Category: Amateur Radio
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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!”?…
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Amateur Radio as a Hobby: What to Expect and What Does It Cost to Get Started?
Die kürzlich durchgeführten POTA-Aktivierungen von Michael OE8YML auf den Standorten AT-0112 Schütt – Graschelitzen und AT-0016 Dobratsch waren ein voller Erfolg. Michael konnte beide Parks mittels SSB auf Kurzwelle aktivieren und hat damit wieder einmal…
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ChatGPT, Claude & Co. for Radio Amateurs: AI as Learning Aid and Shack Assistant
Let’s be honest: who among us hasn’t asked ChatGPT how long a half-wave dipole for 20 meters needs to be? Or asked Claude to write an Arduino sketch for a CW keyer? Artificial intelligence has…
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D-STAR vs. DMR vs. C4FM vs. M17 vs. TETRA: The Ultimate Comparison of Digital Voice Systems in Amateur Radio
The world of amateur radio has changed. If you switch on a handheld transceiver today, the choice is no longer just between FM and SSB — you’re facing a jungle of digital voice systems. D-STAR,…
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arcOS – The Linux Distribution for Ham Radio
Plug in USB stick, boot, operate. arcOS is a live Linux system with Fldigi, JS8Call, WSJT-X, Winlink, APRS and SDR – built for radio amateurs. Plug & play with Digirig Mobile. Comparison with other ham…
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Emergency Radio Exercise Klagenfurt: Four Lighthouses, Four Dates in March
The Magistrate of Klagenfurt is running an emergency exercise: on four dates in March, emergency operations will be practised at four different “lighthouses”. Radio amateurs are explicitly invited to participate. The dates Date Time Monday,…
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Memory Channels Processor – Never Type Repeater Data Manually Again
Let’s be honest: who hasn’t spent an entire evening typing repeater data into a new radio? Frequency, offset, CTCSS tone, name… channel by channel. Fifty repeaters later, your eyes are tired, your fingers are stiff,…
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OERadio Meshmap – All Meshtastic Nodes at a Glance
A real-time map for the Meshtastic network in Austria and Europe – open, live, and without tracking. We’ve all been there: your Meshtastic node is running, happily transmitting away – and then you wonder: can…
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OERadio Goes Mesh – The Path to a Dedicated MQTT Server
How we connect Meshtastic nodes via the internet – and how you can join in. Meshtastic is brilliant. Small LoRa nodes that communicate without internet, without a provider, and without monthly costs. Locally via radio,…
