In the log this week
* MVARC Monthly Meeting Tomorrow (4/26/2025): K1RA on Multi-band, Multi-Mode Digital Decoding and Reporting Using SDRs
* MVARC Monthly Breakfast Tomorrow (4/26/2025)
* DXpedition Update: VP2VI British Virgin Islands Wrapping Up
* MVARC Nets on the Air
* What's happening with DX?
* Solar Activity Update
* Upcoming Contests
* Interesting Online Radio Content
MVARC Monthly Meeting Tomorrow: K1RA on Multi-band, Multi-Mode Digital Decoding and Reporting Using SDRs
Tomorrow, Saturday April 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM ET we will have our next monthly meeting. Our presenter this month is Andy K1RA, who will be discussing "Multi-band, Multi-Mode Digital Decoding and Reporting Using SDRs". Andy runs one of the biggest SDR based listening stations in our area reporting data to the Reverse Beacon Network and providing web-based Software Defined Radios as a service to the community. I use the data that comes from Andy's systems on a daily basis to enhance my operation on the air, and this promises to be a fascinating presentation.
Our monthly meeting will be held at the Mount Vernon Government Center at 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA in room 119 shortly following our monthly breakfast. We encourage everyone who can make it to join us in person. For those unable to join we will also have a hybrid meeting available via Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/gew-gucu-gbu.
MVARC Monthly Breakfast Tomorrow (4/26/2025)
Tomorrow, Saturday, April 26, 2025, is the date of our next monthly breakfast. As usual we will meet up at 8 AM in the IHOP at 7694 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia for great conversation, camaraderie, and breakfast too. We have been having a great turn out in the last few months and there is always room for you to join in the fun. We hope to see you all there.
DXpedition Update: VP2VI British Virgin Islands Wrapping Up
QSL Card Courtesy VP2VI
The VP2VI DXpedition to the British Virgin Islands has been making a whole lot of QSOs since they started operation on April 10. On their QRZ page they indicated yesterday that with 14 days of operation so far they had made 148,400 QSOs with 32,900 unique call signs. They're wrapping up their very successful operation on the 27th, so if you haven't had chance to get them in your logs, look for them on the bands. The British Virgin Islands standings on Club Log's most wanted are #114 worldwide and #173 here in North America. More information about their operations can be found at https://www.qrz.com/db/VP2VI.
MVARC Nets on the Air
* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ]
* 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM]
* MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]
* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]
What's Happening with DX
There will be a lot of DX on the air in the next week. Stations on the air will include Tubuai Island (TX9A), Marion Island (ZS8W), Gambia (C5R), Bermuda (VP9KF), Angola (D2TX), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), British Virgin Islands (VP2VI), Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands (V73MT), Solomon Islands (H44MS), and Antarctica (DP0GVN).
A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/
Solar Activity Update
As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 170 and the estimated sunspot number was 132. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels recently and there are 11 numbered sunspot regions visible here on Earth. In the last day there were only minor C-class flares recorded. Activity is expected to continue at low to moderate levels over the next several days. Solar wind was somewhat enhanced at 630 km/s yesterday and has been declining. Nominal solar wind conditions are expected to return tomorrow. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 1%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted. There is a reasonable chance of 6 meter propagation, so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for openings. HF conditions have been favorable overall. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs of all license classes to get on the air and work the world.
Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/.
Upcoming Contests
On the contest calendar this weekend we can look forward to the 10-10 International Spring Contest on Digital, the Tipalayo DX Contest, the SP DX RTTY Contest, the UK/EI DX Contest on CW, the Helvetia Contest, the Florida QSO Party, the UA1DZ Memorial Cup, and the BARTG Sprint 75. As always the K1USN SSTs, MSTs, and CWTs will also be on the air.
The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php
Interesting Online Radio Content
Steve KM9G takes a look at a battery load tester and power meter -
Sean W9FFF discusses what the QSL Bureau is all about -
Jim WT1W takes a look at a portable power meter -
Craig KM6LYW takes a look at add-ons for the DigiPi -
Josh KI6NAZ fixes a problem with his zBitx caused by an anemic power supply he was using -
Steve KM9G shows a breakout board for Icom radios -
Linas LY2H uses a MA-12 antenna for portable -
Vince VE6LK looks at the zBitx Part 1 (CW) -
Vince VE6LK looks at the zBitx Part 2 (FT8) -
Vince VE6LK looks at the zBitx Part 3 (SSB) -
Vince VE6LK looks at the zBitx Part 4 (Miscellaneous) -
Mike K8MRD shows a way to guy the new POTA33H Mast -
Kevin KB9RLW experiments with magnetite 3D printing filament for radiation shielding -
Walt K4OGO discusses buying a used rig as a first HF radio -
Chuck KK6USY shows his go-bag for an upcoming campout -
Barry KK7JXG compares the FX-4CR V and R series radios -
Matt M0DQW takes a look at the Micro PA100 HF Amplifier -
Andreas HB9BLA makes a 36,000 km contact with an ESP32 microcontroller -
Kevan 2E0WMG tries running a 7 MHz loaded vertical without radials -
Josh KI6NAZ Builds a QRP Labs QMX radio -
Raisa R1BIG shows some of her experience on the TI1RRC/P DXpedition -
David M0MPT shows the changes between the Yaesu FTM-510 and FTM-500 -
Andree DL8LAS shows some of the antennas for the VP2VI DXpedition -
Kurt ON7OFF takes a look at the harmonic suppression of the new Micro PA100 amplifier -
Josh KI6NAZ adds the Chameleon URT-1500 antenna to work the low bands -
Steve KM9G takes a look at an AC/DC Clamp Meter -
Mike K8MRD does some POTA at Huntsville state park -
George VK2AOE takes a look at a cheap 100 Watt amplifier -
Lidi KQ3Q tests her newly built QMX+ with a POTA activation-
Ara N6ARA shows how he built the SOTA Phone (Yes, it was real!) -
Callum M0XXT announces his new Venture antenna for POTA operation -
That's it for this week.
Best 73,
Ed
N2EC
