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Zone Zero: Top Band action in CQ 160M CW

January 26, 2021

The latest edition of the Zone Zero radio contesting podcast takes a look at the upcoming CQ 160M CW contest, and the antennas used for transmitting and receiving at a modest station that produces plenty of fun in the contests.

Recap: 2021 BARTG RTTY Sprint

January 24, 2021

The British Amateur Radio Teleprinter Group’s annual 24-hour “Sprint” teletype contest was its usual challenge and a lot of fun.

Transmit antennas for a 160M contest

January 23, 2021

As we prepare for CQ 160M CW in a week, attention turns to transmit antennas for Top Band (1.8Mhz).

Hearing through the noise on the low bands

January 22, 2021

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio on 160M and 80M, many radio contesters and DXers use separate low-noise receive antennas. This alone can make the difference between “working them” and not even hearing them.

Real-time competition: online scoreboards

November 1, 2020

For the active contester, seeing your performance moment-by-moment ranked against the performance of other participants can be a real motivator. Welcome to online scoreboards!

When the aurora light up

October 27, 2020

A quick word on the Northern Lights, when to look up (what conditions create them), and how to enjoy these awesome night sky displays with a radio or a camera.

FT8/FT4 from a contester’s perspective

October 25, 2020

Why do I compete in the growing number of WSJT-X-friendly contest offerings? Because they are there, and even more important, a LOT of people who are new to contesting have been drawn to radiosport because they enjoy FT8 and FT4 modes.

Solving IC-7610 low TX audio for WSJT-X

June 14, 2020

Noticing that your IC-7610 transmit audio is low when using WSJT-X and the Icom audio CODEC? Here’s one area to check — simple and quick.

BARTG75 and 75-baud MMTTY

April 26, 2020

I’m in the BARTG 75 Sprint today. Why does MMTTY keep reverting to 45-baud when I have told it to use 75-baud? Easy fix here…

Recap: 2020 RTTY Roundup

January 6, 2020

The new decade opened with the annual ARRL RTTY Roundup, and I was excited to get on the air to cap off a wonderful three-week holiday break. Boomer (seen here) and I had one antenna repair to make in the deep snow late at night.