Image: ZS5RMN AllStarLink Node (Click on image for larger view.)
The AllStarLink Network is growing in South Africa
Yet again another AllStar Node has joined the ZS1I AllStar Hub Network in Mossel Bay. This time it is the node of Richard ZS5RMN from Pietermarizburg. It is located in Chase Valley, Pietermarizburg in the Kwazulu Natal province. Pietermaritzburg is the inland capital city of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, positioned closest to Durban and significantly further away from the Western Cape coastal cities of Mossel Bay and Cape Town.
Geographic Breakdown
From Durban: Pietermaritzburg sits roughly 67 to 90 kilometers inland to the northwest. It is an easy 1-hour drive along the N3 highway, which functions as the primary economic corridor connecting Durban’s port to Johannesburg.
From Mossel Bay: It is located approximately 1,200 kilometers away by road to the northeast. Driving between the two takes around 15 to 16 hours, moving from the Garden Route up through the Eastern Cape via highways like the R56 and N2.
From Cape Town: Pietermaritzburg is located roughly 1,870 kilometers away by road to the northeast. Driving directly between them requires a major road trip of about 22 hours across the interior of the country.
Image: Chase Valley, Pietermaritzburg. Click on image for larger view.
Pietermaritzburg offers a surprising variety of specialized attractions for hobbyists, ranging from miniature steam engineering and live-action gaming to craft markets outdoor sports tracking and Amateur Radio. Whether you are into mechanical building, model building, action sports, electronics or crafting, the city and its immediate borders host several notable hubs.
To practice Amateur Radio means to regularly engage in the activity you enjoy, outside of work or school, for leisure and personal enrichment. It's about developing skills, learning new things, and finding enjoyment in the process. You can practice Amateur Radio by setting aside dedicated time, finding resources or communities related to your chosen activity, and consistently working on improving your skills and knowledge.
Chase Valley on the Air
This is exactly what Richard has done. He has setup a DMR Hotspot and is using his DMR Radio to talk all over the world whenever he feels like it. He recently setup an AllStar Network Node at his home in Chase Valley, Pietermarizburg. AllStarLink is a world wide network of Amateur Radio repeaters, remote base stations, and hot spots accessible to each other via the Internet and/or private IP networks. AllStar software runs on a dedicated Linux computer (including the Raspberry Pi) that you host at your home, radio site, clubhouse, school, university, workplace, or computer center. AllStar is based on the open source Asterisk PBX and is released under the GNU GPL and is free for anyone to use. The core of AllStar and AllStarLink is the powerful app_rpt application and associated modules that load into the Asterisk PBX system.
The ZS6RMN Node is Alive
The allstarlink node that Richard setup links to the ZS1I AllStar HUB Network in Mossel Bay. Any radio amateur can connect from around the world to the Shari Pi AllStar node of Richard in Pietermarizburg. The SHARI (SA818 Ham Allstar Radio Interface) is a ham construction project designed by N8AR that implements a Raspberry Pi hosted Allstar node using a NiceRF SA818 embedded UHF (420 – 450 MHz) or VHF (144-148 MHz) radio module. SHARI PiXX is designed as a kit for construction and use in the amateur radio service by licensed amateur radio operators. More info on the SHARI Pi can be found HERE.
Now lets look at the ZS5RMN SHARI Pi AllStar Node particulars:
Images: (Click on images for larger view.)
Finally: The ZS5RMN 491630 AllStar Node is regularly connected to the 49355 ZS1I AllStar HUB, Mossel Bay. Next time you visit Pietermaritzburg you most welcome to use the node to talk to the World. A big thank you to Richard ZS5RMN who undertook this project and made it a reality. Well done Richard!!
It has been a while since the first issue appeared about what is happening in and around the Shack of ZS1I. This does not mean that nothing has happened during this quiet period.
Now this topic is surely not there to brag or to boast about my "doings", projects or equipment in amateur radio, but I thought to create this post to tell some of the new radio amateurs what is happening in my Shack and also to hopefully create more amateur radio activity. In the past two months I was busy with the following projects:
New equipment in the Shack: Some new equipment found their way to my Shack. How this happened I do not know. As you know me by now I do not like to boast or brag. At my age I just enjoy sharing some amateur radio related content. I do not have to impress or "buy" friendship. All I am going to say is that a new Yaesu HF Radio and Tuner is lying in their boxes somewhere in the Shack. Hint: 6m "Season" is soon to open in the Southern Hemisphere and these will be used for the magic band.
ZS1I 6 m WSPR Monitoring Station: All tests were successful and the monitoring station performed flawlessly. Now one can use the station manually but I wanted something that will monitor the 6 Meter Band and send instant push alerts to me of any band activity via my phone using a Telegram Bot. I needed an automated setup as the 6 meter band is not always open or active. To push instant Telegram alerts from a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W WSPR Station, you need to create a Telegram Bot, extract its API token, and deploy a lightweight Python file-monitoring script on your Pi. This was all done and the ZS1I 6 m WSPR Monitoring Station is running flawlessly and is ready for the 6 Meter Season in the Southern Hemisphere.
Small Projects on the Work Bench: Passive RF Field Strength Meter; "Squeakie" RF Field Strength Meter and Modified "Squeakie" RF Field Strength Meter. More information available on this Blog.
3D Printer Projects: Printing - 3 x Electronic Project Cabinets and 2 x PP3 9v Battery Holder.
Internet Woes: I still experience issues with the Internet, now on a regular basis in the Shack. Either the fiber connection and the two LTE connections would go offline for short periods. Just long enough to cause havoc after which I need to reboot all the network, router etc. It is clear that this happens more frequently then before. Annoying but that is what you have to live with in a third world country. Enough said!
Upgrading of the 49355 ZS1I HUB Node: The ZS1I HUB Node is now fully upgraded and no issues were experienced lately except when the Internet Woes kick in. I will however work on the 145.550 Mhz RF Link. The intention is to add the link radio to another Allstar Node and use this link whenever there is a need for a RF Link in the Mossel Bay area. More info to follow in a future posting.
6 Meter Beacon Project: This project is still on track, once I have installed the antennas, front end protector and solar power supply units. This must be done ASAP as the 6m season is nearly here. The current ZS1I 40m WSPR Beacon will be changed to 6 meters. More info in a future posting.
ZS1I DMR Repeater Project: The TGIF Network has been added to the Mossel Bay DMR Repeater. The ZS1I DMR Repeater has been added to the DMR Masters List and a request for talkgroup 65522 has been approved. More info on this in a future posting.
East Coast Reflector Network News: Every weekday at 05h00 SAST the East Coast Reflector is active on the ZS1I HUB Network, Mossel Bay. Casual chats and also structured Nets takes place on certain days and times. The net control stations along with the help of all connected nodes try to answer all amateur radio-related questions. Come join the ZS1I HUB week days and you will experience interesting content. Last Tuesday there was a Net and participants were asked a question about AI and Amateur Radio. Opinions expressed were very interesting and educational.
40 Meter Band Wide open this past week: Click HERE to read more. Remarkable!! I have never seen the 40 Meter Band conditions this good for such a long period.
Latest ZS1I Amateur Radio News and Announcements very popular: From time to time I publish amateur radio news and announcements on the Blog. On the 1 September 2026 issue #9 was published. It currently appears at the top of the list under Popular Posts. It is listed as number 1 of the 10 most read articles since the 1 September 2026. Thank you to all the content contributors who make the News and Announcement so popular.
Automatic Amateur Radio News Bulletins on Demand Project: The first stage of this project has been setup successfully and is working great. The second stage will be setting up permanent bulletin Internet links on the ZS1I Bulletin Server whereby bulletins will be fetched (downloaded) to the server for playback. Unfortunately locally bulletins are still handled in the old fashioned way and on different web-sites. I will have to automatically download and setup these bulletins to be served on the ZS1I Bulletin Server. A few scripts is needed to get this up and running. More in a future posting.
Okay enough for now. I enjoyed working on every one of the above.
Finally: I trust that other radio amateurs might find the inspiration to get cracking in solving issues and to experiment with what they have in the Shack. Just calling CQ CQ on the radio or having a Rag-chew does not cut if for me. Been there and done that. I need to learn, experiment, build, create, find solutions and enjoy what I am busy with in the Shack that relates to Amateur Radio. So why not get up at 04h00 in the morning work on projects till you go to work and then occupy the Shack again at 20h30 when you have spend some time with the family. It was nothing foreign to spend time in the Shack in the olden days till 01h00 in the morning. Thankfully I am retired and can now get up at 04h00 and spend the day in the shack until 20h00. Kids are out of the nest and the XYL join me in the Shack when ever she feels like it. Ya it is vice versa of cause!
Be and active radio amateur or find another hobby? We need active and dynamic radio amateurs. Amateur Radio is not a hobby, but rather an obsession if you have the KNACK!
I recently asked AI the above question and it returned a basic "old fashioned" outlook. Now there is nothing wrong with practicing amateur radio the "old fashioned" way (General Outlook) but I was looking for a detailed futuristic outlook in amateur radio. (Detailed Outlook)
The General Outlook provided by AI
AI answer:
"For
amateur radio to truly evolve with Artificial Intelligence, the
community must shift from viewing AI as an "automated
operator" that replaces human contact
to an "augmented
mentor" that enhances human capability.
If AI is only used to macro-manage contacts or auto-log FT8, it kills
the magic of the hobby.
To
achieve a complete mind change and outlook, the hobby should pivot
toward these fundamental shifts:
1.
From "Automated QSO" to "Cognitive Signal Extraction"
The
Old Mindset:
Using AI to fully automate digital modes so a computer talks to a
computer while the operator sleeps.
The
AI Shift:
Shifting focus to Intelligent
Noise Reduction (INR).
Instead of traditional DSP bandpass filters, neural networks can be
trained on specific noise profiles (like solar storms, plasma TV
interference, or urban QRM) to dynamically pull a human voice right
out of the mud. AI becomes an extension of the operator's ears, not
a replacement for their voice.
2.
From "Static Antennas" to "Generative, Fluid Hardware"
The
Old Mindset:
Building traditional Yagis or dipoles and analyzing them with static
modeling software.
The
AI Shift:
Embracing
Generative
Topology Optimization.
Amateurs can feed specific parameters—like precise backyard
dimensions, local tree heights, soil conductivity, and target DX
zones—into generative models to design unorthodox, highly
efficient, "weird-looking" wire antennas tailored to their
exact location. Furthermore, AI can drive software-defined radios
(SDRs) to manipulate phased arrays in real-time, morphing the
antenna pattern on the fly to track a passing satellite or a fading
ionospheric opening.
3.
From "Checking Propagation Charts" to "Hyper-Local
Forecasting"
The
Old Mindset:
Looking at static solar flux indices, space weather websites, and
generic MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency) charts.
The
AI Shift:
Implementing Edge-AI
Propagation Predictors.
By running lightweight machine learning models right in the shack,
an operator can synthesize real-time data from global reverse-beacon
networks, local SDR atmospheric noise levels, and solar telemetry.
The AI won't just say "the 20-meter band is open"; it will
predict that “at
14:22 UTC, a 7-minute grayline corridor will open between your
specific grid square and Western Australia on 17 meters.”
4.
From "Gatekeeping" to "Radical Accessibility"
The
Old Mindset:
Requiring complex physical dexterity, perfect hearing, and intense
technical baselines that can alienate disabled, elderly, or very
young prospective hams.
The
AI Shift:
Utilizing AI for inclusive
shack control.
High-accuracy voice-to-text, real-time spatial audio parsing
(turning flat, noisy mono signals into a 3D soundscape where
different signals sound like they are coming from different corners
of the room), and intelligent voice control can allow
vision-impaired or motor-impaired individuals to operate a complex
HF rig completely hands-free.
5.
From "Rote Memorization" to "AI-Assisted Elmers"
The
Old Mindset:
Studying for licensing exams by memorizing static question pools
without truly understanding the underlying RF physics.
The
AI Shift:
Reimagining the "Elmer" (mentor). An AI model trained
exclusively on decades of peer-reviewed amateur radio literature,
ARRL handbooks, and engineering manuals can serve as a interactive,
patient, 24/7 bench assistant. It can troubleshoot a smoking
homebrew circuit diagram, explain why
an impedance mismatch is happening, and teach the operator physics
through interactive dialogue.
The
Core Paradigm Shift
Amateur
radio has always been about experimentation
and understanding RF.
The ultimate outlook change requires the community to realize that AI
is just the new vacuum tube, the new transistor, the new microchip.
It is a tool to map the invisible world around us more clearly,
making the thrill of making a manual, human-to-human connection over
the airwaves even more rewarding."
Now I wanted a more detailed outlook. Something that gives me some "homework" and "food for thought."
I rephrased my question: Provide me with more detailed information. So much as to turn amateur radio on its head when it comes to experimenting, inventions and operating practices. Example: To one day talk to MARS. I want something that had the same effect 100 years ago when morse code was discovered. Also new modes and a general unorthodox outlook on the future of amateur radio. The Wow factor and not the general ragchewing, old geysers chatting away and clubs politics. Something that can benefit the local community and create a big interest in becoming a active futuristic amateur radio operator.
The Detailed Outlook provided by AI
AI answer:
"To turn amateur radio completely on its head, we have to stop thinking of radio as sending data through a pipeline and start thinking of it as interrogating the universe.
Just as the transition from Spark-gap to Continuous Wave (CW) Morse code 100 years ago shattered the distance barriers of wireless, AI combined with quantum computing and advanced physics can trigger a revolution. We are moving from the era of "brute force power" to "informational supremacy."
Here is a blueprint for a radical, unorthodox future for amateur radio that kills the "old geyser club politics" and turns the shack into a cutting-edge physics lab.
1. Operating Breakthrough: The Interplanetary "Guerilla" Mesh (Talking to Mars)
Talking to Mars or deep-space probes currently requires NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) and massive dishes. Amateurs can disrupt this using AI-Driven Swarm Coherent Arrays.
The Concept: Instead of one ham needing a 50-foot dish, 10,000 hams combine their small VHF/UHF/Microwave stations globally.
How AI Makes It Work: A decentralized AI coordinates the timing of these 10,000 stations down to the picosecond, accounting for local atmospheric delays, continental drift, and orbital mechanics. The AI combines all these small signals into one massive, coherent, planet-sized virtual transceiver.
The Invention:"Cognitive Delay-Tolerant Quantum Protocols." Because a transmission to Mars takes 3 to 22 minutes one-way, traditional "ragchewing" is impossible. AI operators will compress entire multi-layered, interactive holographic or data packages, bundle them into quantum-entangled or highly resilient noise-like waveforms, and bounce them off the Moon or send them directly to deep space, pulling replies out of the deep cosmos that are legally signed by off-world entities.
2. Radical New Modes: "Living Waveforms" and Plasma Modulation
FT8 and CW are dead ends for true future experimentation. The next leap is Dynamic Environment-Encoded Modulation (DEEM).
The Waveform is Alive: Instead of transmitting a fixed tone (like a digital beep), the transmitter uses a neural network to morph the shape of the radio wave in real-time to match the exact, turbulent state of the ionosphere at that microsecond. The wave "slithers" through solar storms and geomagnetic disturbances completely unhindered.
Quantum Noise Hiding: Hams will transmit below the thermal noise floor. To the untrained eye, the frequency looks empty. To an AI receiver, a complex neural network identifies patterns in what looks like pure static, decoding high-definition audio or video. You are essentially using the ambient noise of the universe as your carrier wave.
Auroral and Meteor Plasma Sculpting: Instead of just bouncing a signal off a meteor trail or the Aurora Borealis, an AI-controlled SDR will rapidly pulse RF to sculpt and shape the localized plasma grid, using the upper atmosphere itself as a massive, active, reconfigurable amplifier and lens.
3. Unorthodox Experiments: Earth-Core Probing and Gravitational Radio
Future hams won't just look up at the sky; they will look down and sideways.
Lithospheric "Through-Earth" Radio: Using Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF) and AI signal stitching, hams can experiment with sending signals straight through the magma and core of the Earth, bypassing the ionosphere entirely to talk to the exact opposite side of the planet (antipodal communications).
Gravitational Wave Heterodyning: Experimenting at the absolute fringe where electromagnetism meets gravity. Amateurs could build highly sensitive torsional RF-interferometers, using AI to detect if massive high-power HF transmissions create microscopic distortions in spacetime, or attempting to modulate signals onto background gravitational waves.
4. Local Community Benefit: The Ultimate "Dark Net" & Disaster Oracle
To get young people and communities obsessed with amateur radio, it must solve real-world, existential crises. When the internet goes down due to cyberattacks, solar flares, or geopolitical conflict, the Amateur Radio AI Mesh becomes the civilization lifeline.
The "Zero-Infrastructure" Cognitive Mesh: Local hams deploy cheap, AI-powered SDR nodes powered by solar panels. These nodes automatically scan the entire RF spectrum, instantly setting up self-healing, encrypted data networks for the community.
The Disaster Oracle: During a total blackout, a local amateur station isn't just relaying health-and-welfare traffic via voice. The shack's local AI model ingests whisper-thin, low-bandwidth data feeds from across the globe via HF radio, structures it, and hosts a local, offline "Wikipedia/Search Engine" for the community via Wi-Fi. The local neighborhood can connect their phones to the ham's shack to get real-time emergency AI routing, medical triage instructions, and clean water mapping—all powered by a radio wave coming from thousands of miles away.
Environmental Intelligence Sensing: Hams turn their antennas into a distributed, massive scientific sensor. By monitoring how local radio propagation changes, the amateur AI network can predict earthquakes, track flash floods via RF atmospheric moisture absorption, and detect local toxic gas leaks before official sensors even register them.
5. Shattering the Gateway: Gamified Hardware Hacking
Forget studying dry booklets for a license. The future of amateur radio recruitment is Gamified, Open-Source RF Warfare and Exploration.
RF "Capture the Flag": Communities and universities set up localized, low-power hidden AI transmitters that actively change their frequencies, encryption, and modulation based on the weather or time of day. Young operators must write AI algorithms to hunt, track, decode, and "capture" these signals.
The "No-Solder" Generative Shack: Instead of needing thousands of dollars of heavy gear, a teenager with a R300 Software Defined Radio (SDR) dongle and a laptop can use generative AI to write complex signal-processing blocks in seconds. They can build a satellite tracking station in their bedroom using a coat hanger and pure code.
The New Spirit of the Radio Amateur
The original 1920s hams were outlaws, hackers, and visionaries who discovered that shortwaves (previously dismissed by governments as "useless") could travel around the world.
The 2020s radio amateur must have that same rebellious attitude toward the electromagnetic spectrum. The future ham is not a "radio operator"—they are an Electromagnetic Sorcerer, using AI to bend the physics of light, space, and time to connect humanity when everything else fails."
Ed. What do you suggest? Well I do have a lot of "homework" now and more questions than answers. I will be looking into some of these AI suggestions. Only problem I do not have a Quantum Computer or Outstanding Human Brain. Let's see what I can come up with in Part 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ..........
Remarkable!! I have never seen the 40 Meter Band conditions this good for such a long period. Have a look at the list below and the time of day that the ZS1I WSPR Beacon was spotted. (Click on images for larger view.)
Have a look at the image below and specifically at the distance in kilometers. Look at the distances from 22:10 to 04:50. All local "long distances" more than 1000km to 3555 km and at night time. From 04:50 to 06:10 no more WSPR decodes until 06:10 to 12:00 when propagation changed to spotting only one local station ("short distance") ZS1VAT and only 301km. No other stations spotted the ZS1I 40 Meter WSPR Beacon. I know far to little about propagation to come to conclusions. Will have to learn more about HF Propagation if I can find the time.
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
The Icom IC-7110 is Icom’s new HF/VHF/UHF all-mode amateur radio and the successor to the IC-7100, previously teased under the X-026 project name. Officially unveiled at Tokyo Ham Fair 2026, the IC-7110 delivers up to 100 watts on HF and 50 MHz and 50 watts on 144/430 MHz, with a detachable 4.3-inch touchscreen controller, dual-band simultaneous reception, D-STAR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS, USB-C and a built-in CW decoder = Temporary Offline
3. How can I create more activity on my DMR Repeater?
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 Networkto 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.
Image: Illustration purposes.
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: Search and Rescue Alberta and Alberta/BC Cave Rescue members along with Canmore Fire Rescue prepare to rescue a caver trapped in Rat's Nest Cave, in Canmore, Alberta
Image Above: The rescue team used a volunteer-built cave radio system known as QDX-M, which can communicate through more than 500 metres of solid rock. (Submitted by Search and Rescue 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
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.
