Category: Technology
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…
MeshCom vs. Meshtastic: LoRa Mesh Networks for Radio Amateurs
Text messages without the internet, without mobile networks, without infrastructure — simply device-to-device across kilometres? What sounds like science fiction has long been reality with LoRa mesh networks. Two projects dominate the scene: Meshtastic , the…
Yaesu FT-290R: 2.5 Watts of Pure Addiction
There are radios you buy. And there are radios that find you. My Yaesu FT-290R belongs to the second category. I was scrolling through willhaben (Austria's Craigslist) one evening, no plan, just browsing, and there it…
RTL-SDR for Beginners: Discover the World of Radio for 30 Euros
Track aircraft, receive weather satellite images, listen to amateur radio, monitor ships on the Danube — all with a USB stick costing around 30 euros? Welcome to the world of Software Defined Radio. The RTL-SDR is…
HAMNET in Austria: The Data Network for Radio Amateurs
What if radio amateurs had their own data network — independent of the internet, independent of commercial providers, operating on amateur radio frequencies with data rates of up to 200 Mbit/s on backbone links? That's exactly…
PMR vs. Meshtastic vs. CB Radio: Three Licence-Free Radio Systems Compared
3 January 2026, Berlin-Lichterfelde: an arson attack on the power grid knocked out 45,000 households – for days. Mobile phone towers went down, landlines dead, internet gone. Thousands of people were left with no way to…
Icom X-026: New Concept Radio to Be Unveiled at Hamvention 2026
On 20 April 2026, Icom announced a new project via its official channels: the X-026. A concept mock-up set to be shown as a world premiere at the Dayton Hamvention from 15 to 17 May 2026.…
The Best Portable Antenna for SOTA and POTA
When you pack your rucksack to activate a SOTA summit or visit a POTA park, one question matters above all others: which antenna are you bringing? The requirements are clear — lightweight, compact, quick to set…
D-Star - much more than just voice
Guest post by Alex, OE8HAM: Why D-Star is much more than just voice — image transfer, Bluetooth chat, GPS tracking, voice recorder and the Doozy app for the ID-52 plus.
