Menu

Category: News

HF Beacon CS3B (Madeira) destroyed in Wildfire
· HF, News · admin

The radio beacon CS3B on the Portuguese island of Madeira was destroyed by fire on 12 October 2023. The picture shows the destroyed radio (ICOM 7200), it had only been installed in September 2023. CS3B was part of the NCDXF’s International Beacon Project (IBP), a series of HF beacons operating on 14,100, 18,110, 21,150, 24,930 and 28,200 kHz. 

The site of CS3B is off the northwest coast of Africa and was an ideal location to test radio propagation on the HF bands to Europe and North America.

The fire damage to the site is quite extensive, as the building that housed the beacon was destroyed, as was the antenna. Given the extensive damage to the beacon and the building, this HF beacon is likely to be out of service for some time. 

Ricardo Martins — CT3KN Presidente da Delegação REP-Madeira: “We are in touch with NCDXF and they are about to send us another set of equipments.”

For more information on the International Beacon Network, visit
https://​www​.ncdxf​.org/​b​e​a​c​on/ (Source: EI7GL, REP Madeira, DARC HF Dept.)

Print This Post

Milestone for Amateur Radio in Africa: The African Telecommunication Union and the IARU-R1 sign a landmark agreement
· NewsTagged , · Sylvain, F4GKR

Approximately three million people worldwide benefit from amateur radio, a means of global communication utilizing radio waves. To expand its reach in Africa, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) have signed a landmark agreement which will also allow for expanded use of amateur radio during emergency telecommunications operations.

The agreement seeks to leverage ATU’s membership of 51 African countries and IARU’s global membership of communities in 160 countries, including 36 in Africa — allowing IARU and ATU to combine valuable expertise and knowledge, empowering amateur radio operators in Africa through capacity building initiatives specified in the agreement.

Signing the agreement, the ATU Secretary General John OMO said, “One of the most remarkable aspects of amateur radio is its resilience during times of crisis. When disasters cripple conventional communication infrastructure, leaving communities cut off and isolated, amateur radio operators step up to bridge the communication gap. Therefore, we warmly embrace this agreement for the immense value it brings to our continent.”

Part of the agreement underscores the importance of emergency communications in Africa. Both IARU and ATU commit to supporting the development and deployment of emergency communication systems and infrastructure, and to cooperate in disaster preparedness and response activities.

The agreement further focuses on: the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Africa through the use of Amateur Radio applications; joint efforts to advocate for amateur radio policies across African countries; and, the sharing of best practices in policy development. Additionally, the agreement emphasizes capacity building by aligning on training programs and workshops.

Also speaking at the signing of the agreement, IARU’s Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Northern Asia President, Sylvain Azarian, said, “We are excited to sign this agreement even as we acknowledge the significance of addressing regulatory challenges for amateur radio in Africa. This is our first step to initiating a collaborative approach that is keen to find solutions and to ensure a conducive environment for amateur radio operations in the region.”

Print This Post

IARU HF World Championship 2023
· Events, HF, IARU, News · admin

The IARU HF World Championship will take place on the bands this year 
from 8 to 9 July, non-stop for 24 hours. The competition is held to support amateur self-training in radiocommunications including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and intercommunicating with other amateurs around the world, especially IARU Member Society headquarters stations, using the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands. The modes of transmission to be used are Morse code telegraphy (CW) and SSB Phone.

It starts on Saturday at 12:00 UTC. You can find the contest rules at the following URL: https://​contests​.arrl​.org/​C​o​n​t​e​s​t​R​u​l​e​s​/​I​A​R​U​-​H​F​-​R​u​l​e​s​.​pdf

The picture shows the start of the championship last year at 1200 UTC on the 20 m band at the Dutch WebSDR station at the University of Twente. Credit: Amateur Radio Club ETGD / PI4THT / Faculty for Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, University Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

Print This Post

100 years of Czech Radio, competition & diploma
· HF, News, Spectrum · Mats, SM6EAN

Special station activation 

The special station, which will earn you 5 points in the competition for the 100th anniversary of the start of regular radio broadcasting in Czechoslovakia and the connection to it is a condition for obtaining the gold diploma, will be activated on the weekend of 3 and 4 June 2023 and will be identified by the call sign OL100R. To commemorate the pioneers who started radio broadcasting, this station will broadcast on medium waves on the frequency 1233 kHz with the A2 and A3 modulation and the connections to this station will be established crossband. 

Station OL100R will announce the frequencies in the amateur bands on which it will listen to your call and will answer to you on 1233 kHz. Frequencies will be announced on 1233 kHz and at www​.ceskyradioklub​.cz. Operation will begin Saturday evening at 8 pm and will continue as long as there is interest in joining. If there is interest, the station may be activated later. Please use CW mode for telegraphic contact, OL100R will correspond to you with A2 modulation, for phonic contact use SSB mode, OL100R will correspond to you with A3 modulation. Listen to us on medium wave on 243.3 meters, 1233 kHz.

Link to article “100 years of Czech radio” LINK

Competition conditions

On the occasion of the centenary of the beginning of Czechoslovak radio broadcasting on May 18, 1923, the Czech Radio Club is organizing a radio amateur competition:

1. CRC requests the issuance of special call signs OL100RADIO, OL23RADIO, OL23RJ ‚OL100RJ, special call OL100R

2. These stations will be active between May 18 and June 18, 2023 on the KV and VHF bands.

3. Those interested will have the opportunity to obtain electronic diplomas

bronze for 3,

silver for 15,

gold for 25 points

5 points for a contact to the special station . The frequencies and time of operation of this station will be published later, follow the communication channels of CRC.

2 points for 1 a contact with stations OL100RADIO, OL23RADIO, OL23RJ and OL100RJ on different bands and different types of traffic — CW, SSB.

1 point for 1 a contat with OL100RADIO, OL23RADIO, OL23RJ and OL100RJ stations on different bands and different types of traffic — FT4, FT8 and RTTY-

The contacts repeated on the same band by the same type of traffic is not counted.

In order to receive a gold diploma, connection with the special station is mandatory.

4. Diploma manager — OK1MP, The same conditions for obtaining a diploma apply to listeners, they only demonstrate listening. Requests are sent to ok2za@​atlas.​cz.

5. QSL cards — sent (QSL service CRC, or direct) QSL cards will be answered with a card after verification of the connection, QSL manager: OK1MP. We recommend using the OQRS system on Club Log to request QSL cards. You will not overload the QSL service!

6. All contacts with OL100RADIO, OL23RADIO, OL23RJ and OL100RJ will be put on LOTW.

7. You find all informations about all results of an activity on special web www​.cro100​.cz .

Print This Post