Author: Michael | OE8YML
AI-Powered Noise Reduction: Cleaner Signals with Machine Learning
Noise is the eternal enemy of the radio operator. Whether QRM (man-made interference) or QRN (natural noise) — the fight for clean signals is as old as amateur radio itself. But in recent years, artificial intelligence…
CB Radio in 2026: Written Off but Still Alive
CB radio — Citizens Band Radio — was a mass phenomenon in the 1970s and 80s. Millions of people worldwide were on the 27 MHz band long before mobile phones and the internet became ubiquitous. Today,…
SSTV and ATV: Sending Images and Video over Radio
Amateur radio is not just voice and Morse code — for decades, radio amateurs have also been sending images and even live video over the airwaves. From the International Space Station to local ATV repeaters: image…
Radio Awards for Everyone: Six Awards from Carinthia — Open to CB and PMR Too
Radio awards are a staple of amateur radio: collect contacts, meet certain conditions, earn a certificate. If you don't hold a ham licence, you're usually left out. A new award programme from Carinthia, Austria, takes a…
Cloud Logging 2026: Online Logbooks for Ham Radio Compared
The paper logbook has had its day — but where should your QSOs go? The answer increasingly is: the cloud. Online logbooks offer automatic QSL confirmations, real-time statistics, award tracking, and access from anywhere. But the…
Sporadic E on 2 m and 6 m: VHF DX Through Ionospheric Surprises
It happens suddenly and without warning: on the 6 m band, stations from 1,500 km away appear at S9+ — and a few minutes later, everything's gone. Welcome to the fascinating world of Sporadic E propagation…
Vertical Antennas for HF: Fundamentals, Types and Practice
If you want to work DX and have limited space, a vertical antenna is hard to beat. Thanks to their low radiation angle, verticals send their signal flat over the horizon — exactly where the ionosphere…
Magnetic Loop: The Balcony Antenna for Radio Amateurs
If you live in a rented flat or apartment, you know the problem: a Yagi on the roof? Not a chance. A dipole in the garden? What garden? For many radio amateurs in urban areas, the…
Sending and Receiving QSL Cards in Austria: All Options Compared
When radio amateurs in Austria want to exchange QSL cards, the ÖVSV QSL bureau is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But the range of options for sending and receiving contact confirmations has grown…
3D Printing for Ham Radio: Projects, Materials and Tips
When you need a special enclosure for ham radio, an antenna mount in an unusual shape, or a part that simply isn't available to buy — reach for the 3D printer. The combination of amateur radio…
DX Weather CW 20/2026: SFI 120 — Down but Solid
CW 20 / 2026 | May 11–17 | SFI 120 | SSN 75 | A 5 | K 2 | X-Ray C4.2 Summary After last week's high (SFI 159), the Solar Flux drops back to 120…
Packet Radio & AX.25: The Digital Legacy of Amateur Radio
Long before the internet became mainstream, radio amateurs were already sending digital data packets over the airwaves. Packet Radio — the packet-switched data network based on the AX.25 protocol — was the backbone of digital amateur…
