In the log this week
* Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (SSB)
* Contest Spotlight: NJQRP Skeeter Hunt
* MVARC Nets on the Air
* What's happening with DX?
* Solar Activity Update
* Upcoming Contests
* Interesting Online Radio Content
Contest Spotlight: North American QSO Party (SSB)
Saturday, August 16, 2025 brings the next edition of the North American QSO Party on SSB. The objective of this contest is to contact as many North American stations during the contest. The fun starts at 1800 UTC Saturday (2 PM ET) and goes until 0559 UTC on Sunday (1:59 AM ET Sunday). The bands in play are 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters with operating classes of Single Op, Single Op Assisted, Single Op Youth, and Multi-Two. North American stations are defined by the ARRL DXCC List with the addition of Hawaii. The exchange is Name and State/DC/Province/Country for North American participants and just Name for non-North American participants. Stations can be worked once per band and QSO points are 1 per QSO for NA stations and 1 per QSO with a NA station for Non-NA stations. Multipliers are each State/DC once per band, each Canadian province or territory once per band, and each North American country (excluding the US and Canada) once per band. The total score is QSO Points x Total Multipliers. Power is limited to 100 Watts and under and the QRP category is for 5 Watts and under. Power over 100 W is only suitable for check logs. This should be a fun way to get on the air and make a bunch of contacts. Good luck.
Contest Spotlight: NJQRP Skeeter Hunt
Image Courtesy https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/
Are you looking for a challenge to see just what your station can do when you turn down the power? Well, this weekend you can test your mettle with the 14th Annual NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Sunday, August 17th from 1700 UTC (1 PM ET) until 2100 UTC (5 PM ET). The objective is to get QRP ops out into the field with a special focus on the use of homebrewed or kit built radios (although commercial rigs are allowed, too). Applications for "Skeeter Numbers" have already closed, but you can still try to work them if you don't have one. You'll hear them calling "CQ QRP" or "CQ BZZ". The skeeters exchange is RST State/Province/Country and Skeeter Number, non-Skeeters are RST State/Province/Country and Output Power. Since we're talking QRP here, the maximum power is 5 Watts for CW and 10 Watts on SSB. Points-wise, when you work a Skeeter you get 3 points, a non-Skeeter (but still QRP) station is 2 points, and working a QRO (full power) station is 1 point. Stations can be worked on multiple bands, but the S/P/C multiplier only counts once. There is also a bonus points competition going on called "Skeeter Hunt Blackjack" going on this year where if you work enough call sign numbers to add up to exactly 21 you'll get 1000 Bonus Points. The rules and full details can be found at https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/. Turn down the power and turn up the fun this weekend. Good luck.
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 good amount of DX on the bands this week including Guatemala (TG4/KT8X), Benin (TY2AA), Market Reef (OJ0JR), Zanzibar Island (5H1UM), Mayotte (TO3K), South Sudan (Z81D), Tarawa Kiribati (T30TTT), Kuwait (9K2HN), 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 140 and the estimated sunspot number was 157 with 13 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has stayed about the same. Solar activity has been at low levels recently. The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels to active levels and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 547 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at quiet to active levels levels today and at quiet levels over the weekend. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is low at 5% today and 1% over the weekend. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible in the near term with a predicted probability of 35% today and 30% over the weekend. R3 or greater blackouts are less likely with a 10% chance predicted. There is a chance of 6 meter propagation 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 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 will see the SARTG WW RTTY Contest, the ARRL EME Contest, the Russian District Award Contest, the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the Keyman's Club of Japan Contest, the SARL Youth QSO Party, the Feld Hell Sprint, the North American QSO Party on SSB, the CVA DX Contest on CW, the FISTS Sunday Sprint, the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt, the ARRL Rookie Roundup on RTTY, 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
Mike K8MRD car camps ahead of the Huntsville Hamfest -
Matt M0DQW takes a look at a 4-way remote antenna switch -
Dugbo KD7DUG activates POTA with a vintage Kenwood TS-430S -
Kevin KB9RLW shows how to use a test fixture to get more functionality out of your NanoVNA -
Elle-Marie KJ5LXP sets up her Yaesu FTM-510D for Wires -X -
Forrest KI7QCF shows how to modify a Quansheng to be a $27 CW radio -
Colin MM0OPX takes a look at a 7:1 End Fed Transformer and talks about its use -
Kyle AA0Z talks to Don WA4MCM about his PSR-100 Satellite Rotator Kit -
Kyle AA0Z shows his trick to make the Arrow Antenna Satellite antenna easier to deploy -
Kevin W1DED talks to Doug K1DG about his DX operations around the globe -
Matt M0DQW looks at the GH-V5 Multi-band V-dipole antenna -
Thomas K4SWL shows a new KH1 Kneeboard and activates POTA in Quebec -
Imsai Guy takes a look at the RT97L 22W GMRS Repeater -
Walt K4OGO has fun with an Si4732 mini "spy" radio -
Hayden VK7HH follows up on the threat to the 70 cm band with a response from AST Spacemobile -
Ciprian YO6DXE does a deep dive on firmware updates and operations of the Tidradio TD-H3 Plus -
Jason KM4ACK takes a look at using various HTs for different purposes -
Walt K4OGO looks at the Guohetec PMR-171 and really likes it -
Evan K2EJT activates POTA at Tangier Island during the IOTA contest -
Mike K8MRD reviews the Lil Dude 6 Carbon Fiber Mast from HRD Industries -
That's it for this week.
Best 73,
Ed
N2EC
