Author: Michael | OE8YML
SOTA in Austria: Operating from Summit to Summit
Summits on the Air — SOTA for short — combines two passions: hiking and amateur radio. In Austria, a country full of mountains, SOTA is especially popular. From the gentle Koralpe to the high-alpine Großglockner massif,…
Blackout Preparedness for Radio Amateurs: Self-Sufficient Radio Operation with Solar and Battery
When the power grid fails, mobile networks, internet, and landlines typically go silent within a few hours. That is precisely when amateur radio comes into its own: radio amateurs can continue communicating with relatively simple means…
Quansheng UV-K5: The Handheld Radio the Community Is Hacking
Buy a handheld radio for around 25 euros and then transform it with open-source firmware into a device offering features normally found only in the 200-euro class? That is exactly what is happening with the Quansheng…
FT8 for Beginners: The Digital Mode That Revolutionised Shortwave Radio
Anyone who has watched the 20-metre band in recent years knows the phenomenon: between 14.074 and 14.076 MHz, there is activity around the clock — not in Morse code, not in voice, but in short, computer-generated…
Social Media for Radio Amateurs: The Best YouTube Channels, Podcasts and Communities
Amateur radio doesn't just live on the bands -- it increasingly thrives in the digital space as well. YouTube channels, podcasts and online communities offer radio amateurs worldwide the opportunity to share knowledge, connect and find…
New: QRV Board — Find QSO Partners in Real Time
There's a brand new feature on oeradio.at: The QRV Board ! Ham radio operators can now post their planned activity times and see in real time who is currently QRV. How it works Planning a SOTA…
OERadio Weekly Bulletin now available as a Podcast
The OERadio Wochenrundspruch is now available as a podcast. Subscribe via https://oeradio.at/feed/podcast/ in Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, AntennaPod or any other podcast app.
Raspberry Pi in the Shack: The Best Amateur Radio Applications 2026
The Raspberry Pi has become an indispensable tool in the amateur radio shack in recent years. Whether as a digital modem controller, APRS iGate, Winlink gateway or fully-fledged WebSDR receiver — the small single-board computer handles…
Satellite Tracking and Reception for Beginners: From App to Antenna
Satellites have fascinated radio amateurs since the early days of OSCAR 1 in 1961. Today, getting started with satellite reception and even satellite communication is easier than ever before. With affordable SDR receivers, powerful tracking apps,…
SATIREHamspirit – Your Survival Guide for the Amateur Radio Club
A satirical guide for anyone wanting to join an amateur radio club – and who should know what they're getting into. You've just passed your amateur radio exam, your first callsign in hand, and a naive…
wiki.echtcool.net – Karl's Workshop on the Web
There are radio amateurs who operate. And there are radio amateurs who build, measure, solder, mill, program and repair. Karl from Tretram, OE8JHK, does both – and documents his projects properly on top. Auf seiner Seite…
Which License Class Is Right for Me? Class 1, 3 and 4 Compared
Getting started in amateur radio in Austria begins with an important decision: which license class should you choose? The Austrian system has three authorization classes — Class 1 , Class 3 and Class 4 . Each…
