Category Archives: Ham Radio

Amateur Radio Resources for Visiting Hams at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Photo by lamnatheshark via Unsplash

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who shares this information for anyone visiting the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year:

Visiting HAM Operators at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Repeaters and Networks Available

As the world-renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place, we warmly welcome all amateur radio operators (HAMs) visiting the Sarthe region. Whether you’re here to experience the race live or just passing through, several radio communication options are available to help you stay connected and exchange with fellow operators.

Available Repeaters Around Le Mans

    • F5ZGG: This DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) repeater provides digital connectivity throughout the Le Mans area. Ideal for operators using digital equipment, it ensures reliable coverage across the region.
    • F1ZMP: Located at the Le Mans Radio Club, this analog VHF/FM repeater is accessible to all operators with standard analog equipment. It serves as a key local contact point.
    • RRF VHF Repeater: Operating on 145.300 MHz with a CTCSS tone of 103.5 Hz, this repeater links to the French Repeater Network (RRF), enabling conversations with operators across France and beyond through IP gateways.

Meshtastic Network Active in the Area

In addition to traditional repeaters, the Le Mans region features several active Meshtastic nodes — a mesh radio system using ISM bands (433 MHz and 868 MHz) in long_fast mode.

Meshtastic uses LoRa modules to send text messages fully off-grid, with no reliance on cellular or Wi-Fi networks. It’s particularly useful in crowded areas like paddocks or rural zones, for close-range communication, field tests, or tactical use.

Operators who are curious or equipped are encouraged to activate their modules and join the local network. Some nodes are fixed, while others are mobile — carried on vehicles or backpacks.

We warmly encourage you to make the most of your visit by connecting with local HAMs, sharing your passion, discovering the region’s radio infrastructure, and maybe trying out new technologies like Meshtastic.

Enjoy the race, happy DXing, and we look forward to hearing you on the airwaves!

The Annual 13 Colonies Special Event: July 1-7, 2025

Icom IC-756 Pro Transceiver DialMany thanks to SWLing Post contributor Saul Broudy (W3WHK), who writes:

13 Colonies Special Event 1-7 July 2025

For years I have been one of the operators for WM3PEN, the ham station in this event representing the city of Philadelphia, where the USA officially declared its independence from Great Britain on 4 July 1776.  I thought the SWL world might have an interest in logging the 16 stations participating in July’s 13 Colonies event described below, and sending for a certificate and/or QSL cards.
73,
Saul

In just a few weeks, one of the most popular summer operating events kicks off – The 13 Colonies special event. Now in its 17th year, the event has grown from special event stations making approximately 12,000 contacts to last year making 292,496 contacts around the world.

The event runs from 1 July 9:00am EDT – 7 July midnight EDT (1 July 1300 UTC – 8 July 0400 UTC).

This year, event organizers are recognizing the 13 Colonies event founder Ken Villone, KU2US.

The event consists of one station operating in each of the 13 original colonies (K2A – K2M) and three bonus stations (WM3PEN – Philadelphia, GB13COL – England, TM13COL – France) each representing their city, state, or country’s role in America’s colonial period.

Ham radio operators and SWLs alike can participate in the event(all modes). Complete information about the callsign for each colony station and the bonus stations can be found on the event website 13colonies.us, and they can follow us on Facebook – 13 Colonies Special Event Community. Stations need only make one contact or report with one of the participating stations or they can go for a clean sweep and listen for all 13 Colonies stations and the 3 bonus stations. Each station offers a special QSL card for the event as well as a different certificate each year. Operators can keep an eye out for the various stations by watching many of the DX spotting sites such as DXSummit.fi.

Patrolling The Ether: A 1944 Film About Tracking Down Nazis With Radio!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Fred Waterer, who tipped us off to Patrolling the Ether—a 1944 short film produced by the U.S. Office of War Information. This wartime documentary highlights how amateur radio operators and federal agents collaborated to monitor the airwaves and track down enemy spies. A fascinating glimpse into radio’s role in World War II era homeland security:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Memorial Day Weekend: Last Chance to Snare the Indy 500 Special Event Station

By Brian D. Smith, W9IND

If you still haven’t caught the W9IMS Indy 500 special event, your final opportunity to earn the latest QSL card and certificate comes this weekend.

As announced earlier this month, the second special event of the year by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club – honoring the 109th running of the venerable race – is on the air from now through the end of Race Day … otherwise known as 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 25 (Indy time) or 0359 UTC Monday, May 26.

For hams and shortwave listeners, working or tuning in W9IMS this week stakes your claim on a collectible QSL card that’s redesigned each year.

And if you happened to bag the first W9IMS special event during the week of the IndyCar Grand Prix (May 4-10), a contact with the Indy 500 station will put you two-thirds of the way toward achieving the 2025 version of the Checkered Flag Award.

But take note: You’ll have to wait 2 months for the third special event (July 21-27), which will commemorate the NASCAR Brickyard 400.

Tips on finding W9IMS:

  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS. You can customize your search by typing “W9IMS” in the box at upper right.
  2. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org) and look for the heading, “2025 Operating Schedule.” Click on the Indianapolis 500 link, which opens into a weeklong schedule of individual operators and their reserved time slots. Although the special event can be activated at any time throughout Race Week, your odds of snaring the station improve dramatically during hours with a listed op.
  3. Look for the Indy 500 station on 20 and 40 meters – on or near 14.245 and 7.245 MHz – and there’s a bonus band if you plan to attend the race or be in the Indianapolis area on Race Day. Each year on the morning of the 500, W9IMS operates simplex FM on 146.52 MHz, working hams situated in the grandstands and the infield of the track, as well as those en route or residing in the local area.
  4. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as local thunderstorms, solar flares, and a lack of calling stations. Don’t wait till the final hour to hunt W9IMS!
  5. However, hams who still haven’t worked W9IMS by Sunday may benefit from the policy changes that usually kick in at the end of Race Week. W9IMS ops tend begin calling for “only stations that haven’t worked this event” and often switch to contest-style operations, exchanging only signal reports to put more contacts in the log.
  6. Keep in mind that both radio amateurs and SWLs are eligible for QSL cards and the certificate. So if your ham station isn’t able to work W9IMS by Sunday night, you can create an SWL report by copying down details of other contacts – such as date, frequency, UTC, and the callsigns of a few stations you heard W9IMS working. SWL reports count as credits too, but the certificate will likely feature your name instead of your call.

If you succeed in your W9IMS chase, congratulations! The station website (www.w9ims.org) contains everything you’ll need to know about obtaining QSL cards and the certificate.

Taking a Short Break for Hamvention Week!

Just a quick note to let you know I’m hitting the road today for Four Days in May and Hamvention 2025, and will be away for about a week.

During this time, I’ll have very limited ability to reply to emails and publish new posts—Hamvention tends to keep me on my toes from early morning to late evening!

Thanks so much for your patience and understanding. I’ll be back next week and look forward to catching up then.

73,
Thomas

Meteor Burst Communications

Perseids meteor shower Photo: NASAMany thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, for sharing the following article from Hackaday: Radio Apocalypse: Meteor Burst Communications

This piece explores Meteor Burst Communications (MBC)—a method of bouncing radio signals off ionized meteor trails to enable long-distance communication without relying on satellites or infrastructure. Used historically in military systems, MBC remains a compelling option for resilient, beyond-line-of-sight communication—even in grid-down scenarios.

Check out the full article here.

Emergency radio? You bet!

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

Recently, this blog featured great coverage of the use of battery-powered radios during the recent blackout in Europe.

It was a serious business: electric power, cell phone networks, internet, all gone in a moment, followed by an instant information vacuum. Battery-powered portable radios and local broadcasters with backup power came to the rescue, providing information as they could.

You can find the SWLing blog coverage here:

And when Hurricane Helene slammed western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, radio was an invaluable resource. It was two-way radio, but the point remains the same: radio can be of great help when the lights go out.

So, here’s the upshot: when the lights go out, the cellphone is mute, and the internet is down, you need a means of gathering information so you can figure out what’s going on and what actions you might need to take . . . and that means of gathering information would be a battery-powered radio capable of – at a bare minimum – receiving your local broadcasters on medium wave and/or FM, and, if you live in North America, also capable of receiving weather radio.

My strong personal preference is for radios that can be powered by standard-size (like AA, AAA, and D cells), off-the-shelf, readily-available, consumer-grade, non-proprietary batteries. Why? Because, during a long-duration emergency, when my standard-size rechargeable cells run out of juice, I can drop in some off-the-shelf alkalines and keep using my radio.

With that in mind, here are three radios that I like. All three deliver worthy performance on AM, FM and weather bands (and sometimes additional bands) and can be powered by off-the-shelf batteries. I have used all three over extended periods and can recommend them without reservation.

CCrane Skywave SSB 2

The CCrane Skywave SSB 2 is a radio that brings a lot of capabilities in a diminutive package (3” W x 4.75” H x 1.1” D). It can receive: AM: 520 – 1710 kHz (10 kHz Steps), AM: 522 – 1620 kHz (9 kHz Steps – International), FM: 87.5 – 108 MHz (Regular Mode), FM: 76 – 108 MHz (When 9kHz is Selected), Shortwave: 1711 – 29999 kHz, (Includes SSB Fine Tuning in increments of 10Hz, providing the ability to listen to long-distance ham radio communications),  Aviation: 118 – 137 MHz with scan capabilities, and Weather Band with alert capabilities.

It will run for about 65 hours on a pair of AA batteries. It comes with an adapter that can be used to connect to a long-wire antenna for improved reception of shortwave and SSB signals.

The CCrane Skywave SSB was the first radio I purchased when I got back into shortwave listening, and I have employed it to monitor AM, FM, ham communications, air band, and weather alerts.  It is a pint-sized powerhouse that delivers a ton of versatility, and I really enjoy using it.

CCRadio SolarBT

The CCRadio SolarBT measures 6 inches wide by 3 inches high by 2.5 inches deep and weighs just a bit over a pound with batteries installed. The CCradio SolarBT can receive AM (MW) band from 520 to 1710 kHz, FM from 87.5 to 108 MHz (76-108 MHz in expanded mode), and 7 NOAA Weather Radio channels from 162.400 MHz to 162.550 MHz. In my opinion, it provides a step up in performance on the AM, FM, and weather bands.

What really sets the SolarBT apart is the flexibility of powering it. There are five options: (1) an 18650 Li-ion 3.7 volt rechargeable battery which provides around 50 hours of playing time (the manual advises fully charging the internal battery before use), (2) 3 AA batteries (not included, but good for about 40 hours of playing time. Don’t use Lithium batteries, the manual warns.), (3) a 110 mA solar panel (park the radio in a sunny window to keep it trickle charged), (4) a wind-up dynamo generator (300-500 mA at about two rotations per second. 90 seconds of winding will power the radio for 8-13 minutes or will charge your cell phone enough to make a few quick calls), or (5) a 5-volt DC, 1000 mA micro USB cable or optional AC adapter.

To quote from my original review of the SolarBT: “The SolarBT may be small, but, in my opinion, it punches above its weight and provides excellent sensitivity for its size on the AM, FM, and weather bands. You might buy it as an emergency radio, but my guess is that you will soon discover the joy of DXing with it.”

CCRadio 2E

The CCRadio 2E is large – 11″ W x 6.5″ H x 4″ D – but very capable. The CCrane company calls the 2E its “flagship,” and I can see why: in my experience, the 2E delivers exceptional performance in receiving AM, FM, and NOAA Weather Band with Weather Alert. In addition, it can also receive the 2-Meter Ham Band, which could be a vital source of useful information during an emergency.

In normal operation, the 2E can run off house power. But when the electricity goes off, it switches automatically to four internal alkaline D cells (user supplied), which offer roughly 170 hours of operation at a moderate volume level with the display light and weather alert feature off.

When my sister-in-law admitted that she didn’t have an emergency radio, I gave her a 2E. Why? Well, in part because of the exemplary performance, in part because of the long duration on batteries, and in part because it operates much like a car radio. I found her favorite stations, stored them, selected the strongest weather station, and also found and stored the local ham repeaters. Then I explained it to her: “Press this button to turn it on, this button to select the band you want, then press the buttons on top to select the station you want.” Easy-peasy.

The 2E isn’t just an excellent emergency radio, it’s a really great general purpose radio that will please habitual radio listeners and delight DXers who hunt for distant stations.

What if . . .

I can almost hear what you are thinking: ‘Yes, that is all well and good, but what if I already have a radio that I really like that runs on rechargeable batteries?”

Fair enough. My answer would be: buy some additional batteries that fit your radio, charge them up, and make sure that you keep them topped up from time to time.

And if your favorite radio does not receive NOAA weather band and you live in North America, get yourself a dedicated weather radio to fill in the gap. I own and can recommend the Midland WR120 Weather Alert Radio. It offers excellent performance and very sophisticated alert programming options.

So get yourself prepared, radiowise, for the next emergency . . . and enjoy your radios in the meantime!