This week the Sun comes out of hibernation with a fast growing active region and a large coronal hole rotating into Earth view. Although the region (2733) never launched any Earth-directed solar storms, it nevertheless fired off a few C-class flares that no doubt made the HF radio bands a bit noisy.
The flares may have also made GPS a bit glitchy around the dawn-dusk terminators. However, this bright active region has also boosted the solar flux back into the marginal range for radio propagation. As we say goodbye to region 2733 as it rotates to the Sun’s backside, we say hello to the large coronal hole that is starting to rotate into the Earth-strike zone. Aurora photographers, especially at high latitudes should get a great show over the next few days, possibly in through the weekend.
Photographers at mid-latitudes, may not be quite as lucky, but there might be a chance for some sporadic aurora starting late Thursday and into Friday. Learn the details of the activity this week, catch up on aurora photos from recent solar storming, and see what else our Sun has in store.
VHF
Yaesu FT2DR C4FM/FM 144/430 MHz DUAL BAND DIGITAL
Yaesu FT-2DR C4FM 144/430 MHz Dual Band Digital Handheld Transceiver with 1.7″ Touch Screen Display This exciting leading edge Tra... Read more
Wouxun KG-D901 DMR Digital Radio Preview
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‘The VHF/UHF DX Book’, 2017 Replica Edition, is now available for free download
2017 Digital Replica Edition The VHF/UHF DX Book was written in the early to mid-1990s by a team of experienced VHF/UHF DXers and equipment developers... Read more
432 MHz world tropo record extended even further to 4,644 kms
” On Saturday the 28th of December 2019, Ian GM3SEK in the south-west of Scotland managed to work D41CV on 432 MHz to set a new world record fo... Read more
Antenna
Low Cost HF Portable Antennas
“HF Mobile whips can make great portable antennas. Maybe you already have some. A couple of single band models may cover your needs. Here we loo... Read more
TRI-BAND MOBILE ANTENNAS – NGC – Comet Antennas
MOBILE ANTENNAS Fold-Over Hinge Most Comet mobile antennas over 29″ length have a fold-over hinge built into the base section of the antenna. It is NO... Read more
HF 8 band Fan dipole multiband antenna 160-6 meters with Balun
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The Random Wire Double Zepp Antenna
Dipoles fed with an open wire line are called “Double-Zepp” or “Doublet”. The dipole (2 x Xm) may have any length, the open wi... Read more
Review
How Your Radio’s Final Amp Class Affects Efficiency
An Oggie asks why his radio draws so much more power than the 100 watts it puts out. The answer lies in using linear final power amps in the Class A,... Read more
My Wife Bought More Radio Gear On Wish and Ali Express
My wife surprised me at the end of 2020 with a new random box of goodies from Wish and AliExpress. Today we unbox some of these ODD radios and radio a... Read more
FTdx10 vs IC-7300 Comparison
This week Jonathan compares the new Yaesu FTdx10 and the Icom IC-7300. What are your comments on either? Read more
ICOM IC-705 Review and Full Walk Through
Here’s the complete and detailed review of the ICOM IC-705. If you are already an owner of this unit, this video covers the essentials of the op... Read more
News
Capture the MAGIC of Six Meters — eBook
Have you ever wondered about the “Magic” of Six Meters? After all, you’ve probably pressed the six meter button on your rig and failed to find any mag... Read more
Eastern Iowans Rely On Ham Radio When Severe Weather Strikes
A derecho with winds of 80 to 100 MPH struck eastern Iowa last August, disrupting power and telecommunications for some 400,000 residents. But, as... Read more
David A. Duncan, K7DUN, Wins the January 2021 QST Cover Plaque Award
The winning article for the January 2021 QST Cover Plaque award is “CW-ELMER – An Advanced Morse Code Learning System,” by David A... Read more
ISS SSTV 145.800 FM Jan 28-29
Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are planning to transmit Slow Scan TV images on 145.800 MHz FM using the SSTV mode PD-120.... Read more
