becca unveiled. "Dear God, no wonder the girl was so clingy. I'm surprised she didn't mount you in the entry way." "Well, she's - was - a virgin, so I don't think she would be up for something so public." Dave face must have betrayed his mixed emotions. "What is it?" "I knew she was a virgin, that's something we had already discussed. I had planned on; being; more delicate? In my approach with her, you know, taking my time, not rushing things. But this mess happens, and she's insistent that I take her immediately, no warm-up, no gentleness. I; I wanted to do better for her. I wanted this to be a happy memory for her." "You can't control outside events, David. And you can't control her reactions to them. From the sounds of things, I completely understand her response. I think I would have done largely the same in her shoes. And as someone that's been with you for two full days now," she grinned at Dave's raised eyebrow, "I know you slipped in whatever tenderness, whatever care and concern was possible as you gave her what she asked for. What she needed." Dave sat back, taking a deep breath, trying clear his mind. Jan leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Dave, you big stud." She kissed his cheek. "Take me to bed or lose me forever." Dave barked out a laugh, then stood, reaching out his hand. "Show me the way home honey." Three new women join Dave's family. Chapter 4 – Revelation. September 21, 2020. Dave woke to find Becca curled against his left side and Lupie curled against his right, just as Jan had helped him arrange last night before the two had gone to sleep; and after Jan had gotten her turn at Dave. Jan lay beyond Lupie, on her side, facing away. Dave reached over and stroked her back. "I'm awake." Jan rolled over to face him. She gave him a drowsy smile. "Mostly. I could really use some coffee." "I got a coffee maker, grinder and a bag of whole bean coffee you asked for in the pickup order yesterday." "Yeah, but you forgot the maid to make it and carry it up here." Lupie chimed in. Dave thought he'd heard her breathing change in the last minute. "I know, right?" Jan chuckled. "How do you expect to keep a harem of horny babes if you don't give us the amenities." Feeling playful, he gave her guff right back. "Woman, you are the amenities." He kept his face neutral long enough for Lupie to raise her head and stare back at him. He busted out laughing. "Okay, I'd make a terrible dom." He paused while Lupie delivered a light peck on the lips. "Seriously, I never drank coffee. I have no idea how to make it. I got you the tools and ingredients, so if you want some, have at it." "Fine," Jan said, rising, "but I'm taking one star off my review of this hotel because of this." "Still, the room servicing was amazing." Lupie added, with little wiggle of her nude ass, having gotten out of bed as well. Jan barked a laugh and high-fived her. "We'll get some coffee and breakfast started. Why don't you lie here until Becca wakes? I think waking in your arms will do wonders for her. Might be the capstone to last night that will ease her mind." Both ladies dressed quickly, a pair of shorts from their luggage, and one of Dave's t-shirts. It seems solidarity was the theme of the day. Jan chose "Back in my day we had nine planets" while Lupie chose "That's okay Pluto, I'm not a planet either." Dave couldn't argue with that reasoning, so he lay there holding the pretty young blonde in his arms watching the receding forms of his two; girlfriends? What the hell should he call them? Teammates sounded like something for sports, or the brainchild of a particularly lame poli-sci major. The smell of coffee had whispered through the room for several minutes when the enticing aroma of chorizo warmed the air. Dave smiled. He'd bet anything Jan had mentioned the migas from the other morning and Lupie had found the chorizo he ordered. Becca stirred against him. She stretched, cat-like, arching her back. This had the effect of pressing her tits against him. Which in turn brought his presence to her attention. Her eyes flew open and her arms crossed over her chest, suddenly embarrassed she was naked in bed with a man. Further recognition passed over her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. Becca broke from the kiss beaming. Then an impish veil flitted on her face and she slipped her body atop his with a slight wince as she parted her legs to straddle over him. Dave caught her hips. "Easy there, kitten. Give yourself a little break. Smells like breakfast is ready, and we have our wholes lives ahead of us now." Becca kissed him again, slipping her tongue into his mouth briefly, tentatively. Then she hopped out of bed and dug a pair of shorts out of her bag. "Dave, could I wear one of your shirts?" "Seriously? Jan and Lupie did the same. Well, they didn't ask, they just walked into the closet and grabbed one each." Becca flashed him a smile, saying nothing as she strode to the closet. Dave enjoyed the slightest jiggle of her modest tits as her topless form walked by. "They must have coordinated while they were in there because they both came out in Pluto themed shirts." After a minute of hangers being shifted back and forth, Becca called out "Dave, how many Pluto shirts do you have?" "Just the two I think." "Damn." Said Becca, coming back out to the closet doorway, still topless and facing Dave. She leaned against the frame, thinking. Dave enjoyed the view. "Aw, hell." She walked over to her own luggage, rummaged about and pulled out a t-shirt. Once she donned it, Dave red the print on it ' hashtag justice for Pluto'. He laughed. "Nice. It fits with the other two. Why the resignation?" "Because I could either show unity with them by wearing this, or I could wear one of your shirts. First morning together, I would have liked to wear one of your shirts." "That's a big deal?" "Huge." "Then wear one of my shirts. I'm sure the others will understand. In fact, it's still solidarity, because you're all wearing one of my nerd shirts." "I like the way you think, Dave." Becca ripped off the shirt and raced back to the closet. She came out with his shirt that looks like a NASA shirt, but replaces the word NASA with SHINY, and on the swoop is the image of a spaceship from a short-lived TV show. "Madame has impeccable taste." "Mademoiselle. Madame is for married women." "In broader terms, madam is for a woman who has permanently bonded herself to a man. Just as you have. At least until the bio-freaks undo the little oddity in their mad science formula." "Well then," Jan said from just inside the bedroom door, "maybe you could get your hiney dressed and join your other two wives for the breakfast they just finished making." She looked to Becca. "Coffee's ready by the way." Neither woman left, instead taking the chance to watch Dave emerge from the covers and dress. Becca approached Jan tentatively. She did a poor job of whispering "Why does it feel so much bigger inside?" Jan chortled. "Because it is bigger when it's going inside you." Dave replied. Becca blushed, realizing she'd been too loud. "Some of us get 'compact' when there's no need for size." "But your balls are still big." Becca blushed so hard she had to look away to speak. "Yeah, those don't shrink. I guess that's one way to distinguish a winky dink from a grower." Dave came out of the closet with a t-shirt that red 'I aim to misbehave, and nothing in the verse can stop me' curved around the word 'Brown coat'. Becca grinned broadly and returned the high-five he offered before the three of them headed downstairs. "Dave?" Jan prompted "Yes dear?" All three ladies grinned at that jest. "I noticed you don't have any books for younger people. How about we see what Esme has next door, and then I order some more, you know to give her some variety." Lupie brightened at Jan's suggestion. It seems cooperation was coming naturally to the three ladies sharing his bed. Their bed. Ho. He'd been single long enough, now he had to adjust his head. Anyway, it was an auspicious start. The five of them sat around the table, still nibbling at bits of breakfast. Esme was already waiting when the trio had descended the stairs. Esme, Dave, and Becca had thanked Jan and Lupie for making breakfast. Lupie took care to point out Jan had chopped the fruit for the side and sliced the tortillas into strips while Lupie made fresh salsa and chorizo and eggs. "Oh, yeah. Check the closets first. Either in my office, or one of the bedrooms you'll find some boxes of kid's and young adult books." Dave paused for a bite. "I think you already know I'm a prepper. One thing I wanted to be sure of is to preserve knowledge and; cultural legacy maybe? So yeah, there are books in boxes right now too. We could get some more bookshelves and set up say one in each bedroom maybe." Jan looked at him with dopey eyes. "Feeling the same way you did that first morning?" Dave said with a smirk. "Less immediate, more warm and fuzzy version, but yeah." "I'll order more bookshelves then." Dave smiled warmly. "I already ordered two full beds for the two rooms that are completely empty, plus dressers for all four rooms and more sheets and towels. The sheets and towels are scheduled to arrive in a few more days. The furniture is listed as arriving in a week. We'll see." "Hey, Dave?" Becca asked. He'd have to get used to seeing her without glasses. That was probably why her 'after imprint nap' took longer than Lupie's; the regen effect repaired her eyes. She'd instinctively reached for her glasses and abruptly realized she could see better without them. That had earned her a pair of high fives from Dave and Jan before they left the bedroom. Lupie and Esme hugged her when she got downstairs and told them. Dave suppressed a smirk. "Yes dear?" Three pairs of eyes rolled, over top soft smiles. "Why don't you just get a bunch of bunk beds. There's going to be a lot more women coming. At least twelve total." "Yeah sure, I could fit two sets of bunk beds into each room. Then I can just walk down the hallway to the rooms were I 'store' my women to select the day's lays". Dave rolled his eyes to accent the sarcasm. Jan and Becca giggled, but Lupie glared. Then he remembered Esme was at the table. "Uh, yeah, sorry 'bout that. Uh;” "Oh please, I already learned about sex in health class. And I heard both of you last night, mom. Keep busting Dave's chops and I'll tell him what I hear coming from your room when I get up to get a glass of water late at night." Lupie's eyes went wide for a moment, then settled to mom-stern look. "Watch it mija, no matter what you know or think you know, I'm still your mother." Esme turned to Dave. "I hear m---" Dave put a finger to her lips. "No matter what you know or think you know, she's still your mother." September 22, 2020. "David Jeffrey Belsus!" Dave stopped in his tracks, one foot on the last step, the other hanging in mid-air in its path to the living room floor. He looked around bewildered, not sure what he'd done. "What the hell are you doing?!" Lupie's indignant voice managed not to shout, but clearly wanted to. "Uh, laundry." He had a basket on his hip, loaded with sheets from the bed. "I can see that, why are you doing laundry?" "I had sex with three women in my bed last night, these sheets need some cleanin'." Lupie's hand rubbed her face. Dave imagined this might be the same motion when Esme was being difficult. Only, he wasn't trying to and had no idea what was causing all this consternation. "David, there are four other people under this roof who can handle the laundry. Esme is quite good with regular laundry items. Not yet ready for special items. You should be working, or working out, or resting, or dosing one of us, or thinking about what changes might be necessary as more women arrive. We should be doing this sort of thing. This will be even more important as more women join the family, David. You're a manager of a small company that lives together and makes babies. Eventually." "I'm not comfortable labeling a chore as 'women's work' Lupie." Lupie snorted. "A week ago I would agree with you. The world changed." "I'm still cooking. At least sometimes. And If I see something dirty or misplaced, I'm still picking it up. And you still have your investment job. You have things to do beside playing mega housewife." "The firm is shutting down, the accounts are being taken over by another company since all our senior partners died." Lupie grimaced. "I have about a week's worth of work remaining for the hand over, and then I'm out of a job. The new organization didn't hire me. But, I still have my license. I can manage investments for the family." "Or start your own firm. Surely there are clients looking for someone new. Maybe some clients from your old firm that would prefer a familiar face." "I told you before David, I want to make family my focus. I can do some day trading and manage our investments, but I would love to spend time with you and Esme, and now Janice and Becca, and whoever else joins us. I want to do crafts and sew and garden and cook wonderful meals from scratch. I want to be involved in community projects when we have a community again. I was good at my job, but it was a job. I love family. Please, let me, let us take care of these things." Dave mixed drinks for the four of them and brought the glasses into the living room, where the ladies had spread themselves about the space. There was no tension, but everyone seemed to want a bit of space after waking up in a nude pile this morning. Lupie raised one eyebrow when Dave handed a glass to Becca. Dave mouthed the word 'light'. "Are you sure?" Becca asked. "You looked like you wanted one when I mentioned making them. And you're effectively my spouse; one of my spouses; " Dave rolled his eyes at the weirdness of the concept, "and state law allows it under that condi

GB2RS News Sunday, the 21st of December 2025 The news headlines: A British Science Week opportunity not to be missed Could you be the new RSGB Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer? Challenge yourself with the RSGB Construction Competition The RSGB is giving away 400 FM radio receiver kits and Morse code tutor kits as part of its British Science Week 2026 activities. The kits are available for school, university, Scout, Girlguiding, and Cadet groups, as well as other youth-related Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics groups. The project is being delivered thanks to a partnership between the RSGB Outreach Team, the Radio Communications Foundation and the RSGB Legacy Fund. To get involved, simply complete a form available at rsgb.org/bsw. If you need support, the RSGB can put you in touch with local radio amateurs who can assist. In exchange for the free kits, you'll need to send a brief report and photos that the Society can share afterwards to celebrate the activity and inspire other groups to try amateur radio. Don't miss out on this opportunity to share amateur radio with the next generation. The RSGB is looking for a volunteer Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer. One of the main responsibilities will be to build a team to engage with early-career engineers, as well as those making a career transition, in order to encourage them to use amateur radio to develop their skills and knowledge. As part of this engagement, the Society would like the new team to design and deliver learning material and courses at a level both just beyond and significantly beyond the Full Licence. Go to rsgb.org/volunteers  for the full role description. Keep yourself busy over the Christmas holidays by getting involved with the RSGB Construction Competition. There are seven categories to enter, including ‘Beginners' and ‘Software', which is for designs that recognise the importance of software technology to all aspects of amateur radio. A £150 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each category, with a £50 cash prize for the runner-up. Find out more about the other categories and details of how to enter at rsgb.org/construction-competition The RSGB is releasing more presentations from its recent Convention. The lectures range in topics from Polar modulation to engaging young people with amateur radio. Four further presentations will be released over the festive season. To make sure you are the first to receive notifications when they're available, click the subscribe button on the Society's YouTube channel at youtube.com/thersgb  Young operators continue to host the special callsign GB25YOTA for Youngsters on the Air Month. Cambridge University Wireless Society is active today, Sunday the 21st of December and then tomorrow, Monday the 22nd of December, Jack, M7OFM, will be operating under the supervision of Pete, M0OFM. Jack will also be on the air on Christmas Day between 10 am and 12 pm, so ensure you listen out and make a seasonal QSO with him. View the operating times, bands and modes at rsgb.org/yota-month The RSGB would like to thank Dr Harry Squance, GI4JTF, who has retired after volunteering for 25 years as a QSL Bureau sub-manager. Most recently, Harry was the GI/MI/2I QSL sub-manager, and those callsigns will now be covered by Lindsay Pennell, GI3KME. All stamped addressed envelopes and any outstanding QSL cards will be transferred to Lindsay, but RSGB members in Northern Ireland who collect cards should, in future, send stamped addressed envelopes directly to Lindsay. The list of QSL Sub-managers at rsgb.org/qsl  has been updated to reflect the changes. On the 1st of December 1924, the 200kW Alexanderson alternator, with the callsign SAQ, was put into commercial operation with telegram traffic from Sweden to the United States. 101 years later, it is the only remaining electro-mechanical transmitter from this era and is still in running condition. At 0800UTC on Christmas Eve, the transmitter is scheduled to broadcast its traditional Christmas message using CW on 17.2kHz. Find out more by visiting tinyurl.com/SAQ25 Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions for the GB2RS News on Sunday, the 28th of December, is 10 am on Tuesday, the 23rd of December. Please note there will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday, the 4th of January 2026, but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. And now for details of rallies and events Sparkford Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday, the 28th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil, BA22 7QX. The doors will be open from 9.30 am, and admission will cost £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email luke@mymixradio.co.uk On the 25th of January 2026, Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will be held at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. This is an indoor event with ample free parking. The doors will be open from 10 am, and admission is £3. Tables cost £10. To book tables, or for more information, contact Steve, M5ZZZ on 0777 7699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com Now the Special Event news The Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society will be using special callsign GB100GBR from the 1st to the 4th of January to celebrate the centenary of the first CW transmissions from the GBR transmitter at Rugby Radio Station. Operators will begin transmitting from the historic site at 1200UTC on the 1st of January, the same time as the original station 100 years earlier in 1926. Listen for activity on the HF bands using CW, FT8 and SSB. More information about the station is available at QRZ.com Simeon, M0VOB in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is running special event callsign GB54NTA until Monday, the 5th of January. The station is active on the HF, 2m and 70cm bands. Recently, the station was worked on the 40m band using FT8. All QSOs will be logged and confirmed via QRZ.com Now the DX news Roland, F8EN, is active as TR8CR from Gabon until the 25th of December. He operates CW only. QSL via F6AJA. For more information, visit QRZ.com George, VU2DGR, is using the AT44I callsign from Bharati Research Station until the 31st of December. He is a member of the 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. The station is often worked using FT8 on the 20m band. QSL via George's home call. Now the contest news On Friday, the 26th of December, the DARC Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100 UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Worked All Britain Christmas Party starts on Friday, the 26th of December and ends on Tuesday, the 6th of January 2026. Using all modes on all bands, the exchange is your Worked All Britain book number. On Saturday, the 27th of December, the RSGB 50MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Stew Perry Topband Challenge starts at 1500UTC on Saturday, the 27th of December and ends at 1500 UTC on Sunday, the 28th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Sunday, the 28th of December, the RSGB 70MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of December 2025 Last week, we suffered from the double whammy of a reduced solar flux index and an increased Kp index. The solar flux index went down to 119 by Thursday, the 18th, with the sunspots looking pretty spartan when compared with just a week or so ago. Unfortunately, a coronal hole contributed to a fast solar wind with a south-pointing interplanetary magnetic field or Bz. The net result was a Kp index of 5 and a minor G1 geomagnetic storm. Nevertheless, the maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path mostly remained above 28MHz, at least during daylight hours, and there was DX to be worked. As it's Christmas, let's focus on special calls for the season. YR0XMAS in Romania has been worked on the 20m band using CW and will be active until the end of the month. A little further afield is the 12 Days of Christmas event in the US. It runs until Christmas Day with 12 three-letter callsigns in the W2 and K2 series. You only have to work one to get a certificate, so it should be possible for most amateurs. If you are lucky enough to work all 12, plus a bonus station in Puerto Rico, you can get a special ‘Clean Sweep Plus' endorsement. W2S has already been spotted in the UK, and more details are available by Googling ‘12 days of Christmas ham radio'. Next week, we have another large coronal hole to contend with, which NOAA predicts may push the Kp index to 5 between the 22nd and 26th of December. The good news is that the solar flux index may increase over the same period, perhaps up to 180 by the 28th of December. Make the most of the low bands as we hit the winter solstice, with its long periods of darkness. And certainly check 14 to 28MHz during daylight hours. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The tail end of the previous week ended on a dramatically mild, wet and windy note, with heavy rain and gales in places. It might be good for the earth, but little else springs to mind other than some chance rain scatter for the GHz folk. The main feature of this Christmas propagation report is that we have a major change becoming established after this weekend. This change takes the form of swapping out the mild Atlantic pattern for a blocked, cold easterly flow with high pressure parked to the north of the British Isles near the Faroe Islands. If this takes place as suggested by some of the models, then a much colder easterly wind will remain with us for much of the Christmas week. The strength of the high means that the flow is only likely to produce shallow cloud, barely enough for an isolated wintry flurry on the east coast of England.  Lighter winds over northern Britain, closer to the high, will possibly allow some tropo, but it is not convincing in view of the shallow dry layer below the inversion. It will mean some sharp frosts are possible where skies clear. Long dark winter nights are potentially good for seeing meteors, and it is worth mentioning two showers this time. The first is the Ursids, which peak around the 22nd and 23rd of December. The second shower to be aware of is the Quadrantids, which peaks on the 3rd and 4th of January. This is a much larger shower than the Ursids, so maybe the one to focus on for radio activity. Aurora remains on the list, especially in view of the large coronal hole recently. As ever, keep an eye on the Kp index for high values, but it is even better to note conditions on the LF bands for signs of ‘watery' sounding signals. The Sporadic-E folklore often speaks of isolated mid-winter events, and, in view of the two meteor showers adding fuel and there being some useful jet streams, it is certainly worth mentioning. Using the jet stream over the Pyrenees for paths to Spain early this week is a good place to start. For EME operators, Moon declination is rising again, and path losses are decreasing. We are past apogee for the month, the point where the Moon is farthest from the Earth. 144MHz sky noise is also reducing again after reaching a peak yesterday, the 20th of December. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 14th of December 2025   The news headlines: Dr Bob Whelan, G3PJT, is now a Silent Key Two exciting opportunities to make an impact with the RSGB Free RSGB club affiliation for schools, universities and uniformed groups!   It is with great sadness that we share the news that Dr Bob Whelan, G3PJT, became a Silent Key on the 4th of December. Bob's contribution to amateur radio was extensive. First licensed in 1961, his main interest was in HF and LF CW operation. In this, he soon became a strong supporter of the Commonwealth Contest, operating from a number of DX locations for the contest over many years. He wrote the book ‘Reflections in a Rosebowl', which covers the history of the Commonwealth Contest, and he put much effort into building an online Commonwealth Contest community. Bob also played a very significant role in the RSGB, the IARU and the First Class Operators Club. For the RSGB, he started as a volunteer member of the RSGB HF Committee and later was President from 2002 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2014. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. You will be able to read a full tribute to Bob in the February 2026 edition of RadCom. Are you an experienced operations leader who is passionate about delivering exceptional membership services and driving commercial growth? Or are you an advertising agent looking for a new opportunity where you can demonstrate your strong sales capabilities, excellent communication skills, and your ability to build and maintain long-term client relationships? The RSGB is seeking a full-time, highly motivated Operations Manager to be part of its senior leadership team, based at the RSGB HQ in Bedford. This is a key role, responsible for ensuring our members receive outstanding service, and the successful candidate will need to be commercially astute, organised, people-focused, and excited by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. The Society is also looking for a new contractor or agency to work with, to support the development of RSGB advertising and contribute to the growth of its publications and digital platforms. If you are professional, proactive and excited by either of these opportunities, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/careers to find out more. The application deadline for both is the 4th of January 2026.  Did you know that amateur radio clubs in schools, universities and uniformed groups can affiliate with the RSGB for free? Your club will benefit from a copy of RadCom in the post each month, as well as access to the RSGB app, where you can read RadCom, RadCom Basics and RadCom Plus. You'll also get special book discounts, promotion of your club's activities, access to RSGB-affiliated club contests, and use of the QSL Bureau. Visit rsgb.org/affiliation  and follow the links. How about giving back to the amateur radio community in 2026 by becoming an RSGB Board Director? The RSGB has two Elected Board Director vacancies and wants to ensure that the voices around the table understand and reflect the community it serves. You'll need leadership experience and be keen to play an active part in helping to support the Society's strategic priorities. The Society is encouraging candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to stand for election. Go to rsgb.org/elections  to find out more. The closing date is the 31st of January 2026, so act now. The RSGB Contest Club is excited to report that the third World Wide Award event will be taking place in January 2026. Award hunters can engage in a very enjoyable competition across all HF bands and modes, with many special international calls to work. The RSGB will be activating seven callsigns, all with the suffix ‘WWA'. RSGB members who hold a Full licence may activate the callsign for their country. To find out more, go to rsgb.org/contest-club YOTA Month continues this weekend with special call sign GB25YOTA. Listen out for operators from the RSGB National Radio Centre and the 2nd Marlborough Scouts. Students from Buckie High School, Wick High School and Simon Langton Boys School Radio Club will be active during the week, as well as The University of Sheffield Amateur Radio Club. Next weekend Cambridge University Wireless Society, along with some young visitors, will be active. Listen out and encourage these young operators. View the operating times, bands and modes for each group at rsgb.org/yota-month  RSGB HQ will close on Wednesday, the 24th of December 2025, at 2 pm and will open again at 8.30 am on Monday, the 5th of January 2026. In the meantime, if you need information about amateur radio, exams or RadCom, you'll find lots of details on the website at rsgb.org. To join the RSGB, renew your membership, or purchase a range of amateur radio books and other products, go to rsgbshop.org Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Sparkford Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday, the 28th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil, BA22 7QX. The doors will be open from 9.30 am, and admission will cost £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email luke@mymixradio.co.uk   On Sunday, the 25th of January 2026, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will be held at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. This is an indoor event with ample free parking. The doors will be open from 10 am, and admission is £3. Tables cost £10. To book tables, or for more information, contact Steve, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com Now the Special Event news Special callsign 4T95O is active to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Peruano Radio Club, OA4O in Peru. Look for activity throughout December on the 40 to 10m bands, as well as on the 6m, 2m and 70cm bands using CW, FT8, FM, RTTY and SSB. Jose, HP2AT, is active as H82AT until the 31st of December to celebrate his 35th anniversary in amateur radio. Recently, the station has been spotted using FT8 on the HF bands. All QSOs will be uploaded to QRZ.com, Club Log, eQSL and Logbook of the World. In celebration of the GB2RS News service's 70th anniversary, Sean G7NJX will be active with the GB70RS callsign from the 15th to the 21st of December. Sean will be working on the 80, 40 and 20m bands using CW, FT4, FT8, PSK31, RTTY and SSB. There is a schedule of bands, modes, and operating times for the week on Sean's QRZ.com page. He will also do his best to spot his activity on the DX cluster. Now the DX news Roland, F8EN, is active as TR8CR from Gabon until the end of December. He is operating using CW only. QSL via F6AJA. Now the contest news The ARRL 10m Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 13th, and ends at 2359UTC today, the 14th of December. Using CW and phone on the 10m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American and Canadian stations also send their state or province code. Tomorrow, Monday the 15th of December, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 2000 to 2200UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday, the 16th of December, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the 18th of December, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 11th of December We had a bit of everything last week, including increased Kp indices, a high solar flux, an X-class solar flare and coronal mass ejections. The solar flux index hit a maximum of 220 on Thursday, the 4th of December. This brought good HF conditions until Sunday, the 7th. The index declined to 169 on Thursday, the 11th, which was still more than enough to excite the ionosphere. We had an X-class solar flare at 0501UTC on Monday, the 8th of December. This originated from large active region 4298, which has now rotated out of view. We also had more than ten M-class solar flares over the past week, showing that the prediction of disturbed conditions on the downward part of the solar cycle still holds true. The Kp index hit 6.33 on Wednesday, the 10th, which disrupted maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs. The net result was that digisonde traces were missing at times, with the MUF over 3,000km being in single figures on Thursday, the 11th of December. To cap it all, we now have a very large Earth-facing coronal hole that threatens HF propagation today, the 14th of December. There has been DX around, but mostly on the lower bands. CDXC's Slack group reports that KP2B on St Croix was worked on the 80m band using FT8 on the morning of Thursday, the 11th of December. TO9W on St Martin was logged on the 40 and 30m bands using CW on Tuesday, the 9th of December. TT1GD in Chad also appeared on the 40m and 20m bands using CW on Monday, the 8th of December. Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the 130 to 140 range. However, as was mentioned earlier, geomagnetic conditions may be disturbed today, the 14th, due to a fast solar wind stream from a coronal hole. Conditions might calm down from the 15th to the 20th, before the Kp index hits 5 around the 21st to the 26th of December. In summary, get your HF DXing in during next week, before auroral conditions take their toll over the Christmas period. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The present period of unsettled weather will remain the driving force for weather conditions for most of the country for the period up to Christmas.  This will mean that there are likely to be some very windy spells with extensive rain and squally showers. It offers scope for rain scatter operators on the GHz bands, but scarcely any hint of good tropo conditions. One item of interest is the meteor scatter prospects from the Geminids, which peak today, the 14th of December. It is one of the busiest showers of the calendar with a peak hourly rate of 120, so it should provide plenty of opportunities and is worth exploring during the week before and following the peak. The solar conditions have again remained interesting enough with a red alert on the evening of Wednesday, the 10th of December, and there is always the potential for the Kp index to produce signs of auroral radio activity once it goes above 5. Finally, a reminder that this winter period, from mid-December to mid-January, can produce some surprisingly effective Sporadic-E. It's possibly easiest to see by checking the propquest.co.uk  graphs to see if the foEs trace is showing any sharp spikes. The 10 and 6m bands are probably the more likely bands to show signs of activity in these winter events, but it's certainly worth checking if the graphs show any promising signs. For EME operators, Moon declination went negative on Friday the 12th of December, meaning shortening Moon windows and decreasing peak elevation. We are past perigee for the month, so path losses are increasing. 144MHz sky noise starts low but increases to high by Friday, the 19th of December, when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. Goal: send a voice signal on VHF or UHF, receive and record with SDR via RTL dongle Core Problem and Resolution An issue may have been a hardware I/Q Imbalance in the RTL-SDR, which suppressed the desired signal, resulting in very low output volume that required excessive manual amplification. Initial Problem: Very quiet, barely audible recorded audio, initially on UHF 433 MHz Key Discovery: An I/Q imbalance caused a repeating signal "image" in the spectrum, Frequency Change: Switched to the VHF 145.500 Mhz band, Gain Override: To overcome the defect and the failing AGC, gain stages were manually adjusted: Squelch: Squelch (SQL) was set to OFF (0) to prevent the software from muting the quiet, legitimate signal. Adjusted the final Sound Output/Recording Gain on the host OS to match the maximized digital output, achieving audible voice. Summary of Key Radio and Software Settings Transmitting Radio (Baofeng UV-5R): Operation: Simplex (direct radio-to-SDR). Mode: Narrowband FM (NFM). Receiving Software (SDR++): AGC: Disabled (Crucial override). RF/Tuner Gain: Adjust (Inject best signal power). AF Gain: Adjust (Produce loudest digital audio). Squelch (SQL): OFF (0) (Prevent muting of quiet signal). Filter Bandwidth: 12.5 kHz(Correct setting for NFM). The ultimate resolution was forcing input and output gain in SDR++ and volume adjustment in Audacity Provide feedback on this episode.

GB2RS News Sunday the 7th of December 2025 The news headlines: Become an RSGB Regional Representative in your area Keep up to date with how technology can be used in amateur radio 5MHz – an important reminder about FT8 use within allocated frequencies Do you want to make a difference to the amateur radio community in your region? The RSGB has three Regional Representative posts that are available for nominations in the upcoming 2026 elections. These are for Region 2, which covers Scotland North and the Northern Isles, Region 7, which represents South Wales, and Region 9, which covers London and the Thames Valley. As a Regional Representative, you will lead the team of District Representatives in your area and not only represent the Society but also support your fellow radio amateurs. Find out more about what it takes to succeed in this role by reading the candidate pack at rsgb.org/elections  The deadline for applications is the 31st of January 2026. An increasing number of modern technologies are being used in different ways within amateur radio. From artificial intelligence that helps you to write software, to a 3D printer that you can use to create amateur radio equipment. The RSGB has gathered some of these together in a web section called ‘Emerging technologies' and has now added to it an overview of the new monthly RadCom column ‘Experimenters' Corner'. The column was introduced in November and is written by RSGB Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX. The column covers everything from setting up your own TinyGS project at home to experimenting with Meshtastic. Go to rsgb.org/emerging-technologies  and be inspired. The RSGB reminds all radio amateurs that they must only operate within the UK allocated bands for each mode. Ofcom has noticed that, increasingly, radio amateurs are using FT8 outside of the UK 60m allocations. It is monitoring usage and will write to you if it observes your callsign operating outside of this band. Please ensure the configuration of your FT8 software limits your transmissions to frequencies and bandwidth that are fully within the UK allocation. For example, when using WSJT-X for digital modes at 5357kHz, it is imperative that the transmitted signal is never above 5358kHz. Using 'Hold TX Freq' can help with this. The Society works hard to protect the spectrum for all radio amateurs to use, but that work will be made more difficult if radio amateurs continue to stray outside of the allocated bands. The Ofcom OFW611 Amateur Radio Licence Terms and Conditions document includes an explanation of all the frequencies available to radio amateurs in the UK. You can find this on the Ofcom website or via the UK amateur licensing link on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/licensing The RSGB National Radio Centre, located at Bletchley Park, will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. There will be reduced hours on New Year's Eve when the Centre will be closing at 2pm. In addition to this, it will also be closed for essential maintenance works on the 5th and 6th of January 2026. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual. Remember that RSGB members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park from the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bpvoucher Youngsters on the Air Month is well underway with multiple groups scheduled to host special event station GB25YOTA this week. Today, Sunday the 7th of December, you'll be able to work operators from Cray Valley Radio Society, as well as the 2nd Marlborough Scouts. The Scout group will also be active tomorrow, Monday, the 8th of December. Buckie High School in Scotland will be operating on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so listen out and encourage young operators in making what could be their first ever QSO. On Tuesday, the 9th of December, Hilderstone Radio Society members will be supervising students from St. Peter ' s-In-Thanet Junior School. On Wednesday, the 10th of December, students from Sunderland College will be on the amateur bands with supervision from Ian Bowman, G7ESY. Looking ahead to next weekend, the RSGB National Radio Centre will be welcoming young people to operate as GB25YOTA. Details of operating times, bands and modes can be found at rsgb.org/yota-month There have been a number of changes to the Region 1 team, which covers Scotland South and the Western Isles. To ensure you are contacting the correct representative, go to rsgb.org/regions  and click the team name from the right-hand menu, followed by ‘Meet the Region 1 team'. And finally, a date for your diary. The next in the popular 145 Alive series will take place on Saturday, the 7th of February, from 12 pm to 3 pm. The event will include the addition of 144MHz SSB stations with vertical polarisation. For more information, visit the 145 Alive Facebook page. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 7th of December, the Mid Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair is taking place at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. The doors will be open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry costs £3 per person, and there is no charge for partners and under-16s. For more details, contact Phil, G6DLJ, on 07990 563 147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com Sparkford Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday, the 28th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil BA22 7QX. The doors will be open from 9.30 am, and admission will cost £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email luke@mymixradio.co.uk. Now the Special Event news Celebrating the city of Chemnitz, one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2025, a number of special event callsigns are active in Germany until Monday, the 15th of December. All QSOs will be uploaded to eQSL, Logbook of the World and Club Log. To read more, including information about certificates that are available for working the stations, visit 2025c.de The first French satellite, named Asterix, was launched into orbit on the 26th of November 1965. To mark the 60th anniversary, members of the Wingles Radio Club, F4KLR, are active as TM60ATX on Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th of December, and again between the 19th and 23rd of December. All CW and SSB QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the Bureau. FT8 QSOs will be confirmed via eQSL. Now the DX news Vlad, OK2WX and Paula, OK2YL, are active as HP3/OK2WX and HP3/OK2YL from Panama until Wednesday, the 10th of December. They are operating CW and SSB with a focus on the 160, 80 and 40m bands. See QRZ.com for more information. Pierre, VK3KTB, is active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, NA-008, until Wednesday, the 10th of December. He operates CW, SSB and FT8 on various bands. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. Now the contest news The ARRL 160m Contest started at 2200 UTC on Friday, the 5th and ends at 1559 UTC today, Sunday, the 7th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report. American and Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section reference. Today, the 7th of December, the RSGB 144MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 1000 to 1400 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday, the 9th of December, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955 UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday, the 9th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the 10th of December, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 10th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday, the 11th of December, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The ARRL 10m Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 13th of December and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday, the 14th of December. Using CW and phone on the 10m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American and Canadian stations also send their state or province code. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 4th of December The prediction made for last week was for the solar flux index to increase, possibly reaching 155 by the 1st of December and 175 by the 6th. In fact, it hit 196 on the 1st and 200 on the 2nd. This was no doubt aided by three large sunspot groups in the Sun's southern hemisphere. We also said that the Kp index could hit 5 on the 3rd of December, and it actually hit 6.67. So well done to the Space Weather Prediction Centre for its forecast. On Thursday the 4th of December, the solar wind speed gradually increased from around 360 kilometres per second to 475 kilometres per second, thanks to the onset of an enhanced solar wind from a very large coronal hole. The Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field has also been pointing sharply south at times, which means it more easily couples with the Earth and the Kp index goes up as solar plasma floods in. Maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, have been affected, but not too much. The MUF over a 3,000km path was still above 28MHz on the 3rd of December, at least until sunset. Nighttime MUFs are now characteristically below 14MHz, leaving only 10MHz and below open to DX. As reported by CDXC's Slack group this week, recent DX included the YJ0GC DXpedition to Vanuatu and OX7AM in Greenland on the 10m band using CW. 5R8IC in Madagascar was noted on the 15m band using FT4. And SU8YOTA in Egypt was worked on the 20m band using SSB. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will stay in the 180 to 190 range, and the good news is that the Kp index is predicted to remain low, at least until Saturday, the 13th of December, when it is forecast to rise once again to 5. So, get your HF DXing in during the daytime over this coming week! And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather charts for the coming week or more show a very unsettled pattern with some deep areas of low pressure, strong winds and heavy rain at times. Tropo is unlikely in the traditional high-pressure sense, but sometimes a strong maritime south-westerly wind can bring a brief, slight improvement for parts of southeast Britain in the windy warm sector of the depression. Watch out for this on Tuesday, the 9th of December. Rain scatter remains a good option since there will be numerous bands of rain and showers available as scatter elements. The Margate 24GHz WebSDR has seen the Flanders beacon ON0HVL for a number of days due to rain over the southern North Sea, but the lack of active 24GHz stations on the east coast made this a frustrating watch on a WebSDR. Aurora is a possibility during the coming week. Look for a Kp index above 5 to generate a good radio response. The evening of the 3rd of December saw classic fluttery HF signals on the 80m and 40m bands, supported by a Kp index of 6.67 and reported auroral QSOs on 70, 144 and 50MHz. Lastly, a consideration of the meteor scatter prospects is more promising as we are now in the broader period for the Geminids, which is due to peak on Sunday, the 14th of December. This shower has a maximum hourly rate of 120, so it ranks as a joint second after the August Perseids. For EME operators, Moon declination reached a maximum yesterday, the 6th of December, meaning long Moon windows and high peak elevation. Path losses are at their lowest but increasing during the week. 144MHz sky noise is low for the coming week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 30th of November The news headlines: The RSGB has launched its official Instagram profile Listen out for GB25YOTA for Youngsters on the Air month TX Factor releases part two of its Hamfest special The RSGB has launched its official Instagram profile! This addition to the Society's social media presence will help it to connect in a new way and showcase the exciting world of amateur radio and STEM. Through Instagram, the RSGB aims to support youth activities and highlight opportunities for young radio enthusiasts. It wants to engage with like-minded organisations that promote STEM education and innovation, and to inspire the RF engineers of the future by sharing stories, projects and events. It will also be a great platform for connecting with other groups that enjoy practical activities. If you're on Instagram, the RSGB invites you to follow its profile, like its posts and join the conversation as it builds a new community. Search for ‘theRSGB' and get involved! Youngsters on the Air Month has officially begun. Listen out for special event station GB25YOTA throughout the month as young radio amateurs get on the amateur bands. Sandringham School and the 2nd Marlborough Scout Group start the event on Wednesday, the 3rd of December. On Friday, the 5th of December, Bracknell Amateur Radio Club will host GB25YOTA, as well as Jon, M0NOJ, who will be operating later in the afternoon. Cambridge University Wireless Society will be hosting the callsign on both Friday and Saturday. Also on Saturday, the 6th of December, you'll be able to work South Durham Radio Club, who are active using the GB25YOTA. Looking forward to Sunday, the 7th of December, listen out for the 2nd Marlborough Scouts and Cray Valley Radio Society. Details of operating times, bands and modes can be found at rsgb.org/yota-month. Take the time to encourage a young radio amateur by having a QSO with them. TX Factor is back with part two of its National Hamfest special, which completes the coverage of news from that event. The episode is full of informative updates on the RSGB, including an interview with RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, on the work of the Emerging Technology Coordination Committee. TX Factor presenter Bob McCreadie, G0FGX, also speaks with RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX, about the importance of RSGB membership and the vital work the Society does on protecting the spectrum. In addition, you'll find an interview focusing on the RSGB communications strategy and how it is helping to bring amateur radio to new audiences, as well as an update from the RSGB Maker Champion Tom Wardill, M9TWM. Watch all this and more by going to txfactor.co.uk A reminder that the last Tonight@8 webinar of 2025 will be live tomorrow from 8 pm via the RSGB's YouTube channel and special BATC channel. The presentation will feature young RSGB members who travelled to Paris earlier this year for the Youngsters on the Air summer camp. As well as hearing about their experience, you'll receive an update from the RSGB Youth Team on its plans for 2026. If you're a young radio amateur or you're interested in encouraging young people to get involved in amateur radio in the coming year, this webinar is not to be missed. Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars Remember that if you're interested in the role of RSGB Nominated Director, the deadline for applications is the 5th of December. Nominated Directors are selected by the Society's Nominations Committee, and then the RSGB membership votes to endorse them at the AGM. Go to rsgb.org/elections  and follow the instructions on that page to apply or to have a chat about the role. Following the Ofcom changes to the Intermediate licence callsign series, the RSGB is updating its guidance to members. RSGB members with M8 or M9 callsigns who wish to receive QSL cards via the RSGB Bureau should send envelopes to the same QSL sub-manager who handles the corresponding 2x callsign series. The list of QSL sub-managers has been updated accordingly, so please check on the website before posting. You can find the list in the QSL Bureau section of the RSGB website at rsgb.org/qsl Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 30th, Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club's Rally is taking place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham. Traders, catering, ample parking and disabled facilities are available on site. For more information, visit barac.org.uk. The Mid Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair 2025 will be held on the 7th of December at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. The doors will be open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry costs £3 per person, and there is no charge for partners and under-16s. For more details, contact Phil, G6DLJ, on 07990 563 147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com Now the Special Event news Special event station OZ90NRAU is active until the 7th of December to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of the Nordic Radio Amateur Union. For more information, including details of awards that are available for working the station, visit QRZ.com Datta, VU2DSI, is active as AU2JCB until the 15th of December to commemorate the birthday of Indian physicist and radio pioneer Jagadish Chandra Bose. Listen for activity using SSB on the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL directly to Datta's home call. Now the DX news Gabriele, HB9TSW, is active as Z68BG from Slatina Air Base near Pristina, Kosovo, until the 10th of December. He is operating using CW only. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via his home call. Red, DL1BUG is active as TY5FR from Cotonou, Benin, until the 11th of December. He is using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via DL1BUG directly or via the Bureau. QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 29th, and ends at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 30th of November. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Tuesday, the 2nd of December, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955 UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday, the 2nd of December, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 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 2100UTC. 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. The ARRL 160m Contest starts at 2200 UTC on Friday, the 5th and ends at 1559 UTC on Sunday, the 7th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report. American and Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section reference. On Sunday, the 7th of December, the RSGB 144MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 1000 to 1400 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 27th of November Last week was a mixed bag in terms of solar activity. Yes, we had geomagnetic disturbances, but they were never really that bad, with a maximum Kp index of 5, and that was for only one three-hour period. This was mainly due to two large coronal holes on the Sun, which saw the solar wind speed increase to around 700 to 740 kilometres per second. There have been coronal mass ejections, but these have been on the far side of the Sun and so didn't affect us. Meanwhile, the solar flux index has continued its downward trend, being in the range of 116 to 121 over the week. However, there has been DX to be worked. The CDXC Slack group reports ZD7VJ on St Helena Island has been logged on the 40m band using CW. 3G0YR on Easter Island, was also worked on the 40m band using CW. Many other stations have been setting up for the CQ World Wide CW Contest over the last week, so there have been plenty of DX stations around. The DXSummit website reports 3B8/E70A in Mauritius on the 15m band using FT8, VR2KF in Hong Kong on the 10m band using CW, and S21RW in Bangladesh on the 10m band using SSB. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will pick up, perhaps hitting 155 by the 1st of December and 175 by the 6th. Only time will tell if this prediction is correct. Meanwhile, the Kp index is forecast to start the coming week at 2, but then increase to 5 by Wednesday the 3rd. Quiet geomagnetic conditions were forecast for the duration of the CQ World Wide CW Contest. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The recent unsettled weather is continuing to dominate the big weather picture for the coming week or two. But with such a complex weather pattern, it is hard to be precise as to the predicted upcoming weather events and their timings. It's worth keeping a watch on forecasts from day to day to pick the bigger storms out in time and make sure your antennas are secure. Having said that, in propagation terms, this type of pattern is poor for any tropo prospects, and the best benefit is likely to be potential rain scatter from heavier rain. Last Wednesday saw some interesting dry-weather 24GHz propagation over the North Sea. At the Margate 24GHz WebSDR, the newly-repaired Flanders beacon ON0HVL was copiable all day until around 2000UTC, until a band of humid air hit the path from the West, taking out both ON0HVL and GB3PKT. The latter returned to normal on the morning of Thursday, the 27th.   We are now exiting the broader span of the Leonids meteor shower with a gap driven by random meteors until mid-December when the Geminids arrive. There have been a few minor auroral moments, although not particularly noteworthy in a radio sense. But in the absence of any tropo, perhaps it's still worth keeping an eye on the Kp index going above 5 to provide a little excitement. Lastly, we had some more out-of-season Sporadic-E on 50MHz last week, so keep an ear open for that. For EME operators, Moon declination is rising and went positive again on Saturday, the 29th. That means more Moon time and higher peak elevation in the coming week. Path losses are low and falling further as we approach perigee on Thursday, the 4th. 144MHz sky noise is low all week, climbing to moderate at the end of the week And that's all from the propagation team this week.

In this episode titled “Ham Radio (Amateur Radio),” host Mike Dell reflects on his youth prior to the Internet and video games, mentioning his limited interaction with CB radio rather than ham radio. He explains the differences between CB and ham radio, particularly the wider range and more diverse frequencies available to amateur radio operators. Mike discusses the various frequency bands in ham radio, starting with UHF, VHF, and HF, detailing their uses and characteristics. He explains concepts like frequency modulation (FM) and amplitude modulation (AM), along with how repeater stations work to extend transmission ranges. Mike also recounts his personal experiences with these frequencies, mentioning how he engaged with fellow hams while fishing and discussing the unique phenomena of tropospheric ducting that allowed him to communicate long distances. He then dives into specific bands, starting with the two-meter band, explaining its popularity, accessibility for new technicians, and how equipment like inexpensive radios can enable communication across towns. Mike also shares anecdotes about his experiences and connections with other ham operators, emphasizing the camaraderie within the amateur radio community. Continuing, he describes several other HF bands, explaining each band's unique properties, propagation characteristics, and modes of communication available within them. Mike touches on historical aspects of obtaining licenses, mentioning how the requirements have shifted over the years, specifically noting the discontinuation of Morse code testing for access to ham radio. Additionally, Mike elaborates on various digital modes that have emerged within ham radio, contrasting them with traditional radio communication, and shares fond memories of his early experiences, such as using packet radio to send messages to his father before email became commonplace. As the episode wraps up, Mike reflects on the significance of ham radio in his life, noting how it has helped him form lasting friendships and connections. He concludes by expressing his commitment to the hobby and the joy he finds in it, inviting listeners to explore the world of amateur radio and reminding them that he will return for the next episode.

In this episode titled "Ham Radio (Amateur Radio)," host Mike Dell reflects on his youth prior to the Internet and video games, mentioning his limited interaction with CB radio rather than ham radio. He explains the differences between CB and ham radio, particularly the wider range and more diverse frequencies available to amateur radio operators. Mike discusses the various frequency bands in ham radio, starting with UHF, VHF, and HF, detailing their uses and characteristics. He explains concepts like frequency modulation (FM) and amplitude modulation (AM), along with how repeater stations work to extend transmission ranges. Mike also recounts his personal experiences with these frequencies, mentioning how he engaged with fellow hams while fishing and discussing the unique phenomena of tropospheric ducting that allowed him to communicate long distances. He then dives into specific bands, starting with the two-meter band, explaining its popularity, accessibility for new technicians, and how equipment like inexpensive radios can enable communication across towns. Mike also shares anecdotes about his experiences and connections with other ham operators, emphasizing the camaraderie within the amateur radio community. Continuing, he describes several other HF bands, explaining each band's unique properties, propagation characteristics, and modes of communication available within them. Mike touches on historical aspects of obtaining licenses, mentioning how the requirements have shifted over the years, specifically noting the discontinuation of Morse code testing for access to ham radio. Additionally, Mike elaborates on various digital modes that have emerged within ham radio, contrasting them with traditional radio communication, and shares fond memories of his early experiences, such as using packet radio to send messages to his father before email became commonplace. As the episode wraps up, Mike reflects on the significance of ham radio in his life, noting how it has helped him form lasting friendships and connections. He concludes by expressing his commitment to the hobby and the joy he finds in it, inviting listeners to explore the world of amateur radio and reminding them that he will return for the next episode.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 23rd of November The news headlines: Could your skills and experience support the RSGB Board? Let the Society know your plans for British Science Week 2026 The RSGB is looking for a volunteer Accessibility Champion Do you have skills and experience that would make you an asset to the RSGB Board? The RSGB elections process has begun, and there are two routes to becoming a Board Director. This week's focus is on Nominated Directors, and there are two vacancies this year. Nominated Directors are selected by the Society's Nominations Committee, and then the RSGB membership votes to endorse them at the AGM. The closing date for these vacancies is the 5th of December 2025, so don't delay! There is no functional difference between a Nominated or Elected Director, and all serve the Board in the same way for a three-year term. If you'd like to know more about what is required of an RSGB Board Director, the first step is to read the candidate pack for Elected Directors on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/elections  After that, if you'd like to express your interest in being a Nominated Director or would like an informal chat, email the RSGB Company Secretary, Stephen Purser, GW4SHF via company.secretary@rsgb.org.uk Preparations for British Science Week 2026 are already well underway. RSGB British Science Week Co-ordinator Professor Ian Neal, G7IGN, is working on guidance and activity suggestions that you could use to get involved. The annual event is a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths and is run by the British Science Association. It has chosen ‘curiosity' as its theme for 2026, which fits perfectly with amateur radio. This campaign is a brilliant opportunity for radio amateurs to share their passion with others. This could be through organising an open day for the local community, setting up a buildathon for a club evening, operating a special event station from your local library or even supervising your friends and family in making their first QSO – the options are endless. If this has piqued your interest, and you would like to share your thoughts, ideas and plans with Ian, get in touch via bsw@rsgb.org.uk. You can see what other people did last year and find the RSGB's resource bank at rsgb.org/bsw The RSGB is looking for a proactive and knowledgeable volunteer to serve as its new Accessibility Champion. This important role will focus on ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate and enjoy everything that amateur radio has to offer. Key responsibilities of the role will be engaging with the amateur radio community, serving as a point of contact and signposting people to resources that can help them, as well as raising awareness of the challenges faced by individuals and sharing inspiring stories. If you have a strong understanding of accessibility issues, ideally with personal experience or professional expertise, and are passionate about inclusion within amateur radio, the Society would love to hear from you. If you're interested in finding out more, including having a chat about the role, please firstly read the full role description on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers  and then contact RSGB Board Director Nathan Nuttall, 2M0OCC. Did you see the Meteor Beacon Project presentation by Brian Coleman, G4NNS, at the RSGB Convention or on the Convention livestream? Would you like to explore the science that the project supports and be involved in the technical research and activities? Brian is creating a small group to contribute to the ongoing development of the project and will start to record, classify and analyse the data the system can already gather. If you'd like to know more about the project, you can watch Brian's presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB  If you'd like to be part of the ongoing development group, please contact Brian via brian@brcg4nns.org  for a chat about what would be involved. Today is the last day to give the RSGB HF Contest Committee your comments to help shape the rules for HF contests in 2026. The online survey includes questions on ‘Self-Spotting' and ‘Slow speed CW'. You can find the survey online via tinyurl.com/hfcontests Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events On Sunday, the 30th of November, Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club's Rally is taking place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham. Traders, catering, ample parking and disabled facilities will be available. For more information and downloadable trader forms, visit barac.org.uk The Mid Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair 2025 will be held on the 7th of December at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. The doors will be open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry costs £3 per person and there is no charge for partners and under-16s. For more detail,s contact Phil, G6DLJ on 07990 563 147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com Now the Special Event news Special event station GB130WRD is active until the 30th of November to mark the 130th anniversary of the discovery of X-rays. Recently, the station was spotted using FT8 on the 40m band. QSL directly to M0KZT. See QRZ.com  for more information. 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 Phill, C21TS, is active from Nauru, OC-031, until the 30th of November. The station is often spotted on the HF bands using FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World or OQRS. Darek, TJ1GD, is operating as TL8GD from the Central African Republic until the 30th of November. He is using CW, FT8 and SSB on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World or via SP3EOL. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 25th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 26th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 27th, the 3.5MHz RSGB Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 29th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday, the 30th of November. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 20th of November After the solar mayhem we reported in last week's GB2RS News, the Sun has been relatively quiet over the past week. The maximum Kp index we saw was 4, on Monday, the 17th of November, but otherwise it was often below 1 or 2. The result is that the ionosphere has been more stable and DX has been more forthcoming. Unfortunately, this coincided with a drop in sunspot numbers, and the solar flux index fell from 163 on the 12th to 123 on Thursday, the 20th. However, 123 is still enough to get things moving, and we have seen some good DX being worked. CDXC's Slack chat group has reported several impressive contacts. VK9DX on Norfolk Island was worked on the 15m band using CW; ZL7/LZ1GC on the Chatham Islands was logged on the 40m band using CW; and S79/OK6RA in the Seychelles appeared on the 10m band using CW. Another interesting spot was JA7BXS on the 80m band using CW on the morning of Thursday, the 20th, showing that the low bands are becoming more interesting as we head into winter. DX on the 80m band has little to do with the solar flux index but can be influenced by geomagnetic disturbances; hence, these quieter periods have allowed the 40 and 80m bands to shine. For the coming week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline even more, perhaps down to 105 or 110. However, it does look like our run of quiet geomagnetic indices may come to an end, with a Kp index of 5 predicted for the 24th to the 27th of November. In fact, we could have unsettled geomagnetic conditions until the end of the month. So, this may be a good time to start concentrating on the lower bands, such as 40 and 80m. You never know, they might surprise you! And don't forget, the CQ World Wide CW Contest is taking place during the weekend of the 29th and 30th – always a good opportunity for DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather is very much in a cold phase, but although it continues to be unsettled, it will be milder and wetter in the coming week. Perhaps more important is that at times it will be very windy with gales in some areas. For propagation, this means that the one feature absent from the present charts is any high pressure to bring tropo conditions. This means that other modes take on more importance. Auroras have provided some recent interest and, although there's nothing dramatic in the immediate future, keep a watching brief for a rising Kp index. A good guide for impending activity is if the Kp index increases above 5. The rain scatter prospects are likely to be good during the coming week as several active frontal systems cross the country. Notably, the evening of Wednesday the 19th saw trans-North sea propagation visible on the Margate 24GHz WebSDR. This extended into the morning of Thursday the 19th, but unfortunately, no coastal stations were around to make QSOs. While rain scatter is a GHz band activity, on the lower band,s you may find some increase in static levels due to lightning activity or even snow static before the weather turns milder. There is not expected to be a strong showing of Sporadic-E in the coming week since we are well out of season. Southern UK stations should continue to watch out for fleeting F-layer DX openings on 50MHz, especially to Africa and Asia. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is at its lowest and negative all week, so Moon window lengths are short and peak elevation is low. We passed apogee on the 20th of November, so path losses are decreasing again. 144MHz sky noise is high today, the 23rd, but will become lower as the week progresses. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Ce 234e épisode de Pos. Report refait le match de La Boulangère Mini Transat avec ses deux vainqueurs, Mathis Bourgnon, sur le proto Assomast (plan Etienne Bertrand), et Paul Cousin (AFP-Biocombustibles) en série, mais également avec Benoît Marie, deuxième en proto sur son plan Manuard à foils Nicomatic-Petit Bateau.Nous revenons d'abord sur l'annulation de la première étape, forcément frustrante pour Benoît Marie, qui était alors nettement en tête mais a accepté la décision, avant de faire route directement vers les Canaries alors que quasiment toute la flotte s'est réfugiée dans des ports portugais et espagnols.Nos invités confient leur état d'esprit au départ de la deuxième, le 25 octobre, et leur choix de route au moment de quitter les Canaries, avec une trajectoire est pour Mathis Bourgnon, qui l'avait travaillée avant de s'élancer, notamment avec Benoît Marie. Ce dernier raconte ensuite ses deux folles journées en volant, avec à la clé le record des 24 heures en Mini (352,59 milles, à 14,69 noeuds de moyenne), puis sa première sérieuse avarie en retombant d'une vague, avec la perte de son foil tribord et un trou dans la coque à combler. Mathis Bourgnon confie qu'il n'a alors pas vraiment réalisé que son concurrent était handicapé, plus focalisé sur son duel avec Alexandre Demange (DMG Mori Sailing Academy 2).Paul Cousin détaille quant à lui sa stratégie en ce début d'étape, avec une route sud que quasiment tous ont empruntée, mais qu'il fallait savoir doser, avant une seconde partie de transat qui a consisté à bien anticiper les rotations de l'alizé. Les trois marins racontent enfin les derniers jours de course, avec une nouvelle avarie pour Benoît Marie sur son bout-dehors et son spi max, qu'il a réussi dans un premier temps à circonscrire, avant de tout casser à une cinquantaine de milles de l'arrivée et d'appeler Mathis Bourgnon à la VHF pour le féliciter.Ce dernier explique ne pas avoir alors trop compris qu'il allait gagner et avoir vraiment réalisé une fois sur le ponton à Saint-François, dans les bras de ses parents, dont son père Yvon, vainqueur jour pour jour trente ans plus tôt. Paul Cousin confie de son côté l'état de fatigue extrême dans lequel il était au moment de couper la ligne en vainqueur, parce qu'il a beaucoup barré pendant les deux semaines de course, y compris la nuit, pour faire la différence sur ses poursuivants. Nos trois invités finissent par se projeter sur la suite : Paul Cousin rêve de Figaro, Benoît Marie de Trophée Jules Verne, Mathis Bourgnon d'Ocean Fifty ou d'Imoca.Diffusé le 18 novembre 2025Générique : Fast and wild/EdRecordsPost-production : Grégoire LevillainPhoto : Arnaud Pilpré / La Boulangère Mini TransatHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 16th of November 2025 The news headlines: Nominations for the RSGB 2026 Elections are now open The RSGB National Radio Centre to host ‘Build your own radio' workshops Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146-147MHz NoV for a further year Could your skills and experience help to shape the RSGB's activities? The Society's year starts and ends at the AGM, and it is seeking proactive and enthusiastic members with the right skills who would like to become a Director of the Society or a Regional Representative. There are vacancies for two Nominated Directors, two Elected Directors and three Regional Representatives. Nominated Directors are selected by the Society's Nominations Committee, and then RSGB members vote to endorse them as part of the AGM voting. The closing date for these vacancies is the 5th of December 2025. If you're interested in either the Elected Director or Regional Representative roles, you can find the candidate packs and application forms on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/elections. The application deadline for the elected roles is the 31st of January 2026. If you'd like to find out more about any of these vacancies, please email the RSGB Company Secretary, Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at company.secretary@rsgb.org.uk  The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park is hosting another of its popular ‘Build your own radio' workshops. Morning and afternoon sessions will be held on Sunday, the 23rd of November and will offer young people aged between 12 and 18 years the opportunity to learn more about amateur radio and electronics. The workshops will use simple tools for participants to build their own VHF FM broadcast receiver, which they can take home with them. Attendance at the workshop costs £11. To find out more and to secure a place, visit bletchleypark.org.uk  and search for ‘Build your own radio'. Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146-147MHz Notice of Variation for a further year. It is available on a non-interference basis and is subject to a 30-day notice period of change or withdrawal. Ofcom's objective in making this spectrum available is to encourage amateurs to experiment and test new communications schemes and systems. The RSGB VHF Manager would therefore welcome reports of innovative use of the spectrum to support future discussions. Please email him via vhf.manager@rsgb.org.uk. Full licence holders can apply for the 146-147MHz NoV on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nov Listeners may also be interested to know that Ofcom has released a video that aims to guide how to use its recently updated licence portal. As well as other topics, the video contains information on how to change your amateur radio callsign and how to apply for a special event station NoV. You can watch the video at tinyurl.com/2025ofcom  The RSGB VHF Contest Committee is currently planning the rules for the 2026 VHF contests. Following some discussion at the RSGB Convention, the committee members have some questions on which they would appreciate feedback from contestants. The survey will close at 11.59 pm on Sunday, the 23rd of November. You can find the survey online via tinyurl.com/vhfsurvey December is all about encouraging young radio amateurs to get on the amateur radio bands. The month will kickstart on Monday, the 1st of December, when members of the RSGB youth team will give Tonight@8 viewers an insight into what a Youngsters on the Air summer camp is like. Team members will talk about some of the activities they enjoyed and how they will be encouraging other young people to get involved in amateur radio in the coming year. They will be joined by RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML and RSGB Youth Chair and School Youth Champion, Chris Aitken, MM0WIC, who will give an overview of recent youth activities and engagement and outline the RSGB Youth Team's plans for 2026. December is also your opportunity to support young radio amateurs. One of the ways you can do this is by hosting special callsign GB25YOTA, which will be active throughout the month. The special event station can be hosted by individuals, clubs, schools and universities or youth groups such as Scouts, Girlguiding and Cadets. This is a brilliant opportunity to show young people what amateur radio has to offer. Get involved now by going to rsgb.org/yota-month  to reserve your operating slot. The Bath-based Distance Learning team is planning to run a new Intermediate licence training course in January with exams in June. The training is free, but applicants must work through some pre-course material and complete a quiz before Christmas to be eligible for a place. This work focuses on the new Foundation topics that have been introduced to the exam since September 2019. The deadline for applications is Friday, the 5th of December. To request full details and an application form, email BBDL team leader Steve, G0FUW, at g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events On Sunday, the 30th of November, Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally is taking place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham. Traders, catering, ample parking and disabled facilities will be available. For more information and downloadable trader forms, visit barac.org.uk Mid Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair 2025 will be held on Sunday, the 7th of December at Winkleigh Sports & Recreation Centre. The doors will be open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry costs £3 per person and there is no charge for partners and under-16s. For more details, contact Phil, G6DLJ on 07990 563 147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com Now the Special Event news Special callsign GB50AUK is active until the 28th of November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AMSAT-UK. QSOs will be uploaded to at least eQSL, Logbook of the World and the QO-100 DX Club. To find out more, visit amsat-uk.org To celebrate the 39th anniversary of the European DX Foundation, several special callsigns are active until the 30th of November. To view a list of participating stations and read information about an award that is available for working them, visit tinyurl.com/eudxf39 Now the DX news Maurizio, IK2GZU, is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until the 20th of November. He is operating using CW, digital modes and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or directly to IK2GZU. Stan, LZ1GC is active as ZL7/LZ1GC from the Chatham Islands, OC-038, until the 20th of November. He is operating CW, SSB, FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS is preferred, or via LZ1GC directly. For more information and updates, visit c21gc.com Now the contest news Tomorrow, the 17th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 2000 to 2200 UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.                        On Tuesday the 18th, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 20th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13th of November 2025 Last week saw one of the most dramatic auroral events of this cycle. Three X-class solar flares, which sparked coronal mass ejections, joined together to give us a peak Kp index of 8.67, with a solar wind speed in excess of 950 kilometres per second. The result was extensive visible aurora in the US and Canada, although clouds prevented much of its visibility in the UK. The good news from a radio point of view was that the solar wind's Bz, or interplanetary magnetic field, mostly pointed north or was neutral in the latter stages. This saved the Earth from a lot of its effects. The next day, HF propagation appeared to be almost normal with maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path still exceeding 24MHz at times. By Thursday the 13th, it was mostly over 28MHz, although there were times it dropped dramatically, and signals were weak and watery at best. You could tell that there had been some disruption to HF by a lack of spots on the CDXC Slack group. While Stan, ZL7/LZ1GC on Chatham Island had been spotted on the 11th, there was very little to report the next day as the Kp index rose to 5. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux will remain in the 160 to 170 range. However, we can expect a repeat of unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend, possibly due to a large coronal hole that became Earth-facing on the 13th. Likewise, the 20th and 21st of November may be unsettled, with a predicted maximum Kp index of 4. After the following weekend, we can also expect more unsettled conditions, especially around the 24th to the 27th, which could see the Kp index rise to 5 or even higher. Expect decreased MUFs and less HF activity if this is the case. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather is likely to continue into the coming week. High pressure is always being kept at arm's length, so there is no real tropo flavour to proceedings. The rain prospects are very strong, with, if anything, too much rain in some areas. During the coming week, colder northerly air will mean that some snow is possible on the northern hills. So there remains a possibility of rain scatter on the GHz bands. After the recent auroral activity, the prospects are worth considering, although it would be surprising if a repeat of the exceptional event of last week were to happen. Nonetheless, stay alert to the Kp index going above 5 and check for activity on the 10, 6, 4 and 2m bands. The event of last week was triggered by three successive days of X-class flares, so for an early ‘heads-up' start with the Sun. The foEs graphs on propquest.co.uk  were interesting for the evening of the Autumn Series contest on the 12th of November. There were some rapid changes in propagation as paths were affected by the F2-layer one minute and Sporadic-E the next.  It is occasionally worth examining the graphs now and again to relate perceived conditions from the radio speaker to actual measurements of the ionosphere. Of course, the data from Dourbes is not necessarily what would have been recorded over the UK, but it gives a good flavour. The takeaway message is that although we think of Sporadic-E as a summer phenomenon, it can play a role outside the main season. Meteor scatter is certainly in the frame this week since the Leonids meteor shower peaks tomorrow, the 17th of November. Since meteors also play a part in Sporadic-E propagation, there is another reason to check the foEs graphs for out-of-season activity. For EME operators, the Moon's declination went negative again on Saturday, the 15th, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation fall accordingly. Path losses are increasing to a maximum at apogee on the 20th of November. 144MHz sky noise is low during all of the coming week except for the whole of Thursday, when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 9th of November 2025   The news headlines: The RSGB launches its Construction Competition for 2026 RSGB exam shutdown over the festive season The Society appoints a new volunteer Brickworks Champion   Whether you have only recently soldered your first wire in a kit build or you have experience in designing an advanced software or systems engineering project, the RSGB Construction Competition is for you! As part of the RSGB's strategic growth priority, it wants to inspire people from different communities to find out more about amateur radio. That is why the Society has introduced a new category this year called “Reimagination”. If you think your project could be interesting to the maker community, or you have an idea that could encourage people from groups such as Men's Sheds to try amateur radio, this is the category for you. If it is radio-related but motivates non-radio amateurs to find out more, the RSGB welcomes your entry! There are six other categories, which means there really is something for everyone. You must be an RSGB member to enter, but you can live anywhere in the world, as entries will be judged online to allow you to participate and demonstrate your creativity remotely. The deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2026, and you have an opportunity to win a cash prize. For full details of the competition, including the other categories, visit rsgb.org/construction-competition If you're thinking of taking an amateur radio exam before Christmas, be aware that the last date you can take an online exam, either at a club or at home, is Monday, the 22nd of  December. The RSGB Exams Team will, where possible, post out exam results before HQ shuts over Christmas and New Year. Exams will resume on Monday, the 5th of January 2026 and the booking system will be available during the festive season, so you can book exams for January onwards. You can book your exam online at rsgb.org/exampay RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML, is delighted to announce Derek Hughes, G7LFC as the new volunteer RSGB Brickworks Champion. The Brickworks scheme consists of 23 tasks that give an insight into different aspects of amateur radio. Derek brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, having previously been involved in the development and running of the Brickworks scheme. He currently serves as Chairman of the Quantum Amateur Radio & Technology Society. Derek is committed to building strong relationships with clubs across the UK, including those already engaged with RSGB initiatives. Individuals and clubs are encouraged to contact Derek via brickworks.champion@rsgb.org.uk  with their suggestions about how to develop the reach of the RSGB's Brickworks programme. Find out more about the programme by going to rsgb.org/brickworks The RSGB has continued to release content from its recent Convention. Watch the ‘Meet the Board' session and hear an update on the Society's strategy, as well as an outline of next steps and some important RSGB roles that need the right volunteers to step forward. These include four Board Directors and three Regional Representative vacancies, for which nominations open next week. An in-depth interview about polar modulation is also available to watch; listen to Hans Summers G0UPL, Mike Walker VA3MW and Stewart Bryant G3YSX sharing their thoughts about how this exciting technology is being applied within amateur radio. You can see both in the ‘RSGB 2025 Convention' playlist on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB If you've been involved with Jamboree on the Air this year, the RSGB would love to hear from you. You have until this Thursday, the 13th, to submit your report and photos to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  and be included in the special JOTA feature in the January 2026 edition of RadCom. Essex CW Activity Week starts today, the 9th, and runs until Saturday, the 15th of November. This is a friendly, non-contest style event to encourage both experienced and new Morse operators. Slow-speed Morse operators are especially welcome. Whilst the aim is to contact as many radio amateurs as possible in a week, it is hoped that a QSO goes beyond just an exchange of signal reports and becomes a CW chat for as long a duration as you wish. Anyone who works at least 25 other stations qualifies for a free award certificate. Lots more information, including preferred operating frequencies, can be found via the ‘Activity Week' tab at essexcw.uk Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society Winter Rally is taking place on Saturday, the 15th of November at St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. The doors open at 10 am and entry costs £3. Traders, catering and plenty of free parking will be available on site. For more information, email rally.radars@hotmail.com On Sunday, the 30th of November, Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur's Club Rally is taking place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham. Traders, catering, ample parking and disabled facilities will be available. For more information and downloadable trader forms, visit barac.org.uk Now the Special Event news Members of the Tarragonès Radio Club in Spain are active with special callsign AO25TWHS until the 30th of November. The station is often spotted on the HF bands using FT4. More information, including DX Cluster spots and a link to a diploma that is available for working the station, is available at QRZ.com Special event station V84SRU is active from Brunei on all bands and modes until the 26th of November to mark the centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union. Recently, the station was spotted on the 15m band using SSB. For more information, visit QRZ.com Now the DX news Members of the Italian DXpedition team are active as 5R8TT and 5R8XX until Wednesday, the 12th of November, from Nosy Be, AF-057 in Madagascar. Four stations are active on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, FT8, SSB and RTTY. QSL directly to I2YSB. To find out more, visit i2ysb.com/idt Members of the Yaguarete DX Group are active as CP7DX from Tarija in Bolivia until tomorrow, the 10th of November. They are operating FT8 and SSB on the 160 to 6m bands, as well as via EME. QSL via OQRS or directly to LU1FM. More details are available via QRZ.com Now the contest news The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest started at 0000 UTC yesterday, the 8th, and ends at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 9th of November. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today, the 9th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1400 UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955 UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and a four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and a four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 13th, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 15th, the 2nd RSGB 1.8MHz Contest runs from 2000 to 2300 UTC. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and district code.                                                                                                                                                                       Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 6th of November 2025 Last week was a mixed bag in terms of HF propagation. Earlier in the week, the 10m band was working very well, with Australia romping into the UK by mid-morning. But later in the week, everything had changed. Solar activity was high with multiple X-class and strong M-class solar flares. At least three coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, were expected to graze or directly hit Earth, sparking strong geomagnetic storms on the 6th and 7th of November. The X-ray flare on the 4th of November was the first seen since June and came from active region 4274 – a large sunspot group which helped push the solar flux index to 147. The Kp index climbed to 6.67 in the early hours of the 6th of November. Later that morning, maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, were badly affected, with a maximum of 18MHz over a 3,000km path as a strong G3 geomagnetic storm was in progress. So, it looks like good DX on the higher bands may be off the cards for a few days. However, one interesting contact was noted on the CDXC Slack chat group when ZL7/LZIGCC was spotted on 14.005MHz using CW at 10.30 am on Thursday, the 6th. Interestingly, the current solar activity is nearly all in the Sun's northern hemisphere, so are we heading for a second peak in Cycle 25? Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to the 130 to 145 range. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to remain unstable until around the 12th of November. With active region 4274 rotating to be more Earth-facing, we may expect more solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, before things quieten down. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO We are becoming well acquainted with mild, unsettled weather, and as a result, there were plenty of rain scatter options on the GHz bands in the last week. These are likely to continue through the coming week. Tropo is not completely out of the frame in the extreme south and east, albeit fleetingly, but for most of the UK, it is unlikely to be a strong feature. As in recent weeks, a few auroral alerts are coming through, but so far, nothing too dramatic is showing up on the VHF bands. Meteor scatter looks more interesting as we move into mid-November. The Leonids, one of the more important meteor showers in the calendar, peaks just after next weekend on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th, so we should expect to see some increasing activity as we progress through the coming week. The UK Activity Contest events feature 432MHz on Tuesday 11th, when the eastern side of the UK may have one of the fleeting moments of tropo to the east and south. Later in the week, on Thursday the 13th, it's the turn of 50MHz. Conditions look weaker for tropo for the 50MHz UK Activity Contest, but still favour the extreme east of England, if there is any left by then. Meteor scatter or even aurora might come to the rescue for this one. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is at its highest this weekend, ending today, the 9th, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation are also at their greatest. Path losses are now increasing as we passed perigee on the 5th of November. 144MHz sky noise is low and at its lowest midweek. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Norm Cantin, WA1NLG, discovered amateur radio at age 14 through Boy Scouts in Massachusetts, got his Technician license in 1969 so he could get on 6 meters, and that early exposure led directly to his career in navigation electronics. Amateur radio Elmers in the Framingham Radio Club helped him get his first job at Northstar, a startup building LORAN navigation equipment, where he spent almost 30 years rising to Vice President of Engineering, later working on GPS development, differential GPS, and aircraft landing systems. After a period at Outerlink building satellite tracking systems, he spent more than a decade at Raytheon working on Patriot modernization and activities that contributed to Iron Dome. Now retired on Cape Cod, Norm is focused on VHF weak signal work, homebrews LDMOS amplifiers, is building a second tower for 2-meter EME, is active in the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club, youth outreach, public service, STEM, Boy Scouts, and believes ham radio is still a "hobby of a thousand hobbies."

GB2RS News Sunday, the 2nd of November 2025   The news headlines: The RSGB National Radio Centre wins the 2025 Sir Arthur Clarke Education and Outreach Team Award The RSGB releases two panel discussions from its recent Convention Learn how to improve speech clarity with DSP in November's Tonight@8 At a glittering awards ceremony in London this week, the RSGB National Radio Centre team beat two other finalists to win the 2025 Sir Arthur Clarke Education and Outreach Team Award. The NRC team was recognised “For inspiring all Generations about Amateur Satellites by providing a unique insight into the world of radio communications”. The awards are organised by the British Interplanetary Society. The award was accepted by RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB; NRC Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB; and NRC Volunteers Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB and Brian Hardy, G4BIP. In his acceptance speech, Steve Thomas thanked Martyn and the 65 volunteers for the work that they do in welcoming over 80,000 visitors to the NRC each year. He also said that through the Society's public outreach and STEM activities, it aims to help generate and support future RF engineers who may one day work in the space or related industries. Congratulations to the whole NRC team for this fantastic recognition of the great work you do! Have you ever considered how to engage more girls and women with amateur radio? This question was discussed by a panel of female radio amateurs at the RSGB Convention last month. The group touched on topics including accessibility to in-person activities, support and encouragement, as well as the potential obstacles to attracting more women into amateur radio. The discussion is now available to watch in the RSGB 2025 Convention playlist on the RSGB's YouTube channel via youtube.com/thersgb, and it would be great to use for a club night to start conversations and to help inspire new plans. You can also see the “How to encourage thriving clubs” panel discussion in the same playlist, where four clubs shared the activities that are helping them to gain members. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel to be the first to hear about new videos when they are released. Tomorrow, the 3rd of November, join Graham Somerville, M3ZGS, owner and managing director of DSP noise cancellation specialists bhi Ltd, for November's Tonight@8 webinar. The presentation will give viewers an insight into how to improve speech clarity with Digital Signal Processing technology and which products are best suited to specific applications and setups. Graham will also explain how noise-cancelling will help those with hearing loss to enjoy amateur radio more. You can join the webinar and ask questions via the live chat on both the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. To find out more go to rsgb.org/webinars If you are planning a visit to the RSGB National Radio Centre, please note that it will be closing at 4pm over the winter months, in line with Bletchley Park's operating hours. Volunteers from the Centre look forward to welcoming visitors. Remember that RSGB members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park at rsgb.org/bpvoucher The Memorial Day QSO Party is an activity providing participants with an opportunity to honour amateur radio operators who are now Silent Key. The event is being sponsored and managed by the First Class CW Operators' Club and is open to all licensed amateurs. The event began at 0900UTC yesterday, the 1st, and ends at 0859UTC today, the 2nd of November 2025. More information is available by following the ‘On Air' tab at g4foc.org Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society Winter Rally is taking place on Saturday, the 15th of November at St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. The doors open at 10 am and entry costs £3. Traders, catering and plenty of free parking will be available on site. For more information, email rally.radars@hotmail.com On Sunday, the 30th of November, Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur's Club Rally is taking place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham. Traders, catering, ample parking and disabled facilities will be available. For more information and downloadable trader forms, visit barac.org.uk Now the Special Event news Members of the Latvian Radio Amateur League are active with special callsign YL100LR to mark the centenary of Latvijas Radio's first broadcast on the 1st of November 1925. Today, the 2nd, is your last chance to put the callsign in your log. Look for activity on the HF bands using FT8. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com and Club Log. The East Midlands Electronics and Radio Group will be on the air with the GB1BK callsign to commemorate Remembrance Sunday. Operators expect to be active on at least the 8th and 9th of November during daylight hours. The team may also be active on Armistice Day, the 11th of November. The station will operate from the former RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire. Listen for activity on all bands, but in particular, the 40 and 20m bands using SSB, and the 2m band using FM. Now the DX news The 5K0UA team is active from San Andres Island, NA-033, until tomorrow, the 3rd. Operators are using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. For more information, visit imdx.org Edgar, K2IN is operating CW with the HC8M callsign from San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands, SA-004, until Tuesday, the 4th of November. QSL via OQRS. Now the contest news The United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club DX SSB Contest started at 1200 UTC yesterday, the 1st, and ends at 1200 UTC today, Sunday, the 2nd of November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and EI stations also send their district code. For full details, including the team competition and area codes, visit ukeicc.com or rsgbcc.org. Scores from RSGB members operating within the UK and Crown Dependencies will be included in the HF Championship. The Worked All Britain DX Contest started at 1200 UTC yesterday, the 1st, and ends at 1200 UTC today, Sunday the 2nd of November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain area. The RSGB 144MHz CW Marconi Contest started at 1400 UTC yesterday, the 1st, and ends at 1400UTC today, the 2nd of November. Using CW on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 3rd, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 2000 to 2130 UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955 UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 5th, 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 5th, 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 5th, the United Kingdom 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 Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest runs from 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 8th to 2359UTC on Sunday, the 9th of November. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Saturday the 8th, the RSGB 1.8MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 2000 to 2300 UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your club information. On Sunday the 9th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1400 UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 30th of October Last weekend saw HF shine as stations took part in the CQ World Wide SSB Contest. Geomagnetic conditions remained settled and DX was plentiful, with contacts possible as far afield as Alaska to the west and China to the east. Given the unsettled conditions we have had recently, it was a welcome break as radio amateurs filled their logs with far-flung DX. As we enter November, we can still expect the fine autumnal conditions that made October so good. However, as the month progresses, we can also anticipate improvements in LF band DX. So keep an eye on the 80 and 40m bands. The solar flux index has declined somewhat and is now standing at 118. This is still enough to get the 10m band humming, but it is a far cry from the 200-plus we saw at sunspot maximum. Nevertheless, get on the bands and work the DX while you can. Two large coronal holes, one in the Sun's northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere, have been the sources of a fast solar wind stream. We may expect more geomagnetic disturbances today, the 2nd. Also, active region 4246 is now coming around the Sun's limb again and could be worth keeping an eye on. It has been emitting solar flares while behind the Sun, so look out for more activity upon its return. For the coming week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could increase, perhaps starting the week at around 135 and increasing to 150 by the 9th of November. The first half of the week should be quiet geomagnetically, but we may expect more unsettled geomagnetic conditions around the 7th to the 9th of November, when the Kp index could increase to 5. Expect maximum usable frequencies to be depressed until the Kp index recovers. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather remains the focus for the foreseeable future. Previous model runs had suggested the possibility of high pressure returning by the end of the coming week, but this is no longer the case. The RSGB 144MHz CW Marconi Contest, which ends at 1400UTC today, the 2nd, looks to be under the influence of low pressure rather than any tropo-producing highs. With the unsettled pattern continuing, the optional modes might be rain scatter for the GHz bands, but not tropo. The chances of aurora are there, and after a very auroral-sounding 40m band on Wednesday, the 29th of October, when the Kp index hit 4, we should remain alert to changed conditions on the high HF and VHF bands. However, it probably needs something higher, like a Kp index between 5 and 7, before getting excited about radio effects.  The meteor scatter options look reasonable as we move into November, but the next important shower, the Leonids, doesn't peak until the 17th. We do, however, enter the edge of the stream later in the coming week. A final note of caution is that this unsettled type of weather pattern can produce rapidly developing lows and bring damaging winds to some parts of the country. So, take the opportunity on the quieter days to check that antennas are secure. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is negative and rising, going positive today, the 2nd of November. So, Moon window lengths and peak elevation are both rising. Path losses are still falling as we approach perigee on the 5th of November. 144MHz sky noise is low all week, rising to medium by next weekend. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Hi from the Darling Downs Radio Club for Sunday 26 October, or whatever date it happens to be when you hear this broadcast. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Club with a heap of good news for this week. Firstly congratulations to highly enthusiastic club member Brad, who last weekend upgraded himself from Shortwave Listener to Foundation Licensee. It might even be that by the time you hear this Brad will be on air as VK4BLL. Our next member meeting is Monday 10 November at regional Scouts HQ in Victory Street Newtown. EMR is the topic - that's Electro Magnetic Radiation, the stuff that happens when charged particles are accelerated and put to some hopefully good use. Beyond the need to do something useful with the radiation comes the requirement to understand how to play safe. Too little EMR and you won't be able to communicate with anyone. But when there's too much EMR you might well have problems ranging from annoyed neighbours to seriously dangerous health issues. We're being joined by John VK4JBE who will introduce an EMR Safety Site Management Book, designed to help amateurs record all the information necessary to use the WIA and RSGB tools, and ensure that you are complying with the requirements of your ACMA license. John has taken other clubs through this topic and the feedback has been very strongly positive... rather like some of the EMR that he will discuss. That's on Monday 10 November from 1900 AEST and held in person at Victory Street, and also by telepresence. All the detail is on the website - go to the home page which is ddrci.org.au and wait for the scroller to cycle around to the item for the meeting. And if you have questions, send a note to secretary@ddrci.org.au so that we can get you answers. Coming up later in the year we're looking at a Foxhunt, a BBQ end-of-year lunch, and a meeting devoted to getting the best out of the ridiculously cheap Chinese handhelds that everyone seems to have these days. We'd love to know your thoughts on these ideas, and don't be afraid to tell us. Secretary@ddrci.org.au. Oh, and there's still time to renew your club membership if you haven't done that yet. Just go to the home page and click the big red button that says "Join our club: click here". It can't be simpler than that. Until next week, thanks for tuning in and all the best from the Darling Downs Radio Club. This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. Last weekend on Saturday October 18 the club hosted a major JOTA/JOTI event at the Denmark Hill clubhouse. A total of 153 enthusiastic young people turned up across the day. Of this number there were 40 Guides, 80 Joeys and Cubs and 33 Scouts and Venturers. The day ran from 9am to 8pm with Joeys and Guides present before 1pm and Scouts and Venturers after 3pm. Various activities included orienteering (using handhelds) in the bush adjacent to the clubhouse (Denmark Hill Conservation Park), electronic kit building, 20 computers for JOTI chats, as well as Minecraft, and the obligatory contacts made on VHF via All Star and HF. The 2025 JOTA/JOTI event was supported by eight members from the Ipswich and District Radio Club. It was a great day, only interrupted by a late storm which did its best to try and launch a gazebo in the direction of Toowoomba! Reporting from Ipswich this is Allan, VK4HIT. From Kevin VK4UH here, President of the Brisbane VHF Group and Convener of the QTech 2025 conference, to be held in Brisbane. The two-day conference will run over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of November and is being held at the conference facilities of the Kedron Wavell RSL in Chermside, one of Brisbane's northern suburbs.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 26th of October 2025 The news headlines: Get involved with YOTA Month and book your GB25YOTA operating slot today Photos from the VHF and HF contest trophies presentation are now on the RSGB website RSGB gives an update on the QSL Bureau Youngsters on the Air Month takes place in December, and the RSGB would love you to take part in this annual event. Special callsign GB25YOTA will be active throughout the month. Whether you are an individual, club, school, university or social group, this is a fantastic opportunity to host the callsign and get young radio amateurs active on the amateur bands. The Society would love to see Scouts, Girlguiding and Cadet groups taking part too. The RGSB has changed the procedure for booking operating slots this year, so it is easier to see availability. Visit rsgb.org/yota-month and click on the schedule to view which time slots are available. These aren't fixed and can be adjusted to suit your timings. You'll then need to email RSGB YOTA Month Coordinator Jamie, M0SDV via yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register as a GB25YOTA host and book your slot. Jamie can also help with any questions about taking part for the first time. The Society is aiming for the callsign to be hosted every day during December to enable more youngsters to have a taste of amateur radio. Be part of this great goal and book your operating slot today. The main VHF and HF contest trophy presentations were held at the RSGB 2025 Convention on Sunday, the 12th of October. A list of the winners and photos from the presentation can now be seen on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/trophies and selecting ‘Awards photos galleries' from the menu on the right-hand side. During the presentation, the prestigious ROTAB Trophy was awarded to John Warburton, G4IRN, for outstanding and consistent DX work. The RSGB would like to congratulate John and all the winners who received a trophy. Following the well-deserved retirement of QSL Bureau Manager Richard Constantine, G3UGF, the RSGB Board is making arrangements to ensure the continued smooth operation of the QSL Bureau service. Members should continue to send outgoing QSL cards to PO Box 5, Halifax, as usual. Similarly, incoming cards will continue to be distributed by your existing sub-manager, and stamped, addressed envelopes should still be sent directly to them. The Board is currently finalising new management arrangements for the Bureau and will provide a further update once these are in place. The Board wishes to record its sincere thanks to Richard for his many years of dedicated service to the Society and to the amateur radio community. Following Ofcom's recent implementation of Phases 2 and 3 of the amateur radio licence review, it has updated its main guidance document. Please ensure you use the October 2025 edition so that you are using the latest information. Ofcom has also clarified that if you hold a Special Contest Callsign NoV and you change your individual or club callsign, the SCC NoV is still valid. This is because your Full Amateur Radio Licence reference number has not changed. If you do hold an SCC NoV and you have changed your individual or club callsign, please send an email to scc@rsgb.org.uk  stating your old callsign, your new callsign and your SCC, so the RSGB Contest Support Committee Chair can update the issued SCC list. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 26th, the Galashiels Radio and Computer Rally is taking place at The Volunteer Hall, St John's Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors open at 11 am and admission costs £3. Disabled access is available from 10.45 am. For more information, visit galaradioclub.co.uk The Thirteenth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will take place at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland, on Saturday, the 1st of November, from 10.30 am to 5 pm. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged, and microwave test facilities will be provided. There will be an opportunity to buy components and microwave-related items. An optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Further information and online registration are available at gmroundtable.org.uk. The event has a maximum capacity of 50 people, and there are only limited places left, so book now to avoid disappointment. Now the Special Event news Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Dutch Marine Radio Amateur Club, special callsign PA40MARAC is active until the 31st of December. A QSO with this station earns ten points towards the Marine Amateur Radio Club Award. For more details, visit the PI4MRC page at QRZ.com Tarragonès Radio Club, EA3RCY, will be on the air throughout November using the special callsign AO25TWHS. The station is active to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage designation of ancient Tarraco. Operators will be using a variety of bands and modes. All radio amateurs and shortwave listeners are invited to take part and earn a commemorative award certificate. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/AO25TWHS Now the DX news Harald, DF2WO, is active as XT2AW from Burkina Faso until tomorrow, the 27th. He usually operates CW, FT4, FT8 and SSB on various bands. He also works via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. Mike, VE2XB, is active as VY0ZOO from Coral Harbour on Southampton Island, NA-007, until the 18th of December. Listen for activity on the 80 to 10m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via VE2XB. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest started at 0000 UTC yesterday, the 25th, and ends at 2359 UTC today, the 26th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Tomorrow, the 27th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 2000 to 2200 UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 28th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 29th, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100 UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club DX SSB Contest starts at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 1st of November and ends at 1200 UTC on Sunday, the 2nd of November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and EI stations also send their district code. For full details, including the team competition and area codes, visit ukeicc.com  or rsgbcc.org. Scores from RSGB members operating within the UK and Crown Dependencies will be included in the HF Championship. The 144MHz CW Marconi Contest starts at 1400 UTC on Saturday, the 1st and ends at 1400 UTC on Sunday, the 2nd of November. Using CW on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Britain DX Contest also starts at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 1st and ends at 1200 UTC on Sunday, the 2nd of November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 12th of November. Visit the Worked All Britain website to read more about the rules for the contest Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 23rd of October. It looks like Earth dodged a bullet last week when a large coronal mass ejection, or CME, erupted on the far side of the Sun on Tuesday, the 21st of October. Had that CME been Earth-directed, we could have endured a strong, or possibly an extreme, geomagnetic storm with dazzling displays of aurora. The source of the eruption was possibly sunspot region 4246, which is now past the Sun's west limb. The ACE spacecraft detected high levels of protons streaming past Earth, but they remained below the minor S1 radiation storm threshold. In other news, we have had a quiet geomagnetic week, which has allowed the ionosphere to shine. The solar flux index has been modest, ranging from 130 to 150, but propagation has been aided by improved geomagnetic conditions. During the past week, the 10m band was humming with activity. Lots of stations were preparing for the CQ World Wide SSB Contest, which ends today, the 26th. 8P5A in Barbados has been romping in during the afternoon, as has HZ0YL in Saudi Arabia. Other DX worked last week, according to the CDXC Slack chat group, includes VK9DX on Norfolk Island on 12m SSB; 6O3T in Somalia on 40m CW; and PJ6Y on Saba and St Eustatius using SSB on the 12m band. This last station is a young radio amateurs' DXpedition by the Pacific Island DX Group. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will stay in the 140 to 150 range with the Kp index starting the week low but then rising. We may expect a Kp index of 5, or even 6, around the 28th to the 31st of October. Look for auroral conditions and lower maximum usable frequencies during this period. Meanwhile, make the most of the long-range propagation on the higher bands while the Kp index is low. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The period of weather up to the end of the week ending the 2nd of November looks distinctly unsettled, with the weather pattern driven by an Atlantic jet stream pointing straight at the British Isles. This will mean that further periods of stormy weather are possible with strong winds and heavy rain. This is not a time to expect much tropo for VHF or UHF, but it is a good period for the GHz bands to explore rain scatter propagation. The foF2 and foEs graphs at propquest.co.uk  have been experiencing some data supply issues recently. It's worth noting that strong jet streams and fast-moving weather systems, as we have now, can bring a chance of out-of-season Sporadic-E. A good example on the evening of Sunday, the 19th of October, can be found if you check the archive tab. This four-hour active period was possibly associated with a slowly advancing jet stream as seen on the Sporadic-E blog tab for that date. Meteor scatter operators had the Orionids, which peaked on the 22nd, to play with last week. The broad zone of activity may continue to provide weakening interest through the coming week. The Kp index has been relatively subdued recently, but the message is once again to continue to monitor for the chance openings by noting when the Kp index reaches 5 or more, or if you start to hear LF CW signals take on a fluttery note. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is at a minimum today, the 26th, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation are both low. Apogee was early on Friday the 24th, so path losses are falling again. 144MHz sky noise rises over the weekend, reaching some 3300K today, the 26th, before falling steadily to low levels the following Friday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 19th of October 2025 The news headlines: · Ofcom implements Phases 2 and 3 of the amateur radio licence review · Share your feedback on the RSGB's 2025 Convention · The RSGB releases a video to help members make the most of its mobile app Following the introduction of the current amateur licensing framework in February 2024, Ofcom has now implemented most of the remaining changes associated with Phases 2 and 3. Ofcom updates its online Licensing Portal to accommodate applications for new M8 and M9 Intermediate callsigns, more flexible special event callsigns, and other changes, including easier revalidation. It also starts a gradual move to single personal call signs. For example, the revocation of lower licence callsigns is automatically triggered by a new application. Both Ofcom and the RSGB have released guidance for radio amateurs about these changes. You can see both documents by going to rsgb.org/guidance-resources. Please also note that the Ofcom licensing portal now requires longer and stronger passwords, so you may need to reset yours first before you can make any changes. The RSGB's 2025 Convention took place last weekend and brought together hundreds in person, as well as many more from across the globe who watched via the livestream. The Society is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. If you did attend the Convention and haven't yet completed the feedback form, please go to rsgb.org/feedback  and share your thoughts. If you were unable to attend in person and watched the livestream, the RSGB would also love to hear your feedback. Please visit rsgb.org/livestream-feedback  and let the team know what you thought of the online event. The feedback forms will be closed at the end of October. The livestreams for both days will remain available for everyone to watch on the Society's YouTube channel via youtube.com/thersgb. Whether you want to sit back, relax and enjoy the whole programme or use the timestamps to watch a particular topic, you'll find something to enjoy. As well as talks from the weekend, you'll find exclusive interviews and pre-recorded videos. The RSGB has released a short video explaining how to get the most out of its new mobile app. The Society has received great feedback about the new app and wants to ensure everyone enjoys the full functionality. You can find the video via rsgb.org/radcom  or on the RSGB YouTube channel. If you'd like to watch a behind-the-scenes chat with RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB about the lead up to the app launch, you can see that on the RSGB Convention Saturday livestream recording at 4 hours, 27 minutes and 30 seconds. The Tonight@8 webinar series continues on Monday, the 3rd of November, with Graham Somerville, owner and managing director of DSP noise cancellation specialists bhi [B-H-I] Limited. During the presentation, he will look at the types of DSP noise cancelling available for improving audio quality and which products are best suited to specific applications and setups. Join him live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Today, the 19th, is the last day of Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the Scout Association. The Society has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. The list is available by going to rsgb.org/jota  and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air' link on the right-hand side of the page. If you've been involved with JOTA this year, the RSGB would love to hear from you. There will be a special JOTA report in the January edition of RadCom, so please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 14th of November. RAF Air Cadets Exercise Blue Ham will be operating on the 60m band from 0700 to 1600UTC today, the 19th of October. To operate, you must be a Full Licence holder. More details can be found on the alphacharlie.org.uk  website. Schools and youth organisations interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application and an educational project. Applications can be submitted until the 24th of October 2025. The school selection will take place in December 2025. The space conversation will be scheduled in the period extending from July to December 2026. You can find out more at tinyurl.com/ARISS-2026 And now for details of rallies and events Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Rally will take place on Saturday, the 25th of October at Elim Church, North Road, Carrickfergus, BT38 8ND. The doors open at 9.30 am for traders and at 11.30 am for visitors. Disabled access and free car parking will be available. For more information, email Tim, MI0TBL, via carg@hotmail.co.uk On Sunday, the 26th of October, Galashiels Radio and Computer Rally will take place at The Volunteer Hall, St John's Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors open at 11 am and admission costs £3. Disabled access will be available from 10.45 am. For more information, visit galaradioclub.co.uk The Thirteenth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will take place at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland, on Saturday, the 1st of November, from 10.30 am to 5 pm. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged, and microwave test facilities will be provided. There will be an opportunity to buy components and microwave-related items. An optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Further information and online registration are available at gmroundtable.org.uk. The event has a maximum capacity of 50 people, and there are limited places left. Book now to avoid disappointment. Advance notice now that the 79th Annual Orlando HamCation event will take place between the 13th and 15th of February 2026 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park. HamCation is the second-largest amateur radio convention in the world, with the inaugural event dating back to 1946. For more information, follow HamCation on social media channels or visit hamcation.com Now the Special Event news To celebrate the 75th anniversary of DARC, the national amateur radio society in Germany, four special callsigns are active until the 31st of October. For more information, including details of a certificate that is available for working the stations, visit the DC75DARC page at QRZ.com  QSL via the bureau, or directly to DL2VFR. Members of the Haiti Radio Club are active as 4V1SB until the 31st of October. The callsign is in use to commemorate Simon Bolivar, who led several South American countries to independence. Recently, the station has been worked using FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via N2OO.ow the DX news Phill, C21TS, is active on the island of Nauru, OC-031, until the 30th of November. The station is spotted regularly using FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or OQRS. See QRZ.com for more information.  Mike, VE2XB, is active as VY0ZOO from Coral Harbour on Southampton Island, NA-007, until the 18th of December. Listen for the station on the 80 to 10m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via VE2XB. Now the contest news Today, the 19th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 21st, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 22nd, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their county code. On Thursday the 23rd, 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. The Worked All Germany Contest started at 1500 UTC yesterday, the 18th, and ends at 1500 UTC today, the 19th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 25th and runs until 2359 UTC on Sunday, the 26th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 16th of October Conditions over the past week have been reasonable with a relatively high solar flux and lower Kp indices. This resulted in a maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path, in excess of 35MHz. This is just what October was meant to be like! But all good things come to an end and there are a few flies in the ointment coming up. On the 14th, the latest coronal mass ejection, or CME, tracking model from NOAA and the Space Weather Prediction Testbed showed three weak CMEs possibly passing Earth over the next few days.  Although none of them is expected to deliver a large impact to the Earth's geomagnetic field, a combined passage could generate minor G1 to isolated moderate G2 geomagnetic storming.  We are now well and truly into autumn and, with a daytime critical frequency of more than 9 to 10MHz, the 40m band is ideal for QSOs around the UK during the daylight hours. At night, the critical frequency is generally around 5MHz in the early part of the evening, dropping to 3.5 to 3.6MHz as the night progresses. This means that the 80m band is remaining open around the UK for longer, but it may fade out, perhaps towards midnight. October is a great month for HF with the potential for worldwide openings on the higher bands. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 140 to 150 range. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions with reduced MUFs are forecast for the 20th of October and then again on the 25th and 26th, when the Kp index could hit 5. Incidentally, these are the same dates as the CQ Worldwide SSB contest. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO This next period offers a marked contrast to our recent spell of Tropo weather under high pressure. Today, the 19th, sees a change to a much more unsettled weather type with rain, areas of low pressure, strong winds and showers. This will take Tropo off the agenda for the coming week, and its replacement is likely to be rain scatter for those on the GHz bands. There is no point in trying to time each individual low and front coming through this far ahead, and there is no real scope for any significant intervening areas of high pressure between the lows. So, there is no hint of Tropo next week. The recent solar conditions have again suggested that it's worth looking at the Kp index for signs of aurora, should it go above 5. Next, a few words about meteor scatter, which is gearing up for the Orionids, peaking on Tuesday, the 21st. However, they can have a broad spread with a minor peak preceding the main event. Either way, it's worth checking up on meteor scatter techniques and frequencies before the shower, rather than wondering what to do when it happens. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is falling again and becomes negative today, the 19th, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation follow suit by falling. Path losses are still rising as we approach apogee early on the morning of the 24th.  As we move through 2026, we reach a ‘sweet spot' in June where perigee and the highest declination coincide. This means the lowest path losses occur when we have the longest Moon windows. This cyclic event last occurred in 2018 and will not occur again until 2035.  144MHz sky noise starts the week low until Tuesday, the 21st, when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky. This brings noise problems for Yagi-type antennas with their high beam width. After that, the noise rises too high again for the weekend beginning the 25th of October. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. Hello again. this is Trey. This is part 2 in my Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) Project series. You can find Part 1 in episode 4472 . We previously left our handy hero learning about the technology of the CYD, but without a compelling reason to begin using one. As we rejoin the topic, it was Winter Field Day 2025 (Jan 25 & 26, 2025). Winter Field Day is an annual event where amateur radio operators from around the world gather some portable radio equipment and setup somewhere away from their normal base of operations. It is designed to encourage operators to practice their emergency preparedness skills in unfavorable weather. Usually, they will run their equipment using batteries or generators. I chose this day because I knew there would be a good amount of radio traffic. I had just finished tuning my first handmade inverted-V dipole antenna for use on the 10 meter amateur radio bands. These span 28 MHz to 29.700 MHz. I had the antenna connected to a 10 meter transceiver to listen in on the radio traffic. Yes, I will include pictures of the antenna in the show notes. Scanning through the lower end of the band resulted in receiving a number of very strong continuous wave signals. Continuous wave, is abbreviated CW in amateur radio circles, and it stands for morse code signals transmitted over radio frequencies. The tones indicating dots and dashes of Morse code were clearly audible through the radio's speaker. "WAIT! STOP! Time out!!" I can hear you shouting as you listen. "This is supposed to be a discussion of the ESP32 CYD. What does this have to do with amateur radio?" You are absolutely right. Now hold your horses and we will get there. I barely learned Morse code as a child, and I used it a bit as an aviator in the '90s (while always being able to reference a visual representation of the Morse beside the actual letters). Thus, I never became proficient. Shortly after Winter Field Day 2025, I began taking lessons on Morse code, with the goal of becoming proficient at both sending and receiving at around 20 words per minute. This training may be a topic for another episode in a different series, as my journey advances. Scanning further up the band, I also identified some digital transmissions (Probably FT-8) and many voice transmissions. The antenna was working, at least for receiving. For a little back history, I have held an amateur radio license since 2016, and quickly progressed all the way to an Extra Class, giving me permission to use all of the amateur radio frequencies allowed within the United States in the High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF), and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands. However, to this point, I have only operated in the VHF and UHF bands, and have done so using mobile and handheld transceivers. I inherited some HF equipment from a close friend who went silent key in 2023, and I was only now trying to use it. You can learn more about my friend, and about the term "Silent Key" in episode HPR3922 https://www.hackerpublicradio.org/eps/hpr3922/index.html ) On field day, there was far too much traffic, and it was too intimidating for me to make my first attempt at transmitting on the HF bands. This would have to wait until later. But I did need to determine how well my antenna would transmit. I began to ponder my options. I really did not want to talk to anyone until I had listened to more QSOs and I could implement proper practices. The term QSO the amateur radio term for radio conversations. I also have no interest in digital modes (yet). I like the simplicity of voice and CW. There I am, back at Morse code again. What if there was a way that I could transmit a signal in Morse code and get reliable feedback on signal propagation, without the need to try to reply to any responses? It would need to be an accurate, repeatable, properly structured and timed Morse code transmission, more than my training (at that point, or even this point) could accomplish. This was something to think about. And think about. And think about... Tune in to the next episode in the series to learn where these thoughts led me, and how all this relates to my CYD project. Provide feedback on this episode.

Discover the exciting FCC petition to reallocate VHF lowband frequencies (30-50 MHz) for GMRS and FRS users, proposed by Michael Treyos (KAB746). This video dives into the Natcom Magazine article, exploring how these underused channels could enhance long-range communication for emergencies and everyday use. Learn about the benefits of lowband VHF over UHF, the targeted frequencies (46-49 MHz, 35-43 MHz), and why this could be a game-changer for GMRS. Subscribe for more radio insights and check the links below! #GMRS #FRS #VHF #FCC #hamradioToday's video is sponsored by Ham Radio Prep - save 20% off of all of their courses with the code JASON20 at checkout - https://hamradioprep.comArticle - https://natcommag.substack.com/p/gmrs-and-frs-fcc-petitioned-for-vhf-low-band-channels?r=22awqaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I went on my first POTA or Parks On The Air adventure, this time I was on my own. If you recall, my power company announced yet another planned network outage and I felt that I could use this time without electricity to my benefit, for a change. As is traditional, I did all the prior planning to prevent pretty poor performance. I made a list, checked that all the items on the list were in my kit, packed the kit days before, put it all ready to go in the hallway the night before, packed the car on the day and set out on my adventure. I will confess that I was slightly more sweaty than anticipated when I set off because the umbrella in the boot of my car has a nasty and recurring habit of getting in the way, specifically it stops things from getting pushed right to the full depth of the boot. Mind you, it wasn't until I started getting agitated that I realised that it wasn't the umbrella's fault entirely this time, since as it turns out, the folding chair that I was attempting to jam in place doesn't actually fit longways into the boot. Anyhoo, I set off and visited the local petrol station. I was not prepared for a customer to spend 15 minutes dribbling the last bit of diesel into their pretend Sports Utility Vehicle, but he looked like he was up for a fight, so I smiled sweetly and waited for him to pay and move his box on wheels. After paying for my own fuel and driving off, the pressure in my bladder had gotten beyond the "cross your legs and hope for the best" stages and I swiftly made my way to the nearest shopping complex where a local pharmacist helpfully told me that there were no toilets in the building and that the local hotel or fast food joint were the place to relieve the pressure. One problem .. they were both closed. At this point I was in pain, and discovered that I couldn't read the screen on my mobile phone in the lovely sunlight, because it was set to battery saving mode, since my charger was at home where the power was out. After disabling the battery saving mode I opened the local public toilet map shortcut on my phone, and discovered that fortunately the shortcut still worked, opening up my default browser, which suddenly didn't want to display a map. Copied the URL to another browser, still in pain, finally a map. Click on the nearest icon and it navigates me there from Darwin, or over 4,000 km from where I actually am. Luckily it has the GPS location which I copy and then paste into my mapping app, and I can finally navigate to the nearest toilet. Several comment worthy navigation moves later, I drive into the car park, lock the car, painfully shuffle to the building, do my business in the very clean facilities and then decide that I should just stop, sit, and take a breath. So, I get in the car and discover that my partner was right when they heaped scorn on our newly acquired thermos cup. It really does hurt your nose when you try to drink from it and the sharp edges in your mouth do nothing to make the experience joyful. Meanwhile there's some trucks moving around in the car park and a guy walks up to the car to ask me if I can move because they want to move a third, or was it forth, truck into the space. I swallow my sip of restorative coffee, wipe the now wet bridge of my nose, and move the car, only to be blocked from leaving the exit thanks to the slowest reversing truck I've ever encountered, one who then proceeds to sit at the next intersection for five minutes without indicating where it was going. Are we having fun yet? I finally made my way to the main road where I attempt to calm my nerves with the help of a Morse code edition of my podcast. It's been the only exposure I've had to Morse for way too long. This accompanies me to my first destination, breakfast. I'm going to skip past the drivers in the centre lane driving at 10 km per hour below the posted speed limit, or the ones who think that jumping out of a side street in front of you is normal and safe driving practice. At every traffic light I celebrate the pause with a sip from my coffee and a furtive wipe of my nose which is being assaulted by the lid of the cup. I arrive at my breakfast destination and fear the worst. Their car park is almost empty. I've never seen it this quiet and I didn't check to confirm that they were open, or not. I look at my map application and remember to turn my phone back to battery saving mode. According to the Internet, my cafe is open, so I cross my fingers and get out of the car. To my delight, they are absolutely open, make me a lovely breakfast and provide the needful for lunch too .. I have a big day planned after all. After enjoying breakfast and hot chocolate, with two marshmallows, I get back in the car and navigate to my planned set-up location. As I drive into the park I notice something that I hadn't the last time I was here. I'm descending, as-in, the deeper into the park I go, the more I go downhill. That in and of itself isn't a cause for concern, were it not for the fact that the local repeaters are on the hilltops that overlook the city and I'm several hills inland and travelling into a valley. I'm keeping my eyes open for side roads and alternatives, but gamely proceed to the formal entrance of the park, where I pay my $17 to have a car with a maximum of 12 passengers enter the National Park. I drive to the location I have planned and discover that there's a car park quite close to the gazebo I've earmarked, so I park there. I figure that before I get all set-up in the gazebo for a day of radio, I should first check what I can learn from where I'm parked, especially since I'll need to pull the gear out of the car either way. Before I get out of the car, I attempt to mark my actual location on the map, only to discover that there's no mobile phone coverage, so much for using Echolink as a fallback. I pull out the folding table which neatly fits next to the car, dig out the coax from the boot and lead it out the passenger door. The other end is connected to the boot-lip mount that has been there for years. In case of failure I did bring a magnetic base, but I'm optimistic. I remove the HF and VHF multi-band antennas from their storage spot, taped to the driver side rear passenger roof grab handle and pull out the previously errant folding chair. All is going well. I pull out the spare coax and my anxiety spikes a little, this is what I think might be what causes me to come unstuck. It's a 10 meter or so length of coax, it's untested, terminated with BNC and I'm concerned that I didn't bring enough adaptors beyond the BNC to PL259 and the SO239 barrel I packed hastily the night before. I push away my fear, since I'm not needing this right now and continue to unpack the radio, noticing that to my immense relief, the knobs are still attached, set it all up, pull the power cable from the 12 Volt, 80 Amp hour AGM Deep Cycle battery, "ideal for 4WD, caravan and camping trailers", which I bought four years ago to power my dash cams and radio. It's automatically charged by a 360 Watt DC to DC converter that's connected to the alternator in the car - because I don't want my dash cams, or radio for that matter, to stop me from starting the car. Ask me how I know. The power leads are long enough to make it out of the boot and I connect the inline volt meter to the battery, 12.6 Volt, the same as what I saw when I checked it a week earlier. I mount the VHF multi-band antenna, connect it to the radio after pulling out the N-Type to PL259 adaptor which is on the list and part of the standard kit. I take a breath and turn on my radio. Tune to the local repeater frequency and hit the PTT. The radio is set to 5 Watts and I'm hoping to hear the repeater tone. Nothing. I check all the repeaters in my radio, about seven of them, none of them do anything. Then .. I hear a click. I've been "on-air" for all of three minutes. I notice the radio is turned off. I've seen this before, sometimes stray RF gets into something and causes the radio to stop. I turn it back on and notice the voltage on the display of the radio, 9.65 Volts. That .. is .. not .. good. I check the inline volt meter, it doesn't even display anything. I turn off the radio to save what little power I have. I take a moment to consider and attach the HF antenna, hoping that I can run the radio for a few seconds to check the local 10m repeater. All is good to go, turn on the radio and it won't even turn on, just flickering on and off. I feel like I want to cry, but there doesn't seem to be any point. I pack everything back up, the water, my hat, the radio, the coax, the antennas, the table, the chair, put it all back in where it came from, even the sandwich I was going to have for lunch. After slowly reversing out of the car bay, looking carefully at the ground to make sure I didn't leave anything behind, I make my way out of the park. I've been there for a grand total of 29 minutes. I briefly entertain the idea of going to the nearest electronics store and spending $50 on a small battery, but I don't actually have a working charger, and spending several hundred dollars on a charger and battery is not really in my budget at the moment. Whilst I was driving home I got a notification that the power was out at my QTH. I got home 52 minutes after the power went out. It stayed off for the next six hours. So much for being productive. My friend Charles NK8O, tells me that his first few activations were a bust. He's a Sapphire POTA activator with 609 activations across 372 parks, so, there's hope for me yet. In looking back at this adventure, I was planning for failure. I'd thought through all the different permutations of what might happen. Not for one moment did I consider that my battery might be a single point of failure. That said, there were hints that not all was well. The 12.6 Volts was one hint, the fact that my dash cams have been acting up was another. I had been on the hunt for a battery monitor for the past two years to discover precisely what was going on, but I haven't found one that doesn't require a specific app that needs to know where you are or what's in your diary, so I put it out of my mind. As it happens, that was where I made my rookie mistake. Mind you, part of me knows that I don't have another battery anyway, so it really didn't matter if the battery was faulty or not. Either way, I wasn't going to connect my radio to my car battery, I learned that lesson well over a decade ago. I'm back to the drawing board. It's unlikely we'll use that location to activate for the 750th edition of F-troop, but when I get my power situation sorted out, it's still a lovely place to get on-air and make some noise. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

GB2RS News Sunday, the 12th of October 2025 The news headlines: Introducing the RSGB mobile app Join the RSGB 2025 Convention livestream Get involved with Jamboree on the Air The Society is excited to announce the launch of the RSGB mobile app. This fantastic new members' benefit allows you to enjoy RadCom, RadCom Basics and RadCom Plus wherever you are. Complementing the RSGB's existing web app, with the new mobile app, you can save editions to read offline, bookmark articles to enjoy later, and have seamless access to extra digital content. With easy-to-use navigation, the app is your one-stop shop for RSGB publications. You can download it now via the Apple App and Google Play stores or go to rsgb.org/radcom  for the links. The second day of the RSGB 2025 Convention is well underway with a great line-up of presentations. If you have been unable to attend in person, you can catch up with the livestream on the Society's YouTube channel via youtube.com/thersgb. The livestreams for both days will remain available for everyone to watch and offer a programme full of engaging speakers to help you discover, learn and progress within amateur radio. Presentations include Radio Communications Foundation Trustee, Andy Webster, G7UHN, who explains how you can use radio technology to engage and inspire non-radio amateurs. Hans Summers, G0UPL of QRP Labs, talks about polar modulation, and you can also watch a fascinating panel discussion in which representatives of four amateur radio groups or societies discuss what they have been doing to help their club thrive. Whether you've attended the Convention in person or watched the livestream, the Society would love to hear your feedback. Share your thoughts on the event by going to rsgb.org/feedback  for those who have attended the event and rsgb.org/livestream-feedback  for those who watched the event online. Thank you to everyone who has responded to the RSGB's call for Jamboree on the Air participation. Samuel McCutchion, M0UEL, is the RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts, Cadets and Guides and has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event. To view the list, go to rsgb.org/jota  and select the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air' link on the right-hand side of the page. If you are planning to get involved with JOTA and would like to be added to the list, please get in touch via youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk  with a summary of your station name, callsign and any other relevant information. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag @theRSGB and also use #JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. If you're not involved with a JOTA station, do listen out for them on the air and encourage the young operators. This year's event is taking place between the 17th and 19th of October. Volunteers at the RSGB National Radio Centre had a particularly busy weekend at the end of September. It was 1940s weekend at Bletchley Park for which the Centre set up the GB1SOE station, and over the weekend, RSGB volunteers welcomed almost 1,100 visitors through the doors. If you'd like to be part of this engaging and motivated team, the NRC Coordinator is currently looking for a volunteer specifically to join the Friday team. If you'd like to find out more about this role, email Martyn Baker, G0GMB via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk RAF Air Cadets Exercise Blue Ham will take place on the 60m band from 0700 to 1600UTC over the weekend of the 18th and 19th of October. To operate, you must be a Full licence holder. More details can be found on the alphacharlie.org.uk  website. The RSGB wishes to record, with sadness, the passing of GB2RS Newsreader Peter Valentine, G0NQZ, at the grand age of 101. Age was no barrier to Peter. At a mere 96, he walked 96 miles for his local hospital charity, and he was still broadcasting GB2RS from Eastbourne in his 100th year. He was described by a fellow Newsreader as a true ambassador for amateur radio. Peter had a wonderfully distinctive voice on the air, and for many years, he also read a talking newspaper for the blind. Our thoughts are with Peter's wife, Heather and family. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 12th of October, the Autumn Dartmoor Radio Club Rally is taking place at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. For more information, email 2e0rph@gmail.com Also today, the 12th, Hornsea Amateur Radio Club's Annual Rally is taking place at Driffield Showground in East Yorkshire. Exhibitors can gain access from 8 am, and visitors are welcome from 10 am. For more information, email lbjpinkney1@hotmail.co.uk The next Essex CW Amateur Radio Club Bootcamp will take place on Saturday, the 18th of October. It will be held at the 3rd Witham Scout and Guide HQ. Places are limite,d so email info@essexcw.org.uk  as soon as possible to book your place. Now the Special Event news Special callsign AT25GOA is active to celebrate HamFest India 2025. Look for activity on the 80 to 10m bands using CW, FT8, FT4 and SSB. QSOs will be uploaded to QRZ.com  and Club Log. See QRZ.com  for more information. The International Amateur Radio Club at ITU HQ in Geneva is active with the 4U0ITU callsign until the end of the year. The station is operating in celebration of the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS, or directly to the International Amateur Radio Club. Now the DX news Today, the 12th, is your last chance to work Harry, JG7PSJ, who is active as WH0RU from Saipan, OC-086, on the Northern Mariana Islands. He usually operates CW and SSB on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to JG7PSJ. Bo, OZ1DJJ, is active as OX3LX from Greenland, NA-018, until the 21st of October. The station is spotted regularly on the HF bands using FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS or via OZ0J. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855 UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 15th, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 16th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 19th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Oceania DX CW Contest started at 0600 UTC on Saturday, the 11th and runs until 0600 UTC today, the 12th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Worked All Germany Contest runs from 1500 UTC on Saturday, the 18th, to 1500 UTC on Sunday, the 19th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Wednesday the 8th of October We finally got rid of the high-speed solar wind stream, which caused havoc on the HF bands. But we are not out of the woods yet! Last week saw the Kp index hit 6.67 on the 2nd of October, and it was often up around 4 or more. Even though the Kp index eventually reduced, the ionosphere took its time to recover, and things were not back to near normal until Tuesday, the 7th. Meanwhile, the solar flux index decreased to 131 by the 8th, so the HF bands were hardly humming by this time. DX on the 10m band was hard to find. Openings to Europe were commonplace, but longer paths were not so good, with only weak North American stations being heard later in the day. A minor G1 geomagnetic storm watch was in effect for 48 hours from the 7th of October, when at least one faint coronal mass ejection was predicted to pass the Earth. Only minor C-class solar flares occurred during the week, but that didn't help too much. CDXC members were reporting DX, such as V85T in Brunei on 15m and A52G in Bhutan on 20m – both using CW. However, there was not much to work on the higher bands. Southerly paths were a little better with 5X2I in Uganda reported on the 17m band using FT8. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the range of 130 to 140, but it is also predicting geomagnetic disturbances today, the 12th. After that, the Sun may quieten a little with a maximum Kp index of 2 for the rest of the coming week before more geomagnetic disturbances. The Kp index is forecast to be 4 or 5 during the weekend of the 18th and 19th. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The coming week is dominated by high pressure, either over the UK or near enough to influence the propagation and provide a prolonged period of Tropo weather. It's probably worth mentioning a few ground rules about Tropo operating. Firstly, large areas of high pressure can produce widespread lift conditions due to the strength of the elevated temperature inversion 1 to 1.5km above the ground. The longer the high lasts, the lower this descends, so limiting the maximum distance across the centre of the high. Try beaming around the edge rather than across the centre. Secondly, there may be surface temperature inversions at night or in foggy weather, and these will provide temporary enhancements. Thirdly, the clue for a good ‘radio' temperature inversion is the presence of fog or layers of cloud, which give a better moisture contrast and ducting prospects. One last point. Try other modes like SSB or CW rather than sticking to repeaters which can get very crowded in lift conditions. There is no rain scatter in the frame this week, and the Draconids meteor shower has just passed, so back to random activity on that front. On the 8th of October, the Sporadic-E graphs at propquest.co.uk  showed that there had been occasional spikes up to 5MHz or so. This may liven up the 10m band if we get any more. There have been a few weak auroral events, but nothing too exciting. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is still increasing, reaching its peak today, the 12th, so long Moon windows and high peak elevation continue. Path losses are rising again after perigee on the 8th. 144MHz Sky noise will be moderate to low for the coming week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 5th of October 2025 The news headlines: Don't miss out – book now for the RSGB 2025 Convention! Join October's Tonight@8 webinar for a fascinating talk on a Marshall Islands DXpedition The RSGB is helping to promote JOTA activities in October Today, Sunday the 5th of October, is the last day for you to buy your RSGB 2025 Convention and dinner tickets. The online ticketing portal closes at 11:59 p.m. tonight, so please act quickly to ensure your attendance. You will be able to purchase a Convention ticket at the door, but not at the reduced rate currently available. The event is taking place between the 10th and 12th of October in Milton Keynes, and this year's theme is “Discover, Learn, Progress”. To start planning your weekend, go to rsgb.org/convention  and download the Convention programme and speaker information. You'll also be able to view the menus, as well as see what forums and drop-in sessions you can attend. Click on ‘What else is happening at the Convention?' to find details on the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, Special Interest Groups, as well as information on Friday's tour of Bletchley Park and the RSGB National Radio Centre. Don't forget that if it is your first time at the event, pop along to the new ‘Welcome desk' that will be set up in the bar on the Friday evening. If you're going to the Convention, remember to make sure you have your QR code ready to collect your badge at the conference centre. This can either be on your mobile or as a printed copy. The QR code can be found in your purchase email, as well as in the reminder email, which will be sent out this week. If you are unable to travel to the Convention, the RSGB will be livestreaming a selection of lectures. Find out how to join the livestream via rsgb.org/livestream  If you have tickets for the Gala Dinner on Saturday and wish to reserve a table with friends, send your name and callsign details to radcom@rsgb.org.uk Jamie Williams, M0SDV, will be talking you through a DXpedition to the Marshall Islands for the RSGB's next Tonight@8 webinar tomorrow, the 6th of October. In February 2025, the V73WW team made 103,864 QSOs using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. The team of six came from four countries, with the operators having an average age of only 28. Jamie is a 24-year-old radio amateur who has been involved with the hobby since 2015 and has been busy with contests and DXpeditions ever since. The Tonight@8 webinars are livestreamed for free on the RSGB's YouTube channel and special BATC channel, allowing you to watch the presentations and ask questions online. Go to rsgb.org/webinars  for more information. Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA, is taking place between the 17th and 19th of October. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the groups within the Scout Association. Samuel McCutchion, M0UEL, is the RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts, Cadets and Guides, and he is compiling a list of JOTA stations which will be shared on the RSGB website. Sam is encouraging everyone to get involved either by putting a station on the air or listening out for the JOTA stations. If you are part of a Scouting group and are planning to get involved with JOTA, then please contact youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk  with a summary of your station name, callsign and any other relevant information. The RSGB is offering four awards for GB2RS news broadcasts that were logged between the 1st of August and the 30th of September. The awards are part of several activities that have been taking place to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the weekly news broadcast. Applications for awards should be submitted no later than the 31st of October 2025, and should be sent to the RSGB Awards Manager via awards@rsgb.org.uk. The certificates are free of charge and will be supplied as a PDF. Find out more via rsgb.org/gb70rs On Wednesday, the 8th of October, YouTuber James, M0GQC, will be broadcasting his next live episode from the RSGB National Radio Centre. James will be active from approximately 6.30 pm on the 40m band using the GB3RS callsign. His channel @HamRadioOnline is an interactive show where people can call in or simply watch the station live on YouTube. If you haven't already got the Centre's callsign in your logbook, this is a great opportunity to do so. The next Essex CW Amateur Radio Club Boot Camp will be held on Saturday, the 18th of October 2025. Due to cancellations, a few places have become available. If you would like a day practising and improving your CW skills in a friendly, supportive atmosphere, then email Steve, G4OCP at info@essexcw.org.uk before the 7th of October. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 5th, the 50th Welsh Radio Rally is taking place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport in South Wales. The doors are open for traders from 7 am and for the public from 9.30 am. Admission costs £3. For more information, email welshradiorally@gmail.com On Sunday, the 12th of October, the Autumn Dartmoor Radio Club Rally will take place at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. For more information, email 2e0rph@gmail.com Also on Sunday the 12th, Hornsea Amateur Radio Club's Annual Rally will take place at Driffield Showground in East Yorkshire. Exhibitors can gain access from 8 am, and visitors are welcome from 10 am. For more information, email lbjpinkney1@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Event news To celebrate 130 years since the birth of radio and 100 years since the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union, lots of special event stations are active from Italy. You can see live updates on all of the stations and their most recent contacts via the II1IARU page at QRZ.com 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 Nine operators are active with five stations as V6D from Chuuk, OC-011, in Micronesia until tomorrow, the 6th. The station is active on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred, or via DL4SVA. See v6d.mydx.de  for more information. Bernhard, DL2GAC, is active again as H44MS from Malaita Island, OC-047, in the Solomon Islands until the 25th of November. Listen for activity on the 80 to 6m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL directly via Bernhard's home call or the Bureau. Now the contest news Both the IARU and RSGB 432MHz to 245GHz Contests started at 1400 UTC yesterday, the 4th, and end at 1400 UTC today, the 5th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700 UTC today, the 5th of October. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC tomorrow, the 6th. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday, the 7th of October, 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 7th of October, 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 8th of October, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 four-hour Activity Contest runs from 1700 UTC to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday, the 8th of October, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 two-hour Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. On Thursday, the 9th of October, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Oceania DX CW Contest starts at 0600 UTC on Saturday, the 11th and ends at 0600 UTC on Sunday, the 12th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 2nd of October 2025 Last week was characterised by very unsettled geomagnetic conditions with a Kp index that reached 7.33 on the 30th of September and was often above 5. This is not good for HF propagation! But what caused this? A high-speed solar wind stream at around 750 kilometres per second, coupled with the Bz component of the Sun's magnetic field pointing south, led to the disruption. But there didn't seem to be any particular solar event that triggered the high-speed solar wind stream. The Russell-McPherron effect is probably to blame. This is a phenomenon where the alignment of the Earth's and the Sun's magnetic fields, during the equinoxes around March and September, allows charged particles from the solar wind to more easily penetrate the Earth's magnetosphere. This enhanced connection leads to more intense geomagnetic storms and increased aurora activity as the Bz aligns favourably with the Earth's magnetic field at these times. This may pass as we get further into October. As a result of the geomagnetic storm, maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, have often been lower than normal. A quick listen on 28MHz on Wednesday, the 1st of October, confirmed the poor conditions. It's a shame, as October is normally a fantastic month for HF DX. The solar flux index peaked at 187 on the 30th of September, having been above 170 since the 28th of September. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain above 150 to 160 all week. The good news is that geomagnetic conditions are forecast to improve, with a maximum Kp index of 3. If that comes to pass, we can expect HF to be better after a day or two, and we might be able to make the most of the autumnal conditions for DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather, mainly over northern areas, is typical of the season, but it's also common to find high pressure passing by in between the deeper lows. In the current pattern, the highs are mainly for the southern half of Britain. This will bring some good Tropo conditions at times for the VHF and UHF bands.  As we head into autumn, these lifts may linger through much of the morning on some days before the temperature rise breaks down any temperature inversion. A good clue is that it's usually over when the overnight fog clears. On the other hand, there will probably be some good rain scatter opportunities on the GHz bands as the active lows push fronts across the country, especially in the north. There are signs that we may return to high pressure over the country during the RSGB 2025 Convention weekend from the 10th to the 12th of October. We have a meteor shower to play with during the coming week. The Draconids peak on Wednesday, the 8th of October, but the shower stream is spread over the whole of the week. Lastly, there have been some reasonable auroral events recently, so, as usual, keep a watch on the Kp index going over 5 since, as we said earlier, these autumn months are very much favoured for auroral activity. For EME operators, the Moon's declination is increasing and goes positive tomorrow, the 6th, so lengthening Moon windows and increasing peak elevation is the story for the coming week. Path losses continue to fall as we approach perigee on the 8th of October. 144MHz sky noise will be low for much of the next seven days. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

FRECUENCIA AL DÍA -

GB2RS News Sunday, the 28th of September 2025 The news headlines: What are your must-see presentations at this year's RSGB Convention? The RSGB invited the MP for Buckingham and Bletchley to the RSGB National Radio Centre for a private visit Listen out for today's special 70th anniversary GB2RS broadcasts Before we begin today's news bulletin, we would like to share a special message from the RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX, to mark the 70th anniversary of GB2RS. Bob says, “It is with a profound sense of respect and appreciation that today we mark the 70th anniversary of the GB2RS News service. Since 1955, volunteers have given their time and their voice to keep our radio community informed, connected, and inspired. For many of us, GB2RS has been a constant and familiar presence in our radio lives. On behalf of the RSGB, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have played a part in this remarkable story for the last seventy years. Today, we honour their legacy and reaffirm our commitment to the values and spirit that the GB2RS News service so proudly represents.”  And now we move to today's news items. The programme for this year's RSGB Convention has nearly 50 presentations for you to enjoy, including leading industry speakers such as Mike Walker, VA3MW from FlexRadio and Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs. There will also be well-known names such as Neil Smith G4DBN, RadCom Technical Editor Peter Duffett-Smith GM3XJE, Brian Coleman G4NNS and Walt Hudson K4OGO, known to many as ‘Salty Walt'. This annual RSGB event is your only opportunity within the UK to have access to this level of knowledge, learning and networking opportunities. As well as a packed full lecture programme, there will be nearly 20 special interest groups in attendance, so if you are thinking of pursuing a different area of the hobby, this is the perfect time to explore your options. To guarantee a place, you will need to purchase a ticket online via rsgb.org/convention before advance sales close on Sunday the 5th of October. Buying your ticket online not only guarantees your place, but it also saves you money when compared to on-the-door ticket prices. If you are arriving on Friday, why not join a private tour of Bletchley Park at 2.30 pm, which has been arranged especially for Convention attendees. In addition to this, and new for this year, RSGB National Radio Centre volunteer Patrick, 2E0IFB, will be running an informal introduction on getting started with low-earth orbiting satellites. The RSGB Convention takes place from the 10th to the 12th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The RSGB was pleased to welcome Callum Anderson, MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, to the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park last week. Callum enjoyed seeing the history of radio, watching live CW contacts and listening to his voice coming back from space, having been relayed via a satellite. Callum was invited to meet a small group of senior RSGB representatives who emphasised the important role of amateur radio in encouraging young people into an engineering career. Getting involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths activities gives a great foundation that could lead some young people to follow in the footsteps of radio amateur pioneers who led the development of many wireless technologies that we rely on today. Most importantly, the visit gave the RSGB an opportunity to show the problems that ElectroMagnetic Disturbance can cause to wireless reception. Examples of EMD include household appliances, Broadband FTTC and green energy from solar panels and windfarms, where the signal levels are thousands of times stronger than the expected levels given in ITU recommendations. EMC Chair John Rogers M0JAV and Board Chair Stewart Bryant G3YSX explained that unless the year-on-year increases in background noise are stopped, many critical services and infrastructures could be impacted soon, just as the amateur radio bands are today. The RSGB looks forward to meeting again with Callum, who is the Parliamentary Private Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology. Don't forget to listen out for three special one-off broadcasts from the RSGB National Radio Centre today. The broadcasts are part of the celebrations, which are taking place to mark the 70th anniversary of GB2RS. Listen out at 1 pm, 2.30 pm and 4 pm. Go to rsgb.org/gb70rs  for details of frequencies and newsreaders. All listeners are welcome to join the pre- and post-News nets, which will be operating using the special event station GB70RS. The RSGB LoRa high-altitude balloon launch took place on Saturday, the 20th of September and was a great success despite tricky weather conditions, which included rain and high winds. The balloon soared at a peak altitude of 48,556 feet before landing in a remote location in the Thursden Valley. Winners of the competition to win a £200 Moonraker voucher will be announced at the RSGB 2025 Convention on Sunday, the 12th of October. If you're wondering what you can do with your LoRa tracker now that the RSGB challenge has finished, go to rsgb.org/lora-balloon for a handy guide on how you can continue the fun. If you took part and would like to be included in a special feature in the December edition of RadCom, send your photos and a short summary of your activity to comms@rsgb.org.uk by Wednesday, the 1st of October. The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held from the 23rd of July to the 2nd of August 2026. The organisers are looking for amateur radio operators to volunteer and assist with radio, spectrum and other technical tasks. To register as a radio volunteer, email spectrum@glasgow2026.com to be sent a code that you can enter into the volunteer booking portal. For more information and to apply to become a volunteer, visit the ‘Volunteering' tab at glasgow2026.com Wednesday, the 1st of October, sees the launch of UKBOTA's second annual celebration of the work carried out by the volunteers of the Royal Observer Corps. Activate or hunt any UKBOTA ROC bunker reference during October to qualify. More details are available at ukbota.org Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is holding a surplus equipment sale on Saturday, the 4th of October, at the Cwmduad Community Hall. The doors will be open from 8.30 am for traders, 9.30 am for disabled access and from 10 am for all visitors. All radio amateurs and shortwave listeners are welcome. Limited parking is available outside the hall, and more is available on the main road. For more information, or to book a table, contact Andy, GW0JLX, on 07768 282 880. On Sunday, the 5th of October, the 50th Welsh Radio Rally takes place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport in South Wales. The doors open for traders from 7 am and for the public from 9.30 am. Admission costs £3. For more information, email welshradiorally@gmail.com On Sunday, the 12th of October, the Autumn Dartmoor Radio Club Rally takes place at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. For more information, email 2e0rph@gmail.com Also, on Sunday the 12th, Hornsea Amateur Radio Club's annual rally takes place at Driffield Showground in East Yorkshire. Exhibitors can gain access from 8 am, and visitors are welcome from 10 am. For more information, email lbjpinkney1@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Event news Paul, VK5PAS, is active as VI8POL until tomorrow, the 29th, to celebrate Australia's annual National Police Week. Recently, the station was spotted using FT8 on the 20m band. QSL via VK5PAS, Logbook of the World and eQSL. Eight special call signs are in use until the 12th of October to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Swedish Amateur Radio Association. Look for activity on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB and digital modes. For details of an award that is available for working the stations, visit tinyurl.com/ssa-100 Now the DX news The Salamis Radio Team is active as SX8AJX from Salamina Island, EU-07, until Tuesday, the 30th of September. Operators are using CW, SSB and digital modes on the HF bands and via satellite. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log.  Janusz, SP9FIH, is active as VK9/SP9FIH from Christmas Island, OC-002, until Friday, the 3rd of October. Look for activity on the 30 to 10m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest started at 0000 UTC yesterday, the 27th, and ends at 2359 UTC today, the 28th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Also, today, the 28th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800 UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the 1st of October, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and a four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 1st, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and a four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also, on Wednesday the 1st, the United Kingdom 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 Oceania DX SSB Contest runs from 0600 UTC on Saturday, the 4th to 0600 UTC on Sunday, the 5th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Saturday, the 4th of October, the RSGB 2.3GHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 UTC to 2200 UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Saturday the 4th, the RSGB 1.2GHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 UTC to 2200 UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Both the IARU and RSGB 432MHz to 245GHz Contests run from 1400 UTC on Saturday, the 4th, to 1400 UTC on Sunday, the 5th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday, the 5th of October, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 UTC to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 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 25th of September Last week was good for HF propagation for a number of reasons. Firstly, we are now entering autumn, which offers better propagation prospects than summer. Secondly, the solar flux index has remained high at up to 184 as of last Thursday, the 25th. We had a week of near-normal geomagnetic conditions, with a low Kp index, no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections, and a relatively quiet solar wind. These have all combined to give excellent HF propagation, including openings on the 10m band using FM and transatlantic 10m contacts being possible in the afternoon. The maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path, according to Propquest, has mainly been in excess of 30MHz during daylight hours. The KQ2H repeater in upstate New York, with an output frequency of 29.620MHz, has been loud at times in the afternoon and is a good indicator of HF propagation. Expect it to get better as we enter October. Other US stations have also been heard on the 10m band using FM, including one in Ohio. Steve, G0KYA, was surprised to hear the GB3XMB 10m beacon on 28.287MHz from Waddington, Lancashire this week. Steve remarked that it is 175 miles to Norfolk as the crow flies. He said that the signal didn't sound like backscatter, so that's quite a distance for 10m ground wave. Another DX worked, according to CDXC, included FP5KE, the St. Pierre and Miquelon DXpedition. The station could be heard on everything from Top Band to 10m. V6D in Micronesia has been worked on the 40 and 17m bands using CW. Other highlights include D2USU in Fiji on the 12m band using FT8, and 9Y49R in Trinidad and Tobago on the 10m band using FM. Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index may fall to the 159 to 170 range. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be poor tomorrow, the 29th, with a Kp index of 5, and again between the 3rd and 5th of October, also with a predicted Kp index of 5. Expect decreased MUFs for a few days until the ionosphere recovers. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The next week or so looks to be typical for autumn. It will be a mix of Atlantic weather systems bringing lows and their fronts, which may offer some rain scatter for those on the GHz bands. The other side of the coin is areas of high pressure or mostly weak ridges, in this case mainly affecting the south and east of the country. This is the point where Tropo operators can move in with paths probably favouring the North Sea and Scandinavia up to this weekend and then across to the continent and down to Spain during the coming week. It is worth remembering that Tropo can exist throughout the 24 hours across water and along coasts like the North Sea and English Channel, although the portion of a path overland can weaken during daytime. The meteor scatter prospects remain in the random territory, so they are best in the early morning. Recent activity with geomagnetic disturbances suggests that aurora should continue to be part of the operating list in the coming week. Check for a hollow note or warble on HF signals and for a Kp index greater than 5, then consider turning your VHF arrays to the north. For EME operators, Moon declination reaches its minimum tomorrow, the 29th, so from then on, we will see lengthening Moon windows and increasing peak elevation. The Moon's distance from Earth started to decrease after apogee on Friday, the 26th, meaning path losses are falling. 144MHz Sky noise will be high today, the 28th, and peaks at around 2800 Kelvin tomorrow, the 29th, before dropping back to low for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Join me as I'm invited to operate at a top-tier ham radio VHF contest station! Experience the thrill of participating in a VHF contest, mastering radios, and connecting with the amateur radio community. Get insider tips, see cutting-edge equipment in action, and learn how to excel in ham radio contests. Watch now for an exciting behind-the-scenes adventure!Donate to ARRL Teachers Institute: https://arrl.org/30daysBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.

A Clare woman has escaped injury after her boat forming part of a global aid mission to Gaza was allegedly struck by projectiles in a drone attack. Poet and Activist Sarah Clancy who lived in Ballyvaughan for over a decade was on board 'The Spectre' which is among 51 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is currently in international waters between Greece and Libya. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has now said he will join Italy in sending a military warship to protect the international flotilla. Clancy claims here her boat was struck four times with objects that emitted smoke smelling like sulphur, while the next day the boat's VHF radios were jammed. She says it was a life-threatening situation.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 21st of September 2025 The news headlines: Secure your ticket for the RSGB 2025 Convention before online ticketing closes A reminder to identify yourself clearly when operating The RSGB Outreach Team launches its first official DMR Youth Net Tickets for the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes are still available to purchase online, but hurry as advance sales close on Saturday the 4th of October. You will be able to buy a Convention ticket on the door but not at the reduced rate that is available now. Your ticket will give you access to numerous presentations including two on the funding available to interesting and innovative amateur radio projects. The RSGB Legacy Fund supports a wide range of projects and Legacy Committee Chair, Richard Horton, G4AOJ will give some recent examples that have been allocated funding. He'll also talk you through how the application and approval process works. The California-based Amateur Radio Digital Communications foundation has its roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. Steve Bunting, M0BPQ and Chris Smith, G1FEF will give an overview of ARDC's grants which are also open to international charities, non-profits, schools and universities. If you're thinking of a new project that would benefit amateur radio or help to bring it to new audiences, these are two presentations you won't want to miss! Find details on these and all the other Convention presentations via rsgb.org/convention  You'll also find a new web page outlining what else is happening during the weekend. If you're attending the Convention for the first time, then pop along to the RSGB's new ‘welcome desk' on the Friday evening from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and then from 8pm to 9pm. The desk is aimed at first-time or solo attendees, although anyone can come and say hello. A member of the RSGB HQ team and other RSGB volunteers will be on hand to greet you and introduce you to like-minded people, and act as a familiar face throughout the weekend if you need any help. The RSGB Convention takes place between the 10th and 12th of October. Every radio amateur knows that it is important to identify yourself clearly when operating. This includes the mandatory use of a Regional Secondary Locator, or RSL, if you hold an Intermediate callsign in the 2-series. For example, your callsign would start with 2E0 if you're in England or 2M0 if you're operating in Scotland. This mandatory use of the RSL is shown in the Ofcom licence conditions. You can find a link to that document on the RSGB licence updates web page at rsgb.org/licence-review Calling all young radio enthusiasts wherever you are in the world! The RSGB Outreach Team is thrilled to launch its first official DMR Youth Net. The first net will be on Tuesday the 30th of September at 1900UTC and the RSGB Youth Talk Group 23554 is available on the DVSPh and Brandmeister Networks. Whether you're just starting out or already love getting on the air, this bi-weekly net is your chance to build confidence speaking on the radio, connect with fellow young operators from around the world, and join in without needing to set up antennas at home. Hosted by RSGB Youth Outreach Team Leaders Chris Aitken, MM0WIC and Ben Lloyd, GW4BML, the net is designed to grow with you. As your skills and confidence develop, you could even take the mic and chair future sessions! We're also offering loan kits that include a DMR handset and hotspot to help schools and home educators get started. Just fill out the form at tinyurl.com/RSGByouth-net  and we'll be in touch. Tune in, speak up, and be part of something exciting! The RSGB National Radio Centre will be hosting the World War Two SOE station, GB1SOE in the foyer of the Centre on Saturday the 27th of September. On Sunday the 28th of September, it will also be hosting three special one-off broadcasts to mark the 70th anniversary of GB2RS, which will include a special greetings message from the RSGB President. The special event station GB70RS will be used for the pre- and post-News nets. Go to rsgb.org/gb70rs  for full details. For those visiting the Centre over the weekend, Bletchley Park is hosting one of its 1940s weekends. RSGB members can visit the world-famous estate for free by downloading a voucher via rsgb.org/bpvoucher The RSGB has several volunteer vacancies within the Regional Team including District Representative roles in Cambridgeshire, East Sussex and Lancashire. This is an incredibly rewarding role that gives you the opportunity to help your fellow radio amateurs. If you are passionate about the future of amateur radio, support the work of the Society and are an RSGB member, then apply now by contacting the Regional Representative in that region. View the full list of regional team volunteering vacancies via rsgb.org/volunteers Amateurs are reminded that 7.110MHz is used for emergency communications. Please be aware that the frequency may be in use by operators who are passing radio traffic following the unfortunate flooding in areas of Malaysia. Your cooperation is vital to ensure effective emergency communication, support and rescue efforts. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.    And now for details of rallies and events Weston-super-Mare Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, the 21st, at The Campus, Highlands Lane, Weston-super-Mare. The doors open at 7.30am for traders and at 10am for the public. Refreshments are available on site and a raffle will be held at 11am. For more information contact Daniel via westonradiosociety@gmail.com On Sunday the 5th of October, the 50th Welsh Radio Rally will take place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport in South Wales. The doors open for traders from 7am and for the public from 9.30am. Admission costs £3. For more information email welshradiorally@gmail.com   Now the Special Event news Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be running special event station GB2RMR on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of September. The station will operate from 9.30am to 4pm each day at the Riverside Miniature Railway in St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. The team will be using HF, VHF and UHF equipment. More details are available via QRZ.com 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 Tom, OH6VDA is active again as JW6VDA from the Svalbard Amateur Radio club in Longyearbyen [LONG-YEER-BE-IN], EU-026, until tomorrow, the 22nd. The station is active on various HF bands using SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred. More details are available via QRZ.com Rikk, WE9G is active as WE9G/KH2 from Guam, OC-026, until Friday the 26th of September. The station is mostly operating digital FT modes but also some CW and SSB. Listen for activity on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World or via WE9G.   Now the contest news Today, the 21st, the RSGB 70MHz Affiliated Series Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the 21st, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. On Tuesday the 23rd, 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. On Wednesday the 24th, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 25th, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ Worldwide DX RTTY Contest runs from 0000UTC on Saturday the 27th to 2359UTC on Sunday the 28th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Sunday the 28th, 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.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of September 2025. Last week we said that it looked like someone had thrown a switch on the Sun and all the sunspots had vanished. Well, this week we're pleased to report they're back! We have eight sunspot groups, spread evenly throughout the Sun's hemispheres. Interestingly, the northern hemisphere sunspots are close to the equator, which is what you would expect at this point in the latter part of the solar cycle. The southern spots are somewhat higher in latitude, perhaps indicating that there might still be the potential for a double peak. On Thursday the 18th, the solar flux index stood at 147 and the Kp index at 2. This suggests that HF conditions might be pretty good, at least until the next geomagnetic disturbance. There have been no M- or X-class solar flares over the past week. The solar wind speed dropped from a high of 800 kilometres per second on Tuesday the 16th, to a more reasonable 538 kilometres per second on Thursday the 18th. However, the Bz has been pointing south at times, which can cause problems with a raised Kp index. The maximum useable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path generally allows for operation between 21 and 24MHz during daylight and 7 and 10.1MHz at night. At 0845UTC on Thursday the 18th, a quick check of the NCDXF beacons on 21.150MHz showed reception of CS3B in Madeira and 4X6TU in Israel. On 24.930MHz, 4S7B in Sri Lanka, ZS6DN in South Africa, and CS3B in Madeira could be heard. On 28.200MHz the only audible beacon was 4X6TU in Israel. The NCDXF beacons are a quick way to check worldwide HF propagation in just three-minutes per band, from 20 to 10m. For more details visit ncdxf.org/beacon HF DX this week has included FP5KE on St Pierre and Miquelon, which is operating until the 26th of September. PJ7K on St. Maarten, which is active until the 22nd of September, was worked; and VK9NT on Norfolk Island, which is operating until the 27th of September, also made it into UK logbooks. Check the DX cluster for the latest spots. Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the range of 125 to 135. The Kp index is forecast to remain low at 2 all week. A coronal hole threatens to push the Kp index higher, perhaps late today, the 21st, or tomorrow, the 22nd.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The first part of the coming week will be under the influence of the unsettled weather pattern with lows and fronts affecting the British Isles. So, it feels like there will be a few more days for the GHz rain scatter folk to play. Be aware that even among low-pressure systems there can be fleeting moments of good Tropo. On Friday the 19th there were ideal Tropo conditions over southern Britain and south across Biscay to Spain as well as east across the North Sea. The big change takes place on Wednesday as an area of high pressure starts to build over the UK. This could last through to the end of the week. So, there is plenty of time to develop some good Tropo conditions over large parts of the UK and near-continent. There will probably be an elevated inversion some 1 or 2km above the surface. This will be caused by the high itself and may provide ducting conditions throughout the 24-hour period. This may be supported by temporary surface inversions overnight due to the ground cooling. These features tend to take a while to establish, which suggests that the latter part of the coming week may be the best time to operate. The effect will only just be starting to influence conditions over the western side of the UK for the SHF UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 23rd. Regarding the aurora prospects, it feels like we should be keeping a watch throughout this autumn period when the Earth's magnetic field couples with the solar wind more effectively. Earlier last week the Kp reached 5, which is a good trigger to get interested in beaming north for those fluttery auroral signals. Meteor scatter remains in between events at the moment with no major showers in the period. So, it's random meteors only which, as we know, tend to favour the early morning, pre-dawn hours. We are outside the traditional Sporadic-E season now but, as you may have noticed on the Propquest graphs, there has been the occasional spike on the foEs plot up to 5MHz or so. This is plenty to generate some strong short-skip European signals on the HF bands, especially 10m. In the morning on Wednesday the 17th, Sporadic-E was probably triggered by the powerful jet stream moving east over the near continent. There may well be further occasions with strong jet streams during the next week, so keep checking the NVIS tab at propquest.co.uk to see if the foEs trace spikes again. Now for an EME update. Moon declination is decreasing, from its maximum on the 14th of September. The Moon's distance from Earth is also increasing until apogee on the 27th and 28th of September. This means path losses are growing over the next week. Sky noise will remain low until the 29th and 30th of September. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Precio: https://amzn.to/3UJgU7S  La ClearStream MAX-V es una antena HDTV versátil para interiores o exteriores, con alcance de hasta 60 millas y recepción multidireccional de 65°, lo que permite captar canales en UHF y VHF con gran claridad, incluyendo transmisiones en 4K, 8K y NEXTGEN TV sin necesidad de Internet. Su diseño compacto y resistente a la intemperie facilita la instalación en pared, ático o mástil, e incluye soporte y herrajes. Ligera y duradera, es una opción práctica para disfrutar de televisión  con calidad digital en zonas urbanas y subu

The crew discusses the Federal Department of Transportation's concerns over wind turbines interfering with railroads, the USDA's stance on renewable energy projects on farmland, new treasury rules for wind and solar projects, and highlight the Sunflower Wind Farm in Kansas for its community impact and operational success. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! You are listening to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast brought to you by build turbines.com. Learn, train, and be a part of the Clean Energy Revolution. Visit build turbines.com today. Now here's your hosts, Allen Hall, Joel Saxon, Phil Totaro, and Rosemary Barnes.  Allen Hall: Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. Hold on tight. I told my producer before we started, this is gonna be a. Bumpy rise. So for all our listeners, hold on. Uh, it's a lot of news in the wind and solar world at the minute. Phil Tarro is in California. Joel Saxon is back from Australia in Austin, Texas, and first up is the Federal Department of Transportation. Complaining about how close wind turbines could be to railroads and create an interference, and it'd be a safety crisis. Uh, federal transportation officials and a new scientific research report, [00:01:00] Joel, are sounding an urgent alarm about wind turbines being. Too close to railroad tracks and a comprehensive study from California's Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm confirms, quote unquote confirms that wind farms can severely interfere with critical radio communications used by trains. Now, uh, what they don't want you to do is to read the report. That's what they don't want you to do. And, uh, as a group of engineers, we're going to read the report and see what it says. And what it says is that they have a safety system on trains because they used to run into each other quite often. And what they've done is they have a overriding system that's run by radio communication that if a train goes too fast and some of these more frequented train tracks or in. High density population bases like Chicago or Baltimore, one of these places that they can actually slow the train down or stop the train in some cases, what it sounds like if they're [00:02:00] on a collision course, and that becomes important on commuter rails. And, um, if they have toxic chemicals on trains, that they don't want them to have accidents. So they put the system in. And the system is based on Joel. The world's oldest communication form.  Joel Saxum: It's VHF radio, right? So to those of you that don't know what VHF radio is, it's basically like, uh, close to the frequencies you'd use as a walkie-talkie as a kid. Um hmm. Right. Uh, or a CB radio. Right. We're, we're quite a ways past that now. Uh, so wifi, cell modems, satellite communications are all regular things within basically any other industry. Uh, of course, but this one, yeah, we're still using VHF technology that we used. I, that's been around for a long time for radio communication back from World War ii. Or before that? Oh yeah.  Allen Hall: Right around World War ii. How far do those, uh, walkie-talkie radios typically  Joel Saxum: work? Well, it depends if you, I guess if it depends if you buy 'em from Walmart or if you buy 'em a, [00:03:00] a, a professional one. But, uh, depending on what watt radio is in 'em, I mean mile two miles maybe.  Allen Hall: Exactly. And that's how this train system works. So every. Couple of miles, they have a repeater to transmit the signal up and down the train tracks. Well, it became really important because, you know,

Alex Nersesian K6VHF is a US immigration success story.  Hailing from the Republic of Georgia after the fall of the former Soviet Union, Alex credits amateur radio with finding work, career,family,  and community in his new country.  Now successfully living the American dream,  K6VHF loves to chase DX on HF, VHF, and Microwave using FT-8, SSB, and CW and is an avid DXpeditioner.  In addition, Alex makes EME, microwave, and rover contacts all of the way up to 122 GHz.  K6VHF is my QSO Today.

In Episode 2 of the Prep Comms MURS Mini-Series, Caleb Nelson dives deep into what really determines your performance on MURS. Spoiler: it's not power. It's your antenna, your coax, your terrain—and how well you understand what you're working with. This isn't theory. These are real-world setups from real users—from the hills of Pennsylvania to the silence of Utah. You'll learn exactly what works and why, including gear recommendations that Caleb personally uses on his family farm and in mobile scenarios. Topics Covered: Real listener feedback on MURS performance The truth about 2 watts and how far it can really go VHF vs. UHF performance in rural terrain Coax cable explained (RG8X vs LMR-400) Legal antenna height and why it matters Why MURS is not private—and why that's still okay Mentioned in this Episode:

This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran. William “Bill” Sabastian Salfen SUBMITTED BY: A regular listener _____________________________________________________________ Hi Vic and Ken! I hope this veteran will fit nicely into you and Vic's wonderful daily/soon-to-be-weekly tribute to veterans. I hope you can offer some acknowledgement of a local hometown hero from the past. As I stated before, I neither need nor desire recognition for offering his story - if you use it, can you just say a regular listener brought him to your attention? I worked in Bridgeton, Mo for 16 years, which was where I met Bill Salfen. He was a close, longtime friend of the business owner, and was around quite frequently in all of my years working there, dying the same year I left the business in 2014. Bill showed me multiple official documents regarding his service time, his capture and imprisonment, and eventual release. I have no reason to question his words. I spoke with Bill often about his WWII escapades as a B-24 Bomber Pilot who was shot down and captured by Nazis, then imprisoned at Stalag 1 as a POW. There are a couple different articles I've found stating his age (either 20 or 21) at capture, but Bill personally told me he was 20 when he was shot down - according to him (as well as other sources I've seen over the years) he was the youngest bomber pilot (NOT Co-Pilot) in the US Army Air Forces at the time. Regardless...he was just out of his teens, and Captaining (piloting) a US B-24 Bomber against an enemy force! After his war experiences, Bill became very active in Food Search type programs, and had a specially insulated van he would collect groceries in to distribute to the homeless, and to the food banks in the St. Louis area. In his own words, he told me that he did so because during his time in captivity, he found out all about real hunger, and knew firsthand the pain experienced from it. Bill told me that he had wires holding his jaw together from a German soldier "knocking his face loose" with the buttstock of a rifle during his capture, and true to his nature (as I knew him, anyway) he also said that he didn't blame the German soldier; "after all I (we, the US) was killing Germans and their families." Bill had visible scars all over both arms from German Shepard attacks he sustained during both his initial capture and his multiple escape attempts from Stalag 1. He told me he tried 3 times to escape, and was recaptured each time. The tip of one of his fingers was missing up to past the nail where, he told me, they put it in a bench vise and tortured him by squeezing it, then releasing it, then squeezing the damaged fingertip again the next day and the next, until, as he told me, he finally talked and they pinched the damaged fingertip completely off. He was unashamed about talking, and he had nothing to be ashamed of, in my opinion. I feel very honored to have met and known for years this man that I personally consider to be a true American Hero from WWII. He is a 69 year Founding member and first Captain of VFW POST 5077, O'Fallon MO, a 33 year volunteer at Operation Food Search St. Louis MO and St. Mary's Parish Bridgeton, MO, retired Teamster, union negotiator and 17 year subject of Wash U Memory and Aging Study. He donated his remains to that Study and to Washington University School of Medicine. -"William “Bill” Sabastian Salfen was born 16-Sept 1922 in Dardenne, St. Charles County Missouri. -His parents were Sebastian J "Boss" Salfen (1886–1961) and Josephine "Phinnie" Sattler (1893–1974). -He had one brother, Harold. William attended St. Charles High School. According to the Federal Census, the family lived on Main Street in O’Fallon in 1940. -William Salfen joined the Army Air Corps in June 1942. In September 1942, Bill completed a 12-week Flight Training course at Missouri University. " -"On 27-Jun 1943, William arrived at Corsicana Field from the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. -William Received his Army Air Corps Silver Wings and 2nd Lieutenant commission at Frederick Field in Oklahoma on 11-Jan 1944. -William Salfen was assigned to the 44th Bomb Group, 506th Bomber Squadron (Heavy) of the 8th Air Force in England. -They were the first 8th Air Force Bomb Group to be equipped with B-24 Liberators. -On 7-Oct 1944, William Salfen’s plane was damaged, and the crew was forced to bailout. The U.S. Army's 44th Bomber Group Crash Report of the bombing states that his aircraft, #789, was last seen in vicinity of Kassel at 1224 hours. #1 and #2 engines had been knocked out by flak and it fell out of formation, under control. It was last heard from at approximately 1239 hours calling on VHF for fighter support." The following is a first-hand report from Lt. Donald B. Iden, the Co-Pilot: “Our plane was nicknamed "LAKANOOKIE", model B-24 (serial #42-50789), and it took flak which disrupted two of its engines. The bombing raid was on a German tank factory. We had just closed the bomb bay doors after releasing bombs over Kassel when our plane took two bursts of flak. One hit the left wing and the other went into the tail section. The hit in the wing took out the #1 and #2 engines, so that made it impossible to keep a heading without complete cross control of ailerons and rudders. Needless to say, loss of altitude was very rapid. We rode it down to 1,500 feet, at which time we bailed out and soon were captured. After Salfen and I bailed out, the aircraft entered a flat spin, crashed and burned. We were told that Robert Doherty's parachute failed to open and the seven-surviving crew of nine were captured by the Nazis.” William Salfen had been missing in action since 7-October 1944 and was a prisoner of war for 188 days. The St. Charles Weekly Banner reported on 24-May 1945, William Salfen in Stalag Luft 1 was liberated by the Russians. Thanks again to you and Vic for doing this for veterans! ________________________________________________________________ This Week’s VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran on NewsTalkSTL. With support from our friends at: Alamo Military Collectables, H.E.R.O.E.S. Care, Monical’s PizzaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people don't even know what MURS is—and that's exactly why it works so well. In this first episode of the Prep Comms MURS Mini-Series, Caleb breaks down the quiet power of the Multi-Use Radio Service: a license-free, analog-only VHF service with just five channels and a lot of practical potential. You'll learn about its roots in the old business band, what the “Color Dot” frequencies mean, why MURS is legal without a license, and how it fits into a low-key family comms plan. Privacy, power limits, antenna rules, and gear you can actually use—it's all covered here. Listen in, and discover why MURS might be the perfect base layer in your emergency communications setup. In this episode: The FCC origin of MURS and its roots in the Business Band (DOT and STAR channels) What MURS can and can't do legally (no digital, no repeaters) Antenna height limits and the truth about privacy tones How MURS works around barns, homes, driveways, and family outings Why VHF still outperforms UHF in open terrain My own family's use of MURS as part of the Cascade Protocol Mentioned in this episode: Free MURS + Business Band Frequency Guide PDF: MURS Frequency PDF Recommended MURS radios & antennas (Caleb's gear list): Caleb's Amazon Store: Search MURS Want to go deeper? Watch the free on-demand webinar (Coming August 2025): How to Build a Family Communication Plan in Less Than 30 Minutes—Without Expensive Gear or Tech Confusion www.familyradiowebinar.com

Foundations of Amateur Radio In the community of radio amateurs scattered around the planet we have a habit of getting together with others to have fun in whatever shape that takes. The obvious ones are HAMfests, car boot sales, raffles and other amateur adjacent pursuits, but we also do things like licence training, weekly on-air nets, contesting, portable activations, climbing mountains, or hills, setting-up in parks, or lighthouses, we set-up on a field day, just for fun, and find excuses, sorry, reasons, for any number of other activities. Some of these are solitary affairs, but many are best enjoyed shared with multiple friends, both old and new ones. Having been a member of this community since 2010 I've come to observe an aspect of this community that is odd, to say the least. We organise all these events, but rarely promote it beyond a single email to three people, if that. It's almost as-if the average organiser thinks that their event permeates the community by magic osmosis. Even if there is any form of promotion, there's sometimes a date and time, but hardly ever does it show that time in UTC, even if it's a radio event, it's like we've forgotten that radio waves pass through time zones, or there is a misconception that everyone on the planet knows what your local timezone is, let alone if it's summer or winter time at the time of the event. So, what does promoting your event look like if you actually want people to know about it? For starters, you should consider who you want to have as a participant. A local HAMfest is unlikely to attract people from around the globe, but Friedrichshafen and Dayton are examples that contradict that notion. A VHF-only event might be intended for local amateurs, but what if it allows for satellite or digital contacts, like say via Allstar, IRLP or Echolink? Similarly, you might run a weekly on-air net, but have visitors from around the planet. The point being, that your audience might not be exactly what you initially think. In other words, there might be people playing from further afield. Consider that when you announce what time the event starts, and finishes. Speaking of finishing, adding an expected closing time is helpful for participants where only one member of the family lives and breathes amateur radio and the rest just want to get on with their respective lives, so consideration is welcome. Aside from telling your audience when and for how long the event goes, adding a location is not optional. You'd be surprised how many events say things like: "it's again in the usual location", or "we're at the community hall" without ever publishing an address. I can tell you, it's fun discovering that the name of the hall isn't unique. Now, for the big one. After putting the information together about the event itself, where and how do you announce it? For starters, on your own website, in whatever form that takes. It serves two purposes, announcing to the world what is happening, but it's also the definitive place where the right information is published. This is important because things change, get cancelled, moved, updated, whatever. Life isn't static, so you need to define a place where the official announcement lives. At this point I'd like to mention that this is often where promotion stops. It's easy to think that in your universe everyone you know is aware of your website, but that's just not true. A single place to publish is not the end of the process, it's the start. Then you need to use things like the local news broadcast, the national news broadcast, the international news broadcasts, contesting websites and calendars, social media, fediverse and whatever else you can get your hands on. You need to include it in your own club news, in club newsletters from other clubs, on the local amateur notice board, you need to talk about the event on-air, share it during on-air nets and if it's recurring, tell the world that it's going to happen again next year. Nothing here is revolutionary, it's not like launching a rocket into space, this is basic common sense and you too can do this. If you need help, ask. So, if you have an event that you want to have participants for, you need to make noise. Publishing the announcement at the local planning department in Alpha Centauri 50 years before the event is going to cause issues, as will defining the date for an annual event as: When the June solstice is on a weekday (Monday through Friday), the weekend following shall be the weekend of the event. When the June solstice falls on a Saturday or Sunday, that weekend shall be the weekend of the event, but only for the Winter field day, the Summer one requires you to count back four weekends, or forward, depending on if you're talking about the Spring or Summer event, and add one if it falls on the weekend. In case you're wondering. No, I didn't make that up. It's real. I'll leave you to ponder how you'd add such an event to your family calendar. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Welcome aboard another episode of Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States! I'm your host, Bela Musits, and in this episode, we continue our journey north aboard a Hunter 44DS, as we relocate the boat from Brunswick, Georgia to Burlington, Vermont.Joined by sailor, good friend, and boat owner Mike Maloff, we share real-life stories, challenges, and logistics of moving a cruising sailboat through the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and beyond. In this installment, we dive into a major topic for East Coast cruisers: navigating bridges.Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a dreamer planning your own voyage, this episode is packed with helpful insights:

ハムのラジオ第654回の配信です。 (2025/7/13 ラジオ成田から放送) 今回の特集は「いま、VHFが、面白い！」です。 夏のコンディション真っ只中の2mと6mの各バンド。とても賑わっています。 思わぬ所とQSOで […]

Elvis and Barb are back (once again) with more amazing conversations that they got at the exocad (https://exocad.com/) booth during the 4 days at IDS 2025 in Cologne, Germany (https://www.english.ids-cologne.de/). First up is two gentlemen out of Columbia that their lab 70 years ago decided that it was easier if they just started manufacturing their own materials. Juan David Jaramillo and Luis Diego Monsalve talk about the history of New Stetic (https://www.newstetic.com/en/), the regulation of getting it into 65 different countries, the world of making dental anesthesia, and how they use IDS as a way to connect with customers from around the world. Then we bring back the wonderful Steve Campbell from Nexus Dental Laboratory (https://nexus.dental/)in the UK. Steve is at IDS speaking for exocad and the new exocad ART (https://exocad.com/our-products/exocad-art). He talks about how with exocad, AI, and a video of a patient talking, we can create a video of the patient talking with their new teeth that haven't even been made yet. Steve also updates on Nexus since the last recording and the importance of encouraging your technicians to do better then you. Lastly we talk to Dr. Nicolas Rohde from VHF Milling Machines (https://www.vhf.com/en-us/). Dr. Rohde started with a business degree and a PhD in Organizational Practices. While in Maryland during school, he meets his wife and takes a job with a implant company and that's how he into dental. That company was a reseller for VHF mills and that is how he found them Dr. Rohde talks about moving back to Germany to run the US division, what sets their mills apart from others, and why they take the time to have their own CAM software to run their mills. Take it from Jennifer Ferguson from Ivoclar. If you have a PM7 (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-equipment/programill-pm7) or are thinking about getting a PM7 (Take it from Barb, you should), on July 1st Ivoclar is launching the "Ivoclar Block Module" that can speed up milling emax (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-processes/ips-e.max-cad) by 45%!! The best part is that you can try it for FREE for 90 days. All you have to do is send them a message on Instagram at Ivoclar.na (https://www.instagram.com/ivoclar.na/) or send a email to jennifer.ferguson@ivoclar.com. Now go mill emax faster! Special Guests: Dr. Nicolas Rohde, Juan David Jaramillo Gómez, Luis Diego Monsalve Hoyos, and Steve Campbell RDT.

T3B - Electromagnetic wave properties: wavelength vs frequency, nature and velocity of electromagnetic waves, relationship of wavelength and frequency; Electromagnetic spectrum definitions: UHF, VHF, HF. 52:25

T3B - Electromagnetic wave properties: wavelength vs frequency, nature and velocity of electromagnetic waves, relationship of wavelength and frequency; Electromagnetic spectrum definitions: UHF, VHF, HF. 52:25

Foundations of Amateur Radio Over the years I've talked about different ways of using our license to transmit. I've discussed things like modes such as voice AM, FM, and SSB, and digital modes like FT8, WSPR, RTTY, FreeDV, Hellschreiber, Olivia and even Morse code. Recently it occurred to me that there is something odd about how we do this as a community. Now that I've realised this it's hard to unsee. Let me see if I can get you to the same place of wonder. Why is it that we as amateurs only use one such mode at a time? Let me say that again. With all the modes we have available to us, why do we only use one mode at a time, why do we get our brain into the mindset of one activity, stop doing that in order to move to another mode? It's weird. Amateur radio is what's called "frequency agile". What I mean by that is we are not restricted to a fixed number of channels like most, if not all other radio users. We can set our transmission frequency to whatever we want, within the restrictions imposed by our license conditions, and start making noise. There's agreement on what mode you can use where, but within that comes a great deal of flexibility. We have the ability to find each other. Call CQ and if the band is open and your station is transmitting a signal, the chance is good that someone somewhere on planet Earth will respond. We change frequency at will, almost without thought, but why don't we do this with modes? The closest I've seen is local VHF and UHF contests where you get different points depending on which mode you're using, and even that seems hard fought. It's weird. We have an increasing range of Software Defined Radios, or SDR, where your voice, or incoming text, can be transformed to a different mode at the touch of a button, but we rarely if ever actually use this ability. In case you're thinking that the restriction relates to the availability of SDR in the average amateur radio shack, most amateur modes fit within a normal audio stream and that same flexibility could be applied to the vast majority of transmitters scattered around the globe, but to my knowledge, it isn't. Why is that? Better still, what can we do about it? Can we develop procedures and processes to make us more, let's call it "mode agile", giving us the ability to change mode at the same ease as we change frequency? What would a "mode and frequency agile" amateur look like? What processes would you use? Right now the best we have is to QSY, or announce that we're changing frequency, but I've never heard anyone use that to describe a change of mode. Of course it's possible that I've led a sheltered life and not been on-air enough, but if that's the case, I'd love to hear about it. So, what is stopping us from becoming even more flexible? Do we need to practice this, develop better tools, teach new amateurs, have multimode nets, invent new modes that share information across different modes simultaneously, build radios that can transmit on different frequencies, or something else? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Ralph speaks to Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank about the Trump Administration's path of destruction in our federal government. Then, Ralph welcomes legendary public interest lawyer Alan Morrison to discuss the President's authority to impose tariffs and other constitutional questions.Dana Milbank is a nationally syndicated op-ed columnist for the Washington Post. He also provides political commentary for various TV outlets, and he is the author of five books on politics, including the New York Times bestseller The Destructionists and the national bestseller Homo Politicus. His latest book is Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theories and Dunces who Burned Down the House.I shouldn't be amazed, but Mike Johnson never ceases to amaze me with the rapidity with which he'll just drop to his knees whenever Trump says something.Dana MilbankWe're going to know this shortly, but it does appear that Trump's honeymoon may be over in the House as the conservatives finally seem to be finding their backbones. But I've thought that might happen before and then only to find out that they, in fact, they could not locate their backbones. So I don't want to be premature.Dana MilbankTrump seems to be gambling (and the administration seems to be gambling) that ultimately the Supreme Court is going to a wholesale reinterpretation of the Constitution to grant these never-before-seen executive powers, and it's possible that he's right about that. We're not going to know that. There have been a couple of preliminary rulings that seem friendly to Trump, but none of those is final, so we can't really be sure of it.Dana MilbankMy guess is that Chief Justice Roberts is seeing his legacy heading toward the ditch after his decision of Trump v. United States, where he said that Presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted….My guess is he's going to unpleasantly surprise Trump in the coming months.Ralph NaderAlan Morrison is the Lerner Family Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at George Washington Law School. He currently teaches civil procedure and constitutional law, and previously taught at Harvard, NYU, Stanford, Hawaii, and American University law schools. He has argued 20 cases in the Supreme Court and co-founded the Public Citizen Litigation Group in 1972, which he directed for more than 25 years.It's inevitable that even for a non-economist like myself to understand that [the costs of tariffs] are going to be passed on. Other than Donald Trump, I don't think there's anybody who believes that these taxes are not going to be passed on and that they're going to be borne by the country from which the company did the exporting.Alan MorrisonIt's an uphill battle on both the statutory interpretation and the undue delegation grounds, but our position is rather simple: If the Congress doesn't write a statute so that there's something that the government can't order or do, then it's gone too far. In effect, it has surrendered to the President its power to set policy and do the legislative function. Interestingly, Trump has trumpeted the breadth of what he's doing here. He calls it a revolution. Well, if we have revolutions in this country, my copy of the Constitution says that the Congress has to enact revolution and the President can't do it on its own. So we think we've got a pretty strong case if we can get it to court.Alan MorrisonOne of the things that I've been struck by is that laws alone cannot make this country governable. That we can't write laws to cover every situation and every quirk that any person has, especially the President. We depend on the norms of government—that people will do things not exactly the way everybody did them before, but along the same general lines, and that when we make change, we make them in moderation, because that's what the people expect. Trump has shed all norms.Alan MorrisonNews 4/9/251. Our top story this week is the killing of Omar Mohammed Rabea, an American citizen in Gaza. Known as Amer, the BBC reports the 14-year-old was shot by the Israeli military along with two other 14-year-old boys “on the outskirts of Turmus Ayya” on Sunday evening. Predictably, the IDF called these children “terrorists.” According to NJ.com – Rabea formerly resided in Saddle Brook, New Jersey – Rabea's uncle sits on the board of a local Palestinian American Community Center which told the press “The ambulance was not allowed to pass the checkpoint for 30 minutes, a denial in medical treatment that ultimately resulted in Amer's death…[his] death was entirely preventable and horrifically unjust. He was a child, a 14-year-old boy, with an entire life ahead of him.” The Rachel Corrie Foundation, founded in honor of the American peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home, issued a statement reading “Rabea's death…was perpetuated by Israeli settlers who act with impunity…We believe that if our own government demanded accountability…Rabea would still be alive.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has sent a letter to Attorney General Bondi demanding an investigation, but chances of the Trump administration pursuing justice in this case are slim.2. Meanwhile, President Trump seems to be driving the U.S. economy into a deep recession. Following his much-publicized tariff announcement last week – which included 10% tariffs on uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands – the S&P dipped by 10.5%, among the largest drops in history, per the New York Times. Far from making Trump back off however, he appears dead set on pushing this as far as it will go. After the People's Republic of China responded to the threat of a 54% tariff with a reciprocal 34% tariff, Trump announced the U.S. will retaliate by upping the tariff to a whopping 104% on Chinese imports, according to the BBC. Reuters reports that JP Morgan forecasts a 60% chance of a recession as a result of these tariffs.3. In more foreign affairs news, on Friday April 4th, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was officially removed from office by that country's Constitutional Court, “ending months of uncertainty and legal wrangling after he briefly declared martial law in December,” per CNN. The South Korean parliament had already voted to impeach Yoon in December of 2024. The court's decision was unanimous and characterized the leader's actions as a “grave betrayal of the people's trust.” Upon this ruling being handed down, Yoon was forced to immediately vacate the presidential residence. A new election is scheduled for June 3rd. Incredible what a political and judicial class unafraid to stand up to lawlessness can accomplish.4. Speaking of ineffectual opposition parties, one need look no further than Texas' 18th congressional district. This safe Democratic district – including most of central Houston – was held by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from 1995 until her death in 2024. According to the Texas Tribune, Lee planned to run yet again in 2024, triumphing over her 43-year-old former aide Amanda Edwards in the primary. However, Lee passed in July of 2024. Edwards again sought the nomination, but the Harris County Democratic Party instead opted for 69-year-old former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, per the Texas Tribune. Turner made it to March of 2025 before he too passed away. This seat now sits vacant – depriving the residents of central Houston of congressional representation and the Democrats of a vote in the House. Governor Gregg Abbot has announced that he will not allow a special election before November 2025, the Texas Tribune reports. This is a stunning Democratic own-goal and indicative of the literal death grip the gerontocratic old guard continue to have on the party.5. One ray of hope is that Democratic voters appear to be waking up the ineffectual nature of the party leadership. A new Data for Progress poll of the 2028 New York Senate primary posed a hypothetical matchup between incumbent Senator Chuck Schumer and Democratic Socialist firebrand Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – and found AOC with a staggering lead of 19 points. This poll showed AOC winning voters under 45 by 50 points, over 45s by eight points, non-college educated by 16 points, college educated by 23 points, Black and white voters by 16 points, and Latinos by 28. Schumer led among self-described “Moderates” by 15 and no other group. It remains to be seen whether the congresswoman from Queens will challenge the Senate Minority Leader, but this poll clearly shows her popularity in the state of New York, and Schumer's abysmal reputation catching up with him.6. Another bright spot from New York, is Zohran Mamdani's mayoral candidacy and specifically his unprecedented field operation. According to the campaign, between April 1st and April 6th, volunteers knocked on 41,591 doors. No mayoral campaign in the history of the city has generated a grassroots movement of this intensity, with politicians traditionally relying on political machines or enormous war chests to carry them to victory. Mamdani has already reached the public financing campaign donation cap, so he can focus all of his time and energy on grassroots outreach. He remains the underdog against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, but his campaign appears stronger every day.7. Turning to the turmoil in the federal regulatory apparatus, POLITICO reports Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has eliminated the Freedom of Information Act offices at the Centers for Disease Control, and other HHS agencies. An anonymous source told the publication that HHS will consolidate its FOIA requests into one HHS-wide office, but “Next steps are still in flux.” In the meantime, there will be no one to fulfill FOIA requests at these agencies. This piece quotes Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, who said this “sends a wrong message to the public on the administration's commitment to transparency.” Amey added, “I often say that FOIA officers are like librarians in knowing the interactions of the agency…If you don't have FOIA officers with that specific knowledge, it will slow down the process tremendously.”8. At the Federal Trade Commission, Axios reports the Trump administration has “paused” the FTC's lawsuit against major pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, related to “the drug middlemen…inflating the price of insulin and driving up costs to diabetes patients.” The case, filed against CVS Caremark, OptumRx and Express Scripts was halted by the FTC in light of “the fact that there are currently no sitting Commissioners able to participate in this matter.” That is because Trump unlawfully fired the two remaining Democratic commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter. In a statement, former FTC Chair Lina Khan called this move “A gift to the PBMs.”9. One federal regulatory agency that seems to be at least trying to do their job is the Federal Aviation Administration. According to the American Prospect, the FAA has “[has] proposed [a] rule that would mandate Boeing update a critical communications malfunction in their 787 Dreamliner plane that could lead to disastrous accidents.” As this piece explains, “very high frequency (VHF) radio channels are transferring between the active and standby settings without flight crew input.” The FAA's recommendation in is that Boeing address the issue with an update to the radio software. Yet disturbingly, in one of the comments on this proposed rule Qatar Airways claims that, “[they have] already modified all affected…airplanes with … [the recommended software updates] …However … flight crew are still reporting similar issues.” This comment ends with Qatar Airways stating that they believe, “the unsafe condition still exists.” Boeing planes have been plagued by critical safety malfunctions in recent years, most notably the 2018 and 2019 crashes that killed nearly 350 people.10. Finally, on a somewhat lighter note, you may have heard about Bryan Johnson, the tech entrepreneur dubbed “The Man Who Wants to Live Forever.” Johnson has attracted substantial media attention for his unorthodox anti-aging methods, including regular transfusions of plasma from his own son. But this story is not about Johnson's bizarre immortality obsession, but rather his unsavory corporate practices. A new piece in New York Magazine focuses on the lawsuits filed against Johnson by his all-too-mortal workers, represented by eminent labor lawyer Matt Bruenig. This piece relays how Johnson “required his staffers to sign 20-page NDAs,” and an “opt-in” document which informed his employees they had to be comfortable “being around Johnson while he has very little clothing on” and “discussions for media production including erotica (for example, fan fiction including but not limited to story lines/ideas informed by the Twilight series and-or 50 Shades of Grey.)” Bruenig says, “That stuff is weird,” but his main interest is in the nondisparagement agreements, including the one Johnson's former employee and former fiancée Taylor Southern entered into which has further complicated an already thorny legal dispute between Johnson and herself. Now Bruenig is fighting for Southern and against these blanket nondisparagement agreements in a case that could help define the limits of employer's power to control their workers' speech. Hopefully, Bruenig will prevail in showing that Johnson, whatever his pretensions, truly is a mere mortal.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

http://www.mofpodcast.com/www.pbnfamily.comhttps://www.facebook.com/matteroffactspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/groups/mofpodcastgroup/https://rumble.com/user/Mofpodcastwww.youtube.com/user/philrabhttps://www.instagram.com/mofpodcasthttps://twitter.com/themofpodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/cypress_survivalist/https://www.facebook.com/CypressSurvivalistSupport the showMerch at: https://southerngalscrafts.myshopify.com/Shop at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ora9riPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mofpodcastPurchase American Insurgent by Phil Rabalais: https://amzn.to/2FvSLMLShop at MantisX: http://www.mantisx.com/ref?id=173*The views and opinions of guests do not reflect the opinions of Phil Rabalais, Andrew Bobo, Nic Emricson, or the Matter of Facts Podcast****NOTE*** You may benefit from watching the stream on YouTube, Facebook, or Rumble (linked above) to see the software in action for the full experience. Phil's recent Commo class for Cypress Survivalist left him wondering what else he could fit into a topic, for show attendees and for his faithful audience. Down the rabbit hole he went into the land of SDR, or Software Defined Radio. The magical crossection of abandonware, software geek passion projects, and radio nerdism left him with a few more nuggets to add to his Signals Intelligence repetoire, and will make for a chaotic (but hopefully informative) show and tell. More info at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/Matter of Facts is now live-streaming our podcast on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Rumble. See the links above, join in the live chat, and see the faces behind the voices. Intro and Outro Music by Phil Rabalais All rights reserved, no commercial or non-commercial use without permission of creator prepper, prep, preparedness, prepared, emergency, survival, survive, self defense, 2nd amendment, 2a, gun rights, constitution, individual rights, train like you fight, firearms training, medical training, matter of facts podcast, mof podcast, reloading, handloading, ammo, ammunition, bullets, magazines, ar-15, ak-47, cz 75, cz, cz scorpion, bugout, bugout bag, get home bag, military, tactical 

http://www.mofpodcast.com/www.pbnfamily.comhttps://www.facebook.com/matteroffactspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/groups/mofpodcastgroup/https://rumble.com/user/Mofpodcastwww.youtube.com/user/philrabhttps://www.instagram.com/mofpodcasthttps://twitter.com/themofpodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/cypress_survivalist/https://www.facebook.com/CypressSurvivalistSupport the showMerch at: https://southerngalscrafts.myshopify.com/Shop at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ora9riPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mofpodcastPurchase American Insurgent by Phil Rabalais: https://amzn.to/2FvSLMLShop at MantisX: http://www.mantisx.com/ref?id=173*The views and opinions of guests do not reflect the opinions of Phil Rabalais, Andrew Bobo, Nic Emricson, or the Matter of Facts Podcast****NOTE*** You may benefit from watching the stream on YouTube, Facebook, or Rumble (linked above) to see the software in action for the full experience. Phil's recent Commo class for Cypress Survivalist left him wondering what else he could fit into a topic, for show attendees and for his faithful audience. Down the rabbit hole he went into the land of SDR, or Software Defined Radio. The magical crossection of abandonware, software geek passion projects, and radio nerdism left him with a few more nuggets to add to his Signals Intelligence repetoire, and will make for a chaotic (but hopefully informative) show and tell. More info at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/Matter of Facts is now live-streaming our podcast on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Rumble. See the links above, join in the live chat, and see the faces behind the voices. Intro and Outro Music by Phil Rabalais All rights reserved, no commercial or non-commercial use without permission of creator prepper, prep, preparedness, prepared, emergency, survival, survive, self defense, 2nd amendment, 2a, gun rights, constitution, individual rights, train like you fight, firearms training, medical training, matter of facts podcast, mof podcast, reloading, handloading, ammo, ammunition, bullets, magazines, ar-15, ak-47, cz 75, cz, cz scorpion, bugout, bugout bag, get home bag, military, tactical 

There are a variety of antennas that a ham can use on the VHF and UHF bands, from simple whips, all the way up to directional beams. This month's podcast walks you through the various types and their use cases.

The latest ENA Podcast takes a look at the rare, but potentially dangerous, threat of viral hemorrhagic fevers in the emergency department. Mary Choi with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention talks about what ED nurses and emergency departments need to consider when it comes to identification, treatment and mitigating the spread of VHF.