Amateur Radio News and Notes Podcast

In the log this week

* Katie Campbell KE8LQR Named Young Ham of the Year 2025

* Prominent POTA Activator Tripp Owens N4NTO Silent Key

* Hamshack Hotline VoIP Service To Shut Down August 29, 2025

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Katie Campbell KE8LQR Named Young Ham of the Year 2025

Photo Courtesy KE8LQR's QRZ Profile

Amateur Radio Newsline announced that this year's recipient of the Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, of Columbiana, Ohio. Katie is a remarkable 17 year old young woman who has been very active in the hobby. I have been fortunate to know her through her involvement as an instructor in the Long Island CW Club's kids program where she has led the advanced CW classes. In addition to her CW instruction she has been very active in contesting participating in the 2023 K3LR IOTA Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure in 2023, and also in 2024 at K3LR to lead CW operations. She has also been an attendee and part of the organizing staff for Youth on the Air (YOTA) camps where she acts as a mentor and social media manager. She has also made several presentations at Dayton Hamvention, Orlando Hamcation, and SEAPAC. She also does a lot of work to build youth engagement in the hobby serving as ARRL Assistant Youth Section Coordinator for Ohio, a Net Control of the Ohio Section Youth Net, the Young Ladies Radio League youth chairwoman, and participating many other activities. For a more full list of her activities, check out her QRZ profile. Congratulations to Katie on this well deserved award, I'm sure her best is yet to come.

Kevin W1DED interviewed Katie a year ago on his YouTube channel at

. The press release from Amateur Radio Newsline can be found at https://www.arnewsline.org/2025-yhoty

Prominent POTA Activator Tripp Owens N4NTO Silent Key

Tripp Owens, N4NTO, passed away in a tragic accident on the 4th of July while activating Averasboro Battlefield Historic Site (US-11375) when his antenna contacted overhead power lines as he was shutting down his activation, causing him to be electrocuted. Tripp was 57. He was was a prolific POTA activator with 663 successful activations in 84 parks with 19,464 QSOs as an activator. He was also an avid contester focusing on CW and a member of CW Ops and PVRC. There has been an outpouring of remembrances from those who knew him in the amateur radio community. He will be deeply missed.

This is an unfortunate reminder that one of the most dangerous things we encounter in the field are power lines. Please make sure to look up and around you when you set up antennas and ensure that you stay well clear of utility lines. All it takes is a gust of wind or a failed guy line to cause a disaster. Thomas K4SWL has a post with more information on his site and recommendations for best practices for safe antenna deployment at https://qrper.com/2025/07/a-tragic-reminder-safety-must-come-first-in-the-field/.

Our deepest condolences go out to Tripp's family and friends. Tripp's obituary can be found at https://www.carlislefuneralhome.com/obituary/AmbroseTripp-OwensIII

Hamshack Hotline VoIP Service To Shut Down August 29, 2025

The popular voice over IP telephony network for amateur radio operators, Hamshack Hotline, announced that they will be shutting down their project effective August 29, 2025. The service started in 2018 as a way to allow amateurs to connect using IP telephones allowing them to call each other on their own hotline numbers. It was a popular service that had over 7,000 users at its peak, but it appears to have become a victim of its own success as it scaled so did the demands on the volunteers who allowed the service to operate. The organization plans to donate the remaining cash reserves from the operation to a charity supporting veterans to be announced soon. Their full statement can be found at https://hamshackhotline.com/.

Thanks to subscriber Corey KN4YZY who alerted me to this story. If you come across amateur radio related news you think would be good to share on Amateur Radio News and Notes feel free to send me a message.

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 Miquelon Island (FP/KV1J), Avidimou Beach SBA (ZC4MK), Svalbard (JW0V), Fuerte Island (5K0C, 5K0T), 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 129 and the estimated sunspot number was 96 with 5 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has remained about the same. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels and the Kp was at 1 yesterday evening. The solar wind reached 428 km/s yesterday. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet levels today and at quiet to unsettled levels tomorrow. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. A slight chance of R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35%. 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 of all license classes 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 SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the IARU HF World Championship, the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint, and the 4 States QRP Group 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

Steve KM9G experiments with a NVIS setup with his Spooltenna -

Dugbo KD7DUG does a VHF Packtenna Activation from Black Mountain -

Mike K8MRD shows his new DenCo 5.5 Ah LiFePO4 Battery -

Jason KM4ACK looks at a 12 V powered PC to take over from his Raspberry Pi -

Matt M0DQW looks at the RADE V1 Codec for FreeDV -

Save it for Parts looks at the HackRF Portapack -

Mort G4BSK fixes a broken antenna with 3D printing -

Duff WA7BFN gives us another edition of the Long Island CW Club Podcast -

Jason KM4ACK shows a radio repair toolkit he put into a compact case -

George VK2AOE looks at an inexpensive RF attenuator -

Kevin W1DED talks to Les KI5GTR about his POTA Activations -

Mike K8MRD looks at a "mini" LiFePO4 battery -

Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk to Tim N7KOM for the second episode of "Sofas on the Air" -

Di KO6BTM gives an animated intro to Morse Code -

Matt M0DQW gives a Loop On Ground antenna a try -

Dan WD4DAN makes a tribute to Tripp N4NTO (SK) -

Dugbo KD7DUG takes us on a Mountain Morse Journey -

Rob N1NUG activates the highest point in Rhode Island for POTA -

Mike K8MRD finds a USB-C PD Outlet that works with the FTX-1F -

Mike K8MRD takes a look at firmware updates for the FTX-1F -

Josh KI6NAZ takes us along for the W6TRW Field Day and SOTA extravaganza -

Thomas K4SWL shows us what's in his field radio backpack for his Canada vacation -

Kevan 2E0WMG goes portable and gets some unfavorable audio reports from Slovenia -

Kevin W1DED talks to Mike SJ2W about his Swedish contest station -

Kevan 2E0WMG goes to the Cape Bear Lighthouse and Marconi Station in Prince Edward Island -

Steve KM9G gets some returned Amazon gear and "repairs" it -

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 Field Day Recap

* MVARC Breakfast Recap

* The 13 Colonies Special Event Happening Until 7/7/2025

* ARRL Logbook of the World Back Online After Systems Upgrade

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC Field Day Recap

MVARC had a lot of fun last weekend for ARRL Field Day. We had a lot of ops join in as we operated 5A once again this year with the club getting hundreds of QSOs in the log. We were also visited by members of the community including a couple Fairfax County Police officers and also Sandy KQ4DNE of the Fairfax County Department of Emergency Management and Security.

We were lucky with the weather this year and did not have to deal with any rain or thunderstorms. However, it was quite hot outside, which put a damper on the festivities a bit during the day. In the early evening on Saturday we had our club picnic with catered BBQ and had a good turnout and ample food. Also at the picnic the club awarded the member of the year award to Ed N2EC (of the third person) for which I am very much honored.

As day turned to dark we had a contingent of operators who stayed through the night to get those contacts. 15 meters stayed open well into the evening and contacts were made to Australia, Hawaii, and Alaska on digital. CW and SSB operations focused on 80, 40, and 20 meters and fought with many close in signals and a high noise floor. As morning came members and their families brought the team donuts and coffee and after a bit more operating the group helped to take down the setup.

All in all I think this year's Field Day was a great success. We had lots of members of the club and the community join us, and most importantly, we had a lot of fun. I definitely look forward to next year's Field Day.

MVARC Breakfast Recap

Photo Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Just before the start of the Field Day festivities we had our monthly breakfast at the Hybla Valley IHOP. We had a great turnout as usual and great conversation over a delicious breakfast. Our breakfasts are held on the 4th Saturday of each month and we look forward to seeing you at the next one.

The 13 Colonies Special Event Happening until July 7

Image courtesy https://www.13colonies.us/

The 17th Annual 13 Colonies Special event started on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 and the activity on the bands has been quite exciting with big pileups on offer. This event seems to get more and more popular each year.

The event is staffed by volunteers in each of the states from the original 13 colonies as well as Great Britain and France, and it can be a fun challenge to see if you can get them in the log. If you do find one of the stations, they ask that you give them a spot on DX Summit at http://www.dxsummit.fi/, which is also a great place to find spots for the stations you need. The event tends to be VERY active on CW and SSB and may also be on RTTY and Digital. Activity will be on all bands (including the WARC bands) except 60 meters. I hope to be able to make a clean sweep on CW this year and always enjoy this event. Each of the stations has special QSL cards you can send for if you make a contact, and you can apply for a certificate for the event as well. They request a $5 donation to cover costs, but if that is a hardship will provide them free of charge.

More information about the event can be found at https://www.13colonies.us/. Good luck!

ARRL Logbook of the World Back Online After Systems Upgrade

Logbook of The World, the popular system used for logging on the Worked All States, DX Century Club, VHF/UHF Century Club, CQ WPX, and CQ WAZ awards programs returned to service on Wednesday.

ARRL CEO David Minster NA2AA said in a press release that "LoTW [received] major upgrades to the operating system it is running on, the relational database system it uses to store and access logbook and awards data, and server hosting, where it will be fully migrated to the cloud. These changes will, among other improvements, ensure LoTW performance needs can be better met based on user demand.". His full statement can be found at https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-announces-logbook-of-the-world-systems-upgrade.

Anecdotally speaking, LoTW does seem to be running faster than before and appears to be much more responsive.

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 Cayman Islands (ZF2AE), Miquelon Island (FP/KV1J), Avidimou Beach SBA (ZC4MK), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Benin (TY5AD), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), 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 125 and the estimated sunspot number was 148 with 8 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 active levels and the Kp was at 4 yesterday evening. The solar wind reached 411 km/s yesterday. Solar activity is predicted to reach active levels for the 4th of July holiday with a chance for G1 level storms due to persistent coronal mass ejection effects. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. A slight chance of R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 20%. 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 of all license classes 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 Venezuelan Independence Day Contest, the FOC Old School Classic 1960s QSO Party, the NZART Memorial Contest, the TA VHF/UHF Contest, the CQ Worldwide VHF SSB/CW Contest, the Marconi Memorial HF Contest, the Original QRP Contest, and the PODXS 070 Club 40m Firecracker 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

Matt M0DQW takes another look at the Quansheng TK11 -

Steve KM9G has some issues with his Xiegu 6200 and resolves them -

Kevan 2E0WMG operates from an island in Canada as VA3WMG/P -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at a GPS NTP time server suitable for off grid FT8 -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW takes a look at recent solar weather -

Walt K4OGO takes a look at the Choyong LC90 Radio -

Jeff KF0MYB and Joe KF0MYJ talk about Software Defined Radio (SDR) -

George VK2AOE builds an RF tap -

HistoryX takes a look at the Titanic's Radio Room and the effort to remove the Marconi radio from it -

Kevin W1DED and the Contest Crew talk about the HF World Championship -

Chuck KK6USY starts his build of the Advanced Antenna Research Phasing Controller -

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

* ARRL Field Day This Weekend (6/28/2025-6/29/2025)

* MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow Morning (6/28/2025)

* The 13 Colonies Special Event Starts July 1 (7/1/2025-7/7/2025)

* ARRL Logbook of the World Offline for Systems Upgrade (6/27/2025-7/2/2025)

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

ARRL Field Day This Weekend

The biggest event in amateur radio is happening this weekend on June 28-29th. The ARRL predicts over 31,000 amateurs will be setting up to test their skills and preparedness in this popular annual operating event. MVARC will be operating at a new location this year as a 5A station behind the George Washington REC Center at 8426 Old Mt Vernon Rd, Alexandria, VA 22309. We will head over to the site right after our monthly breakfast to start setting up. In addition to our 5 primary stations, we plan on having a "Get on the Air" (GOTA) station to allow for those without licenses or who haven't been active on the air to have some fun on the bands with the assistance of our club members. We will also have our club picnic on Saturday evening at 5 PM at the Field Day site with the presentation of our MVARC Member of the Year award. If you're able to make it, we would love to have you join us.

ARRL Field Day is a special event that many consider amateur radio's "open house". As the ARRL says on their site, amateurs "set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio."

The event is not technically a contest, but rather an operating event. That said, scores are kept and standings published in QST. The objective is to make as many contacts as possible in the operating period June 28-29, 2025 (2 PM ET to 3:59 PM ET). All non-WARC bands are fair game (160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters on HF and 6 meters and above for VHF/UHF bands). 1 point is awarded for each Phone QSO and 2 points for each CW and Digital QSO. There are also lots of bonus points to be had for things like operating a Get on the Air (GOTA) station, operating on VHF, message passing, working satellites, and public outreach. The exchange for the event is ARRL section, entry category, and operating class. For the MVARC station, running as a 5 transmitter entry category, and the A class (club/non-club portable) our exchange would be "5A VA". Other classes include A (Battery) which is limited to 5 W, B for one or two person portable (there is a also a Battery option for 5W or less), C for mobile stations, D for home stations, E for home stations under emergency power, and F for stations at an Emergency Operations Center.

Field Day is a whole lot of fun, and a big part of the excitement is being out with your fellow amateurs. I heartily recommend finding a local Field Day to stop by and visit (and if you're in the Alexandria, VA area, come join MVARC). A field day locator site can be found at https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator. Even if you stay home, run as a class D or class E station and see how many stations you can get in the log.

More information can be found at https://www.arrl.org/field-day. We hope to see you out in the field and on the air. Good luck!

MVARC Breakfast Tomorrow Morning (6/28/2025)

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 28, 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 will also head to the Field Day site after we're done enjoying breakfast. We hope to see you all there.

The 13 Colonies Special Event Starts July 1 (7/1/2025-7/7/2025)

Image courtesy https://www.13colonies.us/

The 17th Annual 13 Colonies Special event starts on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. This event seems to get more and more popular each year, so get ready to try to break some pileups and collect the colonies to make a clean-sweep! The event has operating stations for each of the 13 original colonies each with its own 1x1 call. K2A in New York, K2B in Virginia, K2C in Rhode Island, K2D in Connecticut, K2E in Delaware, K2F in Maryland, K2G in Georgia, K2H in Massachusetts, K2I in New Jersey, K2J in North Carolina, K2K in New Hampshire, K2L in South Carolina, and K2M in Pennsylvania. There are also bonus stations available for GB13COL in the United Kingdom, TM13COL in France, and WM3PEN in Philadelphia.

The event is staffed by volunteers in each of the states, and it can be a fun challenge to see if you can get them in the log. If you do find one of the stations, they ask that you give them a spot on DX Summit at http://www.dxsummit.fi/, which is also a great place to find spots for the stations you need. The event tends to be VERY active on CW and SSB and may also be on RTTY and Digital. Activity will be on all bands (including the WARC bands) except 60 meters. I hope to be able to make a clean sweep on CW this year and always enjoy this event. Each of the stations has special QSL cards you can send for if you make a contact, and you can apply for a certificate for the event as well. They request a $5 donation to cover costs, but if that is a hardship will provide them free of charge.

More information about the event can be found at https://www.13colonies.us/. Good luck!

ARRL Logbook of the World Offline for Systems Upgrade (6/27/2025-7/2/2025)

Logbook of The World, the popular system used for logging on the Worked All States, DX Century Club, VHF/UHF Century Club, CQ WPX, and CQ WAZ awards programs will be offline starting today for a systems upgrade.

ARRL CEO David Minster NA2AA said in a press release that "LoTW will be receiving major upgrades to the operating system it is running on, the relational database system it uses to store and access logbook and awards data, and server hosting, where it will be fully migrated to the cloud. These changes will, among other improvements, ensure LoTW performance needs can be better met based on user demand.". His full statement can be found at https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-announces-logbook-of-the-world-systems-upgrade.

QRZ.com CEO Jamie Jeffries KF7WIS whose service allows for automated uploads to LoTW also released a statement saying that "this planned outage by LOTW will affect QRZ users with LOTW integration and will prevent transferring QSOs to and from LOTW from QRZ for the duration of the outage. [QRZ] will be disabling the controls for LOTW imports and exports until such time as we become aware that the LOTW service is back online." Her full statement can be found at https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/planned-lotw-outage-and-the-impact-to-qrz-users.958105/.

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]

Please Note: Due to Field Day the MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable and Cherry Tree Nets will be off the air this week.

What's Happening with DX

There will be a good amount of DX on the bands this week. Stations on the air include Dominica (J79BH), Miquelon Island (FP/KV1J), Avidimou Beach SBA (ZC4MK), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Tokelau (ZK3ZK), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), 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 117 and the estimated sunspot number was 90 with 5 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 unsettled to active levels and the Kp was at 4 yesterday going to 5 last night. The solar wind reached 849 km/s yesterday. NOAA forecasts that minor G1 storms are likely early today with a peak Kp of 4.67 forecast. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely 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 of all license classes 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 things are a bit sparse due to Field Day, but we can look forward to the technically not a contest ARRL Field Day, the UFT QRP Contest, and the His Majesty King of Spain Contest on SSB. 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

Save it For Parts hunts "zombie" satellites -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the FreeStar network -

Kevin W1DED and the Contest Crew talk Field Day 2025 -

Dugbo KD7DUG activates SOTA and works the ARRL June VHF Contest -

Linas LY2H tests out an inexpensive Manual Antenna Tuner -

Mike N 2MAK and Ben W2BMK do some mountain top work for the ARRL June VHF Contest -

The Broadcast Engineer goes "pirate" hunting with radio direction finding gear -

Kevan 2E0WMG does kayak portable as VA3WMG/P and deals with some aggressive flies -

Mike K8MRD makes a go bag for his FTX-1 -

Kyle AA0Z takes a look at a new rig control app for the FT-891 -

Chuck KK6USY starts his build of a phased 40 meter vertical array -

Hayden VK7HH looks at a power bank for portable ops and sees if it is RF quiet -

Kevin W1DED talks to Jeff N5TJ about his CQ WW World Record of 10,000 QSOs in 48 hours -

Kevin W1DED talks to Randy K5ZD about the World Wide Award event -

Matt M0DQW starts converting a commercial amplifier for amateur use -

Walt K4OGO adds a capacitance hat to a vertical antenna -

George VK2AOE works on an amplifier for his Hermes Lite 2 rig -

Mike K8MRD recommends a drive over mast mount -

Kevin KB9RLW takes a look at an inexpensive multimeter, oscilloscope, and signal generator -

Steve KM9G makes a mod for easier mounting of the Radioddity HF-009 antenna -

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

* ARRL Field Day Next Weekend

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

ARRL Field Day Next Weekend

The biggest event in amateur radio will be happening next weekend on June 28-29th so save the date! The ARRL predicts over 31,000 amateurs will be setting up to test their skills and preparedness in this popular annual operating event. MVARC will be operating at a new location this year as a 5A station and we're excited to join in the fun. There will be more information on the event next week here on Amateur Radio News and Notes. Until then, more information can be found at https://www.arrl.org/field-day. We hope to see you out in the field and on the air. 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 Palau (T88PB, T88CL), Turkmenistan (EZ/DL7ZM), Saint Kitts Island (V47JA), Greenland (OX3LX), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Tokelau (ZK3ZK), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), 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 137 and the estimated sunspot number was 120 with 6 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity reached high levels on Thursday and an X-class flare of X1.91 hit Earth causing a R3 radio blackout last night. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels and the Kp was at 4 yesterday going to 3 last night. The solar wind reached 692 km/s. NOAA forecasts that minor G1 storms are likely today with a peak Kp of 4 forecast. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 10%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are expected in the near term with a predicted probability of 70%. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 20% 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 of all license classes 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 can look forward to the All Asian DX Contest on CW, the SMIRK Contest, the Pajajaran Bogor DX Contest, the SKCC QSO Party, the IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest, the LZ International 6-Meter Contest, the Stew Perry Topband Challenge, the West Virginia QSO Party, ARRL Kids Day, the Feld Hell Sprint, and the WAB 50 MHz 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

Dr. Tamitha Skov catches us up on some big flares and recent solar conditions -

Mark KD7DTS takes us along to see the Queens of the Mountains activate SOTA -

Forrest KI7QCF shows us the FC-80 snap-on tuner for the Yaesu FTX-1 -

Thomas K4SWL has a relaxing lakeside POTA on CW -

Save it for Parts installs some Meshtastic gear on top of a silo -

Mike K8MRD takes a look at an operating mat from Quirky QRP -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Ailunce H1 DMR HT -

Steve KM9G looks at the Heltec MeshPocket Meshtastic Node and Phone Charger -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the SkyRoof Satellite Tracking Software -

Josh KI6NAZ builds the loading coil designed by Adam K6ARK for his Elecraft KH1 -

Sebastian KI2D talks to Ara N6ARA about SOTA and Ham2k Portable Logger -

James N0WRL talks to Mark M0DXR about WRTC 2026 -

Steve KM9G installs 73 Linux on a small form factor PC -

Steve VE6WZ builds a 75 foot vertical antenna -

Kevin W1DED talks to Kay K6KJN about the Digital Library of Amateur Radio Communications (DLARC) -

Ed W4EMB sends a father's day message in Morse Code -

Kevin KB9RLW measures his QRPp rig's output with an oscilloscope -

Ramon EA5IW takes us up a mountain for some QRP fun -

Lidiette KQ3Q makes her first 6 meter QSO with a BNC binding post -

Becky N4BKY and Mike N4FFF announce their new automated QSL service -

James KE8PZN works the SO-50 satellite -

Kevan 2E0WMG has some trouble with a boost converter and his FX-4CR -

Alan W2AEW reviews the Ham Radio Duo Straight Key -

Tim K5OHY talks batteries for POTA -

IMSAI Guy uses an oscilloscope to look at coax delay and impedance -

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: ARRL June VHF Contest

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Contest Spotlight: ARRL June VHF Contest

This weekend brings the ARRL June VHF Contest from 1800 UTC on Saturday until 0259 UTC on Monday. Despite being called the "VHF" contest, participants can make contacts on some UHF bands as well, with QSOs being valid on 50, 144, 222, 432, and 902 MHz as well as 1.2 GHz. The objective of the contest is to get QSOs with as many 2 degree by 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible within the United States and Canada. The exchange is simply that Maidenhead grid square, so for me, that would be FM18. All legal modes are permitted.

There are several Single Operator categories (High and Low Power, Portable, 3-bands, and FM Only) as well as Rover categories (Classic, Limited, and Unlimited), and Multi-Operator categories (Limited and Unlimited). The rules have specific details for power and band operations for these different categories, so definitely check out the rules for details. We have had some openings on the 6 meter band lately, so this may be a great opportunity to get a lot of contacts if the magic band cooperates this weekend.

Full rules and contest information can be found at https://www.arrl.org/june-vhf. 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 Saipan Island (KH0N), Cyprus (ZC4RH), Bermuda (VP9/WA4PGM), Saint Kitts Island (V47JA), Saint Martin Island (FS/K9EL), Greenland (OX3LX), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Tokelau (ZK3ZK), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), 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 142 and the estimated sunspot number was 133 with 8 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently with the geomagnetic field being at unsettled levels and the Kp was at 5-6 last night. The solar wind reached 513 km/s on Thursday and polarity was mostly negative. G1 level storms were present. Today solar wind is expected to return to nominal conditions and tomorrow positive polarity coronal hole high speed streams are expected with a chance of the coronal mass ejections from June 8th to have a glancing blow at Earth. Geomagnetic storms at minor to moderate G1-G2 levels are expected today and tomorrow moderate to strong G2 to G3 storms are possible. Sunday these conditions are expected to lessen as the coronal hole and mass ejection effects are reduced. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely 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. While the storms may make things challenging this weekend, HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs of all license classes 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 can look forward to the YB ORARI DX Contest, the Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB), the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Portugal Day Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the REF DDFM 6m Contest, the GACW WWSA CW DX Contest, the ARRL June VHF 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

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW gets us up to speed with solar weather this week -

Kevin W1DED talks to Sebastian KI2D about Ham2k Portable Logger -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at SDR++ Brown -

Colin MM0OPX reviews an inexpensive portable paddle -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at his favorite radio finds on AliExpress -

Ara N6ARA and Mark KD7DTS do their first edition of the Sofas on the Air Podcast and talk about Ara making his SOTA Goat -

Kevin W1DED and the Contest Crew answer viewer questions -

Thomas K4SWL activates POTA pedestrian mobile -

Steve KM9G takes a look at the W0AEZ QRP Battery -

Walt K4OGO shows us Museum Ships on the Air and a day in the Norfolk and Portsmouth Harbor -

TJ K9KJ starts his build of the CFT1 -

Evan K2EJT gives us his thoughts on the good, bad, and ugly of the FTX-1 -

Mike K8MRD installs his FTX-1 for mobile -

Walt K4OGO takes a look at the Xiegu X6200 -

Steve KM9G encourages amateurs to ignore negativity and experiment -

George VK2AOE restores some classic straight keys -

Dugbo KD7DUG activates SOTA with a Cricket 20M kit, Elecraft KH1, and 2M Slim Jim -

Evan K2EJT activates POTA with the FTX-1 Optima -

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 - David KU8V does an Early Shift POTA Activation

* MVARC Breakfast and Meeting Recap

* DXPedition Spotlight - TX5U in French Polynesia

* SteppIR to Exit Amateur Radio Antenna Manufacturing

* FlexRadio announces new Aurora Series SDRs

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC in the Park - David KU8V does an Early Shift POTA Activation

Early in the morning on 6/4/2025 I saw that MVARC member and Parks on the Air enthusiast David KU8V was activating parks in the District of Columbia for an Early Shift activation. I was able to work him on the way into my office using my mobile setup and heard him doing his always amazing job of handling a pileup and getting POTA hunters in the log. Since I had a few minutes to spare I swung by his operating location to say hello and snapped a photo of him with his setup in action. When I stopped by he had over 70 QSOs in the log on 40 meters alone, and intended to hit the higher bands as they opened. It was great seeing David and working him on the air. If you have operations you'd like to share drop me a line and I may be able to include it in a future Amateur Radio News and Notes.

MVARC Breakfast and Meeting Recap

Photo Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Last Saturday we had a great turnout for our monthly breakfast. In fact we had such a good turn out we needed to have multiple tables! After the breakfast we headed over to President Corey KN4YZY's place to test some equipment ahead of Field Day. We found some equipment that was not in working order, so that may have saved us some grief on the big day. We also tested out a few different antennas on the bands and used our test equipment to diagnose and resolve some issues. Of course, most importantly we had a fun morning together and we're looking forward to another fun Field Day this year.

Photo Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

DXPedition Spotlight - TX5U in French Polynesia

Image Courtesy https://www.f6kjs.fr/tx5u-archipel-des-tuamotu/

Didier F6BCW has been QRV in Tikehau, Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia since May 26th and is expected to be running until June 9th. He has had a strong signal to the East Coast recently and I was able to work him on 17 and 20 meter CW on June 3rd. He is targeting 12,000 QSOs on CW and SSB and will QSL via OQRS on Club Log an on LotW after 6 months. As of the last log upload on the 4th he has had 4,618 QSOs uploaded to Club Log. Tikehau is #140 on the most wanted list for CW and #123 on SSB. More information on Didier's operation can be found at https://www.f6kjs.fr/tx5u-archipel-des-tuamotu/.

SteppIR to Exit Amateur Radio Antenna Manufacturing

Image courtesy SteppIR

Antenna manufacturer SteppIR Communication Systems announced that they will stop production of consumer antennas and accessories at the end of August this year. This marks yet another departure from the Amateur Radio market after the exit of MFJ and the brands they owned a year ago. SteppIR is known for the tunable Yagi style antennas that used stepper motors to change the length of the driven element so that the antenna is always resonant on the desired transmit frequency. Their antennas were prized for their performance and frequently seen in serious contest stations.

FlexRadio announces new Aurora Series SDRs

Image Courtesy FlexRadio.com

At Dayton Hamvention this year FlexRadio announced their new Aurora series of Software Defined Radios. These radios offer the ability to transmit up to 500 Watts on the HF bands and 200 Watts on 6 meters at full duplex while still supporting 120 V circuits. Their 510 models offer a single "spectral capture unit" and are the more traditional option, while the 520 models have 2 "spectral capture units" and are capable of operating SO2R (Single Operator 2 Radio). They come with an integrated tuner and run CESSB for a punchier signal. As we go to press the MSRP on their site is $6,199 for the AU-510 and $7,349 for the AU-510M (with the Maestro display on the front). For the AU-50 it starts at $8,599 and getting the Maestro version AU-50M will cost you $9,599. The units are not yet available and are in the pre-order phase. There are different delivery options with the earliest group being Q4 of this year, the second group Q1 2026, and the latest one after those two groups have been fulfilled.

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 French Polynesia (TX5U), Koror Island (T88HR, T88TJ), Bermuda (VP9/WA4PGM), Saint Martin Island (FS/K9EL), Tokelau (ZK3ZK), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), 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 128 and the estimated sunspot number was 92 with 5 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been moderate recently with the geomagnetic field being at quiet to active levels and the Kp was below 4. The solar wind reached 765 km/s on Wednesday and has decreased to near 580 km/s. High speed streams are expected to persist through Sunday when a glancing blow from the June 3rd CME is expected to enhance magnetic field parameters and make a G1 storm likely. Unsettled to active levels are expected to persist through the 8th. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely 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. There was an opening this week on Tuesday where I was able to work a station in Quebec from Virginia from my mobile station via CW. Despite some challenging daytime conditions, HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs of all license classes 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 can look forward to the 10-10 International Open Season PSK Contest, the VK Shires Contest, the Tisza Cup CW Contest, the Wake-Up! QRP Sprint, the Atlantic Canada QSO Party, the Kentucky QSO Party, the UKSMG Summer Contest, the IARURegion 1 Field Day on CW, the RSGB National Field Day, the ARRL International 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

Michael KB9VBR takes a look at the Radioddity HF-009 Antenna -

James KE8PZN does his first POTA activation with the FTX-1 Optima -

Save It for Parts modifies a antenna to receive GOES Satellite data -

Mike K8MRD experiments with off grid power solutions trying to find one without RFI -

Ramon EA5IW does Bike QRP -

Matt M0DQW brings the hammer down (literally) on the Quansheng TK11 -

Adam K6ARK and Mark KD7DTS activate SOTA overnight on 160 meters -

Ed W4EMB shows a loading coil jumper for the Chelegance MC-750 -

Alan W2AEW shows off his build of the SolderSmoke Challenge Direct Conversion Receiver -

Josh Ki6NAZ takes a look at cheap speakers for portable operations -

Mike K8MRD tests out a 400 Watt solar panel for portable operations -

Ralph of Electronics for the Inquisitive Experimenter goes into building a matching network with a Smith chart -

Ralph of Electronics for the Inquisitive Experimenter goes into building a matching network with numerical methods -

Josh KI6NAZ goes bike portable for a SOTA and POTA activation -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW goes deep into what happened in the last week that wrecked the HF bands with solar storms -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at a Moonraker 10 and 12 meter rig -

Kevin W1DED talks to Chris KL9A about his CQ WPX CW win from CQ9A in Madeira 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

* MVARC Breakfast and Meeting Tomorrow 5/30/2025

* Amateur Radio Testing Opportunities This Weekend in Northern Virginia

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC Breakfast and Meeting Tomorrow 5/30/2025

Photo Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 30, 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 all there.

Shortly thereafter we'll be meeting at MVARC President Corey KN4YZY's QTH to make some preparations for this year's Field Day. This will be an in-person get-together with us testing equipment, getting on the air, and having some fun, so there will not be a hybrid meeting this month.

Amateur Radio Testing Opportunities This Weekend in Northern Virginia

Two local clubs here in Northern Virginia will be offering classes and testing opportunities this weekend. The Woodbridge Wireless Amateur Radio Club will be having a class covering the Technician Class examination followed by the test today May 30 and tomorrow May 31 in Woodbridge. The Arlington Amateur Radio club will offer license testing on Sunday, June 1st in Falls Church.

Details on the Woodbridge Wireless event can be found at https://woodbridgewireless.org/events/classes-licensing/ and information about the the Arlington ARC event can be found at https://www.w4wvp.org/exam.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. Stations on the air include Niue Island (E6RS), Kuwait (9K2HN), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Saint Martin Island (FS/K9EL), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), 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 145 and the estimated sunspot number was 126 with 8 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Geomagnetic conditions were at major storm levels yesterday reaching a Kp of 7 early in the day resulting from the high-speed stream with negative polarity from coronal holes 116 and 112. Later in the day the conditions reduced to minor storm conditions where they are expected to continue today. Solar wind is expected to be enhanced due to the high-speed stream. G1 to G2 level (minor to moderate) geomagnetic storms are likely today with G1 storms and unsettled to active conditions expected this weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 10%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely with a predicted probability of 50%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely 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 of all license classes 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 can look forward to the PODXS 070 Club Three Day Weekend Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Russian WW MultiMode Contest, and the PVRC Reunion. 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

Jason KM4ACK takes a look at the Buddipole PowerPro -

Sebastian KI2D shows us some updates to Ham2k Portable Logger -

Mike K8MRD does a QRP POTA activation from Galveston Island with the FTX-1F -

Jim WT1W takes a look at the Heltec MeshPocket Meshtastic Node -

TJ K9KJ looks at the Ham Radio Duo Straight Key One -

Evan K2EJT talks about the backlash surrounding the Yaesu FTX-1 and radio YouTubers -

George VK2AOE builds some BNC patch cables -

George VK2AOE builds an AliExpress Antenna Switch as a Rig Selector -

Dugbo KD7DUG builds the Hi-Per-Mite CW Audio Filter Kit to great results -

Mike M0MSN finds the source of local QRN and QRM and nulls it out -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at Red Pitaya firmware for the Web-888 SDR -

Steve KM9G uses ammo cans for radio storage -

Kevin KB9RLW uses tungsten infused filament for 3D printed radiation shielding -

Kevan 2E0WMG and Richard G0NAD get let down by a kite antenna -

Vince VE6LK shows us his Hamvention haul -

Kevan 2E0WMG talks about 18650 batteries for portable power -

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW gets us up to speed with solar weather -

Forrest KI7QCF shows us CW on the Yaesu FTX-1 -

Evan K2EJT compares the Icom IC-705 and the Yaesu FTX-1 -

Mike K8MRD activates POTA for the first time with the Yaesu FTX-1 -

Walt K4OGO tries out the Alpha Antenna SS34+ 34 foot telescopic antenna -

Mike K8MRD unboxes the Yaesu FTX-1 -

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

* CQ WPX CW Contest This Weekend (May 24-25)

* Dayton Hamvention Recap

* QRP ARCI Four Days in May Recap

* Yaesu Demonstrates and Begins Sales of FTX-1 Radio at Hamvention

* MVARC Breakfast and Meeting on 5/31/2025 (NOT This Saturday)

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

CQ WPX CW Contest This Weekend (May 24-25)

This weekend brings one of the biggest contests of the year: the CQ World Wide WPX Contest on CW. This is another contest where you can work a ton of DX, but what makes this one special is everyone can work everyone. The WPX part of it is referring to an interesting component of the contest where different call sign prefixes are the multipliers. So for me, the prefix would be "N2", so if you worked me you'd get a multiplier. But "W2" would be another, as would "K2", throw a different number in there and then you get still more, so the points escalate quickly and almost all contacts are "good contacts".

The contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday, May 24 (8 PM ET Friday Night), and ends on 2359 UTC on Sunday (7:59 PM ET Sunday). During that period of time a single operator can work 36 of the 48 hours and any off-times must be a minimum of an hour with no contacts logged. Bands allowed for the contest include 160m/80m/40m/20m/15m/and 10m. The exchange is RST plus a serial number, so "599 52" if you're someone's 52nd contact. Make sure you get the serial number, as it is required to match for the QSO to count. The final score is the QSO Points x Number of Prefixes Worked. QSO Points are 3 for contacts on different continents on 10m/15m/20m and 6 points on 40m/80m/160m. On the same continent but different countries points are 1 point on 10m/15m/20m and 2 points on 40m/80m/160m. Finally contacts in the same country are 1 point on all bands. The Prefix multipliers are applied only once, regardless of band or frequency of operation. Prefixes are the combination of the letters and numbers on the first half of the call, so N4, W4, WA4, S51, LY1000, are all separate prefixes to be counted. For entry, single operator categories include High Power (not exceeding 1500 Watts), Low Power (not exceeding 100 Watts), QRP (not exceeding 5 Watts). There are also a bunch of overlay categories that can be entered alongside your main category like Tribander, Rookie, Classic, and Youth. Check the rules for details on these. There are also Multi-Operator categories including Multi-One, Multi-Two, Multi-Unlimited, and Muti-Distributed. Again check the rules for full details. Rules and more information can be found at https://www.cqwpx.com/.

With us being near the top of Solar Cycle 25, this will be a great opportunity to work the world. Have fun and good luck!

Dayton Hamvention Recap

Inside one of the buildings at Hamvention 2025

Last weekend your author had the pleasure of attending Dayton Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio for the third year in a row. As always, a great time was had and there were lots of old friends to see, and plenty of new ones to meet. The fairgrounds were packed with vendors and amateurs. Some international vendors like Begali Keys and QRP Labs reportedly brought lower stock this year due to concerns with tariffs, with Begali reportedly selling out their stock on Saturday.

Lots of new gear was announced and displayed at Hamvention this year including the new FTX-1 radios from Yaesu (more on that later). Also announced was a new power management system from Buddipole called the PowerPro, slated for release in mid-July that incorporates backup power management and charging with an integrated MPPT solar charging controller.

As usual, there was an absolutely massive flea market with lots of gear on sale. Even with it being a three day event, seeing everything is definitely a challenge.

The Long Island CW Club's Forum on the Renaissance of CW

There was also an extensive list of forums to attend covering wide ranging topics from POTA and SOTA to using digital technology for shack automation, Antennas, Balloon Communications, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Contesting, and my favorite, CW. The Long Island CW Club held a great panel presentation about the club and the renaissance of CW that I thoroughly enjoyed. The forums were livestreamed this year, and you can check them out at https://www.youtube.com/@DARAHamvention.

All in all, it was a great weekend and I look forward to next year.

QRP ARCI Four Days in May Recap

Hans Summers G0UPL speaks at Four Days in May

On Thursday, May 15, 2025 the QRP Amateur Radio Club International held their annual conference, Four Days in May. The conference is one of the premier events in Amateur Radio, with a great lineup of speakers going into technical subjects of interest to the low power operator. This year Jack Purdum W8TEE and Al Peter AC8GY gave an update on the T41-EP radio project seven years later. Ashhar Farhan VU2ESE of HF Signals presented a messaging system based on FT8 for more reliable QRP communications via his "HF Messenger". Nick Kennedy WA5BDU gave the crowd an introduction into LTSpice for digital circuit analysis, a very useful tool for the hombrew builder. That was followed by Dan Koellen AI6XG who showed us a vacuum tube based CW transmitter for SOTA (yes, you heard that right) that incorporated technology from each decade in the last 100 years. Bill Kelsey N8ET gave a history of FDIM with proceedings from the past and memories of the people who made it possible. Jason Mildrum NT7S took at look at a potential replacement for the SA612 mixer chip that has been a mainstay of homebrew projects that has left active production complete with a proof of concept and a good amount of analysis. Hans Summers G0UPL of QRP Labs gave a fascinating talk about how he was ab le to bring SSB to the QMX radios via a firmware update. It was an amazing technical feat and allows the QMX to be one of the most effective and inexpensive multi-band and all-mode radios on the market. And finally we were treated to globe-trotting Ross Ballantyne VK1UN's presentation where he showed us how he was able to operate from hotels in some of the most remote and challenging places on Earth making WSPR transmissions on all bands, including 2,200 meters and 630 meters using incredibly clever impedance matching networks of his own design and simple wire antennas. He also talked about plans to run tests on the unlicensed 8.9 kHz VLF band in the very near future. Videos of the presentations can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@QRP_ARCI.

It was a fascinating set of talks with a completely filled auditorium. That evening brought Vendor Night where QRP radio and accessory makers of all sizes showed off and sold their coolest gear. Your author picked up parts from QRPme, a few kits from QRP Labs, and some paddles from Adam K6ARK, Vince VE6LK, and Ara N6ARA. Saturday night brought the banquet with a few new inductees into the QRP Hall of Fame and a whole lot of prizes being given away from donors. As always, the event was a high point of the trip to Dayton.

Yaesu Demonstrates and Begins Sales of FTX-1 Radio at Hamvention

The Yaesu FTX-1 Field

After all the hype and excitement surrounding the announcement of the FTX-1 radio and pre-sales being opened there was a lot of speculation about whether we would see them sold at Hamvention. On Friday, the speculation was able to be laid to rest. Yaesu had several of the radios available for hands-on inspection. If there was one refrain that I heard over and over at the show, it was that the radio was larger than anyone had expected. It certainly took me by surprise. The radio is about the width you would expect from a full size HF rig. In its Field configuration (the QRP unit) it does not go nearly as deep as a full size radio. That said, with the Optima 100 W amplifier unit it resembles a full-size HF radio

The Yaesu FTX-1 Optima

There were a limited number of FTX-1 Field radios for sale at Hamvention at Ham Radio Outlet's booth. This spurred some controversy as they were being fulfilled before the pre-orders on their site. There were some upset folks on the internet and some even went so far as to cancel their pre-orders in protest. With vendors now having stock, it seems likely that pre-orders will ship soon from the usual sources.

MVARC Breakfast and Meeting on 5/31/2025 (NOT This Saturday)

Due to the Memorial Day holiday this three day weekend MVARC will NOT be holding our breakfast and in-person meeting on Saturday. Instead we will shift both to Saturday the 31st to better accommodate everyone's schedules. We look forward to seeing you next week.

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

As is customary on the weekend of a major contest, there will be a lot of DX on the air due to CQ WPX CW. Stations on the air include the US Virgin Islands (KP2B), Sao Miguel Island (CR2M), Cabo Verde (D4DX, D44TWO, D44ZZI), Barbados (8P5A), Niue Island (E6RS), Chatham Islands (ZL7IO), Aruba (P44W), Martinique (TO3E), Koror Island Palau (T88SG), Bonaire Island (PJ4M), Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands (V73MT), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), 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 120 and the estimated sunspot number was 99. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last day with 8 numbered sunspot regions visible here on Earth. The Kp index is expected to briefly reach 4 today and no G1 geomagnetic storm conditions are likely in the near term. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 25%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely 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 of all license classes 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

As mentioned before, the CQ World Wide WPX Contest on CW will be on the air all weekend. The QRP ARCI will have its Hootowl Sprint. Aside from that there will not be much else this weekend on the contest front. 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

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the iRadio UV98 Plus -

Mike K8MRD shows his Hamvention Haul -

Not Just a Hobby Spotlights Tim K5OHY and CW -

Matt M0DQW builds a UHF Low Pass Filter -

Kevan 2E0WMG kayaks to salt marsh QRP fun -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at a big LiFePO4 battery -

Josh KI6NAZ takes a look at the Buddipole Power Pro at Hamvention -

Matt M0DQW upgrades the Si4732 Firmware -

Jeff KF0MYB installs a GPS antenna at his shop -

Steve KM9G does an antenna shootout -

Sean W9FFF takes a look at the Goozeezoo 80-10m EFHW -

Matt M0DWQ uses a 23 cm Yagi for DATV -

Dugbo KD7DUG activates POTA on the Santa Rosa Plateau -

Ara N6ARA shows the fascinating engineering process of his TinyGawant antenna -

Ara N6ARA gets ready for FDIM and Hamvention -

Kevan 2E0WMG experiments with parasitic antenna arrays -

Mike K8MRD muses on failure as an opportunity to learn -

Save it for Parts tries to make a satellite Az/El rotator -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at the Retevis MA1 -

Matt M0DQW has his first QSO on his homebrew SDR -

Mike K8MRD makes a linked dipole -

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

* Dayton Hamvention Next Weekend 5/16/2025-5/18/2025

* Yaesu Releases Details of FTX-1 Radio

* Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Saturday (5/10/2025)

* Amateur Radio News and Notes on Break Next Week

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

Dayton Hamvention Next Weekend 5/16/2025-5/18/2025

Image Courtesy DARA

Next weekend brings the 2025 edition of Dayton Hamvention at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Hamvention is the biggest hamfest in the world with 35,877 people attending in 2024. This year promises to be another big year for the hamfest which runs from 9 AM to 5 PM on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th, and from 9 AM to 1 PM on Sunday May 18th. As usual there will be exhibitors in multiple buildings as well as a large flea market. There will be continuous forums as well on many topics of interest to radio amateurs. Your author will be there again this year and I look forward to reporting on what is always a fun weekend. More information about Dayton Hamvention can be found at https://hamvention.org/.

Yaesu Releases Details of FTX-1 Radio

Image Courtesy Yaesu

Yaesu released details and pricing for their highly anticipated FTX-1 Series radios at the end of last week. The FTX-1 Series is poised to compete against the Icom IC-705 with HF coverage from 160-10 meters, VHF coverage of 6 and 2 meters, and UHF coverage of the 70 centimeter band. With the included 6400 mAh battery the radio can run at 6 Watts and with an external power supply it will run a full 10 Watts. The radio has a similar architecture to the FTDX10 radio complete with a large waterfall display and digital signal processing features.

In addition to the QRP FTX-1 Field, they also announced the FTX-1 Optima which includes the field and adds a 100 Watt amplifier for HF and 6 meters and 50 Watts for 2 meters and 70 centimeters. The Field version is currently available for order from Yaesu dealers for $1,499 and the Optima can be ordered for $1,899. A good roundup of the various features and options can be found at https://qrper.com/2025/05/the-yaesu-ftx-1-packages-pricing-and-early-observations/.

Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Saturday (5/10/2025)

Saturday brings the Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test to the air. The Department of Defense runs the event which is open to all licensed amateur radio operators. It is designed to test crossband two-way communications between military stations and radio amateurs as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. Several military stations will transmit on military frequencies and will announce the frequencies on the Amateur Radio bands they will monitor. Full details of stations and frequencies can be found at https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day.

Amateur Radio News and Notes on Break Next Week

Next week your author will be at Dayton Hamvention and Four Days in May in Ohio, so there will be no edition of Amateur Radio News and Notes next week. The plan is to return the following week with lots of information about what new and exciting things were announced at Hamvention and FDIM. If you will be out at Hamvention or FDIM and see me out and about, make sure to say hello!

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 lot of DX on the air in the two weeks. Stations on the air will include Marion Island (ZS8W), Cabo Verde (D44TWO, D44ZZI, Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands (V73MT), Martinique (TO3E), Koror Island Palau (T88SG), Bonaire (PJ4M), 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 149 and the estimated sunspot number was 84. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity has been at low levels and there are 4 numbered sunspot regions visible here on Earth. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and solar wind speed reached 1031 km/s yesterday. NOAA is forecasting unsettled to minor storm levels today and quiet to active levels tomorrow and Sunday. The Kp index is expected to get into the 4s today with minor G1 conditions likely today and values declining Saturday and Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 5% chance predicted. There is a reasonable chance of 6 meter propagation and this past week brought a few openings, 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 of all license classes 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 can look forward to the FISTS Saturday Sprint, the VOLTA WW RTTY Contest, the CQ-M International DX Contest, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Canadian Prairies QSO Party, the 50 MHz Spring Sprint, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. Next weekend will bring the UN DX Contest, the NZART Sangster Shield Contest, the His Majesty King of Spain Contest on CW, the EU PSK DX Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Arkansas QSO Party, the Baltic Contest, the FISTS Sunday Sprint, 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

Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW Gives Her Solar Report -

Christoph DL1CR shows off his portable radio design with a QMX -

Kevin W1DED talks to Randy K5ZD about how to use a log checking report -

Vince VE6LK shows how to duplicate your SD card for the zBitx -

Vince VE6LK shows how to enable VNC on the zBitx -

SaveItForParts takes a look at the hackable Quansheng UV-K5 -

Steve KM9G looks at a M17 Hotspot -

Kevin KB9RLW experiments with Magnetite PETG 3D Printed Filament for RF Shielding -

Mike K8MRD Enjoys SSB on the QMX -

Sean W9FFF reviews the EFHW Spooltenna -

Oxford Shortwave Log gives a two month reflection on the Malahit DSP2 -

SaveItForParts takes a look at NOAA Weather Satellites set for decommissioning -

Steve KM9G builds a M17 Module 17.1 -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the updated Si4732 DSP Receiver -

Walt K4OGO upgrades his JPC-12 Antenna -

Mike K8MRD asks the age old question "Will it Antenna?" -

Vince VE6LK talks to Andy N0APX about his End-Fed Biscuit -

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 Monthly Meeting and Breakfast Recap

* DXpedition Update: ZS8W Marion Island

* MVARC Nets on the Air

* What's happening with DX?

* Solar Activity Update

* Upcoming Contests

* Interesting Online Radio Content

MVARC Monthly Meeting and Breakfast Recap

Photo Courtesy Corey KN4YZY

Last weekend we had our breakfast and monthly meeting. Once again we had a great turn out for breakfast and a great time was had. Michael KQ4RUO and Joseph WB8KMJ brought in a battery system with a solar charging setup and gave it away at the breakfast to another lucky member. After breakfast we made it over to our monthly meeting where we had a fascinating presentation from Andy K1RA about "Multi-band, Multi-Mode Digital Decoding and Reporting Using SDRs". Andy showed us how he built his station and how he shares that data with amateur radio operators around the world. He also had some insights on how someone starting out can learn more about SDRs and get started. Thanks to Andy K1RA for his talk, and for everyone who joined us to make it such a fun morning. We hope to see you at the next one.

DXpedition Update: ZS8W Marion Island

Image of SA Agulhas with Penguin Courtesy Wikimedia Commons - CridF, CC BY-SA 4.0

Yuris YL2GM has arrived at Marion Island and has begun operations as of April 27th. His travel on the ship S.A. Agulhas II was delayed by a day from the port of Cape Town, South Africa, leaving on the 18th. The ship arrived at Marion Island on April 22nd but weather made disembarkation impossible. It wasn't until April 27 that Yuris was able to take a flight to the island and begin his operations. He got 9,957 QSOs in his club log before announcing yesterday that he will be off the air for up to 3 days to make repairs to antennas. So expect him to be back on the air in about 2 more days.

Yuris is planning to be active on 160-6 meters on CW, SSB, and FT8 through May 16, 2025. You can see more updates from Yuris at https://www.dx-world.net/zs8w-marion-island/ and check the ZS8W Club Log at https://clublog.org/logsearch/ZS8W.

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 lot of DX on the air in the next week. Stations on the air will include Tubuai Island in the Austral Islands (TX9A), Marion Island (ZS8W), Cabo Verde (D44TWO, D44ZZI, Angola (D2TX), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands (V73MT), 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 153 and the estimated sunspot number was 78. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at moderate levels recently and there are 5 numbered sunspot regions visible here on Earth. Solar wind has been slightly enhanced with a high speed of 460 km/s. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels today with quiet to active levels forecast tomorrow. Kp index values today are expected to be below 4. Solar wind is expected to be normal today with enhancement tomorrow with the arrival of a coronal hole high speed stream and negative polarity. Minor G1 storms are expected tomorrow as a result. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 50%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 10% chance predicted. There is a reasonable chance of 6 meter propagation, so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for openings. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs of all license classes 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 can look forward to the 10-10 International Spring Contest on CW, the RCC Cup, the SBMS 2.3 GHz and Up Contest and Club Challenge, the Microwave Spring Sprint, the ARI International DX Contest, the F9AA Cup on PSK, the 7th Call Area QSO Party, the Indiana QSO Party, the Delaware QSO Party, the New England QSO Party, the WAB 7 MHz Phone Contest, and the MIE 33 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 talks to Bdale KB0G about ARDC and the 44 Net -

Josh KI6NAZ talks about an FCC filing for a potential 100 W amplifier for the upcoming Yaesu FTX-1F all-band all-mode QRP rig -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at the new HF-009 Portable Antenna -

Dan WD4DAN gives us a tour of his shack -

Mike K8MRD puts up a Spec5 Solar Meshtastic Relay -

Josh KK4WDP bikes up the C&O Canal to activate POTA with his XYL -

IMSAI Guy tears apart a Collins Mechanical Filter -

Mark KD7DTS gives an intro presentation on how to activate SOTA -

Walt K4OGO takes a look at a new version of the ATU-100 antenna tuner -

A blast from the past - an ARRL made film from 1970 "This is Ham Radio" -

Hayden VK7HH takes a look at the Quansheng TK11 -

Kevan 2E0WMG uses an AliExpress antenna with a Slidewinder coil -

Steve KM9G takes a look at the TinySA Ultra+ Spectrum Analyzer -

Josh KI6NAZ speculates about a possible new radio from Lab599 -

Lucas W1BTR takes a look at an assortment of cheap radio gear from AliExpress to see if they are junk or worth it -

Kevin KB9RLW finds a way to have two simultaneous CAT connections to an IC-705 -

Walt K4OGO makes a groundplane antenna with 5 telescopic whips -

Kevan 2E0WMG activates a new island by kayak -

Matt M0DQW shows how to add WiFi control to an antenna rotor -

Forrest KI7QCF gives his thoughts on paddles and keys ahead of Hamvention -

Simon VA7BIX uses a mylar blanket as a reflector with a vertical antenna to great results -

Walt K4OGO builds a Rybakov antenna from his new book -

Rob N1NUG takes a look at the SI4732 pocket radio -

Duff WA7BFN gives us the latest edition of the LICW Podcast -

Mike K8MRD likes the programmability of a bluetooth enabled LiFePO4 battery -

Sean W9FFF visits the Modern Morse factory to see how they machine their paddles -

Dugbo KD7DUG makes a CW contact on 2 meters with the Quansheng UVK5 for SOTA -

Matt M0DQW takes a look at a new SDR based TV software for DATV -

Michael KB9VBR adds a 4:1 to make the REZ Scout antenna do better as a delta loop -

Steve KM9G takes a look at a 280 Ah LiFePO4 battery -

Kevin W1DED talks with Tim K3LR about Contest University -

Mike K8MRD takes a look at the REZ Scout as a linked dipole -

Josh KI6NAZ compares the QRP Labs QMX, Xiegu G106, zBitx, and Tr(u)SDX -

Vince VE6LK takes a look at internet connectivity for the 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