In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is What makes an Antenna Fail?

We would like to thank Daryll McCaffery (VK6DMC) and our and monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• AMSAT Youth Initiative Launches Its Fifth Course: Satellites and Astronomy
• Remote FT8, No VPN Required: Say Hello to HamRadioWeb
• Two Years After Helene, Western North Carolina Builds a Radio Network That Won't Go Dark
• Route 66 Takes a Detour Onto the HF Highway
• North Dakota Hams Run a Full Communications Blackout Drill
• Icom Releases Firmware Update 1.03 for the IC-7300MK2
• 100 Years of the Yagi: Contest University Marks a Milestone Antenna Design

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is What makes an Antenna Fail?

We would like to thank Daryll McCaffery (VK6DMC) and our and monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• AMSAT Youth Initiative Launches Its Fifth Course: Satellites and Astronomy
• Remote FT8, No VPN Required: Say Hello to HamRadioWeb
• Two Years After Helene, Western North Carolina Builds a Radio Network That Won't Go Dark
• Route 66 Takes a Detour Onto the HF Highway
• North Dakota Hams Run a Full Communications Blackout Drill
• Icom Releases Firmware Update 1.03 for the IC-7300MK2
• 100 Years of the Yagi: Contest University Marks a Milestone Antenna Design

AmateurLogic.TV Episode 221 is now available for download.

The live stream is running and everything is going a planned. What’s the worst that could happen? Power Failure!
Thanks to emergency preparedness, the show goes on.
Watch our memories of Huntsville Hamfest 2026. Emile fixes stuff and saves a buck.

Download
YouTube

In this episode of AmateurLogic.TV (221), titled “The Night The Lights Went Out,” the hosts detail their experiences at the Huntsville Hamfest 2026 while dealing with a power failure during their live stream.

Key highlights and segments include:
Huntsville Hamfest 2026 Coverage: The team provides a comprehensive look at the hamfest (0:04:17-0:07:33, 0:11:34-0:18:50, 0:35:08-0:41:08, 0:45:17-0:57:25). This includes demonstrations of educational robots, discussions with vendors, and a look at various amateur radio hardware, such as Icom transceivers and mesh networking gear.
Technical Discussions: The hosts dive into various technical topics, including D-STAR, MMDVM hot spots, and transmission line theory as detailed in the ARRL Handbook (0:24:42-0:29:17).
Emergency Preparedness: The episode underscores the importance of having backup power solutions, which allowed the show to continue despite a power outage.
DIY and Repairs: The hosts showcase various DIY projects and repair tips, demonstrating how to save money on radio equipment and accessories (0:15:34-0:17:25, 0:29:51-0:31:51).

The Dutch rock band, Golden Earring’s classic hit, Radar Love, struck my mind when I received this email from my friend and ICQ Podcast listener, Greg Lane N4KGL, this morning. I was doing my fast-pace walk for cardio training when I saw the notification drop on my Apple Watch. Greg wasn’t thinking of this “radar,” but the amateur radio RaDAR: Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. He wanted me to help get the word out about his team’s next rally.

Originally conceived by my friend from South Africa, Eddie Leighton ZS6BNE, it has grown to be practiced in many countries. Eddie ZS6BNE and I were co-admins on a Facebook support group for the Xiegu X5105 QRP transceiver. He was developing RaDAR at this time. Greg N4KGL in Mobile AL is a huge proponent and organizer here in the States. RaDAR tests an operator’s ability to set up communications anywhere, anytime, under adverse conditions. Operators must move to a new location or deploy after a specific number of contacts—typically shifting positions after logging 5 contacts. Stations use lightweight, battery-powered gear, handhelds, or portable wire antennas that can be carried in a backpack. It simulates emergency deployments where infrastructure fails and operators must relocate dynamically to maintain radio links.

Here’s Greg’s note to me with all the details for you to have some RaDAR Love. Just avoid running into the Twilight Zone, lol. Contact Greg N4KGL for any questions!

Frank,

Your help is welcome in getting the word out for the RaDAR Rally. See below including the YouTube. I enjoy your podcast.

Greg Lane N4KGL

Dothan, AL

[email protected]

Hello Portable Operators,

RaDAR (Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio), conceived by Eddie Leighton ZS6BNE, encourages outdoor operations with a unique challenge: make five contacts and redeploy as quickly as possible, as many times as possible, within a four-hour window. The RaDAR Challenge has evolved into the RaDAR Rally, featuring a few updated rules.

Please review the complete rules [Link]. If you are interested in participating, please make your plans and register to help facilitate RaDAR-to-RaDAR contacts.

To register, email [email protected], and I will reply with a link to a Google Form. Registrations will be accepted through November 6th UTC. Please note that this is not a contest; it is strictly for fun. You can also check out this intro video: [Link] and join the RaDAR group.io

Registration information needed:

  – Name
  – Call sign
  – Day (Saturday or Sunday)

   -Start time (UTC)

  – State/Province/Country (SPC)
  – Venue  
  – Conveyance(s)
  – Bands
  – Modes
  – QRP (Y/N)
  – Spotting method (optional)

Good R2R,

Greg N4KGL

www.radarrally.info

[email protected]

If you’ve been visiting my blog, you might have noticed that my sidebar "Blogs I follow"  list has stopped updating with the most recent posts. I have been doing some reading and checking with other Blogger who use Blogger and they has the same issue. It seems to be an issue at Bloggers end and they are very slow to fix it. 

I was getting very tired of seeing the blogs I follow just sit there without updating. It can be frustrating for those who visit my blog and like to read the blogs that I also follow. 

I finally took some time behind the scenes to revamp my sidebar widget! It turns out it is possible to fix those stuck Blogger posts I follow and get fresh feeds flowing again using a few layout tweaks. Along side AI's  help I was able to use the blogger HTML/JAVA widget to assemble some HTML coding that gets the job done. 

Now, whenever you visit, you can check out the sidebar to see the latest posts and active updates from the blogs I follow. It may not be as fancy as the Blogger widget but its now updating. Once blogger fixes the issue I can go back to the Blogger widget for following blogs as at this time it is just turned off. 

Our journey on the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail started at the Gateway Arch National Park in St Louis. The arch is a well known structure and tourist attraction with excellent museum at its base, focused on the western expansion of the US. To be more precise, Camp Dubois is normally considered the starting ... Read more

The post On The Trail appeared first on Above Average Terrain.