Ham Radio – DXing

6 Sep

IARU region 1 September VHF contest

Arguably, to all 144MHz aficionados, this is the most important contest of the year. A contest that attracts thousands of participants all over Europe. The high power multi op category is the pinnacle of madness: dozens of teams climbing the mountain peaks, erecting multiple antenna...

6 Sep

The living legend

This morning, my CQ was answered by N7RO. Dick is a legend. He started offering a QSL service to dx stations in 1957 and to this day, he still serves the ham community with the same gusto. Last year he mailed out his one millionth...

6 Sep

Promoting relentlessly

Early morning starts with a visit to 10m band, FT8. Putting out a CQ call, with antenna pointing to north America results in a steady wave of callers. Seeing a sea of callers flooding the decoding window is mesmerising. Yet what really impressed me is...

5 Sep

Imagine

"Dear John,It's been a while... I know you are busy so I will keep it short. For a while I have been receiving daily emails from a guy who sells radios. A migrant of some kind, definitely not the sharpest tool in shed, and definitely...

5 Sep

Is two Watts enough?

This is just funny. Rarotonga is around 3500km from Norfolk, with the path entirely over salt water.I bumped into E51WLG on 28 MHz - Thomas, N2WLG holidaying on South Cook Island, running an IC-7300 into a beach vertical.Loud like a bell. A couple of clicks...

4 Sep

You’ve gotta love 6m band!

Literally, as I type this, I am enjoying numerous decodes of XE2YWH from Mexico. He is the only signal on the band, calling CQ while beaming in our direction.What we call a pipeline opening. Jose is a 6m fanatic, also active on GreenCube satellite. I...

2 Sep

Your footsteps are everywhere!

Humans cheat. Research tells us that on average, around 20% of men are unfaithful to their spouse, as compared to 13% of women. And if we can justify cheating and lying to those who are closest to us, there is really no moral or social...

30 Aug

SuperFox is not a magic bullet

On day one of Jarvis island activation, observing the rate and operating technique, it has become apparent that SuperFox mode is not in any way superior to Fox/Hound or the MSHV version of FT8.The logging rate was rather average, and with decoding, there was no...

28 Aug

VK0DS

Yesterday I reached out to Dave, VK0DS on Antarctica. Dave is super active making thousands of chasers happy. Regardless of band and mode, VK0 is a great catch. Would it be possible to snatch him on 6m? Here is his reply:"Hi Nick, no luck on...

28 Aug

Five reasons why you should think twice before getting seriously involved in ham radio

1. Competitive, high performance equipment is expensive.Surely, you can have heaps of fun making contacts with a $300 second hand 40 year old radio and a piece of wire stretched in your backyard. But to win international competitions or to work all 340 countries, you...

27 Aug

One and done

If you are in the market for a high performance yet remarkably affordable transceiver that covers ‘all bands in one box’ then the IC-7100 is the one to go for. It covers all HF bands plus 6m, as well 2m and 70cm bands. It is...

27 Aug

The art of paper QSLing

Many years ago, I was a part-time QSL card handler for YU7 call area. There were more than 300 individual calls on the books, and around 50 clubs. That was fun: Unpacking and sorting boxes of cards arriving from QSL bureaus worldwide. Today, paper cards...

27 Aug

Doing it right

Getting into CY9C St Pauls expedition log was much easier than originally anticipated. For a few reasons: First, the team instantly delivered what they've promised. To be on the air, with multiple stations, on time. They are loud - a proof they know what it...

26 Aug

It’s good, it’s Honda

Honda has been in the generators business since the 1980s. Today it is regarded as a leader in the field - especially in a small, portable, quiet, and reliable domestic generators. No wonder, a first choice for many radio amateurs who love their portable work.If...

26 Aug

IC-7760 Revealed

This weekend, the “newest and coolest” IC-7760 has been revealed at Tokyo Ham Fair. I am sure you’ve seen the photos, watched videos and probably, based on reviews already made up your mind up whether this radio is for you or not.This is just crazy...

26 Aug

Leave it on and be amazed!

You’ve paid for it, so you may as well use it. Let it run! You never know what you are going to catch.I am talking about parking your receiver on FT8 frequency, and letting it decode overnight – or over a week.The more obscure the...

26 Aug

I wish I could

Yesterday, the parcel finally arrived. A long anticipated delivery of an electronic piece of equipment, for a very specific purpose, that has the potential to take my enjoyment of ham radio to next level.I literally ripped the box open. The quality of the build, accessories...

26 Aug

August 26 – September 5, 2024 St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition

And while we are lurking at the outer edge of the globe, here is another big one coming our way! CY9C St Paul Island expedition.Ranked number 50 on the most wanted list, this is another hard one for us down under. I was happy to...

26 Aug

Don’t miss it! TO8FP

Saint Pierre & Miquelon Islands are tiny islands in the north-east Atlantic, 240 sq kilometres in size and with a population of 6000. Mere 17,500 kilometres from Sydney! Not only far away, but the path edges on the aurora zone. Also, the propagations are highly...

26 Aug

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