Podcasts about vhf

Foundations of Amateur Radio How to go about documenting your setup? Possibly the single most important thing that separates science from "fiddling around" is documentation. Figuring out how to document things is often non-trivial and me telling you that "unless you wrote it down, it didn't happen" only goes so far. If documentation isn't your thing, what about "I broke something and I don't know how it was before I fiddled" as an incentive instead? Recently I had cause to explore how to document how my station is configured. To give you a sense, the microphone is connected to a remote-rig, which is connected to a Wi-Fi base station, over Wi-Fi to a Wi-Fi slave, to another remote-rig, to the radio body, to the VHF port, through two coax switches, a run of RG213, to an antenna. When receiving, it goes from the antenna, to a run of RG213, through two coax switches, to the VHF port, to the radio body, to a remote-rig, to a Wi-Fi slave, to a Wi-Fi base station to a remote-rig, to the remote head, to a set of headphones. Of course, at this point I've written it down, so, job done .. right? Well, what about the data connection, the external speaker, the remote head display and other goodies, say nothing of the duplicate devices with similar names. All in all, the FT-857d has something like eleven ports, each remote-rig has ten, so just wording it is a start, but hardly qualifies as documented. What if we drew a picture instead? At this point you could pull out your crayons and start scribbling on a sheet of butcher's paper and that would be a fine start, but it would be difficult to share with me or anyone else and updating it would be a challenge, let alone versioning it. As it happens, we're not the first people to have this issue. In the 1980's and 1990's researchers at Bell Labs were trying to figure out how to draw graphs and from that work a language, 'DOT', since everyone is a fan of the "DAG Of Tomorrow", and a series of tools, which today are known as 'Graphviz', made the visualisation of relationships possible without the application of coloured wax on dried cellulose fibre. In my other, computing job, I had cause to visualise the relationship between a million or so nodes, allowing me to discover a specific node that was directing all traffic, where I could insert my debugging code, but it was only possible thanks to these free and open source tools. While the DOT language isn't particularly complex, it occurred to me that for someone not conversant with the syntax, we can start even simpler with a CSV text file that shows the relationships between each device and convert the CSV to DOT and in turn to a picture. For example, I documented the relationship between the radio and the antenna by adding five lines to a CSV file, essentially, FT857d to VHF port to VHF coax switch to VHF grounding switch to RG213 to antenna. In all, to document everything except power, since I haven't decided how I want to describe it, I used a CSV with 47 lines. On the face of it, that might sound ridiculous, but I can tell you, it shows all the sockets on the FT857d, all the sockets on both remote-rig devices and the relationships between them. With it anyone can duplicate my set-up. Having previously spent some quality time learning various aspects of the DOT language, I figured I could write a little script to convert CSV files to DOT, but being of the generation of software developers with the attitude, "Why write something if someone else already did?", I discovered that Reinier Post at the Eindhoven University of Technology has a delightful collection of scripts, including one appropriately named 'csv2dot'. Written in Perl, the only language that according to some looks just as impenetrable before and after encryption, the tool works as advertised and makes a DOT file that you can then visualise using Graphviz. Of course there's Python scripts lying around that claim to do the same, but I wasn't keen to install the kitchen sink just to try them. Instead I made a quick little Docker file that you can find on my vk6flab GitHub repository that will walk you through this, complete with my example, so you have a starting point. Now, I used this here to describe my station, well, one part of it, but it can easily extend to document your entire station, and because we're talking about text files that contain the information, anyone with a copy of a text editor can update the file when things change, since that's where the real magic happens. So, what are you waiting for, documentation? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Welcome to QNEWS for week 8 of 2026. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, with our contribution. One of the real charms of a club is when it can provide some social activity between birds of a feather, and the Darling Downs Radio Club does that on the even months of the year. So here it is February and today at lunchtime (if you're listening on Sunday 22nd, of course) you can come and join us. You don't have to be a member of the club, and it doesn't matter if you don't know anyone because we're really friendly. We'll be hard to miss, because we're in the club shirts with our names in bright yellow letters and club caps. Very hard to miss. The February lunch is a very social barbeque starting from 1130 or so, at Peacehaven Botanic Park on Kuhls Road just south of Highfields. Stan Kuhl - that's K U H L was a dairy farmer who used to own most of the land in the area, and in 2005 he donated 4.7 hectares of land to be developed into a botanic park. The council has even expanded it a bit since then, with a plant sales area that will be open from 0900 on the day. We're going to be at the barbeques on the western side... plenty of parking on-street close to the BBQ area, or actually off Kuhls Road which is slightly a bit more of a walk but good exercise and very pretty. And there's tons of seating and undercover tables so you only need to bring what you plan to eat and drink. The location is good for HF and VHF so bring a radio if you feel like it. We'll be listening on VK4RTQ repeater and 146.500 simplex in case you get lost, and we'll answer to VK4WID. All the details are on the website at DDRCi.org.au. You don't have to register, but we'd love to get an email to lunch at ddrci.org.au to let us know you're coming. Next: More good news on the licence front. Club member Perry decided that it was time to do the Foundation Assessment and sailed through the theory and prac exams. By the time you hear this he might even have his call. Well done Per. We'd love to help you get started or do an upgrade, and there's no charge for that. Just drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au and let's have a chat about how to make your ham aspirations a reality. This is week 8 of 2026, and if you're following the international ham radio challenge at hamchallenge.org you'll find that the week 8 challenge is to do some experimenting with APRS. That's the Amateur Radio Packet Reporting system, and there's a pretty good Wikipedia article that explains what APRS is all about. If you haven't ever played with APRS, it's not too hard to get started and there are plenty of resources available to help. Even looking up the history on the web is interesting, and there's a VK APRS site hidden in there with some useful local tips - helpful, given that APRS is designed as a real time protocol for local material. Let us know how you go. And finally: lock in the date of 9 March for our next club meeting. We'll tell you more about that next week. Wrapping up: the bi-monthly is Sunday 22 February (most likely that's today) and all the details are on the club website at DDRCi.org.au. Turn up a bit early if you'd like to buy some plants at the nursery, and it's a BYO everything event. As always we're listening, so if you have an idea for a meeting or activity, want to check any of the info I've just provided, or just make contact, drop an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and as Perry will tell you: we respond very quickly. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Our 2m weekly net follows at the top of the hour on VK4RDD. Till next week, 73 and good packeting!

GB2RS News Sunday the 22nd of February   The news headlines: RSGB 2026 Elections – Nominated Director candidates announced A year in numbers 2025 – a celebration of RSGB achievements Former RSGB President Colin Thomas, G3PSM, is now a Silent Key  In this year's RSGB elections, there are vacancies for two Nominated Directors. Following a rigorous selection process, the Society's Nominations Committee has chosen to put forward Graham Smith, G4NMD, and Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB, for endorsement. RSGB members will be able to vote to endorse these candidates when voting opens on Wednesday, the 18th of March. To help you learn more about the candidates, the RSGB has published two videos. The candidates weren't given the questions in advance and were interviewed separately. You can watch their in-depth answers in a single easy-to-view video, whilst the two-minute video provides their brief thoughts on RSGB membership. You can watch them on the RSGB YouTube channel and on its website at rsgb.org/candidates Amateur radio continues to evolve, and the RSGB, in turn, develops how it supports current radio amateurs and reaches out to new audiences. The RSGB General Manager, Steve Thomas, M1ACB, wrote his annual feature called ‘A year in numbers' for the March issue of RadCom. In it he shared some of the year's great achievements in which RSGB HQ staff have often led the way. Read the full feature and view the infographic on page 48 of the March edition. You can also see the highlights in a brief video on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Colin Thomas, G3PSM. Colin worked tirelessly for the RSGB and was President from 2008 to 2009. He made a great contribution to the acquisition and defence of the radio spectrum. Within Region 1, he played a leading role in the acquisition of additional bands, including 136kHz, 472kHz, allocations at 5MHz and the expansion of 7MHz. He also led the successful defence of existing allocations. IARU Region 1 radio amateurs owe him a huge debt. Colin was an Honorary Life Vice-President and a recipient of the Founder's trophy in recognition of his work both for the Society and for the IARU. A full tribute to Colin is being prepared for the RSGB website and for RadCom. The RSGB is reminding radio amateurs that the frequencies at 5MHz are only available on a secondary basis to holders of a UK Full amateur radio licence. Foundation and Intermediate licence holders are not allowed to operate on 5MHz. You can find details about this in the OFW611 amateur radio licence terms and conditions booklet, which is available from ofcom.org.uk, and there is also more information about operating on this band at rsgb.org/5mhz Are you passionate about attracting older people to amateur radio, while retaining and engaging our valued senior members? The RSGB is seeking an enthusiastic individual to take on the role of Honorary Mature Members' Officer. This volunteer leadership role will champion the inclusive ethos of amateur radio and promote how the hobby can be enjoyed by all, irrespective of age. You will help to ensure that mature members feel supported, valued and actively involved and build a small team to develop initiatives that strengthen engagement across our community. If you are an RSGB Member and are committed to helping others remain active and involved in the hobby they love, visit rsgb.org/volunteers to read the full role description and find out how to apply. Time is running out to submit your entry to the RSGB 2026 Construction Competition. The deadline is Sunday, the 1st of March. You'll need to email a short description of your entry and up to four photographs. It is also recommended to send a link to a video that demonstrates your entry working. More details on submitting your application can be found via rsgb.org/construction-competition. The results of the competition will be announced during the RSGB 2026 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, 18th of April. To encourage activity on the 2m band, the 145 Alive team has introduced 145 Alive 50. The trial period for this initiative runs until the 18th of April. The rules are simple. Call CQ on the calling channel and have at least one QSO per day on the 2m band. Record your contacts and send your log for 50 or more days, in ADIF format, to 145aliveuk@gmail.com. Electronic certificates will be supplied by the 145 Alive team to successful applicants. 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 1st of March, the Exeter Radio Rally will take place at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE. The rally will include a bring-and-buy area, disabled facilities, catering and free car parking. The entry fee is £3. Traders can gain entry from 8 am, and the doors open to the public at 10 am. For more information, email Bill, G7AKJ via billwrench213@btinternet.com On Sunday, the 22nd of March, Callington Radio and Electronics Rally will be held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7BE. The doors will be open to the public from 10 am until 1 pm. Entry is £2 each with no charge for those under the age of 16. A comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies from the southwest will be present along with a bring-and-buy stall and the usual catering service. Pre-booking is essential, so please contact Alastair, M0KRR, via alastair.kerr1@btinternet.com or by phone on 01503 262 755 with your requirements as soon as possible. Visit callingtonradiosociety.org.uk for more information. Now the Special Event news Today, Sunday the 22nd, Hartlepool Amateur Radio Club will be operating using special callsign GB100HG for World Thinking Day on the Air. Listen for activity on the 40, 20 and 10m bands, mainly using SSB and possibly CW and FT8. FM contacts will also be possible on the 2m and 70cm bands. The operators are keen to make as many contacts as possible. If you hear them, please give them a call. Celebrating World Radio Day, the VIC Amateur Radio Contest DX Club is operating as 4UNR until the 28th of February using CW, SSB and digital modes. QSL via OQRS. Now the DX news Michael, OZ6ABL, is active as 5Z4/OZ6ABL from Watamu in Kenya, until Saturday, the 28th of February. Activity is on the 80 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS, or via Michael's home call. Ulmar, DK1CE, is active as TZ1CE from Bamako in Mali until Sunday, the 1st of March. He is operating mainly FT8 on the HF bands. SSB contacts are also possible. QSL via Club Log and Logbook of the World. Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 22nd of February, the UK Microwave Group EHF Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on 76 to 241GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The REF Contest started at 0600 UTC yesterday, the 21st, and runs until 1800 UTC today, Sunday the 22nd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.   The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 21st, and finishes at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 22nd of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and transmitter power. American stations also send their state, and Canadian stations send their province. Tomorrow, the 23rd of February, 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 24th of February, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the 25th of February, 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. On Thursday, the 26th of February, the RSGB 80m club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130 UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ 160m DX Contest starts at 2200 UTC on Friday, the 27th of February and runs until 2200 UTC on Sunday, the 1st of March. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. American stations also send their state, and Canadian stations send their province. On Sunday the 1st of March, the Worked All Britain 3.5MHz Phone Contest runs from 1800 to 2200 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your Worked All Britain area. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday, the 19th of February. We had a week of relatively low solar flux indices and mostly settled geomagnetic conditions. While the solar flux index fell to the 117 to 129 range, the Kp index was mostly in the twos and threes. This was after the weekend's geomagnetic disturbance, due to a large coronal hole that expelled solar plasma in a stream that moved past Earth at nearly 700 kilometres per second. As a result, HF conditions have been quite good with plenty of DX being worked. The KP5/NP3VI Desecheo Island DXpedition near Puerto Rico has been a struggle for many, due to its popularity and use of solar-powered batteries and low power. One quick hint: try FT8 on the 40m band around 7 to 7.30 am. You get a greyline enhancement at sunrise, but for much of Europe, the band is closing, which means there is little competition. Let us know how you get on. Other DX this week includes 8R1WA in Guyana. This is an Italian team operating until Friday, the 27th of February. Chuck will be active as VP2MCV on Montserrat and will be active in the ARRL DX CW Contest until the end of the month. Finally, a German team will be operating as J51A in Guinea-Bissau until mid-March. Another large solar coronal hole became Earth-facing on Friday, the 20th of February, so we may expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions from today, the 22nd. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasted a low solar flux index of 105 for yesterday, the 21st, before rising again to potentially reach 165 by the end of this month. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 24th and 25th with an estimated Kp index of 5. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th of February saw afternoon openings on 50MHz to TZ1CE in Mali to generate DX interest. However, as expected, it was stations much further south that benefited from the best propagation, with just a few stations in the southern areas of the UK making QSOs on FT8. The present spell of unsettled weather remains the main theme for the period up to the end of the coming week. The pattern is controlled by a strong Atlantic jet stream, so ‘changeable' is the watchword with periods of heavy rain alternating with brighter showery interludes and, of course, quite strong winds at times. In terms of propagation, rain scatter is a clear favourite, although in one cloudy period in mild air around Tuesday the 24th, some possible tropo may show up for southern areas of the UK.  The meteor scatter options are again subject to random activity since we are still some way off the next important shower, the Lyrids, in late April.   The auroral prospects have, at best, been gently simmering at low values of the Kp index, mostly less than 5. Stay tuned, though, because we may see an uptick around Tuesday the 24th. So watch for signs of fluttery signals on the LF bands and then check for auroral tones on 10m and up through the 6 to 2m bands. These events are always a bit of a long shot, but should be worth checking this time. The sporadic-E season is still some way off, although a strong jet stream pattern is always a positive. For EME, Moon declination is positive and rising, meaning longer Moon windows and higher peak elevation. Path loss continues to fall as we approach perigee on Tuesday, the 24th. 144MHz sky noise starts the coming week low, rising to moderate towards the end. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 15th of February 2026   The news headlines: Support the RSGB Contest Committees Learn your freedoms and restrictions in relation to repeaters, gateways and packet radio in March's Tonight@8 Check your club's details are up to date on Club Finder   The RSGB Contest Support Committee, HF Contest Committee and VHF Contest Committee are looking for volunteers who can help organise, support and manage the Society's contesting activities. While applications from experienced contestants are welcome, the committees would also be pleased to hear from radio amateurs who are new to contesting. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact RSGB General Manager, Steve Thomas, M1ACB, in the first instance, via gm.dept@rsgb.org.uk In February 2024, Ofcom made significant changes to the amateur radio licensing conditions, but how has that affected your freedoms and restrictions in relation to repeaters, gateways and packet radio? In the next episode of Tonight@8, two members of the RSGB Emerging Technology Coordination Committee will answer this question for you. Join Steve Morton, F4VTF and John McCullagh, GI4BWM, live on Monday, the 2nd of March, via the RSGB's YouTube Channel or via its special BATC channel. If you have a question on this topic, ensure you watch the webinar live and submit your question via the live chat feature. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/webinars If you are a member of an RSGB-affiliated club or society, the RSGB is encouraging you to check that your organisation's details are up to date on Club Finder. The RSGB Club Finder allows people to search for local amateur radio groups. Those people could want to join your club, find out more about amateur radio before taking their Foundation licence exam, or perhaps need support for British Science Week activities. Updating your listing is easy. Just log in to your club's Membership Services account and go to the ‘UK Club Finder' section. The form includes a section called ‘Meeting details' where you can add helpful information about disabled access, as well as details about both physical and online meetings. The Society will update Club Finder with any new data between 4 pm and 6 pm every Friday. If you wish your latest information to appear before the weekend, please ensure you update your details before 3 pm on Fridays. If you have any questions about the process, please contact membership@rsgb.org.uk Among the many informative and engaging displays at the RSGB National Radio Centre, you'll find information highlighting the contribution to the war effort made by Voluntary Interceptors who were RSGB Members during World War Two. It is this topic that Josephine Saunders explores in her compelling article “Listening for victory” published in “BRITAIN” magazine. The four-page feature looks at the role that radio amateurs played in the War, and how RSGB volunteers now help to bring this history to life at the RSGB National Radio Centre. She also looks at some of the wide-ranging activities on offer at the NRC, such as the ‘Find the spy transmitter' event held last year. Subscribers to the magazine can read the feature on page 63. It can also be read by going to tinyurl.com/NationalRadioCentre Participation from radio amateurs in this year's British Science Week is already looking to exceed last year's. Several clubs and groups are looking to set up skeds, ranging from South Derbyshire and Ashby Woulds Amateur Radio Group to Crowthorne and Wokingham Without NMI Men's Shed. A sked is a prearranged radio contact with another radio operator at a scheduled time and on a particular frequency. Find out more about these opportunities by going to rsgb.org/bsw  and selecting ‘Events happening near you' from the right-hand menu. For those unable to attend the Memorial Service for Dr Julian Gannaway, G3YGF, tomorrow, Monday the 16th of February, the service can be viewed online at watch.obitus.com. The login details are available via the RSGB's Silent Key web page. And finally, a date for your diary. The 14th Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will be held on Saturday, the 31st of October 2026, at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife, Scotland. There will be an optional dinner in the evening at a local hotel. Further updates will be provided on the GMRT website at gmroundtable.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 Today, the 15th of February, Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society's Radioactive Fair is taking place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Cheshire CW5 5DG. The doors are open from 10 am to 3 pm. The event features a bring-and-buy sale, RSGB bookstall and raffle. Catering, parking and disabled facilities are available on site. For more details, visit radioactivefair.co.uk On Sunday, the 1st of March, the Exeter Radio Rally will take place at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE. The rally will include a bring-and-buy area, disabled facilities, catering and free car parking. The entry fee is £3. Traders can gain entry from 8 am, and the doors open to the public at 10 am. For more information, email Bill, G7AKJ via billwrench213@btinternet.com Now the Special Event news Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society will be using the special callsign GB100MKG with Milton Keynes Girlguiding during Thinking Day on the Air weekend. The station will be on the air from 11 am on Saturday, the 21st of February and throughout the day. Operators will be running primarily on the 40, 17 and 15m bands, as well as via the QO-100 satellite, using SSB. FT4 and FT8 contacts will also be possible. Special event station TM23AAW is on the air until the 2nd of March to celebrate the 23rd Antarctic Activity Week. Look for activity on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via F8DVD or the Bureau. For more information, visit QRZ.com Now the DX news Borut, S53BV is active as S9BV from Sao Tome, AF-023, until Friday, the 20th of February. He is operating using CW and SSB on the 60, 40, 30 and 15m bands. QSL via OQRS only. Walt, W0CP and Mary, K0ZV, are active as V31DJ and V31DK from Placencia in Belize until the 27th of February. They are using CW, FT4, FT8 and SSB. Look for activity on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS, Logbook of the World or directly. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest started at 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 14th and ends at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 15th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest started at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 14th and runs until 1200 UTC today, Sunday, the 15th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province reference. On Tuesday, the 17th of February, 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 19th of February, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The ARRL International DX Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 21st and runs until 2359 UTC on Sunday, the 22nd of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American stations also send their state, and Canadian stations send their province. The REF Contest starts at 0600 UTC on Saturday, the 21st of February and runs until 1800 UTC on Sunday, the 22nd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday, the 22nd of February, the UK Microwave Group EHF Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on 76 to 241GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday, the 12th of February. It has been a good time for HF DX. Settled geomagnetic conditions and a fairly high solar flux index has meant the ionosphere has had time to shine. With the Kp index not exceeding 4.33, and generally being in the ones and twos, coupled with a solar flux index in the 160s, this has meant that the upper HF bands have been humming. This is despite many relatively minor C- and M-class solar flares. DX heard or worked this week includes stations in Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand on the 10m band, even with modestly equipped stations. DX being chased includes the KP5/NP3VI Desecheo Island DXpedition near Puerto Rico. This has been difficult, often because they are running low power on their remotely controlled rigs. But UK stations have got through on all bands from 40 to 10m. Due to deteriorating sea conditions, they have delayed equipment recovery until the 3rd of March, so you still have time to work them. The next big DXpedition to look forward to is 3Y0K from Bouvet Island. Due to technical problems with their ship, the operation has now been delayed and will start around the 26th of February. With the path to Bouvet being almost due south from the UK, propagation predictions suggest that the path should be open from around 0730UTC until 1830UTC, up to 10m, with 21MHz being open from around 0800 to 1000UTC and again from 1600 to 1800UTC. Outside of these times, look for a path on the 20, or even 30 or 40m bands, in the evening and night. FT8 will be the most favourable mode, but CW and SSB are possible. However, remember they will be using split frequency operation. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will increase to be in the 160 to 180 range. Geomagnetic conditions may start the week settled, with a predicted Kp index of 2, but we may expect more unsettled conditions as the week progresses, with a predicted Kp index of 4 from the 16th to the 21st of February. So, get your HF Dxing in early next week! And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather is often described as blocked when we see long-lasting high pressure, which hangs around for weeks at a time and is a gift for tropo on VHF. However, right next door to a blocked high you will probably find a low-pressure region, which is also blocked for the same reason.  Currently, we are in the middle of a prolonged period of blocked low pressure, hence the rain and absence of tropo. The position of the low varies a bit, of course, so sometimes we will have milder southerly winds with rain and at other times colder northerlies with snow.  We have the full variety in the coming week or so, and that means no tropo for VHF operators, but plenty of rain scatter for the GHz folk. The meteor scatter position hasn't changed since last week's news, so we are once again confined to random activity and, for this, early morning hours are usually best. Aurora alerts continue to trickle through, and as we approach the spring equinox, the chances of auroras improve, but there is a little way to go yet.  Lastly, thoughts of Sporadic-E remain dormant since we are some way short of the typical early season openings of late April and May. As usual, consider checking the propquest.co.uk  graphs occasionally, which have shown minor peaks of the foEs, or critical frequency of the Es layer, in the early evening on some days.  The Moon reached perigee, its closest point to the Earth, on Tuesday, the 10th of February. The Moon is moving toward apogee on Sunday, the 22nd of February, meaning path loss will gradually increase throughout the week as the Moon's distance grows. Cosmic background noise is relatively low during this period, which helps maintain a better signal-to-noise ratio. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 8th of February 2026 The news headlines: RSGB member-exclusive DDS programming workshop in Blackpool What are your British Science Week plans? Submit your RSGB 2026 Convention ideas As part of the Society's strategy to support radio amateurs in developing their practical skills, the RSGB will be running a DDS programming workshop in Blackpool on Saturday, the 11th of April, the day before the NARSA Rally. The six-hour workshop, which was first run at the RSGB 2025 Convention, is intended for RSGB members who already have a basic knowledge of Arduino programming. Attendees will learn how to control and program a Direct Digital Synthesiser using a microcontroller and will use this to generate RF. As well as covering the maths behind the programming process, attendees will also gain an insight into vibe coding. So, if 2026 is the year you want to take your programming skills up a notch, this is the event for you. For full information and booking details, visit rsgb.org/practical-events This year's British Science Week runs from the 6th to the 15th of March with ‘Curiosity: what's your question?' as its theme. Several clubs, youth groups and schools have already planned events and activities, and the RSGB's team of Champions are working together to deliver more. You can take part by trying one of the great activity suggestions that the RSGB has on its website. You could get your local WI, Men in Sheds group, school or youth groups or even your own family involved. If you have your own ideas, let the RSGB know; they don't need to be ‘grand', simply demonstrating the magic of radio is enough. Another way to get involved with British Science Week is by taking part in a sked, which is a pre-arranged radio contact with another radio operator at a scheduled time and on a particular frequency. The RSGB National Radio Centre is offering groups and clubs the opportunity to arrange a sked and get its sought-after GB3RS callsign into the logbook. To take part in this unique offering, go to rsgb.org/bsw  and select ‘Events happening near you' from the right-hand menu. Contacts must be arranged in advance and would take place between 10 am and 4 pm during British Science Week. Is there a particular topic you'd like to learn more about at the RSGB 2026 Convention in October? Have you been working on some research or a project that you'd like to share with the amateur radio community? Or would you like to see a workshop explaining a new skill you'd like to try? Whatever the idea, submit your proposal to the RSGB by sending the title and at least a one-paragraph summary of your suggestion to convention@rsgb.org.uk If you're not yet an RSGB member and are curious to read RadCom Basics or RadCom Plus, take a look at the RSGB app, which is available for mobile and web. The RSGB has just released a sample edition of each, so whether you are a newcomer or are looking for more technical features, the samples will give you a taster of the Society's digital RadCom supplements. There are only three weeks left until the closing date for entries in the RSGB Construction Competition. The competition is open to all RSGB members and has six categories to enter, ranging from 'Beginners' to 'Construction Excellence'. Whether you are taking your first steps in construction or it is your 50th project, the Society invites you to get involved and be in with the chance to win a cash prize. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/construction-competition. The deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2026. The RSGB has several Regional Team vacancies, including District Representative positions in Hampshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, South Derbyshire and South Nottinghamshire, and also North Lincolnshire. This is an opportunity not only to support the work of the RSGB but to provide help and guidance for local radio amateurs and groups in your area. To find out how to apply or to view other Regional Team vacancies in other areas, go to rsgb.org/volunteers The RSGB is delighted to hear that Wick High School in Scotland is preparing for an ARISS contact later this year. The RSGB School Youth Chair, Chris Aitken, MM0WI,C is the Computing teacher at the school and also runs the school's amateur radio club, GM0WHS. Chris shared the news with the Society, and you can read more by going to rsgb.org/school-zone 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 The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, is taking place today, Sunday the 8th of February at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can set up from 8.15 am and the doors open to visitors at 10 am. A large car park, catering, a bring-and-buy sale, improved disabled access and a seating area are available on site. For more information, visit wmrc.co.uk On Sunday, the 15th of February, Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society's Radioactive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Cheshire CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm. The event will feature a bring-and-buy sale, RSGB bookstall and raffle. Catering, parking and disabled facilities will be available on site. For more detail,s visit radioactivefair.co.uk Now the Special Event news To celebrate the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the special event station DD2026OWG is active until the 1st of March. QSL via Logbook of the World. For more information, visit QRZ.com Six special event stations are active in Poland until the 22nd of February to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of Gdynia. Look for activity on the 160 to 6m bands, as well as the 2m and 70cm bands using CW, SSB, FM, RTTY, FT4 and FT8. For information about an award that is available for working the stations, and for QSL details, visit tinyurl.com/gdynia26 Now the DX news Aldir, PY1SAD, is active as 8R1TM from Guyana until the 23rd of February. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands and via satellite. Listen for activity between 2300 and 0300UTC during the week, and ‘full time' during the weekends. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com or directly to Aldir's home call. Michael, OZ6AB,L is active as 5Z4/OZ6ABL from Watamu in Kenya until the 28th of February. The station is operating on the 80 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS, or via Michael's home call.  Now the contest news Today, the 8th of February, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday, the 10th of February, 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 10th of February, 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 11th of February, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and a four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 11th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. 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. Also on Wednesday the 11th of February, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday, the 12th of February, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday, the 14th of February, the Worked All Britain 1.8MHz Contest runs from 1900 to 2359UTC. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 24th of February 2026. Please note that the contest will include SSB contacts only. To view the complete rules, visit the Worked All Britain website. Also on Saturday, the 14th of February, the first RSGB 1.8MHz Contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 14th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday, the 15th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday, the 14th of February and runs until 1200 UTC on Sunday, the 15th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province reference. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 5th of February Last week was characterised by a high solar flux index but with a succession of X-class solar flares from active region 4366 on the Sun. Luckily, none of these resulted in a coronal mass ejection, so we got away lightly. The solar flux index stood at 178 on Tuesday, the 3rd of February, with the result that the 10m band was humming. US states logged included Oregon, Nevada, California, Washington and Idaho, all between 1530 and 1730UTC. As we always say, look for a high solar flux index and a low Kp index for DX – in this case, a Kp index of between 1 and 2.33. By comparison, the next day was a washout, possibly thanks to a Kp index increase to 3.67, thanks to a coronal mass ejection, or CME, that passed Earth at 1506UTC. Poor conditions continued on Thursday, the 5th, when the solar wind speed increased to more than 500 kilometres per second, the Kp index increased to 5.33, and maximum usable frequencies across a 3,000km path struggled to exceed 20MHz. Incidentally, February and March are good months for 10m band paths to the US. By April, paths start to drop away and start favouring South America, so if you need US states for your Worked All States award, now is the right time! In the meantime, keep an eye on active region 4366 as it may still have a sting in its tail. This monstrous sunspot group, 15 times the width of Earth, was Earth-centric on Thursday, the 5th. As always, we recommend visiting solarham.com  for daily updates on space weather. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 130 to 150 range, although the Kp index might be unsettled at times, with an average Kp index of 3. Friday, the 13th of February, is forecast to be particularly unsettled with a Kp index of 5. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The markedly unsettled weather pattern continues to bring a mix of rain and showers and very strong winds at times, plus the threat of snowfall in some eastern and northern areas. This probably means that tropo will be hard to find during the coming week but leaves us with plenty of chances for rain scatter for GHz operators. In the solar-terrestrial domain, the disturbed Sun has once again brought a sequence of flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which has provided frequent auroral alerts as the Kp index has climbed to 4 or more. Listen for fluttery signals on the LF bands and perhaps ghostly sounding signals on HF and VHF, typically 10m to 2m.  Meteor scatter operators must rely upon random meteor activity, but over the whole Earth, this can amount to 25 million meteors or meteoroids per day, so there is every chance that even random activity could produce a path for you if you have a quiet site.  The mix of meteor activity and a low Kp index can lead to out-of-season Sporadic-E, given some jet stream weather activity. However, this is currently well south of the Mediterranean in its usual winter position, so any Sporadic-E may be a bit too far south to reach from the UK in the short term. This week, Moon declination is negative all week and falling until Thursday, the 12th of February. Moon window length and peak elevation follow suit. Path losses are rising again as we reach apogee, the Moon's furthest point from Earth, on Tuesday, the 10th of February. 144MHz sky noise is low but rising to high by Thursday, the 12th of February. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

En este episodio de CQ en Frecuencia hablamos de preparación real en comunicaciones de emergencia, más allá de las redes formales y las activaciones oficiales. Coincidiendo con el tercer aniversario del podcast, comenzamos con un breve flashback al episodio 1 y, a partir de ahí, entramos de lleno en dos herramientas complementarias y muy actuales: El ejercicio GRT (Grupo Radio Transpirenaico) Un ejercicio internacional, organizado por radioaficionados, que entrena la operativa real en VHF y HF desde puntos elevados. Analizamos su filosofía, su estructura y su valor como preparación individual y colectiva, apoyándonos en audios reales de distintas fases del ejercicio: ubicación, HF, VHF, relevo de operadores y estaciones de apoyo. El Plan 333 Una propuesta sencilla y accesible para aficionados a la radio que utilizan bandas libres como CB y PMR, basada en hábitos de escucha y llamada periódicos. Explicamos en qué consiste, cómo se aplica y por qué puede ser clave cuando fallan las comunicaciones habituales, con fragmentos del canal El Modulador, utilizados con permiso. Durante el episodio dejamos claro que GRT y Plan 333 no sustituyen a redes como REMER o EMCOM, sino que las complementan, reforzando la preparación previa y la presencia radioeléctrica en las fases iniciales de una emergencia. Un episodio centrado en la radio real, la escucha, el entrenamiento y la importancia de estar preparados antes de que haga falta. ¿Nos apoyas para que podamos seguir haciendo este podcast? Puedes apoyarnos en QRP con 1,99€ al mes o un poco más de potencia en QRO, con 5,99€ al mes aquí: https://cqenfrecuencia.com/apoyar/ NOTAS DEL EPISODIO - Video sobre el plan 333 en el canal de Youtube de "El Modulador" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQ5ANU6eJ4 - Información e Inscripciones al ejercicio GRT https://www.planetadelta.com/ya-esta-aqui-el-grt-de-invierno/ 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

GB2RS News Sunday the 1st of February 2026 The news headlines: RSGB Board appoints a Deputy Company Secretary Make sure you are aware of changes in the RSGB 2026 band plans An opportunity to join the GB2RS Newsreader team The RSGB Board is delighted to announce that it has appointed Stephen Ramsden, M0CCA as Deputy Company Secretary. Stephen is a solicitor and former law firm managing partner, with extensive experience in governance systems and compliance frameworks. He is a keen HF portable operator and always interested to learn about and experiment with anything related to amateur radio. Stephen Purser, GW4SHF, has told the Board that he wishes to retire from his role as Company Secretary, and the Board's intention is that Stephen Ramsden will take on the full Company Secretary role after the AGM. You can contact Stephen Ramsden via dep.co.sec@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB 2026 Band Plans were published in the recently released February edition of RadCom. They are now also available on the RSGB website in a wider variety of formats, including more detailed change notes. This year's changes address a handful of key topics, including updates to the 5MHz band plan to emphasise correct operating, which comes in the light of out-of-band FT8 usage and Ofcom monitoring concerns. Updates at 50MHz have been made to accommodate new repeater inputs, which use a wider 1MHz split, easing the implementation of their duplex filters. In the 430MHz UHF band, provision for low-power ad-hoc repeaters and some editorial updates have also been made. As Band Plans change over time, please ensure you only refer or link to the current ones on the RSGB website and remove any older ones you have locally. Unfortunately, the RSGB still notes some websites and unofficial usage charts have obsolete information and urge that these are all removed. View the 2026 Band Plans at rsgb.org/bandplans The RSGB is looking for volunteers to join the team of newsreaders who broadcast the GB2RS news each Sunday. The GB2RS News Manager, Steve, G4HPE, is particularly interested in hearing from people in Wales and Northern Ireland, where he is keen to increase the number of broadcasts. He'd also like to bolster existing QO-100 and Digital Voice services and to add new stations to the national teams on the 40, 60 and 160m bands. If you'd like to be involved with any of these opportunities, or if you have proposals for transmissions using new modes or bands, get in touch. Read the full role description at rsgb.org/volunteers The next Tonight@8 webinar will be live tomorrow, Monday the 2nd of February, from 8 pm via the RSGB's YouTube channel and special BATC channel. RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair Steve Nichols, G0KYA, will be showing you how to use the Society's free online HF propagation tools. He'll explain how you can tailor your predictions to suit your particular station, including selecting the right mode, power, noise levels, antennas, and exact location. If you can't wait until tomorrow to hear from Steve, you can catch up on the presentation he delivered at the RSGB 2025 Convention. His lecture, ‘Was that solar cycle 25? What did we learn? is now available to watch in the RSGB 2025 Convention playlist at youtube.com/thersgb Chris Flanagan, G7NRO, is unfortunately no longer able to continue as RSGB QSL Bureau sub-manager for the G7 series, and the RSGB thanks him for the time he has given as an RSGB volunteer. RSGB members with G7 callsigns who collect QSL cards should now send their self-addressed envelopes to Mr Anthony Holles, G4AAV. You can find his details in the sub-manager list of the RSGB QSL Bureau web section at rsgb.org/qsl The January 2026 edition of RadCom Basics is now available for RSGB members to read via the RSGB mobile and web app. This edition includes articles on using a multimeter, advice on getting on the air, and the challenges that face radio amateurs who are new to the HF bands. RadCom Basics covers key aspects of amateur radio in a clear, accessible way and is invaluable for those getting started in amateur radio or wanting to explore something new. This is why the Society is delighted to have added to its collection of RadCom Basics back issues in the RSGB app, where RSGB members can now enjoy editions dating back to May 2019. The publication takes you through topics ranging from working split frequency to building your own digital hotspot, and from using FT8 to taking part in a radio net. With the RSGB mobile app, you can download editions to enjoy offline. You can also browse RadCom Basics on the web via rsgb.org/radcom And finally, a reminder that the next in the popular 145 Alive series will take place on Saturday the 7th of February from 12pm to 3pm. The event will include the addition of 144MHz SSB stations with vertical polarisation. For more information, visit the 145 Alive Facebook page. And now for details of rallies and events The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, will take place on Sunday, the 8th of February at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can set up from 8.15 am and the doors open to visitors at 10 am. A large car park, catering, a bring-and-buy sale, improved disabled access and a seating area will be available on site. For more information and booking, visit wmrc.co.uk On Sunday, the 15th of February, Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society's Radioactive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Cheshire CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm. The event will feature a bring-and-buy sale, RSGB bookstall and raffle. Catering, parking and disabled facilities will be available on site. For more details, visit radioactivefair.co.uk Now the Special Event news Operators from the DARC special event team are active as DH2026EM until the 10th of February to celebrate the Men's European Handball Championship. QSL via DK5ON, Logbook of the World and the DARC Community Logbook. Look for activity on the HF bands using CW, digital modes and SSB. See QRZ.com for more information. Phil, ZL3PAH, is active as ZL60PAH until the 22nd of February to mark his diamond jubilee in amateur radio. He is operating using CW, RTTY and some SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. For more information, see QRZ.com Now the DX news Chas, NK8O, is active as 5H3DX from Tanzania until the 9th of February. In his spare time, he operates CW and digital modes on the 20 to 10m bands. If conditions allow, Chas may also be active on the 6m band. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or directly to NK8O. Harald, DF2W,O is active as 9X2AW from Kigali in Rwanda until the 9th of February. He is operating on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, FT4, FT8 and SSB as well as via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via OQRS. Now the contest news Tomorrow, the 2nd of February, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday, the 3rd of February, 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 3rd of February, 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 4th of February, 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 4th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also on Wednesday, the 4th of February, 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. On Sunday, the 8th of February, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 29th of January 2026 We had a much quieter week Sun-wise, with fewer geomagnetic disturbances and a decreasing solar flux index. Last week started at 153 but decreased to 133 by Wednesday. The Kp index started the week at 2.33 and, apart from an excursion to 5.33, was below 4.33 all week. The 5.33 value was due to an enhanced solar wind stream flowing from a small coronal hole. The lower Kp indices have meant that the ionosphere has had a chance to recover, and we have been seeing maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path reaching 35MHz at times. The 10m band has been coming up quite nicely, with the RR90 beacon in Eastern Russia audible on 28.200MHz mid-morning. On Thursday, the 29th of January, the band was otherwise quite bare, apart from EM0WWA in Ukraine on 28.480MHz with some sort of digitised voice. Also, PP8ZAC in Brazil was loud on 28.025MHz using CW. A quick scan of the 28MHz low-power beacons revealed PY4YYF Brazil on 28.115MHz, YM7TEN in Turkey on 28.225MHz, and that was it. Hopefully, 28MHz will improve as we head towards Spring. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 120 to 140 range, with the Kp index set to remain low until the 4th of February, when it is predicted to rise to 4. So, if this goes to plan, we can expect reasonable conditions on the HF bands. However, you might be better off on 18, 21 or 24MHz as the 10m band may not be as active as we would like. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The recent pattern of low pressure close to the southwest of the British Isles has staked its claim for another week. This means further spells of rain, especially in the south and west. The cold southeasterly wind over the northeastern half of the UK will persist, but any high pressure will stay well to the north and east of us, so tropo will probably be hard to find. Rain scatter, on the other hand, may be more productive, especially for the south and west. Some periods of rain, sleet or snow are possible in the northeast, where there may also be some snow static on antennas from time to time.  Meteor scatter will have to rely upon random meteors for the next few weeks, and, as most of you who follow these bulletins will remember, are at a peak in the pre-dawn hours. There has been a steady stream of auroral alerts recently. These have been mostly minor events, but they reinforce the notion that it is worth monitoring the Kp index, which gives a sense of Earth's geomagnetic activity. High Kp values are a useful indicator of a potential auroral event. Sporadic-E usually takes a break at this time of the year, but if you make a point of checking the foEs trace at propquest.co.uk, you may see that there are occasional spikes in the graph of the data from Dourbes in Belgium. This suggests that, although rare, out-of-season Sporadic-E does occur, especially on the lower bands such as 10 and 6m.  This week, Moon declination is positive and falling, going negative again on Thursday. Moon window length and peak elevation are falling. Path losses are rising again as we passed perigee on the 29th of January. 144MHz sky noise will be low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

This week we're joined by actor, drag queen, and Debbie Harry fanatic, Love Connie, for a look at David Cronenberg's sexy and sadistic meditation on horror, television, and society: Videodrome. The early 1980s saw a revolution in consumer video. Small UHF stations broadcast trashy movies at night to compete with the larger VHF networks. VCRs and cable introduced theatrical films to the home market uncut for broadcast. Canadian media theorist, Marshall McLuhan, had some real deep thoughts on what that would mean for our society and how it would change our consciousness. Cronenberg saw a movie in there and he cast James Woods and Debbie Harry as pawns in a game played by shadowy figures using television signals to physically transform the viewers. Max Renn is an executive for CIVIC-TV, a small UHF station in Toronto, a station that broadcast violent and pornographic content. He's on the lookout for the next sensation that'll broaden his audience and he stumbles on to what appears to be a snuff show called Videodrome. It's nothing but brutality, no plot, no characters, just violence. The deeper he looks into it, the worse his hallucinations become. What's real? What's fantasy? Does it even matter? What is Videodrome doing to him? Join the Bring Me The Axe Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/snkxuxzJ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support Bring Me The Axe! on Patreon:⁠⁠https://patreon.com/bringmetheaxepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Bring Me The Axe merch here:⁠⁠⁠https://www.bonfire.com/store/bring-me-the-axe-podcast/⁠⁠

GB2RS News Sunday, the 25th of January 2026 The news headlines: It is the last week to submit your nominations for the RSGB 2026 Elections The RSGB EMC Committee has published a "Guide for Reporting Harmful Interference to Ofcom" Apply to be the RSGB's Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer Time is running out to submit your candidate forms and nominations to become an RSGB Board Director or Regional Representative in the upcoming RSGB 2026 Elections. Both roles offer the chance to use your skills, experience, energy and enthusiasm to help shape the future of the RSGB and its activities as it fulfils its strategic priorities. If you'd like to rise to the challenge and join a team of enthusiastic and dedicated radio amateurs who are eager to ensure the growth of the RSGB and amateur radio, act now. The closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31st of January. The Society strongly encourages applications from radio amateurs of all different backgrounds and identities. Find out how to submit your application at rsgb.org/elections The RSGB EMC Committee has recently published a new “Guide for Reporting Harmful Interference to Ofcom". The leaflet contains some dos and don'ts on the style and content of the report that has to be submitted. It also provides some examples of wording that can be used. This is the 18th leaflet the EMC Committee has released that offers advice on dealing with interference issues. Download all of them by going to rsgb.org/emc  and selecting ‘EMC Leaflets' from the ‘In this section' menu on the right-hand side. The RSGB is looking for a volunteer to build a team that will engage with early-career engineers, as well as those making a career transition, to encourage them to use amateur radio to develop their skills and knowledge. As the Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer you will lead a team that will design and deliver learning material and courses at a level both just beyond, and significantly beyond, the Full Licence. If you are an RSGB member and interested either in this role or contributing to this programme, read the full role description at rsgb.org/volunteers Girl Guides and Scouts across the globe will be celebrating 100 years of World Thinking Day on Sunday, the 22nd of February. The aim of Thinking Day on the Air is to encourage Girlguiding and Scouting members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. What will you be doing to help them celebrate? You could put on a special event station with a callsign that reflects this centenary. Let the RSGB know your plans so it can help to promote the event and share a list of stations that will be active over the weekend. A similar and highly popular resource was shared for Jamboree on the Air in October. Get involved and help to make this event just as successful. Send details of your activity to comms@rsgb.org.uk Amateur Radio Digital Communications, also known as the ARDC, has funding opportunities open for projects. Applications are invited for a range of topics including hardware, software, digital and satellite communications and educational material. The next deadline for submitting applications is the 1st of February 2026. Read more at tinyurl.com/ardcfeb26 Join the new Radio For Us net ️on FreeSTAR International today, Sunday the 25th of January, from 8 pm. A live stream of the event will be available at youtube.com/@radioforus. You can find out more about the network visit by visiting freestar.network  And finally, a reminder that 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 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.  And now for details of rallies and events Today, Sunday the 25th of January, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. This is an indoor event with ample free parking. The doors are open from 10 am, and admission is £3. For more information, contact Steve, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, will take place on Sunday, the 8th of February at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can gain access to set up from 8.15 am, and the doors open to visitors at 10 am. A large car park, catering, bring and buy, improved disabled access and a seating area will be available on site. For more information and booking, visit wmrc.co.uk Now the Special Event news Special callsign DF100KWTJ is active until the 31st of March to mark the centenary of the Kurzwellentagung. This commemorates the first convention of German HF amateurs, which was held in January 1926. QSL via the Bureau. Visit QRZ.com for more details. The World Wide Award is currently underway and runs until the 31st of January. The award combines CW, SSB and digital mode activity from stations around the world. Real-time online award tracking is available for chasers. For more information, visit hamaward.cloud/wwa Now the DX news Gabriele, HB9TSW, is active as Z68BG from Slatina Air Base near Pristina in Kosovo until Wednesday, the 28th of January. He is operating CW only. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via Gabriele's home call. Gabriel, LU1WGB, is active as LU1WGB/Z from the Joint Antarctic Base on Laurie Island, in the South Orkney Islands, AN-008, until the 22nd of February. He operates using FT8 with a QRP SDR transceiver and a dipole. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide 160m DX Contest started at 2200UTC on Friday, the 23rd and runs until 2200UTC today, Sunday, the 25th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. American stations also send their state, and Canadian stations send their province. The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint started at 1200UTC yesterday, Saturday the 24th and runs until 1200UTC today, Sunday the 25th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. On Tuesday, the 27th of January, 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 28th of January, 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. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 22nd of January 2026 Last week featured a massive aurora that couldn't have been predicted in the previous report. The cause was a large Earth-directed coronal mass ejection on Sunday, the 18th of January at 18:08 UTC. The solar wind speed was above 1,100 kilometres per second, so the impact on the Earth arrived sooner than expected. The result was that the Kp index rose to 8.33 at around 1938UTC on Monday, the 19th, sparking widespread aurora. Such was its intensity that the aurora was visible from Devon, and the Kp index was still at 8 the following day. HF was badly affected with maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path, struggling to reach 14MHz on the 20th of January. Luckily, things have now calmed down, but it shows that it is worthwhile keeping an eye on solarham.com  for daily updates. HF DX was a little sparse during the height of the geomagnetic storm, but has since recovered. 8Q7JI in the Maldives was reported as being worked on the 20m band using FT8 in the afternoon of Wednesday, the 21st of January. The KP5/NP3VI Desecheo Island DXpedition continues and has been worked from the UK by better-equipped stations. 9X2AW in Rwanda will be operating for the coming two weeks. Lastly, VP2EIO in Anguilla is active until the 31st of January using FT8 and some SSB. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start next week around 175, but decline to 165 by Friday, the 30th. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be reasonable, at least until the 28th, when we may expect a Kp index of 4 or 5 over a three-day period. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The mild unsettled weather is probably going to transform into a cold unsettled pattern during the next week. However, things will stay essentially unsettled with active weather fronts or heavy showers bringing plenty of opportunity for rain scatter on the GHz bands. After the good auroral and auroral-E propagation on the VHF bands early last week, we are in quieter territory now. However, as usual, a daily check on the Kp index will ensure you keep in touch with any sign of a recurrence. As for meteor scatter, we are now firmly in the random meteor period for several weeks and, with no major showers available, the best times will usually be in the early hours before sunrise. Lastly, a mention of Sporadic-E, which might crop up as brief spikes on the propquest.co.uk graphs. The foEs values in January show as isolated peaks from 5 to 7MHz, which is approximately equivalent to 10m and 6m. Perhaps a good way to see where the prospects exist is by using dxmaps.com  to find current Sporadic-E paths on the 10 and 6m bands. A second hint can be found by looking at the Sporadic-E blog tab on Propquest to see where the main weather jet streams are located. This is because Sporadic-E paths are often associated with jet streams, especially where they cross mountain ranges like the Pyrenees or Alps.  July this year sees maximum Moon declination coinciding with lowest path losses in the northern hemisphere, so there's never been a better time to try EME operating. This week, Moon declination is positive and rising, so Moon window length and peak elevation are increasing. Path losses are falling as we approach perigee on the 29th of January. 144MHz sky noise is low, rising to moderate on the 29th of January. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday, the 18th of January 2026 The news headlines: RSGB announces important changes to its QSL Bureau Service RSGB Regions 6 and 7 launch a new challenge for February Could you be the RSGB Youth Activities and Engagement Champion? The RSGB is pleased to announce the next stage in developing its QSL Bureau Services following the retirement of the RSGB QSL Bureau Manager Richard Constantine, G3UGF. After a comprehensive review of long-term options, the Society has entered into a formal Contractual Agreement with the German National Radio Society, Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, to process all incoming and outgoing RSGB QSL cards. DARC operates a modern, high-capacity QSL bureau. Its systems already support several national societies and offer industrial-scale reliability, digital processing capability and long-term resilience. This partnership will provide a robust and effective QSL bureau service for RSGB members. Volunteers remain central to the RSGB QSL Bureau Service, and the RSGB extends its thanks to all sub-managers, whose dedication forms the backbone of the service. The new arrangements are designed to support volunteer involvement, not replace it, and to ensure volunteers have a strong infrastructure behind them. The new service preserves the traditional bureau structure but will offer additional options for RSGB members who send cards. Find out more about these developments on the newly updated QSL Bureau pages on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/qsl RSGB Regional Representatives in North and South Wales have launched a new challenge. The 40 Metre Challenge encourages radio amateurs to make as many QSOs as possible on the 40m band between the 1st and 28th of February. The event has six categories to enter and is open to individual RSGB members living in Wales and members of RSGB-affiliated clubs located in Wales. Certificates will be awarded to the top station in each category, as well as a 7MHz Challenge Trophy for the RSGB Affiliated Club with the most QSOs submitted by its membership. Find out more by searching ‘40 Metre Challenge' in the search bar on the RSGB website at rsgb.org Have you got ideas for activities that will inspire and engage young Foundation licence holders? The RSGB is looking for an enthusiastic and innovative person to become its volunteer Youth Activities and Engagement Champion. The role will take the lead on youth-focused activities and help in promoting and supporting events such as YOTA Month and the annual IARU YOTA Summer Camp. Read the full details on this exciting role and how to apply at rsgb.org/volunteers The RSGB is seeking to appoint a new Advertising Agent to take over from the current contractor upon their retirement. This is an exciting opportunity to work with the UK's national amateur radio society and manage advertising sales across a diverse portfolio of respected publications and digital platforms. If you are a contractor or agency and can support the development of RSGB advertising and contribute to the growth of its publications and digital platforms, this opportunity could be for you. Go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/careers to find out more. Applications are closing soon, so don't delay if you're interested! YOTA Month took place in December and was full of young radio amateurs having fun on the air. If you were involved with the event, don't forget to share your experience by featuring in a YOTA Month special in the March edition of RadCom. To be included, email your photos and a short report to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 23rd of January at the latest, and please make it clear if the photos can also be used on social media. A reminder that the RSGB will stop offering the Intermediate 100 award and the VHF/UHF Activity award at the end of 2026. Anyone working towards these awards will have until the end of the year to complete the necessary QSOs. The RSGB has numerous other awards for you to chase, so get started by going to rsgb.org/awards The Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys is having a ‘What is my STEM future' conference for Canterbury school pupils aged between 10 and 13. The event aims to give students a sense of what Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is, and to help them plan for their futures. The conference programme includes four workshops, one of which will be on amateur radio and Morse. Under supervision, students will have the opportunity to operate the school's amateur radio club callsign, G3OSL. Listen out between 10 am and 1 pm on Wednesday, the 21st of January, when pupils will be active using CW on the 40 and 20m bands. Read more about the event via rsgb.org/school-zone 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 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 The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, will take place on Sunday, the 8th of February at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can gain entrance from 8.15 am, and the doors open to visitors at 10 am. A large car park, catering, bring and buy, raffle, improved disabled access and a seating area will be available on site. For more information and booking, visit wmrc.co.uk Now the Special Event news The Royal Association of Radio Amateurs in Morocco is active as CN35CAN during the 35th Africa Cup of Nations. The competition sees African national football teams compete against each other every two years. Recently, the station was worked on the 20m band using SSB. For more information, visit QRZ.com The Straight Key Century Club's Straight Key Month is currently underway. The annual on-air event commemorates the Club's founding in 2006 and celebrates the original instruments of early radiotelegraphy, including straight keys, bugs and ‘cootie' keys. Listen out for the K3Y callsign, which is being aired from the ten USA call areas. Information on the event and QSL instructions can be found at tinyurl.com/skcc2026 Now the DX news Jonathan, W5GI, is active as VP2V/W5GI from Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, NA-023, until Tuesday, the 20th of January. He operates SSB and FT8 on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Andre, ON7YK, is active as C5YK from The Gambia until Sunday, the 25th of January. He operates using SSB, digital modes and some CW on the 20 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or directly to Andre's home call. Now the contest news Tomorrow, the 19th of January, the RSGB FT4 Series 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 20th of January, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The CQ World Wide 160m DX Contest starts at 2200UTC on Friday, the 23rd and runs until 2200UTC on Sunday, the 25th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. American stations also send their state, and Canadian stations send their province. The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint starts at 1200UTC on Saturday, the 24th and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday, the 25th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 15th of January 2026 The Solar Flux Index increased a little last week, but it was never exceptional. We started at 111 on the 11th of January and ended at 127 on Thursday the 15th – hardly much to get excited about. The 11th of January also marked the most geomagnetically disturbed day of the week, with the Kp index hitting 5.33. Luckily, the rest of the week was more settled, with the Kp index not getting above 3 for the three days up until Thursday, the 15th. The Sun also produced two M-class solar flares during that time, but there were no X-class events. This has meant reasonable HF propagation, with the maximum usable frequency over 3,000km climbing steadily after sunrise, often reaching more than 30MHz at times. But it has been choppy, with many falls below 25MHz during the day. So, if you are a 10m band operator, stick with it, as you may find conditions improve after 10 minutes or so. Nighttime maximum usable frequencies are still falling to around 7 to 9MHz over a 3,000km path, often dropping further, leaving the 40m band closed to many. A quick check of the NCDXF IBP beacon chain around midday on Thursday, the 15th, showed that the 24.930MHz beacons were probably the most active, but DX signals were still a little watery. The lower bands are still coming up with the goods, though, with Hong Kong being reported on 80m using CW. 3D2USU in Fiji has also been worked on the 20m band using CW, according to the CDXC Slack Group. The KP5/NP3VI Desecheo Island DXpedition has been another sought-after entity this month. The station has been reported as being worked from Europe on the 30m band using FT8, on the 80m band using CW and on the 40m band using USB. Next week's DXpeditions include 9X2AW in Rwanda, 5H3DX in Tanzania, P40AA in Aruba, and PJ2ND on Curacao Island. Also reported to be active are VE3VSM/HR9 on Roatan Island in the Caribbean, Z81D in South Sudan, H44MS on the Solomon Islands and FT4YM in Antarctica. If you work any of them, send your reports to radcom@rsgb.org.uk Next week, the solar flux index is predicted to climb slightly, perhaps peaking at 140, before heading back down to the 120 to 130 range at the end of the month. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be settled next week, before becoming unsettled again on the 28th of January. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current unsettled pattern looks likely to continue for the next week with low pressure nearby for much of the time, driving a series of rain-bearing fronts across the country.  This will provide some opportunities for rain scatter, although these fast-moving winter systems may need some delicate rotator work to keep track of them. Tropo seems unlikely to feature much, if at all, during the period. The prospects for meteor scatter are best for random meteors around dawn since we are now entering a long period between important meteor showers. This will last through to the Lyrids in late April.  The solar conditions may be interesting due to a large sunspot group moving into view as the previous week closes, so don't abandon hope of potential auroral activity and, as usual, monitor the Kp index for enhanced values above 5, ideally reaching 7 or better. A final note about Sporadic-E, which, last week, provided some mid-winter QSOs, including on the 4m band. This was encouraged by the stronger winter jet streams, although we are now moving out of that traditional winter window of activity.  Check the foEs trace on the propquest.co.uk  graphs to be sure you don't miss any final throes of the winter Sporadic-E season. For EME operators, Moon declination is at minimum over this weekend and negative all next week, going positive again on Friday the 23rd. Path losses are falling, and the Moon window length and peak elevation are increasing. 144MHz sky noise was high from Friday the 16th, and the Sun and Moon are close in the sky today, the 18th. Sky noise will be low from tomorrow, the 19th, onwards. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard welcome Cory Overton, California Waterfowl's new Science Director, for a clear, field-level look at how modern telemetry is rewriting what we know about duck movements—and how that science feeds better habitat work and smarter regs. From the original PINSAT satellite project to today's GPS/cellular tags and emerging smart bands, Cory explains what the data actually show: longer staging in SONEC/Klamath, pintail that roam like “five-year-olds on espresso,” fog-driven chaos that scatters birds, and why some geese will cross wildfires or even sit down on the ocean to ride out smoke. He also digs into CWA's role training the next generation with UC Davis and how new assessment tools will tie real duck use to on-the-ground management.Episode highlightsTelemetry 101 to now — from old VHF triangulation to GPS/cellular tags and first-gen smart bands that could run for decadesWhat PINSAT taught us — SONEC as the spring gas station, and how routes/timing have shifted since the early 2000sFog, storms, and smoke — why pea-soup weeks burn calories, scramble patterns, and sometimes push birds hundreds of miles the “wrong” wayPintail vs. mallards — restless travelers vs. homebodies, and how that plays into the new pintail frameworkKlamath staging — more birds lingering north into winter, with some not dropping to the Valley until late (or at all)What's next at CWA — postseason pintail banding, valley-wide habitat assessment tools, and a UC Davis pipeline for future wetland pros

Is the Baofeng GT-5R Handheld Radio a hidden gem or a risky gamble?

GB2RS News Sunday the 11th of January 2026 The news headlines: Give back to the amateur radio community in 2026 Understand the basic characteristics of dipoles for transmitting and receiving RSGB Lecture Coordinator role – a chance to educate and spark curiosity Have you set your goals for 2026 yet? How about using your knowledge and expertise to make a difference to the amateur radio community this year? The RSGB has two Elected Board Director vacancies that are available for nominations in this year's elections. The Society is looking for applications from members with leadership skills and a desire to embrace and implement the Society's strategic priorities. The RSGB also has three Regional Representative roles open for nominations. 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 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 as a Director or a Regional Representative by reading the candidate packs via rsgb.org/elections The closing date for nominations is the 31st of January 2026. The first RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2026 is a fascinating presentation for all radio amateurs, regardless of how long you have been licensed. Tomorrow, Monday the 12th of January, Steve Stearns, K6OIK will explain the basic characteristics of dipoles for transmitting and receiving. Having a proper understanding of dipole properties and characteristics is essential to understanding many other antennas including complementary antennas such as slots. You can join the webinar and ask questions via the live chat on both the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars Each year the RSGB delivers over sixty lectures, including around fifty at the RSGB Convention and a further eleven presented through its popular livestreamed Tonight@8 webinar series. These presentations cover a rich variety of amateur radio topics, cater to every level of experience and attract audiences from across the world. The Society is seeking a proactive, collaborative and passionate volunteer to become its Lecture Coordinator, who will play a key role in shaping the lecture programme. Could this be you? Working closely with the Tonight@8 and Convention teams, you would bring fresh ideas for talks that educate, inspire and spark curiosity. Your efforts would encourage radio amateurs to explore new areas, deepen their knowledge and embrace the excitement of amateur radio – all while supporting the Society's strategic priorities. Are you interested? Find out more about the role by reading the full description at rsgb.org/volunteers  and then contact the RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB via gm.dept@rsgb.org.uk When was the last time you checked your membership details in the RSGB Membership Portal? If you have moved house recently, changed your email address or callsign, put a few minutes aside to log in via rsgb.org/members  and select ‘Update details' to make any changes. Whilst logged in, visit the ‘Manage preferences' screen to select which topics you'd like to receive updates about, including GB2RS and online events. You can also choose whether to receive notifications when new editions of RadCom Basics and RadCom Plus become available. 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 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 10am 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 The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, will take place on Sunday the 8th of February at Mather Hall, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can gain entrance from 8.15am and the doors open to visitors at 10am. A large car park, catering, bring and buy, raffle, improved disabled access and a seating area will be available on site. For more information and booking, visit wmrc.co.uk Now the special event news A series of special event stations is active from Italy to raise awareness of key figures who supported the life and work of Guglielmo Marconi. Throughout the month of January, listen for activity on all bands and modes. For more information, including details of an award that is available for working the stations, visit tinyurl.com/marconi26 The World Wide Award is currently underway and runs until the 31st of January. The award combines CW, SSB and digital mode activity from stations around the world. Real-time online award tracking is available for chasers. For more information visit hamaward.cloud/wwa   Now the DX news   Pierre-Jean, F4GPK is active as TO2FY from French Guiana until Thursday the 15th of January. He operates using SSB only. QSL via Logbook of the World and eQSL. Rikk, WE9G is active as J38WG from Grenada NA-024, until the 16th of January. Listen for activity on the 160 to 6m bands, mostly using FT8 but also some CW and SSB. QSL via OQRS, Logbook of the World or via WE9G. Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 11th of January, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m Data Modes Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 13th of January, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 13th of January, 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 14th of January, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 15th of January, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 17th of January, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m SSB Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 8th of January 2026 Now that the dust has settled after the New Year's celebrations, we can get back to our regular propagation reports. The New Year has started with minor disturbed geomagnetic conditions at times, plus lots of C-class solar flares, and a healthy dose of sunspots. As we slide down the slope towards sunspot minimum, we can expect more geomagnetic disturbances and raised Kp indices. But we should still have good HF conditions for a couple of years. The Kp index hit 5 on the 2nd of January, but has otherwise been relatively quiet, often registering less than 1 or 2. And the lack of M- and X-class solar flares means we have had no solar fade-outs. With the solar flux index at more than 150 for much of the time, this bodes well for HF propagation and, as Propquest shows, the maximum usable frequency over 3,000km during daylight has often been more than 28MHz. Unfortunately, this does decline quite quickly after sunset, leaving the maximum usable frequency below 10MHz most of the time. As we head towards spring, we can expect this to improve. DX has been available. Stations worked include V51WH in Namibia on the 12m band using SSB, TZ4AM in Mali on 30m using CW, and ZS7ANF in Antarctica using CW on the 17m band. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 130 to 150 range. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be variable, with the Kp index predicted to hit 5 on the 13th and 14th of January, and again between the 17th and 20th of January. So, we recommend you get your HF DXing in before the 13th and around the 15th and 16th, as propagation and maximum usable frequencies will no doubt be affected if the Kp index rises. With the three-week 3Y0K Bouvet Island DXpedition set for early February, now may be a good time to sort out your antennas. Remember that Bouvet is almost due south from the UK, so plan accordingly. More propagation details will be made available nearer the time And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The unsettled weather pattern continues to provide a variety of challenging weather types with heavy snow and rain, plus strong winds at times. The nature of such patterns in January is that the timing and track of the lows are critical for the rain and snow outcome. Overall, it's likely to be a cold-system week with occasional brief milder interludes as Atlantic fronts move through in the middle of the coming week. The effect on VHF and UHF propagation is limited with tropo unlikely, but there is a significant chance of rain or snow scatter at times for GHz operators. There have been some slight increases in the Earth's Kp index, which responds to solar activity. However, as we are between the peak periods of autumn and spring for aurora, it's probably not a major player this time. Meteor scatter has been a bit more interesting lately due to the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower on the 4th of January. The shower has a short, intense peak, but spans the period from the 28th of December to the 12th of January. The next major shower isn't until April, so it's back to random activity from this weekend through to the late April Lyrids. Lastly, a reminder that mid-winter Sporadic-E does happen. The 6th of January saw a nice early evening 6m band opening to the Baltic states, moving round to Ukraine and the Balkans later. Recent Quadrantids meteors may have contributed some long-lived metallic ions, which can be focused into thin Sporadic-E patches. It's always worth checking the Sporadic-E Layer Critical Frequency values plotted on the Propquest graphs for short spikes in the purple trace, which could be a sign of potential interest in Sporadic-E on the 10 and 6m bands. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative again, and we are past perigee, so path losses are increasing, and Moon window length and peak elevation are reducing. 144MHz sky noise remains low but rising to high by Friday the 16th. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

En este episodio de CQ en Frecuencia queda constancia de un momento histórico: el apagado definitivo de las emisiones de Radio Nacional de España en onda media. Escuchamos los audios reales del cierre, tal y como se produjeron, poniendo punto final a décadas de radio que acompañaron a generaciones enteras de oyentes. Tras ese instante cargado de memoria radiofónica, comparto un update personal desde mi nuevo QTH. Aún sin instalación definitiva de antenas, continúo explorando soluciones prácticas y discretas para sacar RF al exterior. De momento, el resultado en VHF y UHF ha sido más que satisfactorio, demostrando que con ingenio y paciencia se puede seguir en el aire incluso en condiciones poco ideales. La próxima etapa ya está marcada: HF. Nuevos retos, nuevas pruebas y, como siempre, el mismo espíritu de experimentar, escuchar y aprender que define nuestra afición. Un episodio entre la memoria y el presente, entre lo que se apaga y lo que empieza a tomar forma… siempre en frecuencia. ¿Nos apoyas para que podamos seguir haciendo este podcast? Puedes apoyarnos en QRP con 1,99€ al mes o un poco más de potencia en QRO, con 5,99€ al mes aquí: https://cqenfrecuencia.com/apoyar/ 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

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU's Research and Innovation Days. The future of energy and mobility – two areas at the heart of Europe's transition to a greener, smarter and more sustainable economy. From smarter air traffic control to advanced electric vehicles and more fuel-efficient aircraft, research and innovation are helping to reshape our transport and its relation to the energy supply.Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez manages the ECHOES project which aims to extend VHF coverage into oceanic, polar and other remote areas to improve aviation safety and efficiency. The HiEFFICIENT project, coordinated by Christoph Abart, is promoting resource-efficient and decarbonised transportation, focusing on electronic power circuits and systems of electrified vehicles, testing systems and charging infrastructures. The Racer project (part of the GAM-2020-FRC project) was led by Jérome Geneix. Racer is developing a commercially viable aircraft that flies as fast as an aeroplane but can also hover like a helicopter, particularly effective in rescue missions.

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.

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."

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

FRECUENCIA AL DÍA -

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.

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

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

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