In the log this week
* Dayton Hamvention Next Weekend 5/16/2025-5/18/2025
* Yaesu Releases Details of FTX-1 Radio
* Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Saturday (5/10/2025)
* Amateur Radio News and Notes on Break Next Week
* MVARC Nets on the Air
* What's happening with DX?
* Solar Activity Update
* Upcoming Contests
* Interesting Online Radio Content
Dayton Hamvention Next Weekend 5/16/2025-5/18/2025
Image Courtesy DARA
Next weekend brings the 2025 edition of Dayton Hamvention at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Hamvention is the biggest hamfest in the world with 35,877 people attending in 2024. This year promises to be another big year for the hamfest which runs from 9 AM to 5 PM on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th, and from 9 AM to 1 PM on Sunday May 18th. As usual there will be exhibitors in multiple buildings as well as a large flea market. There will be continuous forums as well on many topics of interest to radio amateurs. Your author will be there again this year and I look forward to reporting on what is always a fun weekend. More information about Dayton Hamvention can be found at https://hamvention.org/.
Yaesu Releases Details of FTX-1 Radio
Image Courtesy Yaesu
Yaesu released details and pricing for their highly anticipated FTX-1 Series radios at the end of last week. The FTX-1 Series is poised to compete against the Icom IC-705 with HF coverage from 160-10 meters, VHF coverage of 6 and 2 meters, and UHF coverage of the 70 centimeter band. With the included 6400 mAh battery the radio can run at 6 Watts and with an external power supply it will run a full 10 Watts. The radio has a similar architecture to the FTDX10 radio complete with a large waterfall display and digital signal processing features.
In addition to the QRP FTX-1 Field, they also announced the FTX-1 Optima which includes the field and adds a 100 Watt amplifier for HF and 6 meters and 50 Watts for 2 meters and 70 centimeters. The Field version is currently available for order from Yaesu dealers for $1,499 and the Optima can be ordered for $1,899. A good roundup of the various features and options can be found at https://qrper.com/2025/05/the-yaesu-ftx-1-packages-pricing-and-early-observations/.
Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Saturday (5/10/2025)
Saturday brings the Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test to the air. The Department of Defense runs the event which is open to all licensed amateur radio operators. It is designed to test crossband two-way communications between military stations and radio amateurs as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. Several military stations will transmit on military frequencies and will announce the frequencies on the Amateur Radio bands they will monitor. Full details of stations and frequencies can be found at https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day.
Amateur Radio News and Notes on Break Next Week
Next week your author will be at Dayton Hamvention and Four Days in May in Ohio, so there will be no edition of Amateur Radio News and Notes next week. The plan is to return the following week with lots of information about what new and exciting things were announced at Hamvention and FDIM. If you will be out at Hamvention or FDIM and see me out and about, make sure to say hello!
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 two weeks. Stations on the air will include Marion Island (ZS8W), Cabo Verde (D44TWO, D44ZZI, Falkland Islands (VP8DPD), Marcus Island Minami Tori Shima Islands (JG8NQJ/JD1), Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands (V73MT), Martinique (TO3E), Koror Island Palau (T88SG), Bonaire (PJ4M), 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 149 and the estimated sunspot number was 84. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity has been at low levels and there are 4 numbered sunspot regions visible here on Earth. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and solar wind speed reached 1031 km/s yesterday. NOAA is forecasting unsettled to minor storm levels today and quiet to active levels tomorrow and Sunday. The Kp index is expected to get into the 4s today with minor G1 conditions likely today and values declining Saturday and Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5%. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40%. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 5% chance predicted. There is a reasonable chance of 6 meter propagation and this past week brought a few openings, so keep an eye on the band and spotting clusters to be ready for the next time the magic band does its thing. 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 FISTS Saturday Sprint, the VOLTA WW RTTY Contest, the CQ-M International DX Contest, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Canadian Prairies QSO Party, the 50 MHz Spring Sprint, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. Next weekend will bring the UN DX Contest, the NZART Sangster Shield Contest, the His Majesty King of Spain Contest on CW, the EU PSK DX Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Arkansas QSO Party, the Baltic Contest, the FISTS Sunday Sprint, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. 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
Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW Gives Her Solar Report -
Christoph DL1CR shows off his portable radio design with a QMX -
Kevin W1DED talks to Randy K5ZD about how to use a log checking report -
Vince VE6LK shows how to duplicate your SD card for the zBitx -
Vince VE6LK shows how to enable VNC on the zBitx -
SaveItForParts takes a look at the hackable Quansheng UV-K5 -
Steve KM9G looks at a M17 Hotspot -
Kevin KB9RLW experiments with Magnetite PETG 3D Printed Filament for RF Shielding -
Mike K8MRD Enjoys SSB on the QMX -
Sean W9FFF reviews the EFHW Spooltenna -
Oxford Shortwave Log gives a two month reflection on the Malahit DSP2 -
SaveItForParts takes a look at NOAA Weather Satellites set for decommissioning -
Steve KM9G builds a M17 Module 17.1 -
Matt M0DQW takes a look at the updated Si4732 DSP Receiver -
Walt K4OGO upgrades his JPC-12 Antenna -
Mike K8MRD asks the age old question "Will it Antenna?" -
Vince VE6LK talks to Andy N0APX about his End-Fed Biscuit -
That's it for this week.
Best 73,
Ed
N2EC
