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a 20M quarter-wave vertical antenna with a 6m telescopic mast, 1:1 balun, and spiral-wound driven element. Designed for QRP at 14.285 MHz, the antenna’s performance exceeded expectations, delivering low SWR and surprisingly quiet reception. Initial testing yielded successful contacts with European stations and EC1KR, showcasing its effectiveness. Compact and easy to deploy, the antenna promises to be an excellent portable solution for future hilltop operations.

Operating from Banana Island, Sierra Leone (AF-037), the 9L2019 DXpedition by F6KOP and a ten-operator team used the callsign 9LY1JM from January 9-21, 2019. This detailed report covers the logistical challenges, including securing visas and licenses with local assistance from Mark 9L1YXJ and Gregory of Dalton’s Guest House. The team deployed monoband quarter-wave verticals on the beach and two Beverage on Ground (BOG) antennas for Europe/Asia and the USA, operating four stations simultaneously. Technical hurdles encountered included high tides submerging antennas, requiring repositioning, and persistent QRM between closely spaced stations, mitigated by doubling filters. CW signal irregularities at 30-32 WPM were resolved by PC and WINTEST restarts. A significant FT8 logging bug was identified and corrected with on-site software. Despite these issues, the team logged over 4,000 QSOs in the first 24 hours, averaging 5,000 QSOs daily, with a peak of over 6,000 in one day. Propagation varied, with excellent 160m conditions on January 12 yielding over 750 QSOs, and a later four-hour opening pushing the 160m total past 1,600. High bands were challenging due to low solar activity, but mid-bands provided intense pileups and rapid continent-wide contacts. The DXpedition concluded with nearly 50,000 QSOs, including a successful school QSO with Collège Doisneau de Sarralbe (57), managed by F1ULQ and F6KFT.

A QSL Cards collection divided into North American Shortwave Pirate Radio QSLs abd European Shortwave Pirate Radio QSLs

Forecasts for Europe and mediterranean sea

Where to buy solar panels for portable operations. PowerFilm panels and Genasun charge controllers in North America or in Europe

This document illustrates the processes carried out for the construction of an ionospheric sensor or ionosonde, from a universal software radio peripheral (USRP), and its programming using GNU-Radio and MATLAB.

This blog post by VE3VN discusses the design and performance of a 40-meter reversible Moxon antenna. The antenna provides coverage between southeast to west by default, with the ability to reverse for coverage from east to northwest. The post explains how the antenna performs well in various directions, focusing on the Caribbean, South/Central America, the US, and Europe. Detailed measurements and design considerations are shared, highlighting the accuracy of the model and the critical importance of coil inductance. The post also mentions the use of NEC5 for accurate modeling. Overall, this detailed discussion provides valuable insights for ham radio operators looking to optimize their antenna setup.

DCF77 is a time signal transmitter operated by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). It broadcasts on a frequency of 77.5 kHz and is widely used for time synchronization in Europe.

FISTS Log Converter simplifies various tasks for amateur radio operators. It aids in tracking FISTS Awards, submitting applications, and creating logs for FISTS Activities in Europe like the Ladder and EuCW Snakes & Ladders. Users can generate callsign checklists and import logs from existing logging programs via ADIF files. Available as freeware, it runs on Windows 2000 and later versions

The Olivia digital mode, a **Multi-Frequency Shift Keying (MFSK)** radioteletype protocol, is specifically engineered for robust communication under difficult propagation conditions on shortwave radio bands from 3 MHz to 30 MHz. Developed by Pawel Jalocha in 2003, Olivia signals can be decoded even when the noise amplitude exceeds the digital signal by over ten times, making it highly effective for transmitting ASCII characters across noisy channels with significant fading and propagation phasing. Early on-the-air tests by Fred OH/DK4ZC and Les VK2DSG on the Europe-Australia 20-meter path demonstrated intercontinental contacts with as little as one-watt RF power under favorable conditions. Common Olivia modes are designated as X/Y, where X represents the number of tones and Y is the bandwidth in Hertz, with examples including 8/250, 16/500, and 32/1000. The resource clarifies that Olivia, unlike some other digital modes, produces a constant envelope, allowing RF power amplifiers to achieve greater conversion efficiencies and making it less prone to non-linearity. Operators are advised that **Automatic Level Control (ALC)** can be set higher than no meter movement for MFSK modulation, as long as it's not driven past its high limit, contrary to common misinformation about other digital modes. The Olivia community encourages voluntary channelization on suggested calling frequencies, such as 14.0725 MHz for 8/250, to facilitate initial contacts, especially for signals below the noise floor. The Olivia Digital DXers Club provides links to Groups.io, Facebook, and Discord for community engagement and offers details on QSO parties.

This blog chronicles over a decade of portable HF contesting from rural Ireland (2008–2019) by Olivier, operating under callsigns EI/ON4EI, EI8GQB, EI1A, and EI7T. Using only green energy from a caravan, he achieved top-tier results in major international contests—including 1st World in the 2018 IARU HF Championship (SSB LP) and multiple 1st-place finishes in CQ WW and CQ WPX SSB Europe. Operating in the demanding Single Operator All Band Low Power and SO2R categories, he deployed up to five antennas across five bands, often in remote or emergency-style conditions. The narrative blends technical detail, fieldcraft, and personal reflection, documenting triumphs, setbacks (including carbon monoxide poisoning), and the logistical challenges of sustainable portable operation—culminating in his decision to transition to team-based contesting and future DXpeditions.

Learn how to enhance the performance of your Diamond V2000A antenna by optimizing the length of the radials. Discover a cost-effective method to create improved radials using simple materials like aluminum tubes and bolts. Explore the benefits of this modification for 6m band, unlocking triband capabilities and better SWR. Find out how a ham radio operator from Europe successfully upgraded their V2000 antenna and achieved impressive results. Save money by DIY-ing your radial enhancements instead of purchasing expensive replacements.

The Papa Whiskey Club, established in 1985, is one of Europe's oldest radio clubs. With members in ten countries, it fosters a respectful and supportive community, offering resources, events, and services for radio enthusiasts.

This article discusses the Beverage antenna, a reception antenna for low bands, originally published in the Megahertz magazine between November 1990 and April 1991. It explains the challenges faced in receiving signals on low bands due to interference and how the Beverage antenna's directional radiation pattern can help improve reception of distant stations. The article highlights the importance of choosing antennas with low efficiency but sharp radiation lobes for better DX signal reception. It also compares the reception characteristics of signals from European stations versus DX stations, emphasizing the benefits of antennas favoring low arrival angles for DX signals on low bands.

Fram2, the first human spaceflight in polar orbit, launches spring 2025 aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9. Inspired by the polar exploration ship Fram, the mission highlights innovation and exploration. Four astronauts from Europe and Australia will orbit Earth for 3–5 days, including ham radio operator Rabea Rogge, who will transmit SSTV images for an educational competition. Open to students aged 16–25, the contest challenges teams to identify polar-related sites. Fram2 collaborates with ARISS to inspire STEAM learning through space communications.

The International DX Amateur Radio Club provides a structured environment for amateur radio operators interested in long-distance communication. The club offers a variety of awards, including the DX Countries Award, DX United States Award, and DX Continents Award, among others. These awards recognize achievements in contacting stations across different geographical areas, such as Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. The club also supplies resources like DX Spots, Grey Line Map, and Solar Data to assist operators in optimizing their communication strategies. The DX Code of Conduct emphasizes disciplined operating practices. Operators are encouraged to listen carefully before transmitting and ensure they have correctly identified the DX station's call sign. The guidelines advise against interfering with ongoing communications and stress the importance of patience, such as waiting for the DX station to complete a contact before calling. Operators are reminded to send their full call sign and avoid continuous calling, maintaining respect for fellow operators to foster a cooperative amateur radio community. DXZone Technical Profile: DX Awards | DX Code of Conduct | Grey Line Map

Presents detailed expedition charts and statistics for the **XX9W** DXpedition, covering operating time, total QSOs, unique calls, and duplicate QSOs. The resource provides comprehensive band and mode breakdowns, including FT8, SSB, CW, and FM, across 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 2m, and 70cm. Users can access DXCC statistics by band and mode, daily QSO totals, and multiband QSO statistics. Continent-by-mode and continent-by-band breakdowns are also available, detailing activity from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. The platform also tracks the expedition's impact on user totals, showing new band, new mode, new band + new mode, new slot, and new DXCC contacts.