Napoleonic semaphore was the world’s first telegraph network, carrying messages across 19h-Century France faster than ever before. Now a group of enthusiastic amateurs are reviving the ingenious system.
Before the web, before the computer, before the phone, even before Morse code, there was le systeme Chappe.
Not for the first time or for the last, at the end of the 18th Century France made an important technological advance – only to see it overtaken by newer science.
In this case, it was the world’s first ever system of telegraphy.
According to most accounts, the very word “telegraph” – distance writing, in Greek – was coined to describe Claude Chappe’s nationwide network of semaphore.
Watch:
Antenna
100 ft Tilting Tower
Raising a 100 ft tower with a winch on a 35 ft pole. Read more
I Found & Eliminated My QRM / RFI (Radio Frequency Interference)!
This is the third in a series of videos following my efforts to track down a source of local QRM / Radio Interference. Following the build of a succes... Read more
HF Antennas for Beginners: Tuesdays with Tim and Jeff
“We are bringing in 2021 with Tuesdays with Tim, K3LR and Jeff,KB8ZWT discussing HF antennas. Did you recently upgrade from tech to general? Tha... Read more
New Product MFJ-4713
This MFJ-4713 HF 4-Position Remote Antenna Switch lets you switch between four antennas remotely. Covers 1.8 to 30 MHz. Run one coax from the indoor s... Read more
New portable antenna from Comet Japan
We are pleased to announce the release of a new portable Antenna system from Comet Japan covering 1.8 to 50 MHz – ideal for the new Icom IC-705 and ot... Read more
Equipment
Icom AH-705 Announced on Christmas
AH-705 HF/50 MHz Automatic Antenna Tuner Features Covers the 1.8 MHz to 50 MHz bands, using a long wire element 2-way power sources using alkaline bat... Read more
mAT-705 Tuner Introduction
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THE NEW MOUNTAIN TOPPER MTR-4B V2 BY LNR PRECISION
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NanoVNA SAA2 Version 2 Vector Network Analyzer – Ham Radio Antenna Analyzer
NanoVNA SAA2 Version 2 Vector Network Analyzer – Ham Radio Antenna Analyzer Read more
Introducing QCX-mini 5W CW transceiver!
The miniature version of our popular QCX 5W CW transceiver, with special portable-friendly features for SOTA and other portable operators: – Sma... Read more
Propagation
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: What happened? Solar Cycle 25 seemed well under way, but no new sunspots have emerged since December 23. The last ti... Read more
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Merry Christmas! Sunspots went missing last Friday and Saturday, but large new sunspot group 2794 appeared on Sunday... Read more
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity has declined, with the weekly average daily sunspot number slipping from 57.6 last reporting week to... Read more
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity quieted this week, with the average daily sunspot number declining from 57.6 to 28.9, and the average... Read more
Geomagnetic Storm Watches Are in Effect through December 11
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) reports that geomagnetic storm watches are in effect through December 11, due to the effects of a direct... Read more
Digital Modes
FT8DMC 3rd Anniversary-Activity Days 2020
To commemorate our 3rd anniversary, special event stations will be on air during the FT8DMC Activity Days from 1. to 31. July 2020. All stations will... Read more
K1JT , JOE TAYLOR HINTS AT POSSIBLE NEW MODE!
In a post to the WSJT-X email group today, Joe Taylor K1JT hinted at some ongoing experimentation of a new digital mode with sub-modes. His post was a... Read more
WWSA GACW Contest Rules.
WWSA GACW I – Dates Second weekend of June of every year. From Saturday 15.00 UTC until Sunday 15.00 UTC. 24 hours period. II – Goal To co... Read more
VHF
AMSAT/Vanderbilt RadFXSat-2/Fox 1E Set to Launch
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144 MHz signal from the Faroe Islands heard 3000kms away in Bulgaria during Geminid Meteor Shower – Dec 2020
Every year, the Geminid meteor shower peaks around the 14th of December and many VHF radio amateurs make contacts by bouncing signals off the meteor t... Read more
QYT KT-780 Plus 100 Watts 2 meter Mobile Radio Review and Demo
The QYT KT-780 Plus is a 100 watt mobile radio on the 2 meter Amateur Radio Band, and works on FM mode. Today we will walk through the menu of the rad... Read more
6000km TEP path on 144 MHz opens up between Buenos Aires and the Dominican Republic
Hot on the heels of the last post about the 5400km TEP opening on 144 MHz between Argentina and the island of Aruba, we have details of some more cont... Read more
Retevis RT95 Budget Dual Band Mobile Transceiver
Specifications GENERAL Frequency Range VHF:144-148MHz UHF: 430~440MHz Number of Channels 200 channels Channel Spacing 25K (Wide Band) 20K(Middle Band)... Read more