Category: Amateur Radio
QO-100: Getting Started with the Geostationary Amateur Radio Satellite
Imagine this: you press the PTT button, your signal races 36,000 kilometres into space, is picked up by a satellite and beamed back to Earth — from Brazil to India, from Scandinavia to South Africa. And…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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 :…
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. Systems…
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 same…
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 borders.…
