Category: Amateur Radio
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 offers…
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The 10-Metre Band: The Forgotten DX Band Comes Back to Life
There are bands in amateur radio that always work — 20 metres, for example. There are bands that only come alive at night, like 80 and 160 metres. And then there is the 10-metre band:…
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EchoLink, AllStarLink and SVXLink: Worldwide Repeater Linking via VoIP
Imagine standing on the Dobratsch in Carinthia with your handheld radio and having a QSO with an amateur radio station in Australia — via a local VHF repeater. Sounds like science fiction? It is not.…
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WWFF Austria: Flora & Fauna Activations in Austria’s Nature Parks
Amateur radio and nature experiences – the World Wide Flora & Fauna (WWFF) program combines both in a unique way. If you enjoy portable operation and want to explore Austria’s beautiful protected areas at the…
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35 Years of OE8XFK: The Dobratsch Relay and Its Sysops – A Thank You
In January 1991, a relay was purchased that has since reliably served from the summit of the Dobratsch at 2,166 metres above sea level, workable not only across most of OE8 but well beyond the…
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35 Years of OE8XFK: The Dobratsch Relay and Its Sysops – A Thank You
In January 1991, a relay was purchased that has since reliably served from the summit of the Dobratsch at 2,166 metres above sea level, workable not only across most of OE8 but well beyond the…
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35 Years of OE8XFK: The Dobratsch Relay and Its Sysops – A Thank You
In January 1991, a relay was purchased that has since reliably served from the summit of the Dobratsch at 2,166 metres above sea level, workable not only across most of OE8 but well beyond the…
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Frequency Utilisation Ordinance: What Has Changed for Radio Amateurs in Austria
With the amendment of the Frequency Utilisation Ordinance (Frequenznutzungsverordnung, FNV), published on 13 March 2023 as BGBl. II No. 61/2023, the amateur radio frequency allocations in Austria were fundamentally reorganised. The former Annex 2 of…
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Creating RF Propagation Maps Yourself: From SPLAT! to Radio Mobile
Do you want to know how far your radio signal actually reaches from your location? Whether the new repeater site on the local mountain provides optimal coverage? Or which frequency and antenna height are best…
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Gray Line DX: The Magical Twilight Zone for Shortwave
For those active in amateur radio on shortwave, the phenomenon is well known: sometimes connections succeed over thousands of kilometers with surprisingly good signals, while at other times even nearby stations can barely be heard.…
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HackRF PortaPack: The Portable All-Rounder for SDR Enthusiasts
If you’re into Software Defined Radio, you know the problem: most SDR devices are powerful but need a computer to work. Not so with the HackRF One and its PortaPack extension — a combination that…
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ISS Contact via Amateur Radio: How to Hear the Space Station
Who wouldn’t want to make contact with an astronaut orbiting Earth at 28,000 km/h? The International Space Station ISS makes exactly that possible – and you probably already have the equipment for it in your…
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EFHW: The End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna — simple, effective, versatile
Few antennas have received as much attention in recent years as the EFHW — the End-Fed Half-Wave antenna. Whether for SOTA activations on Austria’s mountain peaks, POTA in national parks, or as a discreet garden…
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Understanding Propagation Conditions: SFI, K-Index, A-Index Explained
“What are the conditions like today?” – every amateur radio operator asks themselves this question before going on the bands. The answer lies in a handful of key indicators: SFI, K-Index, A-Index, and sunspot number.…
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CubeSats for Radio Amateurs: Small Satellites, Great Opportunities
A 10 cm cube racing across the sky at 27,000 km/h – and you can transmit through it. CubeSats have democratized amateur radio satellite communication: Where once huge budgets and years of development were necessary,…
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WSPR: The World of Propagation Research with 5 Watts
Imagine sending a signal with less power than a flashlight – and stations around the world receive it. That’s exactly what WSPR (pronounced “Whisper”) makes possible. The Weak Signal Propagation Reporter network is one of…
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TOTA – Towers On The Air: Climb the Tower and Call CQ!
Guest article by Josef | OE3FJS Be honest: Have you ever climbed an observation tower, reached the top, enjoyed the stunning panoramic view – and thought: “Man, I really should call CQ from up here!”?…
