Category: Radio Operations
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…
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…
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…
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: in…
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 turns…
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 check,…
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 active…
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 vineyards,…
EME – Earth-Moon-Earth: Moonbounce on 2 m and 70 cm
EME – Earth-Moon-Earth: When the Moon Becomes a Reflector The Moon – our nearest natural reflector in space and the key element for EME contacts. (Photo: Gregory H. Revera, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0) Imagine…
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 the…
Contests for Beginners: Why You Should Enter at Least One Contest
Introduction You're sitting in the shack, turning the VFO, and suddenly on 14 MHz you hear a tangle of callsigns, lightning-fast exchanges, and cryptic numbers. "CQ Contest, CQ Contest, OE2S, Oscar Echo Two Sierra." Then someone…
