Amateur Radio News and Notes Podcast

In the log this week

* ARRL Requests Amateurs Contact Representatives About Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

* NOAA SWFO-L1 Space Weather Satellite Successfully Launched

* QRP Labs Announces Pre-Orders for Morserino M32 Pocket

* Equatorial Guinea DXpedition Updates From YL2GM

* MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow 9/27/2025

* MVARC Participating in Masonic Lodges On The Air Tomorrow 9/27/2025

* MVARC Member David KU8V Has Some Epic POTA Activations

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What’s happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

ARRL Requests Amateurs Contact Representatives About Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

Image Courtesy: United_States_Capitol_-west_front.jpg: Architect of the Capitol derivative work: O.J. - United_States_Capitol-_west_front.jpg, Public Domain, Link

The American Radio Relay League is asking American amateur radio operators to contact their representatives and senators in support of the “Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act”. The legislation seeks to give amateur radio operators rights equal to users of antennas for broadcast television, wireless internet, and flagpoles. The bills, H.R. 1094 in the House of Representatives and S.459 in the Senate seek to prevent overly restrictive homeowner’s association (HOA) regulations that prohibit the installation of antennas, even when placed inconspicuously. The ARRL asks that all amateur radio operators go to https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ which will allow for a letter to be sent on your behalf to your Representative and Senators. More information can be found at

http://www.arrl.org/member-bulletin?issue=2025-09-17

https://www.arrl.org/current-legislation

https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-launches-nationwide-grassroots-campaign-to-pass-amateur-radio-emergency-preparedness-act-1

NOAA SWFO-L1 Space Weather Satellite Successfully Launched

Image Courtesy: NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Public Domain, Link

Wednesday morning at 7:32 AM Eastern Time NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SWFO-L1’s mission is to monitor solar storms from Lagrange Point 1 nearly a million miles from Earth. Lagrange points are points where gravitational forces are at equilibrium. Being at this location will allow the satellite to continuously monitor solar wind and energetic particles on their way to Earth. It will also have a compact coronagraph (CCOR) capable of imaging coronal mass ejections. This new satellite will ensure continued ability to monitor the sun, as the existing satellites at Lagrange Point 1 are already past their design lifetimes. NOAA reported Wednesday that the satellite was already successfully sending telemetry and is on track to reach Lagrange Point 1 in January 2026 and begin operations in mid-2026. More information can be found at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/swfo-l1-successfully-launched.

QRP Labs Announces Pre-Orders for Morserino M32 Pocket

Willi OE1WKL and Hans G0UPL announced that the long-awaited update to the Morserino morse code practice device is now available for pre-order from QRP Labs. The Morserino is an open source hardware device that acts as a keyer, trainer, decoder, and in some instances a non-conventional transceiver. Previous versions were available as a kit. Due to the microcontroller platform it used having been discontinued, it had become unavailable. The community that maintains Morserino put in significant work to develop a new version called the M32 Pocket. Available for pre-order now from QRP Labs it is a fully assembled device and is a much more compact form factor than the original. I have built one of the original version and enjoyed using it to improve my CW skills. It is great to see the new version getting back on the market. For more information about the Morserino M32 Pocket and to pre-order visit https://qrp-labs.com/morserino.html.

Equatorial Guinea DXpedition Updates From YL2GM

Image Courtesy NordNordWest, Licence: Creative Commons by-sa-3.0 de

Shortly after we went to press last week there was an update from Yuris YL2GM that gave his side of the story of the ill-fated DXpedition to Equitorial Guinea for 3C0W and 3C3W. According to Yuris there were travel complications getting to Annobon, but they eventually got there. One of the license requirements was that equipment and antennas needed to be inspected by an ORTEL representative before they could go on the air, and the inspector was to fly in for this purpose. While waiting for the inspector they went to the police station to register and show documents and were told that they didn’t have an entry permit from the Ministry of Security and were made to leave their luggage at the police station. After a few days with no progress they decided to return to Malabo and booked a flight for Friday, September 12th and then the authorities said Wednesday there was a flight that day and that a hotel had been arranged for them. Instead another police unit took them to the police station in Malabo where they were held. The next day the ORTEL representative arrived with documents, license, and the equipment and said all was in order. Their violation was apparently arriving without the ORTEL representative, and they were not sympathetic to their travel issues. Eventually they were allowed to leave and do not plan to return. The story from Yuris can be found at https://www.dx-world.net/story-of-3c3w-and-3c0w-dxpedition/.

Another DXpedition to Equitorial Guinea, 3C2MD, announced on September 24, 2025 that they would be postponing their DXpedition due to the continued suspension of amateur radio licenses stemming from the 3C0W DXpedition. More information about that postponement can be found at https://www.dx-world.net/3c2md-equatorial-guinea/.

MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow 9/27/2025

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 27, 2025, is the date of our next monthly breakfast. As usual we will meet up at 8 AM in the IHOP at 7694 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia for great conversation, camaraderie, and breakfast too. We have been having a great turn out in the last few months and there is always room for you to join in the fun. We hope to see you there.

MVARC Participating in Masonic Lodges On The Air Tomorrow 9/27/2025

Tomorrow following the MVARC Breakfast MVARC will be participating in Masonic Lodges On The Air (MLotA) event. MVARC is being hosted by Mount Vernon Lodge No. 219 A.F. and A.M at 8117 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308. Many of the folks going to the breakfast that morning plan on going directly from there to the Mount Vernon Lodge to set-up and the event itself runs from 10 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time. We expect to start at 10 and encourage everyone to stop by and join in the fun. Contest rules and frequently asked questions can be found at https://cqmorelight.com/.

MVARC Member David KU8V Has Some Epic POTA Activations

Image Courtesy David KU8V

David KU8V recently took a trip up to Delaware to US-1734 Delaware Seashore State Park and had absolutely stunning results. On Monday he limited himself to 20 watts and ended up with 116 QSOs with 24 DXCC Entities, 23 States, and 3 Provinces.

David’s Contacts on Monday

On Tuesday using his Icom IC-7300 and Chelegance MC-750 antenna and 100 Watts he got 330 contacts with 32 DXCC Entities, 34 States, and 5 Provinces on 5 bands including the incredibly rare DX of ZD9BV in Tristan de Cuhna island (the most remote inhabited place on Earth where only one Amateur lives). David also got Australia, Israel, Poland, Hungary, and a ton of Europe.

David’s Contacts on Tuesday

Congratulations David! What an absolutely epic activation. If you have adventures you’d like to share, drop me a line and I may be able to add them to a future Amateur Radio News and Notes.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What’s Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including the Federated States of Micronesia (V6D), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), Bhutan (A52G), Colombia (HK3JCL), Mali (TZ4AM), Kuwait (9K2HN), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 170 and the estimated sunspot number was 155 with 10 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 548 km/s. Solar activity is predicted low with geomagnetic activity at quiet levels today, at quiet to unsettled levels tomorrow, and at quiet to active levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35% through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been quite good lately with the higher bands opening on most days. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the CQ Worldwide DX Contest on RTTY, the Bill Windle QSO Party, the YU DX Contest, the Maine QSO Party, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, Masonic Lodges on the Air, the AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party, and the UBA ON Contest on 6 meters. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Walt K4OGO talks about his favorite antennas with telescoping elements -

Hayden VK7HH shows how to test antennas with a NanoVNA -

Kevin W1DED and the Contest Crew talk with Levi K6JO about his performance in the WAE contest -

Matt M0DQW looks at the Radtel RT-950 Pro -

Mike K8MRD Activates a Rove with Sean W9FFF and Aaron AE0LZ -

Hayden VK7HH uses a NanoVNA to test coaxial cable -

Kevin W1DED talks to Kylee KE0WPA about her growth in the hobby -

Mike K8MRD tells us his 10 favorite features of the Yaesu FTX-1F -

Steve KM9G repairs a Yaesu FT-8800 -

Mike K8MRD goes car camping and activates POTA in Arkansas -

Josh KI6NAZ talks about whether amateur radio is “pay to win” -

Forrest KI7QCF talks about his CW “10 Essentials” -

Tim K5OHY builds and tests a half-square antenna -

Walt K4OGO builds and tests a half-square antenna -

George VK2AOE freshens up his Yaesu FT101E -

Kevin W1DED is interviewed by his wife about his re-entry into amateur radio -

Sean W9FFF builds a Hermes Lite 2 SDR -

Kevin KB9RLW builds an off-grid laptop power supply with low RFI -

Evan K2EJT gives us his thoughts on the new Xiegu CW keys -

Vince VE6LK asks Eric WD8RIF what he’d tell his younger self about amateur radio -

That’s it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* Equatorial Guinea Suspends Amateur Radio Licenses

* DXpedition Spotlight: V6D in the Federated States of Micronesia

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Equatorial Guinea Suspends Amateur Radio Licenses

Image Courtesy NordNordWest, Licence: Creative Commons by-sa-3.0 de

Last week, the Government of Equatorial Guinea suspended all amateur radio licenses in the country. AhoraEG reports that the temporary suspension was due to a foreign amateur radio operator accessing "sensitive areas such as Annobon and Batete using telecommunications equipment not authorized for his activity". The article does not specify the operator in question, however, during the period there was a DXpedition being held by Yuris YL2GM and Eugene EA5EL in the country. On their website they mentioned that when they attempted to operate from Annobon they "returned back to Malabo, with some 'adventures'" and were planning to return home. Yuris and Eugene had been operating earlier from Malabo in a hotel near the ocean as 3C3W and had logged 21,544 QSOs to Clublog. Updates have been few in the last week, but hopefully amateur radio licensing will be reinstated in Equatorial Guinea and the situation will resolve favorably. Some sources of information can be found at:

https://www.dx-world.net/equatorial-guinea-suspends-amateur-radio-licenses/

https://lral.lv/3c0w_3c3w_2025/index.html

https://ahoraeg.com/politica/2025/09/10/quedan-suspendidas-temporalmente-en-malabo-todas-las-licencias-de-radioaficionados-tras-la-deteccion-de-irregularidades-en-su-emision/ (in Spanish)

DXpedition Spotlight: V6D in the Federated States of Micronesia

Image Courtesy V6D Web Site

The V6D team is getting ready to bring Weno Island in the Chuuk State of the Federated States of Micronesia on the air from September 22 to October 6, 2025. The team includes several experienced operators from Germany. They will be bring transceivers from Elecraft, a mix of amplifiers, verticals with elevated radials for 160 meters to 30 meters, loops and rhombic loops for 40 meters to 6 meters, a 5 band wire beam for 20 meters to 10 meters, and other necessary gear. They plan to operate a mix of modes on 160/80/40/30/20/17/15/12/10/and 6 meters and will be running split, so don't call them on their transmission frequencies. They plan to upload their logs daily to Clublog. At their last update on September 10 they said they were distributing luggage to the team and that each of them will carry "well over 20 kg of radio equipment". They'll fly from "Berlin via Helsinki, Tokyo, and Guam to Chuuk". This promises to be an exciting DXpedition to chase and they plan on having QSL cards available via Clublog OQRS. The V6D site can be found at https://v6d.mydx.de/ for more information. Good luck and good DX.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including the Federated States of Micronesia (V6D), Market Reef (OJ0W, OJ0YL), Sint Maarten (PJ7K), Svalbard (JW6VDA), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FP5KE), Christmas Island (VK9/SP9FIH), Karpathos Island (SV5/HB9OAU), Norfolk Island (VK9NT), Palestine (E44OM), Tanzania (5H3DX), Rwanda (9X2AW), Colombia (HK3JCL), Mali (TZ4AM), Kuwait (9K2HN), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 150 and the estimated sunspot number was 119 with 7 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 614 km/s. Solar activity is predicted low with geomagnetic activity at quiet levels today and tomorrow at quiet to active levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35% through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the Scandinavian Activity Contest on CW, the New Jersey QSO Party, the Texas QSO Party, the Iowa QSO Party, the New Hampshire QSO Party, the QRP Afield Event, the Washington State Salmon Run, Wisconsin Parks on the Air, the North American Sprint on RTTY, the BARTG Sprint PSK63 Contest, the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, and the ARS Flight of the Bumblebees QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Top SOTA Chaser Jon NT6E does his first SOTA activation with friends -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk SOTA, microwave operation, contesting, and cats on Sofas on the Air -

Michael KB9VBR looks at Chameleon's new CHA M25 loading coil -

IMSAI Guy looks at a cheap DC power supply and finds lots of noise -

Steve KM9G looks at some new keys from Xiegu -

Matt M0DQW looks at the upgraded TIDRadio H3 Plus -

Jason KM4ACK talks about APRS retransmissions -

Colin MM0OPX mods his QMX+ to have an internal battery -

John AE5X tests his Hermes Lite 2 for receiver performance and spectral purity -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW discusses recent space weather conditions -

Dugbo KD7DUG hunts POTA on the go with his KH-1 -

Manuel WP4TZ does a photo walk of old San Juan, Puerto Rico and activates POTA -

Sn0ren takes a look at the Meshtastic capable Cardputer ADV -

Walt K4OGO uses the GH-V5 V-Dipole while camping -

Mike K8MRD ups his bushcrafting game with a tarp to provide shelter for POTA -

Steve KM9G looks at some USB PD and PPS power solutions -

Craig KM6LYW sets up a super low cost data hotspot for VHF using a DigiPi -

Matt M0DQW looks at the uSDX+ HF transceiver -

Ramon EA5IW takes us along for some mountain-top QRP -

Tom N3WS shows a simple wireless rotator for the BuddiHex antenna -

Rob N1NUG looks at the Choyong LC90 -

Walt K4OGO tries out the HF Signals zBitx -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* DXpedition Spotlight: FP5KE at Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

DXpedition Spotlight: FP5KE at Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands

Image Courtesy FP5KE Site

Starting Monday, September 15, 2025 the F6KOP team will be starting their DXpedition to Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands. They'll be on the air until September 26th. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a very interesting island off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. While just a few miles off the coast of Canada, it is actually an overseas collectivity of France. The islands are an archipelago consisting of eight islands totaling 93 square miles with a population of 5,819 as of the 2022 census. The islands rank 103rd on the most wanted list on clublog.org. Being so close by, there should be a lot of good opportunities to work the team and get in the log. They plan to focus on "human modes" like CW, SSB, and RTTY while still working FT8 and FT4.

The F6KOP club are prolific DXpeditioners and have a history of many successful DXpeditions. As always, they will be working split, so don't call them on their transmission frequency. For CW they will be up 1-10 kHz, for SSB 5-20 kHz, and for RTTY up 3-10 kHz. They will be bringing an armada of rigs, amplifiers, and antennas with multiple hexbeams for the higher bands, VDA antennas from 20 meters to 10 meters, verticals from 160 meters to 30 meters, and a beam on 6 meters. They also plan to work satellite modes and earth-moon-earth. With their skill and equipment, this promises to be a big DXpedition that should be fairly easy to get in the log. Good luck and good DX!

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Sint Maarten (PJ7K), Svalbard (JW6VDA), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FP5KE), Christmas Island (VK9/SP9FIH), Karpathos Island (SV5/HB9OAU), Norfolk Island (VK9NT), Annobon Island (3C0W), Palau (T88DF), Banaba Island (T33TTT), Tanzania (5H3DX), Rwanda (9X2AW), Colombia (HK3JCL), Mali (TZ4AM), Palestine (E44OM), Equatorial Guinea (3C3W), Kuwait (9K2HN), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 115 and the estimated sunspot number was 92 with 7 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to active levels and the Kp index reached 4 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 502 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to unsettled levels today and at quiet levels Saturday and at quiet to active levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 30% through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the ARRL EME Contest, the WAE DX Contest on SSB, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Africa FT4 DX Contest, the ARRL September VHF Contest, the North American Sprint on CW, the IRTS 70 cm Counties Contest, the IRTS 2 m Counties Contest, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Adam K6ARK, Mark KD7DTS, and Tim N7KOM activate multiple SOTA peaks ... with a bug! -

Walt K4OGO shares his favorite sites for checking propagation conditions -

Kevan 2E0WMG does some DXing at dawn -

Alan W2AEW shows how to characterize a directional coupler with a VNA -

Matt M0DQW shows off a new portable shortwave radio using both the SI and TEF chipsets -

Mike K8MRD sets up a shelter to activate portable in the woods -

Tom N3WS talks about his thoughts about the Buddihex antenna -

Josh KI6NAZ tries to do 3 mode POTA with a sub-one pound setup -

Walt K4OGO takes the QRP Labs QMX+ beach portable -

Mike K8MRD evaluates new lower loss RG-174 from ABR -

Nanofix teaches his wife how to solder with tiny surface mount components -

Hayden VK7HH talks about how to best wrap your coax -

Sean W9FFF takes a look at the Malahit DSP 2 radio -

Nanofix talks about what diode mode is on your multimeter and how to use it -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at network attached storage to archive files from an SDR -

Kevin KB9RLW tests out a loop-on-ground antenna for receive -

Walt K4OGO gives an overview of the USDX/USDR radios and his thoughts on them -

Rob N1NUG builds a doublet antenna -

Mike M0MSN installs a Yaesu 101 MP in his shack -

Oystein LB8IJ builds a paddle with a potato for POTA! -

George VK2AOE installs a CW filter in a Yaesu FT101E -

Steve KM9G looks at cheap and fun antennas -

Mike K8MRD shows his new bag for his QMX -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* Markus Baseler DL6YYM Maker of BaMaTech CW Keys Silent Key

* FCC Batch Filing System Restored

* September Flight of the Bumblebees Event Issuing Bumblebee Numbers

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Markus Baseler DL6YYM Maker of BaMaTech CW Keys Silent Key

Image Courtesy DL6YYM QRZ Profile

Markus Baseler DL6YYM, maker of highly regarded CW keys and accessories by BaMaTech in Germany has passed away according to an announcement on the https://www.bamatech.net/ web site. He produced the very popular TP-III portable CW keys along with several other products and was an avid portable radio operator. Earlier in the year he operated from the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria, and was scheduled to operate from Greenland before unexpected illness caused him to cancel that trip. The BaMaTech web site indicates that they are clearing out inventory and will be closing operations of their business. I have been a happy owner of a special edition TP-III paddle and enjoy taking it out into the field whenever I can. His products are beautiful, precisely machined, and highly reliable in the field. His contributions to our hobby will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

FCC Batch Filing System Restored

The ARRL reports that the Federal Communication Commission's Electronic Batch filing system was restored to normal operations on Friday, August 29, 2025. It is used by all Volunteer Examination Coordinator organizations to submit exam sessions, applications, and club license applications. Some issues still remain with payment email requests not being issued and license emails not being sent. The ARRL has details on how to deal with those issues at https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-batch-filing-system-unavailable.

September Flight of the Bumblebees Event Issuing Bumblebee Numbers

The next edition of the Adventure Radio Society's Flight of the Bumblebees will be happening on Sunday, September 21, 2025. It is a fun QRP event where "Bumblebee" stations go out into the field to operate QRP and other QRP stations chase them in a 4 hour event. The Bumblebees are issued a number for the event to send in their exchanges, so if you are interested in going out in the field for the event, it is a good time to sign up for your own number. If you're going to play from home, no number is required. For details on the event and how to get a number, visit https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Lord Howe Island (VK2/SP9FIH), Benin (TY2AA), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Greenland (OX3LX), Annobon Island (3C0W), Palau (T88DF), Banaba Island (T33TTT), Tanzania (5H3DX), Rwanda (9X2AW), Colombia (HK3JCL), Mali (TZ4AM), Equatorial Guinea (3C3W), Palestine (E44OM), Kuwait (9K2HN), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 172 and the estimated sunspot number was 128 with 10 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at moderate levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 675 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to minor storm levels levels today and Saturday and at quiet to active levels Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 10% today and Saturday and 5% Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely in the near term with a predicted probability of 55% today and Saturday and 40% Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 10% chance predicted today and Saturday and 5% Sunday. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the All Asian DX Contest on Phone, the CWOps CW Open, the Wake-Up! QRP Sprint, the SARL VHF/UHF FM Contest, the SARL Field Day Contest, the Russian RTTY WW Contest, the IARU Region 1 Field Day on SSB, the RSGB SSB Field Day, the AGCW Straight Key Party, Ohio State Parks on the Air, the IARU Region 1 145 MHz Contest, the PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80m Sprint, the WAB 144 MHz Phone Contest, and the Tennessee QSO Party. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php.

Interesting Online Radio Content

Mike K8MRD installs a "Smart" shunt on his battery setup -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Radtel RT-950 and likes what he sees -

Morten LB0FI looks at a compact power and SWR meter -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at the IC-2730A Black Edition Full Duplex Mobile VHF/UHF rig -

Josh KI6NAZ tries the Radioddity HF-009 Antenna -

Bob WV1W encourages you to experiment and try new things in Amateur Radio -

Mike K8MRD does some Winlink in the woods -

Matt M0DQW gives a negative review of the Retevis A3 -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about recent solar conditions -

Steve KM9G talks about his new TOADs DI USB Digital Interface -

Nanofix looks at the Hakko Omnivise for soldering -

Ramon EA5IW climbs a mountain to attempt 2m CW as the sun rises -

Kevin W1DED talks to Dr. Nathaniel Frissell N2NAF of HamSci about citizen science and radio -

Ciprian YO6DXE tests his QRP Labs 50 W RF Amplifier -

Kevin KB9RLW reviews the F-NIRSI DPOS350P oscilloscope -

Steve KM9G shows the giant mat from Quirky QRP -

Mike K8MRD goes in the woods with his QRPLabs QMX for a SSB activation -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* MVARC In the Park: Club POTA Activation Recap

* MVARC Breakfast Recap

* FCC Batch Filing System Unavailable

* Icom Announces IC-7300 MK2 and Updated ID-5200 at Tokyo Ham Fair

* Great Band Conditions Expected as Autumn Approaches

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC In the Park: Club POTA Activation Recap

Image Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Last weekend the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club activated seven parks at once for Parks on the Air. We had a great turnout at the parks and had eight operators get on the air as K4US: Larry KN4XW, Joseph WB8KMJ, Clayton KI5YFN, Paul WC9A, David KU8V, Eric N0UVD, Ed N2EC, and Gersohn KO4IUK. We activated at 100 Watts using a Yaesu FT-897 and an N2EC VersaHex Antenna. We made a total of 83 QSOs with 70 being made on Single Sideband and 13 being made on CW all on the 20 meter band. Our signals made it coast-to-coast in the US and Canada despite some challenging propagation conditions. A QSO map can be seen below. The outing was such a success that we may look to do another one soon. Thanks to everyone who made it such a fun day at the park.

MVARC Breakfast Recap

Image Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Last Saturday, MVARC had its weekly breakfast and we had a fantastic turnout with 19 people joining us. We had so many folks joining us we had to split up into multiple groups because the room wasn't big enough for a full length table! It was great seeing everyone and we look forward to having you join us next month.

FCC Batch Filing System Unavailable

The ARRL reports that the Federal Communication Commission's Electronic Batch filing system is currently unavailable. It is used by all Volunteer Examination Coordinator organizations to submit exam sessions, applications, and club license applications. As a result applications for new and upgraded licenses and other filings are not currently being processed. The ARRL reports that the FCC has been notified and they are working to fix the issue. There is no estimated time of resolution. For updates on the status of the situation visit https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-batch-filing-system-unavailable.

Icom Announces IC-7300 MK2, Updated ID-5200, and AH-6 at Tokyo Ham Fair

Image Courtesy Icom Japan

Last weekend brought the 2025 Tokyo Ham Fair and Icom used the event to announce some new radios and equipment. The biggest announcement was of the IC-7300 MK2 -- the next version of one of the most successful radios ever produced in Amateur Radio. The new version improves RMDR and phase noise performance to help reduce adjacent signals, better power efficiency (they report a 23% reduction in RX standby current consumption), an HDMI port for external display usage, a built in CW decoder, a separate connector for RX antennas, USB type C connectivity with virtual COM ports for simultaneous FT8 and logging, and a LAN connection to remote using their RS-BA1 software without the use of a server computer.

Image Courtesy Icom UK

Icom also announced the next edition of their ID-5200 2 meter/70 centimeter mobile radio which supports dual reception of FM, FM-DV, and DV-DV signals as well as having a color touchscreen, broad receive, WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity, an Internal Gateway for networking, and a DV repeater monitor. Also announced was the AH-6 Automatic Antenna Tuner with support for 50 Ohm and long-wire antennas, coverage from 160 meters to 6 meters, and a power rating of 100 Watts.

Information about the new products can be found at https://www.icomjapan.com/news/4411/ and https://icomuk.co.uk/ICOM-Announces-New-ID-5200-AH-6-Concept-Models-at-Tokyo-Ham-Fair-2025/2/5240/.

Great Band Conditions Expected as Autumn Approaches

If you've been on the air in the last few days you may have noticed that we appear to have moved out of the Summer doldrums and into better conditions on the HF bands. Forecasters are predicting that conditions will be quite good through the end of the month due to elevated sunspot activity, quiet geomagnetic conditions, low solar winds, few coronal mass ejections, and very low coronal hole activity. This means it is a great time to get on the air and enjoy the conditions. In the past week I was able to work Kiribati, Hawaii, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Argentina, and all over Europe. Get on the air and enjoy these great conditions. Good luck and good DX to all!

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Lord Howe Island (VK2/SP9FIH), Benin (TY2AA), South Sudan (Z81D), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), Rhodes Island (SV5/DJ5MN), Palau (T88DF), Banaba Island (T33TTT), Tanzania (5H3DX), Rwanda (9X2AW), Colombia (HK3JCL), Annobon Island (3C0W), Equatorial Guinea (3C3W), Palestine (E44OM), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 232 and the estimated sunspot number was 227 with 13 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has dramatically increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels to unsettled levels and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 421 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to unsettled levels levels today and at quiet levels over the weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 15% today and 10% over the weekend. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely in the near term with a predicted probability of 60% today and 65% this weekend. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 10% chance predicted today and 15% over the weekend. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the SCRY/RTTYOps WW RTTY Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the ALARA Contest, the U.S. Islands QSO Party, the World Wide Digi DX Contest, the Colorado QSO Party, and the Kansas QSO Party. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Elle Marie KJ5LXP give an introduction to Meshtastic -

Josh KI6NAZ takes a look a the TX-500MP Manpack HF Radio -

Kevin KB9RLW shows how to use an oscilloscope to sniff RF noise -

Chris K2CJB shows an trailer hitch mount for a Spiderbeam 10 meter mast -

Lewis M3HHY takes a look at the Choyong LC90 LW/MW/SW/FM/Internet Radio -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Liligo T-Embed SI4732 and CC1101 radios -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk to Umesh KK6TXI about batteries, camping, and SOTA on Sofas on the Air -

Walt K4OGO takes a look at the T41-EP SDR and talks to its creators -

Kevan 2E0WMG builds a POTA Performer from off-the-shelf parts -

Kevin W1DED talks to the contest crew about Single Operator 2 Radio Secrets and plans for CQWW -

George VK2AOE compares tubes for his QRP Rig (Part 1) -

George VK2AOR compares tubes for his QRP Rig (Part 2) -

TJ K9KJ takes us around the Tokyo Ham Fair -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW talks about recent solar activity -

Kevan 2E0WMG does QRP operation from a tiny island via kayak -

Sean W9FFF has a less than stellar experience with the Heltec Meshpocket -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Baofeng UV-5R Mini -

Di KO6BTM does SOTA on VHF and SHF with SOTA Cat Ormoo -

Walt K4OGO does beach portable with the Guohetec PMR-171 -

Alan W2AEW takes a look at the SV4401A Vector Network Analyzer -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at the newly announced Icom IC-7300MK2 -

Mike K8MRD looks at the Buddipole PowerPro -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* MVARC In the Park: Club POTA Activation Tomorrow (8/23/2025)

* MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow (8/23/2025)

* Operating Spotlight: International Dog Day Special Event Stations

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC In the Park: Club POTA Activation Tomorrow (8/23/2025)

Tomorrow MVARC will be activating POTA after our monthly breakfast at Belle Haven Park. It will be great to spend the morning together and have a lot of fun. Also, we'll be running a full 100 W station on battery power and the band conditions have been favorable recently.

If you've ever had interest in doing portable operations but weren't sure how to get started, come out and join us. There will be Extra Class licensees on hand, so if you're a Technician (or even unlicensed) and want to see what it is like to operate on the HF bands, this will be a fun way to dip your toe into the world of HF.

We'll activate with our club call K4US, and if you have a call of your own we can add it to the operator log so you'll get credit for your part of the activation, too. I've done 310 POTA activations so far, so I'd be glad to assist and provide any information you need. Family, friends, and the ham-curious are welcome to join in the fun as well. We hope to see you there.

MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow (8/23/2025)

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 23, 2025, is the date of our next monthly breakfast. As usual we will meet up at 8 AM in the IHOP at 7694 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia for great conversation, camaraderie, and breakfast too. We have been having a great turn out in the last few months and there is always room for you to join in the fun. We hope to see you there.

Operating Spotlight: International Dog Day Special Event Stations

Tuesday, August 26, 2025 brings International Dog Day and a team of operators around the world have been operating to celebrate and will continue until the 26th. In the US look for special event station K2D and internationally look for DA0DOG, DL0DOG, GB4DOG, and YL1DOG on the airwaves to celebrate our furry friends. The event seeks to promote adoption and rescue of dogs, raise awareness about their needs, and encourage responsible pet ownership. More information about the event can be found at https://www.qrz.com/db/K2D. Good luck.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Vanuatu (YJ0CA), Zanzibar Island (5H1UM), Benin (TY2AA), South Sudan (Z81D), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 121 and the estimated sunspot number was 59 with 6 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels to unsettled levels and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 672 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to unsettled levels levels today and at quiet levels over the weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 15% today and and tomorrow and 20% Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the Turkey HF SSB Contest, the Hawaii QSO Party, the YO DX HF Contest, the ARSI VU DX Contest, the Ohio QSO Party, the CVA DX Contest on SSB, and the SARL HF CW Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Steve KM9G experiments with loading coils for portable operations -

Michael KB9VBR tests the 34 foot Alpha Antenna SS34+ Whip -

Kevan 2E0WMG plays radio from an island and gets QRM from a biplane -

Ray KC3RW talks to some of POTA's top activators at Huntsville Hamfest -

Matt M0DQW tries the Radtel RT-920 with new firmware and finds it versatile -

Vince VE6LK bikes into the backcountry to attempt an ATNO -

Walt K4OGO talks ionospheric blanketing -

Kevin W1DED talks to Neil WB9VPG about Youth on the Air (YOTA) -

Hayden VK7HH gets on 160m with the Big Dog Coil -

Callum M0MCX talks QRP -

Matt M0DQW sings the praises of the Xiegu G90 -

Doug N4HNH suggests you give 12 meters a try -

Takeshi JS1QIZ goes camping in Japan and works some QRP in the rain (in Japanese, but has translated closed captioning) -

Elle Marie KJ5LXP attempts SOTA with some friends -

Kevin KB9RLW uses a Si4732 as a CW receiver with a QRP rig he designed -

Manuel WP4TZ activates SOTA in Arizona -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (SSB)

* Contest Spotlight: NJQRP Skeeter Hunt

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (SSB)

Saturday, August 16, 2025 brings the next edition of the North American QSO Party on SSB. The objective of this contest is to contact as many North American stations during the contest. The fun starts at 1800 UTC Saturday (2 PM ET) and goes until 0559 UTC on Sunday (1:59 AM ET Sunday). The bands in play are 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters with operating classes of Single Op, Single Op Assisted, Single Op Youth, and Multi-Two. North American stations are defined by the ARRL DXCC List with the addition of Hawaii. The exchange is Name and State/DC/Province/Country for North American participants and just Name for non-North American participants. Stations can be worked once per band and QSO points are 1 per QSO for NA stations and 1 per QSO with a NA station for Non-NA stations. Multipliers are each State/DC once per band, each Canadian province or territory once per band, and each North American country (excluding the US and Canada) once per band. The total score is QSO Points x Total Multipliers. Power is limited to 100 Watts and under and the QRP category is for 5 Watts and under. Power over 100 W is only suitable for check logs. This should be a fun way to get on the air and make a bunch of contacts. Good luck.

Contest Spotlight: NJQRP Skeeter Hunt

Image Courtesy https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/

Are you looking for a challenge to see just what your station can do when you turn down the power? Well, this weekend you can test your mettle with the 14th Annual NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Sunday, August 17th from 1700 UTC (1 PM ET) until 2100 UTC (5 PM ET). The objective is to get QRP ops out into the field with a special focus on the use of homebrewed or kit built radios (although commercial rigs are allowed, too). Applications for "Skeeter Numbers" have already closed, but you can still try to work them if you don't have one. You'll hear them calling "CQ QRP" or "CQ BZZ". The skeeters exchange is RST State/Province/Country and Skeeter Number, non-Skeeters are RST State/Province/Country and Output Power. Since we're talking QRP here, the maximum power is 5 Watts for CW and 10 Watts on SSB. Points-wise, when you work a Skeeter you get 3 points, a non-Skeeter (but still QRP) station is 2 points, and working a QRO (full power) station is 1 point. Stations can be worked on multiple bands, but the S/P/C multiplier only counts once. There is also a bonus points competition going on called "Skeeter Hunt Blackjack" going on this year where if you work enough call sign numbers to add up to exactly 21 you'll get 1000 Bonus Points. The rules and full details can be found at https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/. Turn down the power and turn up the fun this weekend. Good luck.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Guatemala (TG4/KT8X), Benin (TY2AA), Market Reef (OJ0JR), Zanzibar Island (5H1UM), Mayotte (TO3K), South Sudan (Z81D), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 140 and the estimated sunspot number was 157 with 13 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels to active levels and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 547 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to active levels levels today and at quiet levels over the weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5% today and 1% over the weekend. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35% today and 30% over the weekend. R3 or greater blackouts are less likely with a 10% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the SARTG WW RTTY Contest, the ARRL EME Contest, the Russian District Award Contest, the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the Keyman's Club of Japan Contest, the SARL Youth QSO Party, the Feld Hell Sprint, the North American QSO Party on SSB, the CVA DX Contest on CW, the FISTS Sunday Sprint, the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt, the ARRL Rookie Roundup on RTTY, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Mike K8MRD car camps ahead of the Huntsville Hamfest -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at a 4-way remote antenna switch -

Dugbo KD7DUG activates POTA with a vintage Kenwood TS-430S -

Kevin KB9RLW shows how to use a test fixture to get more functionality out of your NanoVNA -

Elle-Marie KJ5LXP sets up her Yaesu FTM-510D for Wires -X -

Forrest KI7QCF shows how to modify a Quansheng to be a $27 CW radio -

Colin MM0OPX takes a look at a 7:1 End Fed Transformer and talks about its use -

Kyle AA0Z talks to Don WA4MCM about his PSR-100 Satellite Rotator Kit -

Kyle AA0Z shows his trick to make the Arrow Antenna Satellite antenna easier to deploy -

Kevin W1DED talks to Doug K1DG about his DX operations around the globe -

Matt M0DQW looks at the GH-V5 Multi-band V-dipole antenna -

Thomas K4SWL shows a new KH1 Kneeboard and activates POTA in Quebec -

Imsai Guy takes a look at the RT97L 22W GMRS Repeater -

Walt K4OGO has fun with an Si4732 mini "spy" radio -

Hayden VK7HH follows up on the threat to the 70 cm band with a response from AST Spacemobile -

Ciprian YO6DXE does a deep dive on firmware updates and operations of the Tidradio TD-H3 Plus -

Jason KM4ACK takes a look at using various HTs for different purposes -

Walt K4OGO looks at the Guohetec PMR-171 and really likes it -

Evan K2EJT activates POTA at Tangier Island during the IOTA contest -

Mike K8MRD reviews the Lil Dude 6 Carbon Fiber Mast from HRD Industries -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* Contest Spotlight: The Worked All Europe DX Contest

* MVARC In The Park: KU8V and KN4XW Activate POTA in DC

* Contest Spotlight: The Maryland-DC QSO Party

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Contest Spotlight: The Worked All Europe DX Contest

Image Courtesy DARC

This weekend brings the Worked All Europe (WAE) DX Contest on CW. Only intercontinental DX counts, so the European DX will be eagerly answering your calls. The fun starts at 0000 UTC on August 9th (so 8 PM EDT tonight) until 2359 UTC on August 10 (7:59 PM EDT Sunday) on CW on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. Operating classes include Single Op who are limited to 36 hours of total operation and Multi-Ops who can work all 48 hours. The exchange is RST + Serial Number and stations can be worked once per band. This can be a great way to get DX from Europe in the log.

There is an interesting twist in this contest you should know about: QTC Traffic. QTCs are a way to get additional points by sending additional information back to a European station. The QTC must include a time, call sign, and a serial number of the reported QSO. In the rules they give an example QTC as "1307 DA1AA 431" which would mean that DA1AA was worked at 1307 UTC and sent serial number 431. Each QSO can only be recorded once (and not back to the original station) and when correctly transferred gives one point to the sender and one point to the receiver. Up to 10 QTCs can be sent maximum and it can be done via several contacts. They can be sent via a series so if you were going to send 5 and were on your 3rd one, you would send "3/5" for the QTC. This is somewhat unique in contests, and if someone asks you to send a QTC and you don't want to, you can just say no, but it is a challenging way to get some extra points in the mix.

Multipliers in the contest are the number of countries defined in the WAE Country List (see the rules for that) worked per band. For European stations every non-European DXCC entity is a multiplier with some exceptions laid out in the rules. There is also a multiplier bonus for a "band weighting": 80 meter countries get multiplied by 4, 40 meter countries get multiplied by 3, and 20/15/and 10 meter bands get multiplied by 2.

Final scoring is the total number of QSOs plus QTCs on all bands multiplied by the sum of all multipliers weighted by the band factor. There is a lot going on in this contest, so definitely peruse the DARC site for rules and additional details https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/wae-dx-contest/en/.

Have fun and good luck!

MVARC In The Park: KU8V and KN4XW Activate POTA in DC

On Thursday, August 7, 2025 MVARC members Larry KN4XW and David KU8V activated parks for POTA in Washington DC. They worked on several bands on SSB as a dual operator activation on an absolutely beautiful day. Your author swung by on the way home from work to see them in action and they were fielding a steady pileup on 40 meters on an absolutely gorgeous evening. If you have fun activities you'd like to share with Amateur Radio News and Notes, drop me a line and I may include it in a future edition.

Contest Spotlight: The Maryland-DC QSO Party

Image Courtesy W3VPR.org

This weekend brings the 2025 edition of the Maryland-DC QSO Party. The action starts at 1400 UTC August 9 (10 AM EDT Saturday) and goes until 0400 UTC August 10 (Midnight EDT Saturday). Bands in play are 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters on CW and Phone with 5 classes (Club, Rover, Portable, Mobile, and Fixed) and 3 power classes High Power (>100 Watts), Low Power (100 Watts), and QRP (5 Watts). The exchange is County and City for Maryland and DC stations and State/Province/Country for everyone else. Points are 3 per CW QSO, 1 per Phone QSO, 50 bonus points for working W3VPR, 200 Points for working 13 of the 25 MDC jurisdictions, and 500 points if you work all 25 jurisdictions. The multipliers for MDC participants are each MD county, DC, and Baltimore City once only, and each state (except MD), province, and country once only. For non MDC participants the multipliers are each MD county, DC, and Baltimore City once only. Total score is (QSO Points x Power Multiplier x Category Multiplier x County/State/Province/Country Multiplier) + bonus points, so things can escalate quickly. Full rules and details can be found at https://www.w3vpr.org/Maryland-DC_QSO_Party. Good luck!

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week including Bermuda (K9GY/VP9), Saint Kitts Island (V47JA), Mayotte (TO3K), South Sudan (Z81D), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 152 and the estimated sunspot number was 140 with 9 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity has been at moderate levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels and the Kp index reached 1 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 476 km/s. There were R1 radio blackouts recently with the largest being on the 7th at 1131 UTC. Solar activity is predicted to be at moderate levels levels today and Saturday. Geomagnetic fields are expected to be enhanced today and tomorrow with the arrival of a coronal mass ejection at Earth and a co-rotating interacting region ahead of a coronal hole high speed stream. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 15% today and 5% over the weekend. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely in the near term with a predicted probability of 55%. R3 or greater blackouts are less likely with a 10% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the WAE DX Contest on CW, the FISTS Saturday Sprint, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the YB Bekasi Merdeka Contest, the Maryland-DC QSO Party, Kentucky State Parks on the Air, the 50 MHZ Fall Sprint, the NCCC 55th Anniversary Fiesta, the SARL HF Digital Contest, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Josh KI6NAZ shows new firmware for the VGC and BTech Radios to work satellites -

Veritasium explores the history and electrochemistry of Lithium-ion battery technology -

Hayden VK7HH talks about difficulties finding Alinco radios -

Mike K8MRD takes a look at a compact and inexpensive 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Discovery Dish for Satellite reception -

Chuck KK7USY makes a DIY mobile antenna mount for his truck -

Ramon EA5IW takes us along for some beach portable CW -

Calum M0MCX and Dave G0OES talk about 40 meter antennas -

Kevin W1DED talks to Tim K3LR about the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation -

Walt K4OGO talks about his favorite antenna experiment -

Kevin W1DED talks to Tom 8P5A/W2SC about station design and contesting in the Caribbean -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at version 2 of the KV4P HT for Android phones -

Colin MM0OPX talks about improving reception with SDRs -

Kevin W1DED talks to Frank W3LPL and Rol K3RA about the best and worst radios for Field Day -

Elle-Marie KJ5LXP experiments with cross-band repeating on VHF/UHF -

Ciprian YO6DXE builds a simple FM receiver from minimal parts in 2 videos -

and

Craig KM6LYW builds an off grid packet radio digipeater complete with AX.25 and Winlink -

Kevin KB9RLW reviews a new portable USB powered soldering iron -

Matt M0DQW reviews the RF Power Nanny web enabled HF Power Meter -

George VK2AOE amplifies his Hermes Lite 2 with a homebrewed amplifier -

Hayden VK7HH builds a battery box for portable operations -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the ATS Decoder Mega SDR -

Dugbo KD7DUG shows how to get CW and SSB on a Quansheng HT -

Brian NR7Y shows some mods to use a Quansheng HT without an adapter cable -

Ciprian YO6DXE looks at the new Tidradio TD-H3 Plus HT -

George VK2AOE builds his "QRP Playground" -

Great Scott Gadgets announces the HackRF Pro SDR -

Mike K8MRD uses a ladder as an antenna for POTA -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* Amateur Radio News and Notes on Vacation Next Week

* Contest Spotlight: RSGB Islands on the Air (IOTA) Contest

* Contest Spotlight: Adventure Radio Society Flight of the Bumblebees

* Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (CW)

* Berryville Hamfest Next Weekend (8/3/2025)

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Amateur Radio News and Notes on Vacation Next Week

Amateur Radio News and Notes will be on a break next week for some Summer fun. To tide you over we've got DX and contest information for the next couple weeks. We'll be back to our regular schedule August 8, 2025.

Contest Spotlight: RSGB Islands on the Air (IOTA) Contest

Image Courtesy https://www.iota-world.org/

The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is hosting this year's Islands on the Air (IOTA) contest at 1200 UTC July 26th to Sunday, July 27th at 1200 UTC. The IOTA program tracks contacts to islands all around the world and is active all the time. Since this is the weekend for the contest, there will be a whole lot of islands on the air for you to contact (check out the What's Happening with DX section for some examples). For the contest the 80 meter, 40 meter, 20 meter, 15 meter, and 10 meter bands will be in play. As always, IOTA has a lot of rules, so check out the rules at the RSGB site. The exchange for island chasers is RST and Serial Number (starting from 1) and for Island stations will be RST, Serial Number, and IOTA Reference. For scoring, island chasers get 2 points for each QSO with another chaser and 15 points for each island station. The multipliers are the total number of different IOTA references contacted on each band on CW plus the total contacted on SSB. Total score is QSO Points multiplied by total multipliers. Full rules and details can be found at https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2025/riota.shtml. Good Luck!

Contest Spotlight: Adventure Radio Society Flight of the Bumblebees

Sunday, July 27th 2025 the Adventure Radio Society will be hosting this year's Flight of the Bumblebees from 1700 to 2100 UTC. This is a fun contest focused on QRP (low power) CW operations with stations in the field. The Bumblebee stations are stations who are out in the field, sign with a /BB, and are assigned a bumblebee number. Everyone else works from home and tries to work the bumblebees. The maximum power output is 5 Watts for both bumblebees and home stations and bands operated are 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters, and 10 meters around the standard QRP frequencies. The exchange for bumblebees is RST State/Province/Country and Bumblebee Number. For home stations it is RST State/Province/Country and Power in Watts. You can work each bumblebee or home station once per band. Scores are calculated as the total number of contacts multiplied by the number of bumblebees multiplied by 3. Many bumblebees will be running POTA and SOTA while running the contest, too. For more information about the contest, how to get a bumblebee number, and the rules visit https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html. Good luck!

Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (CW)

The North American QSO Party on CW is happening again the first full weekend of August which is 1800 UTC August 2nd to 0559 UTC August 3rd this year. The objective of the NAQP is to work as many North American stations as possible during the contest period. For the purposes of the contest that includes North American DXCC entities plus Hawaii. There are entry classifications for Single Operator (no spotting networks allowed), Single Operator Assisted (with spotting networks allowed, including self-spotting), and Multioperator Two Transmitter. For this running of the NAQP it will be CW only, with bands of 160 meters, 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters, and 10 meters. The exchange is operator name location (S/P/C for NA and no location for DX). The same name must be used throughout the contest. Multipliers are all 50 US States plus DC and all 13 Canadian provinces and territories. Other North American entities use the DXCC entity name. Stations can be worked once per band and scores are total valid contacts multiplied by the number of multipliers on each band. Full rules and details can be found at https://www.ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf. Good luck!

Berryville Hamfest Next Weekend (8/3/2025)

On Sunday, August 3, 2025 the Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club will be hosting the 74th annual Berryville Hamfest. MVARC has a table once again this year and the grand prize this year is a Yaesu FT-710 transceiver. In addition to lots of vendors and tailgaters they will have the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, a BBQ Beef and Chicken Dinner, and an ice cream truck. Gates open at 6 AM and admission is $10 as are tailgate spots. It is always a fun trip so if you're close by give them a visit and make sure to swing by the MVARC table in the Ruritan building. For more information visit https://svarc.us/hamfest/.

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands the next two weeks, especially with this week's IOTA contest. Stations on the air include Tiree Island in Scotland (GM2T), Thailand (E2X), Aquidneck Island (AA1AC), Isle of Man (MD7C), Benbecula Island (GM7V), Schouwen Duiveland Island (PA/OQ4T), Cotijuba Island (PX8Z), Rodrigues Island (3B9SP), Tangier Island (K4T), Fuerte Island (5K0C, 5K0T), Bermuda (K9GY/VP9), Saint Kitts Island (V47JA), Mayotte (TO3K), Greenland (OX3LX), Nicaragua (YN2RP), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 156 and the estimated sunspot number was 85 with 10 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has stayed the same. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at unsettled to active to levels and the Kp index reached 4 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 818 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to active levels levels today and at quiet levels on Saturday, and at quiet to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 30%. R3 or greater blackouts are less likely with a 5% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the FRAPR 10M Contest, the RSGB IOTA Contest, the ARAM 50 MHz Contest, the Alabama QSO Party, and the ARS Flight of the Bumblebees. Next weekend brings the 10-10 International Summer Contest on SSB, the European HF Championships, the North American QSO Party on CW, the ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest, the Hemus VHF Contest on 144 MHz, and the SARL HF Phone Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Steve KM9G activates SOTA with a 25 foot whip -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6KRA talk to Devin W6DVN about Microwave SOTA for Sofas on the Air -

Hayden VK7HH talks about what ham bands work best for which uses -

The Oxford Shortwave Log talks about the Shortwave Bulletin newsletter -

Linas LY2H uses his IC-705 Go Bag in the field -

Josh KI6NAZ and Adam K6ARK take Josh's kids out for a Eastern Sierras Adventure -

Mike K8MRD reviews a 100 Watt PD Power Bank -

Elle-Marie KJ5LXP uses EchoLink to connect to a distant repeater over the internet and RF -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the new HydraSDR RFone Software Defined Radio -

Kevin W1DED talks to the Contest Crew about their experiences in the IARU HF Championships -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA use the QMX to activate SOTA and show Ara's new paddle mount -

Steve KM9G takes a look at the new VR-N7600 Mobile rig -

Mike K8MRD tests out the ATAS 120A on 40 Meters -

George VK2AOE gives "12 Rules" for Hams to aspire toward -

Lidi KQ3Q receives ISS SSTV Signals using an Anytone 878 -

Dugbo KD7DUG activates SOTA and shows why two is one and one is none in the field -

Hayden VK7HH talks about a threat to the 70 cm ham band from a proposed satellite service -

Steve KM9G gets his mind blown by the Radioberry -

Kevan 2E0WMG does QRP contesting from a boat -

Matt M0DQW shows how to fix an issue with the amp on a HackRF Portapack -

Di KO6BTM builds a Morserino-32 -

Kevan 2E0WMG plays in the IARU HF Championships on an island -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com

In the log this week

* DXpedition Spotlight: PJ2Y Youth DX Adventure in Curacao

* Contest Spotlight: The YOTA Contest 2025

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

DXpedition Spotlight: PJ2Y Youth DX Adventure in Curacao

Image Courtesy https://youthdxa.org/

The Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure is back on the air July 17-22 this year. They will be operating at the Caribbean Contesting Consortium's super contest station PJ2T in Curacao. The youth team will be operating as a DX special event station for four days with round-the-clock operations being anticipated. The youth team includes Isaiah Russell KJ5CMP, Josiah Russell WD5JR, Agnes Wagner AD8IR, and Ben Wagner AD8FQ. Joining the kids will be John Russell N5VOF and JoAnn Russell. I've been fortunate enough to meet Isaiah and Josiah through teaching CW with the Long Island CW Club and I am very excited to get the team in the log on this exciting DX adventure. Congratulations to the entire team and we wish them good luck and great DX. For more information check out the Youth DX Adventure site at https://youthdxa.org/.

Contest Spotlight: The YOTA Contest 2025

Image Courtesy https://www.ham-yota.com/

This weekend brings round two of the Youth on the Air (YOTA) Contest organized by the IARU R1 Youth Working Group and the MRASZ (Hungarian Amateur Radio Society). The purpose of the contest is to increase activity by youth on the airwaves and to build support for youngsters across the globe. The contest gets started on July 19th at 1000 UTC (5 AM EDT) until 2200 UTC (5 PM EDT) and is open to all amateurs and also to YOTA defined as any operator 25 years of age or younger. The bands of operation will be 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m and the modes will be CW and SSB. There are several different operating categories for both all ops and YOTA with different numbers of bands, operating hours, and numbers of operators. In the contest everyone can work everyone and you can work the same station on the same band in CW and SSB. The exchange is RS(T) and Age on January 1 for single ops and RST and average of ages on the 1st of January for multiple operator stations. QSO points for a station over 25 are 1 point in the same continent and 2 points for another continent. QSOs with youngsters (regardless of continent) are 13 points for under 12 years old, 12 points for 12-16 years old, 11 points for 17-21 years old, and 10 points for 22-25 years old. Different ages worked act as multipliers and the final result is the sum of points earned per band and mode multiplied by the sum of multipliers worked per band, so points can escalate quickly. This promises to be a fun contest for everyone, so give it a go this weekend and support the YOTA stations. Full rules and details can be found at http://yotacontest.mrasz.org/rules. Good luck!

MVARC Nets on the Air

* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]

* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]

* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]

* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week. Stations on the air include Svalbard (JW0V), Fuerte Island (5K0C, 5K0T), Greenland (OX3LX), Nicaragua (YN2RP), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Benin (TY5AD), Kuwait (9K2HN), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).

A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/

Solar Activity Update

As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 156 and the estimated sunspot number was 182 with 11 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at active to minor storm levels and the Kp index reached 4 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 789 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to active levels today and at quiet to unsettled levels over the weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 10%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely in the near term with a predicted probability of 60%. R3 or greater blackouts are less likely with a 15% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world.

Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.

Upcoming Contests

On the contest calendar this weekend we will see the LABRE DX Contest, the Russian Radio Team Championship, the Trans-Tasman Low-Bands Challenge, the YOTA Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the CQ Worldwide VHF Digital Contest, the IARU Region 1 70 MHz Contest, the North American QSO Party on RTTY, the RSGB International Low Power Contest, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.

The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php

Interesting Online Radio Content

Kevin W1DED and the Contest Crew talk to Rol K3RA and Frank W3LPL about the record breaking W3AO Field Day team -

Mike K8MRD does a Late Shift POTA Activation -

Elle-Marie KJ5LXP shows her mobile FTM-510D radio installation -

Kevin KB9RLW takes a look at the Elikliv 4K Digital Microscope -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the VGC VR-N7600 mobile rig with a full KISS TNC -

Forrest KI7QCF is the DX as he operates CW from the beach in Jamaica -

Matt M0DQW finishes his 70 cm Amplifier build -

The Solar Lab gives the basics on using solar panels in series and parallel configurations -

Josh KI6NAZ gives his favorite portable HF antenna pick -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk Field Day and lots more on the latest Sofas on the Air -

Dan WD4DAN talks about the shutdown of Hamshack Hotline -

Elle-Marie KJ5LXP goes on a road trip and makes contacts on her mobile VHF rig -

Lidi KQ3Q Activates Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Florida with CW -

Nanofix talks soldering temperatures and techniques for electronics work -

That's it for this week.

Best 73,

Ed

N2EC

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com