1. Reminder: Do tune into the DMR-ZA Net this evening at 19h30 SAST
Herewith
a list of different equipment / apps and images that cross transmit /
receive the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening. (Click on images for larger
view.)
1. NEW!! - DMR-ZA Net now on the TGIF Network under Upcoming Nets. (TG65522) World Wide
2. DMR / DVSwitch /AllStar Bridge (TG 65522)
3. ZS1I MMDVM Digital Repeater, Mossel Bay (TG 65522)
4. 145.550 Mhz Analogue Simplex RF Link Mossel Bay area.
5. DroidStar / VoxDMR Applications for DMR TG655, South Africa
6. ASL3 to Mumble Bridge PC (Mumble Client) as well as Mobile Phone (Plumble Client), Mossel Bay
7. BrandMeister - Hoseline Application (PC or Mobile Phone - Receive only.) World Wide
8. DVSwitch Mobile Application (PC or Mobile Phone)
9.
Many Analog-Repeaters and Links are connected to the ZS1I Hub Network
on a daily basis. Some of these analogue repeaters will be connected to
the ZS1I Hub Network on a Tuesday evening and they might also be linked
to other repeaters country- and world wide. So why not link up with
your local analogue repeater. You might just be able to connect to the
DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST.
10. ZS1I 49355 AllStar Hub Network which incorporates Echolink. (ZS1I-R) Mossel Bay
Finally: There
are an abundance of means illustrated above to connect to the DMR-ZA Net
on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST. The DMR-ZA Net is an open net and
all radio amateurs are welcome to join / connect to the net. Brian
ZS5BR is the net controller and I would like to thank him for
professionally conducting the net each Tuesday evening. Highly
appreciated!!
2. New Icom IC7110 Radio released for the Modern Amateur Radio Operator.
Icom has revealed the new IC-7110, a 100W HF, 50W VHF/UHF mobile amateur radio. Take a first look at the radio, high-resolution photos, and my livestream discussion with Dan VK4DNO from Icom Australia. = Hayden VK7HH aka hamradiodx.net
To create more activity on your DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) repeater and introduce new functions, you must shift it from a local isolated island into an interconnected, multi-featured digital hub.
Here is the direct, actionable blueprint to boost user traffic and maximize your repeater's capabilities:
Connect to Major Networks
Linking your repeater to global networks instantly provides a massive pool of potential users and conversational traffic.
Bridge to BrandMeister: Link your repeater to the BrandMeister Network to give users access to thousands of international, national, and regional Talkgroups (TGs).
Bridge to TGIF Network: Link your repeater to the TGIF Network to give users access to thousands of international, national, and regional Talkgroups (TGs).
Configure Static Talkgroups: Program 2 or 3 popular regional or state Talkgroups as "static" on Time Slot 1 or 2 so your repeater constantly broadcasts background activity, drawing locals to join in.
Enable Dynamic Talkgroups: Allow users to "PTT (Push-to-Talk) activate" any Talkgroup dynamically, which automatically times out after 10–15 minutes of inactivity to keep your repeater free.
Host Structured Weekly Events
Random chatter rarely sustains a repeater. Scheduled programming gives operators a specific reason to tune in.
Weekly Themed Nets: Host a scheduled net (e.g., "Tech Night," "Newbie Q&A," or "Weather Check") and promote it on local amateur radio club websites.
On-Air DMR Workshops: Run a monthly "Codeplug Clinic" to help local hams program their radios, troubleshoot color codes, and set up talkgroups.
Cross-Link for Nets: Temporarily bridge your DMR repeater to local analog VHF/UHF repeaters or AllStar/ECHOLINK nodes during nets to pull analog users into the digital space.
Deploy Advanced Digital Functions
Modern DMR repeaters can do much more than pass voice traffic. Activating data features provides immense utility.
Enable APRS Tracking: Configure your repeater to forward DMR-APRS text and location packets to the APRS-IS network, allowing users to track their GPS-enabled HTs seamlessly.
Activate SMS Gateway: Set up Text Messaging (TMS) functions so users can send SMS messages to cellular phones or check weather reports via automated DMR text servers.
Parrot Talkgroup (9990): Ensure Talkgroup 9990 is configured as a private or group audio check so users can test their audio levels and codeplugs instantly.
Build Community Awareness
People cannot use your repeater if they do not know it exists or how to program it.
Publish a Standard Codeplug: Create and share a downloadable, pre-configured codeplug file for popular radios (like Anytone or Retevis) featuring your repeater's channels.
List on Databases: Update your repeater's exact frequencies, color code, and timeslot layouts on Repeaterbook and the BrandMeister directory.
4. A caver was successfully rescued on August 15, 2026, after being trapped at Rat's Nest Cave in Canmore, Alberta
A caver has been rescued after being trapped vertically underground at the Rat's Nest Cave in Canada, in an operation that deployed volunteer-built underground radio technology for the first time.
Rat's Nest Cave is a wild, naturally formed limestone cave located beneath Grotto Mountain Alberta.
The rescue group says a cave radio that transmits signals through rock was used in a live operation for the first time. The technology was developed by QRP-Labs and used by members of Alberta/BC Cave Rescue, which is part of Search and Rescue Alberta, in response to the difficulty of using traditional communication methods like phones, radios or GPS underground.
New Technology: For the first time in a live rescue, Search and Rescue Alberta utilized a volunteer-built underground radio system (QDX-M technology) capable of transmitting communication signals through more than 500 meters of solid rock.
"Such units are not currently available commercially at an affordable cost, so the benefits of volunteer design and construction work by cavers with electrical engineering and amateur radio backgrounds has been considerable," it says.
Images: Rescue images Rat's Nest Cave in Canmore, Alberta
Image Above: Rescuers enter the Rat's Nest Cave in Canmore to assist a man who became pinned in a tight spot known as the "Psych Squeeze" on Aug. 15, 2026. (Submitted by Search and Rescue Alberta)
Images Below: Radio Equipment used in cave rescues
QDX-M Digital Transceiver = CLICK HERE
The QDX-M is a single-band digital transceiver kit from QRP Labs that rescue teams now adapt as a lightweight, text-based cave radio capable of piercing over 500 meters of solid rock.
What is the QDX-M?
• Single-Band Design: It operates on one specific frequency band, such as low frequencies used for ground penetration.
• Power Output: It produces 5 watts of power using a low-voltage supply.
• Digital Modes: It works with single-tone digital software like WSJT-X and JS8Call to send clear text messages.
• Low Cost: As a builder kit, it costs much less than commercial rescue radios.
How It Works Underground
• Through-the-Earth (TTE) Signals: It uses very low frequencies (like 137 kHz) that travel directly through stone and dirt instead of going around obstacles. [1]
• Text Communication: Rescuers type messages on portable devices connected to the radio, bypassing the static and poor audio of voice radios deep underground.
• Small Size: The compact unit fits easily into a backpack or rescue go-box compared to older, bulky analog radio systems.
Recent Success
• Canmore Rescue: In August 2026, the Alberta/B.C. Cave Rescue team used the QDX-M system during a vertical rescue in the Rat's Nest Cave in Alberta.
• Deep Range: The system successfully maintained clear text links through more than 500 meters of solid mountain rock.
5. Dilbert visits the doctor and his mother receives a grim diagnosis - her son has "The Knack".
The Knack" is a famous concept from "The Curse of the Engineer"— of the Dilbert animated TV series which originally aired in 1999. In the iconic opening flashback sequence, a worried mother takes young Dilbert to a medical clinic because he is "not like other kids." After evaluating him, the doctor delivers a grim diagnosis. Her son has "The Knack".
"What is "The Knack"? The doctor explains that "The Knack" is a rare, lifelong condition defined by a specific set of symptoms:
- Extreme intuition regarding all things mechanical and electrical.
- Utter social ineptitude in normal daily interactions.
- No chance at leading a normal life.
- An inevitable future where the individual is doomed to become an engineer.
The doctor warns that if an engineer ever loses this trait, the results can be completely devastating.
Today, the term is widely shared as a beloved piece of tech humor within real-world engineering communities, perfectly capturing the stereotypical intersection of technical brilliance and social awkwardness.
6. Is 6 Meters the Best Ham Radio Band???
What do you think? Is 6 meters the best ham radio band?
7. Hostile Amateur Radio Clubs?
Ham Radio Gatekeeping: Clubs Shunning Newbies
Sick of snobby amateur radio clubs icing out beginners with jargon bombs and "prove yourself" tests? We expose the ugly truth: Gatekeeping scares off 70% of newbies per-license, from Reddit rants to Phoenix club snubs, dooming the hobby's growth. Good news: Welcoming havens exist!
8. Entrepreneur and Amateur Radio Operator Invests in the Next Generation of Problem Solvers
Image: Dr James Galm W8WTS
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announced today a historic and transformational $1 million gift from Dr. James M. Galm, W8WTS. An entrepreneur and amateur radio operator who spent his career solving complex energy and engineering challenges, Galm is now investing in the next generation of problem solvers through his support of ARRL.
The gift will directly support ARRL programs and activities, including the ARRL STEM education initiative within the Education and Technology Program, and ARRL’s work defending access to amateur radio spectrum through the Spectrum Defense Fund. He didn’t stop there, however. Dr. Galm expressed how important ARRL is to the future of amateur radio by designating a significant portion of his gift as unrestricted support to the ARRL Diamond Club, which supports ARRL’s general fund, and the Second Century Fund, ARRL’s unrestricted endowment fund, which will be invested and support ARRL operations in perpetuity.
James M. Galm, Ph.D., W8WTS, is from Chardon, Ohio and is a 50-year ARRL member, a member of the ARRL Legacy Circle, and an accomplished amateur radio contester. He frequently operates from PJ2T and has served as President and Secretary/Treasurer of the Caribbean Contesting Consortium, PJ2T. He also operates a popular and reliable DX Cluster at dxc.w8wts.net with both ARC 6 and CC Cluster nodes.
With his transformational gift, Dr. Galm will be inducted into the ARRL Maxim Society at the Millennium Class. He joins Margaret Valentine at this extremely generous level of giving. Valentine, along with her late husband Michael Valentine, W8MM (SK), made the first pledge of $1 million to ARRL during the Second Century Campaign.
First licensed as WN8WTS in 1975, Dr. Galm has more than 40 years of experience in engineering, research, manufacturing and product development. He holds nine patents and has published many scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals.
In 2001, Galm co-founded LayerZero Power Systems, Inc., which grew to become the world leader in ultra-reliable AC power management equipment for mission-critical applications, including AI and machine learning, hyperscale computing data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and financial transaction processing. The two owners sold a majority interest in LayerZero to a global private equity firm in 2025.
Dr. Galm holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics from Case Western Reserve University. He is a Professional Engineer licensed to practice in Ohio. Now retired, Dr. Galm serves on boards of directors for LayerZero and Type One Energy.
Galm's gift represents a significant investment in ARRL's mission by supporting initiatives that help develop students as innovators, protecting the future of amateur radio spectrum, and strengthening the organization for generations to come.
