Author: Michael | OE8YML
RADE V1 and V2: What the Neural Speech Codec for Shortwave Really Delivers
RADE is the neural speech codec that lets FreeDV carry intelligible speech on shortwave even with very weak signals. We already introduced RADE in the FreeDV basics article . Here we take a closer look: what…
JS8Call: Real-Time Messaging over HF — Keyboard-to-Keyboard on Shortwave
If you know FT8, you know the trade-off: fantastic weak-signal performance, but no room for real conversation. What if you could combine the robustness of FT8 with the freedom of free-form text messaging? That is exactly…
Winter VHF Simplex Challenge: Keep 2 m Alive All Winter
The 2 m band has become quieter, and many contacts today run through repeaters or internet links. The Winter VHF Simplex Challenge from the 145 Alive initiative wants to change that: from 1 October 2026 to…
SDR Receivers Compared 2026: From Entry-Level to High-End
A USB stick for around 30 euros that makes aircraft, weather balloons and shortwave audible. Or a 16-bit receiver that records the entire shortwave spectrum at once. Software Defined Radio (SDR) has fundamentally changed how we…
AI-Optimized Antenna Tuning: Intelligent ATUs
An antenna tuner (ATU, Antenna Tuning Unit) is an everyday tool for radio amateurs. It transforms the impedance of the antenna system so that the transceiver sees the familiar 50 ohms. Automatic tuners do this at…
OE8JOTA 2026: Thank You for Three Days on the Air and a Saturday with the Girl Scouts
From 16 to 18 October, OE8JOTA was on the air, and on Saturday we were on site with the Girl Scouts. We operated, laughed, talked tech and measured with a Radiacode and an EMF meter. A look back with thanks to everyone who joined in.
Automatic CW Decoding with Neural Networks
Morse code — CW — is the oldest digital mode in amateur radio. For generations, experienced radio amateurs have mastered the art of decoding dots and dashes by ear. But what happens when machine learning takes…
AI and Propagation Prediction: Machine Learning Forecasts HF Conditions
HF propagation is one of the most fascinating — and frustrating — phenomena in amateur radio. Whether a signal from Austria reaches Japan, Australia, or South America depends on the ionosphere, a dynamic system influenced by…
SCS PXdragon DR-9400: A Modern PACTOR-4 Modem for HF Data
Sending email over shortwave while the internet around you goes down: with a PACTOR modem that becomes routine. Among HF data modems, PACTOR has been the reference for reliable shortwave data transfer for over three decades.…
Icom IC-SAT100: Satellite PTT Radio at the Push of a Button
A handheld radio that works anywhere on Earth: on the open ocean, in the desert, at the North Pole, deep in the jungle. No repeater required, no terrestrial network. Just press PTT and talk. What sounds…
FlexRadio Aurora: A Revolution in the Amateur Radio Shack
FlexRadio Systems has built a transceiver that amateur radio is talking about. The Aurora series is the first commercial amateur transceiver to use a polar modulation transmitter. Peak efficiency is around 80 per cent, where conventional…
Yaesu FTX-1 vs. Icom IC-705: QRP Transceiver Comparison
Two SDR transceivers are competing for the favor of portable radio amateurs: the Yaesu FTX-1 Field and the Icom IC-705. Both offer touchscreen operation, SDR reception, and QRP operation with around 5 to 10 watts. Both…
