Category: Radio Operations
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Power Source for Portable Operation: Eremit LiFePO4 in a 3D-Printed Enclosure
I spent a long time thinking about how to get power for portable operations. If you’re out with a (tr)uSDX or USDX, it’s easy: three unprotected 18650 cells in a holder — done. Manuel DL2MAN,…
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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.…
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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:…
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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…
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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…
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DX for Beginners: First Steps into Long-Distance Contacts
Japan, Australia, South America — all reachable with your own antenna from the roof? DX operation, meaning radio contacts over great distances, is the pinnacle of the hobby for many radio amateurs. The good news:…
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QRP Operation: Around the World with 5 Watts
Five watts of transmit power — less than an LED light bulb consumes — and making contacts across thousands of kilometres? That’s the fascination of QRP, operating with reduced power. What sounds like a limitation…
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When the Capercaillie Displays, Radio Gets Tough
Today could have been so easy. On the way from Vienna to Carinthia, I wanted to quickly activate Kreuzeck OE/ST-243 near Scheifling — that was the plan. Weather check, perfect spot to park the car…
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Solar Cycle 25: The Best Bands for DX in 2026
We are living in a special time for amateur radio. Solar Cycle 25 has exceeded all predictions and is delivering propagation conditions that many radio amateurs have not experienced in decades. If you are not…
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Field Day: Amateur Radio Under the Open Sky — How to Plan a Successful Participation
When the days grow longer and the weather beckons us outdoors, many radio amateurs feel the excitement building: Field Day is approaching! Whether on an alpine meadow in the Austrian Alps, atop a hill overlooking…
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EME – Earth-Moon-Earth: Moonbounce on 2 m and 70 cm
EME – Earth-Moon-Earth: When the Moon Becomes a Reflector Imagine sending a radio signal from Earth to the Moon and receiving the echo back – a round-trip distance of approximately 768,000 kilometers. This is exactly…
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DXCC, WAZ, WPX: The Major Amateur Radio Awards Explained
Introduction: The Fever for the Certificate You just made your first DX QSO on 20 meters — Japan, with only 100 watts and a wire in the garden. Your heart is still pounding. You checked…
