Category: Technology
When Your First QSO Goes Up in Smoke — and It's Not Even Your Radio
The year is 2025. OE8LUA is a freshly licensed ham and a total rookie when it comes to choosing the right equipment..... In May, OE8KSM was kind enough to lend me an RT-95, and through other…
EMC Guide: Finding and Fixing Interference
EMC — Electromagnetic Compatibility — is one of the biggest practical topics in radio operation, whether amateur radio, CB, PMR, or other radio services. Whether the S-meter on 40 m constantly reads S7 with nobody transmitting,…
Yagi Antennas for VHF/UHF: Building Your Own Directional Antenna
The Yagi-Uda antenna — usually just called "Yagi" — is the most widely used directional antenna in amateur radio. It focuses energy in one direction, increases gain and range, and suppresses interference from the sides and…
AI-Powered Noise Reduction: Cleaner Signals with Machine Learning
Noise is the eternal enemy of the radio operator. Whether QRM (man-made interference) or QRN (natural noise) — the fight for clean signals is as old as amateur radio itself. But in recent years, artificial intelligence…
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,…
MeshCom 4.0 Off-Grid – Is That Even Possible?
Since my QTH is in a hollow surrounded by hills, connecting to other nodes just isn't possible from here. And let's be honest: hanging a node directly on the internet is basically WhatsApp with an extra…
Cloud Logging 2026: Online Logbooks for Ham Radio Compared
The paper logbook has had its day — but where should your QSOs go? The answer increasingly is: the cloud. Online logbooks offer automatic QSL confirmations, real-time statistics, award tracking, and access from anywhere. But the…
Vertical Antennas for HF: Fundamentals, Types and Practice
If you want to work DX and have limited space, a vertical antenna is hard to beat. Thanks to their low radiation angle, verticals send their signal flat over the horizon — exactly where the ionosphere…
Magnetic Loop: The Balcony Antenna for Radio Amateurs
If you live in a rented flat or apartment, you know the problem: a Yagi on the roof? Not a chance. A dipole in the garden? What garden? For many radio amateurs in urban areas, the…
3D Printing for Ham Radio: Projects, Materials and Tips
When you need a special enclosure for ham radio, an antenna mount in an unusual shape, or a part that simply isn't available to buy — reach for the 3D printer. The combination of amateur radio…
Numbers Stations: The Mysterious Voices of Shortwave
Imagine this: late at night, you're turning the VFO on your shortwave receiver. Somewhere on 4625 kHz the dial sticks — a monotonous buzzing, about 25 times per minute. You think it's interference. Then suddenly: a…
xOTA Map: 34 Outdoor Programs on One Map — with Spots and Field Logging
If you operate outdoors, you know the drill: SOTA has one map, POTA another, WWFF yet another. Spots are scattered, rules are everywhere. The idea came up during the Dobratschrunde — a regular on-air roundtable: Why…
