Over the years I've talked about different ways of using our license to transmit. I've discussed things like modes such as voice AM, FM, and SSB, and digital modes like FT8, WSPR, RTTY, FreeDV, Hellschreiber, Olivia and even Morse code.

Recently it occurred to me that there is something odd about how we do this as a community. Now that I've realised this it's hard to unsee. Let me see if I can get you to the same place of wonder.

Why is it that we as amateurs only use one such mode at a time?

Let me say that again. With all the modes we have available to us, why do we only use one mode at a time, why do we get our brain into the mindset of one activity, stop doing that in order to move to another mode?

It's weird. Amateur radio is what's called "frequency agile". What I mean by that is we are not restricted to a fixed number of channels like most, if not all other radio users. We can set our transmission frequency to whatever we want, within the restrictions imposed by our license

cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/34599632

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One of the basic aspects of being human and growing up is the process of learning. From a young age we explore our environment, play with others, have fun, fall over and bruise our knees, get up and try again. The playing aspect of this is often discussed as a way to keep things interesting. We add a competition element as an added incentive, so much so that we formaulate it into global competitions and call it sport.

As a species it might surprise you that we spend about 1% of all Gross Domestic Product on sport, compared to science, which is about 2% of Global GDP. To give you some context, Agriculture accounts for about 4%, Manufacturing is 15%, Industry is about 26%, and Services account for roughly 62%. If you noticed that this is more than 100%, take it up with the World Bank, I'm a radio amateur, not an economist.

Over the years I've explored different aspects of our chosen hobby of amateur radio. Time and again I return to experimentation, learning and having fun. Now I absol

The WisMesh Board ONE Pocket is a premium Meshtastic handheld with great build quality, modular expansion, and a larger screen. While it’s well-designed, its high price and average battery life may push budget-conscious users toward more affordable alternatives.

It seems my interest in ham radio was the result of ADHD hyperfixation that ended after a few years. I primarily played with CW and digital on HF, and satellites on VHF+. My interest petered out some time in 2023, and I want to get back in but can't find something that both captures my interest and doesn't require more purchases.

When you join the community of radio amateurs, or when you briefly look over the shoulder of the nearest devotee, you're likely to discover that this is a hobby about a great many different ideas. Over the years I've discussed this aspect of our community repeatedly, talked about the rewards it brings you, about the camaraderie, about communication, learning, research, soldering, disaster recovery, public service, and all the other thousands of activities that this hobby represents to the world.

While all those things might be true for some, they're not true for everyone. Many amateurs get excited about antennas, some immediately, some eventually. The same can be said for all the other points of what we think of when we discuss our hobby with others.

Recently I saw a random comment on social media from a person who was having issues with their mobile phone on their property. I considered and ventured an opinion about what might be the cause and how they might go about discovering wha

I’m inclined to go with the long-term cost savings of a radio that does everything but wondering if others have good reasons to go with a dedicated, simplified rig. I would be purchasing used equipment either way. And would have to use either radio for base as well as mobile use. #PublicSevice #VHF #UHF

[EDIT] to clarify I'm in the US, where "public service" (being communications support for primarily bike and foot races, where I live) does indeed happen on the amateur VHF/UHF bands. This is who I volunteer with, for context: https://www.hpsnc.org/. They also require a mobile (not handheld) radio at least 25W.

Antenna was about 20m of random wire coil on a sound card, recorded with Friture.

On 22 March 2025, we used the Dwingeloo telescope to successfully bounce a radio signal off the surface of Venus. At the time, Venus was in its closest approach to Earth at about 42.000.000 km. Such a conjunction happens when Venus is between the Sun and the Earth, and happens approximately every 580 days.

Astronaut and radio amateur, Rabea Rogge LB9NJ / KD3AID, will be transmitting amateur radio Slow Scan TV images from space during the SpaceX Fram2 mission, planned for launch on March 31.