BG News
News for radio amateurs
Our news agent scans Danish and international sources every morning and evening and collects what matters to the active radio amateur. Follow the link to the original source for the full story.
Showing the last 30 days. Go to the archive
- AstronomyAstronomisk Selskab·
From the South Pole to Supernovae: Neutrinos Open Windows to the Cosmos
The IceCube observatory at the South Pole captures cosmic neutrinos originating from distant supernovae and active galactic nuclei. These ghost-like particles travel undeflected by magnetic fields, offering rare insights into high-energy cosmic events and astrophysical particle acceleration.
- Gear & firmwareAmateur Radio Daily·
Danish Ham Develops iPhone App for Live QSO Transcription
Poul Laustsen (OV9PL) has released the iOS app QSO Transcriber to assist radio amateurs during voice QSOs. The app listens in real time and transcribes callsigns and signal reports on screen, making it easier to log and follow contacts on the air.
- Contests & eventsQRZ Online·
Get Ready for WAE DX RTTY Contest: Master the QTC Traffic
The Worked All Europe (WAE) RTTY Contest takes place this weekend. The contest features the classic QTC traffic mechanism, allowing European stations to receive batched QSO data for substantial bonus points.
- AstronomyNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
Solar Eclipse Radio Experiment Reveals Ionospheric Surprises
Collegiate radio operators conducted synchronized HF propagation measurements during a total solar eclipse, discovering intriguing ionospheric layer fluctuations that shed new light on solar-terrestrial physics.
- Club newsRSGB News·
December YOTA Month: Clubs Invited to Get Youngsters on the Air
December marks the annual Youngsters on the Air Month, encouraging radio clubs to put young operators on the air with special callsigns like GB26YOTA and inspire the next generation of radio amateurs.
- DXRSGB News·
Special Event Station DA125RH Honors Hellschreiber Inventor
Celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Rudolf Hell, special event station DA125RH is on the air until December 31. Hell invented the Hellschreiber in 1925, an early teleprinting mode still enjoyed by amateurs today.
- DXRSGB News·
DX News: Mali and Lesotho Active on HF Bands
Jeff (TZ4AM) is active from Mali until December 2 on 80m through 6m on CW and SSB. Additionally, Wolfgang (HB9CCS) is operating as 7P8EA from Lesotho until November 25 with daily sessions starting around 0400 UTC.
- AstronomyDARC – Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club·
Milestone in Deep Space: Voyager 1 Now One Light-Day Away
Interstellar probe Voyager 1 has reached a distance of one full light-day from Earth (approx. 26 billion km). Transmissions from its onboard radio system now require more than 24 hours of one-way travel time.
- Contests & eventsFöreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer·
Results Announced for Swedish Autumn Portable Contest 2026
SSA has published results for the Swedish autumn portable contest (SMP) with 46 submitted logs. Operators enjoyed strong 80m conditions and late 40m openings during the competitive Nordic field event.
- Club newsFöreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer·
Swedish SSA QSL Bureau Reports Heavy Inbound Traffic
Sweden's SSA QSL bureau processed a large batch of 19 kg of QSL cards from the ARRL, DARC, and overseas societies, distributing incoming logs and confirmations to regional districts.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
MultiPSK Digital Decoding Software to Become Free in 2027
Patrick Lindecker (F6CTE), author of the multi-mode decoding suite MultiPSK, announced that the software will be entirely free of charge starting January 1, 2027. MultiPSK is renowned for supporting dozens of amateur and professional digital modes across HF and VHF.
- AstronomyNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
Voyager 1 Reaches Historic Milestone: One Light-Day from Earth
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is approaching an extraordinary milestone, reaching a distance of one light-day from Earth (over 25 billion km). Radio signals now take more than 24 hours to travel one way at the speed of light.
- Contests & eventsQRPer – QRP & field radio·
Brass Knuckle Gang: Revival of 2m CW Operating
The 'Brass Knuckle Gang' is a grassroots initiative encouraging amateur operators to make CW contacts on the 2-meter band. The project aims to boost regular VHF telegraphy activity and introduce operators to weak-signal 2m CW.
- Club newsNRRL – Norsk Radio Relæ Liga·
NRRL Decides Not to Renew Lease for Oslo Premises
The board of the Norwegian Radio Relay League (NRRL) has decided not to renew its ten-year lease agreement with the Oslo group for the headquarters premises at Rommen. The current lease expires on May 1st, marking a transition for the national society's facilities in the Oslo area.
- SatellitesRTL-SDR Blog·
Old LG smartphone repurposed as SDR to decode weather satellites
The D325f-SDR project repurposes the built-in Qualcomm modem of an older LG phone as an SDR. Version 2.0 adds support for receiving high-resolution HRPT images from Meteor-M weather satellites.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
MultiScan SDR: Free multi-band spectrum scanner for multiple SDRs
MultiScan SDR is a new freeware tool for Windows and macOS that rapidly sweeps across multiple bands simultaneously, stopping only on valid signals. It supports RTL-SDR, HackRF, Airspy, and SDRplay.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
ATS Mini Controller: Web app controls pocket receiver in browser
ATS Mini Controller is a free web app for the pocket-sized ATS Mini shortwave receiver. It connects via WebUSB or Bluetooth LE and includes an experimental browser-based RTL-SDR mode.
- GeneralAmateur Radio Daily·
Preserving Station Knowledge and Gear Before Becoming a Silent Key
An amateur radio station often holds intricate setups and undocumented connections only known to the operator. A new service highlights the importance of documenting equipment, cabling, and operating context in advance to help families and preserve technical heritage.
- DXQRZ Online·
C8K Mozambique is on the air — full operation underway
The Czech DXpedition Team has arrived and is active as C8K from Mozambique. Full operations across multiple HF bands and modes are now in progress.
- Space weatherNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
Nexus 1.22 Visualizes Solar Flare D-Region HF Absorption
The free amateur radio tool Nexus has been updated to version 1.22.0, adding real-time visualization of NOAA's D-RAP model. This helps HF operators assess signal attenuation and blackout levels caused by solar flares on the daylight side.
- DXQRZ Online·
DX News: 3X4U Guinea DXpedition Is Now On the Air
The Belgian Rockall DX Group is now operational from Guinea using callsign 3X4U through November 23. The team is active across the HF bands on CW, SSB, and digital modes, offering great opportunities to work this West African entity.
- Gear & firmwareNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
The 102nd Edition of the ARRL Handbook Is Now Available
The ARRL has published the 102nd edition of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. The classic reference guide covers RF fundamentals, circuit design, antennas, and contemporary digital modes.
- Space weatherDARC – Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club·
Space Weather: Geomagnetic Calm Returns and HF Conditions Stabilize
Following recent space weather disturbances, DARC reports easing geomagnetic conditions. HF radio operators can anticipate more stable and predictable band conditions in the coming days.
- GeneralNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
Historic Morse Code Link Between UK and Canada Recreated
Exactly 100 years after the opening of a pioneering wireless station near Bridgwater, the historic CW link to Canada has been recreated on the air. The event commemorates a crucial milestone in early transatlantic shortwave radio communications.
- Gear & firmwareAmateur Radio Daily·
Get Phone Push Alerts for SDR Traffic and Satellite Passes
BG7BAG has published guides and Python scripts utilizing the Bark push app to alert operators directly on their mobile phone. The system notifies you of satellite passes, repeater traffic, or specific WSJT-X decodes without requiring constant screen monitoring.
- SatellitesRTL-SDR Blog·
SatHunterSDR: New Open-Source Android App for CubeSat Tracking
Zoltán Dóczi (HA7DCD) has released SatHunterSDR, an open-source Android app supporting RTL-SDR receivers. It provides real-time Doppler tracking and a visual sky radar to help point directional antennas at passing CubeSats.
- Gear & firmwareQRZ Online·
Icom IC-7110 Secures FCC Approval Paving Way for Global Release
The upcoming Icom IC-7110 transceiver has officially received FCC approval in the US. This regulatory milestone marks a major step toward its availability on the global ham market.
- Rules & frequenciesIARU Region 1·
IARU Region 1 Releases October 2026 Intruder Watch Service Newsletter
IARU Region 1 has published its latest report tracking unauthorized transmissions and interference on exclusive amateur frequency bands. The newsletter documents over-the-horizon radars, military signals, and illegal stations operating on ham allocations. This data supports official regulatory complaints filed with national authorities.
- SatellitesNewsreel – This Week in Amateur Radio·
Radio Amateurs Successfully Run Classic Game 'Doom' on Orbiting Satellite
A group of amateur radio operators has demonstrated creative satellite telemetry control by commanding an active satellite to run the classic game Doom over RF links. The feat highlights innovative digital packet control and open computing capabilities in modern cubesats.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
ESP32-C5 Used as Standalone 2.4/5 GHz Interference Detector
The 'ESP-WiFi-Jam-Detector' project turns a Waveshare ESP32-C5 touchscreen board into an RF interference monitor. Leveraging the open-source esp-sdr code, it captures raw I/Q samples directly from the wireless chip, operating as a standalone detector on 2.4 and 5 GHz.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
SDR-Receiver for macOS Adds Loran-C and 25+ Built-in Decoders
Marcus Roskosch (DL8MRE) has updated SDR-Receiver, a native macOS application supporting USB SDRs like RTL-SDR, HackRF, and Airspy. The app features more than 25 decoders, recently adding Loran-C/eLoran alongside APRS, ADS-B, FT8, WSPR, and SSTV.
- Gear & firmwareRTL-SDR Blog·
Retevis C62 Handheld Decodes TETRA Voice via OpenRTX Firmware
Wojciech Kaczmarski (SP5WWP) demonstrated that the budget Retevis C62 handheld radio can decode digital TETRA voice using custom OpenRTX firmware. Sharing the BK4819 RF chip with the Quansheng UV-K5, the project highlights new digital reception possibilities on low-cost hardware.
- Gear & firmwareAmateur Radio Daily·
Test Your SSTV Setup with a Known Audio Recording Before the Next Pass
An empty SSTV receive window makes it hard to identify whether the issue is signal, audio routing, or decoding software. By playing back a standardized Robot 36 audio file locally, you can verify your entire decoding chain without a radio. This provides an easy way to troubleshoot your setup before ISS or satellite passes.
- Gear & firmwareARRL News·
The 102nd Edition of The ARRL Handbook is Now Available
ARRL has published the 102nd edition of the classic reference book, The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. The volume covers radio theory, hands-on construction, antenna design, and modern digital operating modes.
- Gear & firmwareM17 Project·
M17 Project Explores Open-Source Principles and Accessibility
The developers behind the open-source digital radio protocol M17 reflect on their philosophy, highlighting the importance of open hardware, accessible documentation, and free software for radio amateurs.
- Contests & eventsDARC – Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club·
Contest Calendar: Key Contests for Week 46
An overview of upcoming HF and VHF contests scheduled for week 46. Weekend test events offer ample opportunities to work new multipliers and score points.
- Space weatherSpace Weather Woman (Dr. Tamitha Skov)·
Tamitha Skov: The Solar Cycle's Declining Phase and Space Weather
Space weather physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov explores how the declining phase of the solar cycle affects the ionosphere and HF radio propagation on Earth.
- Gear & firmwareM17 Project·
M17 Project Milestone: Open Source LinHT Rev C Handheld Is Alive
The team behind the open-source M17 digital radio standard has successfully brought up the LinHT Rev C hardware, featuring working M17 TX, networking, audio, and GNSS, with a 50-unit pilot batch planned next.
- Space weatherNOAA SWPC – rumvejr & solvarsler·
Geomagnetic Storm Reaches K-Index 5 (G1-Minor)
NOAA SWPC reported a G1-class geomagnetic storm with a K-index of 5. The disturbance may trigger auroral activity at northern latitudes and degrade polar HF propagation while opening VHF aurora modes.
- SatellitesAMSAT News·
AMSAT Weekly Bulletin ANS-312 Released
AMSAT has published its weekly bulletin ANS-312, featuring updates on amateur satellite operations, orbital status, and space-related amateur activities.