The ’36 George Batterson CW QSO Party – Summary

11 October 2026 | by Steve VE7SL  |  Leave a Comment (0)

The third annual George Batterson Memorial CW QSO Party has concluded and the results are coming in! The "GB" was introduced to honor George Batterson (W2GB), who along with Bruce Kelley and Linc Cundall, formed the Antique Wireless Association (AWA) in 1952.

For those familiar with the AWA's popular '29 Bruce Kelley QSO Party (BK), the GB differs only by the style of transmitters permitted. Transmitter designs as well as the tubes used must have been available in 1936 or earlier, and unlike the BK, the use of crystal-controlled transmitters is not only permitted but highly encouraged! This year saw a LOT of crystal controlled activity and participants quickly experienced what operating challenges were encountered back in the mid 30's.

Although night time low band conditions were not great, 20m operators enjoyed several transcontinental QSOs during the daytime hours. Thanks to those that responded to my information request, some of the results, comments and rigs used are shown below.

Once again, one of the most enthusiastic and succesful participants was Jacob, KC7WXD, in Reno, Nevada. For the record, Jacob's 20m signal from his new Jones rig hit 20db over 9 on my S-meter.


I've attached a pic of my 6L6 Jones for your GB page. This year was so much better. Made 17 Qs so far - the last 2 times we did this I got 6 and 5 Qs. I'm sure it's mostly propagation, but I do have more power now plus better antennas on 80 and 20. 


KC7WXD - Jones P-P 6L6s

And equally enthusiastic down in Virginia, Tom, KN4RRQ was armed with a plethora of rigs:

Historically, I seem to fizzle at the start of an AWA event and require some time to get that first contact and some momentum going from here in Virginia.  This GB proved totally different.  My first QSO was right out of the gate within a few minutes of the start, and one that really put a smile on my face--a 20m QSO with Steve VE7SL all the way across the continent (and legitimate DX) using my humble 20m Hartley sporting a single Type 27 and fed into a 160m Inverted-L up 80 feet to the horizontal between two trees and tuned to 20m!  Yes, I was off to a phenomenal start!

This new AWA event was different from the typical fare in other ways, too.  I made a dozen QSOs across the weekend ... it is a delight to see the west represented so strongly after years of few stations out that way but also to see the level of interest from those hams out there.  Way to go y'all!

The bulk of the rest of my contacts were with old friends and a couple more recent additions to the OT world running from OH to MD to SC and WV, and even had the pleasure of logging two on 160m.  I had a very good time with this event and the interaction between rock bound stations and those who could slide around was an interesting dynamic, and one that no-doubt would have been happening in the mid to late 1930s.  While I always have thought that the BK gives us the authentic experience of what 1929 and earlier sounded like on the bands--the GB does the same for a few years later.  And it is very cool how the operators get to try their hands at the radiomanship it took to get QSOs back in those days.  Tricky at times, even when we use our modern receivers!

All-in-all a very enjoyable event, with some very good and some more difficult conditions at times, and certainly different from my collected past AWA experiences.  A great idea that created chatter before, during, and after the event, which I think is a mark of growing interest and great success!

KN4RRQ - MOPA

KN4RRQ - 20m 27 Hartley

KN4RRQ - 160m Hartley

Back in Maryland, Bruce, WK3A was the energizer bunny of the east with a huge effort on all bands.
His 3 watts 20m signal was an honest 579!

I found the GB Event for this year was quite different than in the past. The West Coast guys were heard and worked for the first time, the propagation was probably much better for us. Seems everyone had better rigs, better antennas and certainly better skills than past events. The clever group using Discord faired pretty well making contacts that would have been impossible to hear just hunting around, plus differences in time zones.  More time was spent into the 20m operation and had great results, the Westies were probably thrilled! We still had some no tuner arounders (NTA'S) and contacts were lost. Thanks for the QSO's and see you BK!

Bruce brings up a good point. After all of the discussion previous to the GB about tuning up and down the frequency window after calling CQ, there were still stations that were obviously not doing that ... it's very frustrating for a crystal controlled answering station just a few kHz away!


WK3A - 20m Boosted Pierce

WK3A - 80/40m 6A6 Jones


WK3A - 160m P-P Hartley 45s

Just to my south in Oregon, W7JMP filled the logs of all west coasters with his last-minute 2A5 saving the day.

W7JMP - 2A5 80 / 40m Grid-Plate Oscillator

The GB was a good time for me. Thanks again for the info on your website. I based my transmitter on the circuit from the July 1933 issue of RADIO Magazine you had posted there.

I have intended to build a transmitter for the GB since summer of 2025, when learned about it and came into possession of many pre-octal tubes. I also like the radio technology distinction between 1929 BK and some of the other classic rig QSO parties were post -1936 gear is more common. This is the first time period in radio with crystal-control and many of the designs are based around pre-octal tubes. I made contacts on 40 and 80m throughout the Northwest with KC7WXD, VE7SL, VA7MM, and VE7CNF. I hope to work the East coast next year.

A couple weeks before this years GB, I chose a 2A5 crystal Oscillator based on July 1933 Radio magazine design for its simplicity.  This radio ended up being a 'junkbox special", with nearly all the parts coming from hamfests or other local finds over the last few years prior to deciding to build it. I always enjoy the process of collecting parts that way. If only I'd started a few days sooner, I would have made a few more contacts! This rig won't win any beauty contests, but I'm happy to say I tamed it into operation.

A couple hands-on learning experiences were that the impedance of the plate tank circuit matters. For expediency I had started with a tapped Air-DUX coil (not period correct!) and learned higher-L favored to isolate RF from the plate supply. I finally wound four-pin plugin coils for 40m and 80m. Because I was keying the cathode, rather than B minus as in the article, an RF bypass cap was necessary so that the meter wasn't choking RF. My 40m antenna, a homebrew 30/40m trap dipole, went intermittent and required me to climb onto the roof and resolder at the connection to the coax. But my favorite foible of all was with my 3550kHz crystal. In the middle of a QSO with KC7WXD the oscillator wouldn't start and I quickly narrowed it down to the crystal losing activity. I pulled it out and dropped it a few inches above the surface of the table! That re-seated the contact to the quartz or knocked impurities off it and I completed the QSO. I got a real kick out of that. 

The power supply is the same as I'd built for last year's Bruce Kelley QSO party, with a Type 80 rectifier. I modified the supply to capacitor input to raise the B+ to 320V with the key down. I paired it my Hallicrafters SX-100 receiver, my most capable hollow-state receiver.

West Virginia saw GB contacts being made by Matt, KC8ZQS.

I had a good time during this year’s GB event. It’s always fun to be able to do some real radio with the AWA group. I did however remember the date incorrectly, so I thought I had another week to build and test a rig! Good thing I saw the group posts! I put together the P-P 807 transmitter on Saturday morning and was able to use it for a few contacts, despite having some issues getting it to oscillate (note the twisted wires for feedback). It is really goofy but those are the parts I had to quickly put something together HI.  I did want to stick with XTAL control as much as possible but just as last year I don’t have many crystals, so I moved back to my Hartley in the interest of more contacts. I’m still learning the ways of crystal transmitters, hopefully next year I will have a transmitter that will give good results from 80m to 20m.

KC8ZQS - PP 807s Jones

The ‘29 Hartley is the one I used in the BK last year, runs a 203A tube. I consider it a ‘26 as its circuit and component values are taken from the first edition Handbook, and the physical layout is more or less stolen from several transmitters seen in QST around that time. I believe that style of transmitter was a little behind the times in 1929 although I’m sure still in use.

KC8ZQS - '26 Hartley

Across town from Jacob in Reno, is Howie, WB2AWQ, an AWA regular with an array of interesting homebrew gear.

I was active, on both Saturday and Sunday on 40M. I don't have any crystals for 20M and I have two for 80. Jake and I worked both 80 and 40M.  I was using a TX I made specifically for the GB contest, a 42 followed by a pair of 10s in parallel. The receiver was built by Art Hale W4AWS (SK around 1991)  was built after an article in QST 1932. Both are pictured here:

WB2AWQ - Parallel 10s MOPA



WB2AWQ - 1932 QST Rx

Bob, N9HAL, managed to hand out Wisconsin to four lucky GBers.

The rig that I used is a breadboard version of a transmitter from the ‘36 Jones Radio Handbook ( I think page 124). A push pull type 53 osc (xtal controlled) and a neutralized final amp using a 2A3 triode makes roughly 10-15 watts out.

N9HAL - 53 / 2A3 MOPA

I managed to operate maybe a total of 3-4 hours during the evenings. Haven’t done much during the AWA events lately, they take more time than I have available to turn in a decent showing, hi! But I certainly enjoyed the four contacts that I  made during GB. 
Not sure if I’ll make the Bruce Kelly event but would be great to make a contact with VE7SL!


From down in South Carolina, Sam, AE4GX, made a last minute effort to succesfully get in on the GB excitement with a homebrew 807 grid-plate oscillator.


This GB event was my first so don't have another GB event to compare it to but I have done several BK events with a tunable MOPA.
 
First I had a personal goal for this GB was to build a xtal controlled transmitter with  807 tetrode tube thinking this would be technically easy but my very limited set of useable crystals would make is a serious challenge. The GB event this year had the 1936 and earlier tetrodes available for the first time.
 
I found several circuits in vintage  QST issues and also found a series of build posts by Mike WU2D in YouTube. He was using a 6L6 but I figured an 807 was technically the same. It was. I built my Plate coil in a manner that I couldn't easily change the link position relative to the primary but a series capacitor in series helped get more power out to the antenna. I ran about 8 watts into fairly low  80 ft endfed wire with manual tuner. Using a 27 year old ICOM on receive.
 
Firday night at the start of the GB was busy on 40 meters. My two low frequencies 7039 and 7056 were busy with non-event stations that I could hear so started off with my two Novice xtals  7117 and 7125. The digi stations near 7117 were a problem but my three GB contacts managed to pull me out. Finding other GB stations was a problem and I think without some type of spotting finding low powered stations with heavy QRM would have been almost impossible for me.
 
AE4GX - 80/40m 807 Grid-Plate Oscillator

Friday night I tried 80 meters with my two xtals 3556 and 3560 but no luck on my receive.  I have to add that my local 80 meter noise level is S9 so there could have had replies that I couldn't hear.
 
BTW on both bands my RBN tests with these xtals and rig indicated that NE and mid-west coverage should have been possible.
 
Friday at the beginning of the event most stations wanted to try 20 meters since the time was right for them. Unfortunately I had NO 20 meter capability.
 
On Saturday I did manage to work  my third GB station, Tom KN4RRQ on 40 meters, and decided that my efforts were going to be in vane going forward without more help.
 
I did monitor and use DISCORD for this event. It was instrumental in keeping  me in the loop on other GB folks that were active and on how conditions were on the bands.
 
I have a suggestion that I have also hear from several participants on DISCORD and the AWAgroup group.io channel, it is, that GB xtal participants post somewhere their list of frequencies they could use. Not which one or when but just the possible frequencies then I, as a xtal GB station,  could manually scan frequencies that others  might be using and hear other non-xtal stations calling CQ AWA/GB during my scan. 
 
Non-xtal stations would not have the need to post their frequencies but when responding to a GB xtal station CQ just tune near the xtal frequency. Xtal CQers would start their scan +/- near their xtal frequencies and if nothing heard nearby then start their manual scan of possible known GX xtal users or other no-xtal CQers.  This is by xtal stations  need to extend their number of CQ BG or CQ AWA and their responses with CQers station call to give the CQer time to find the responder. Of course, non-xtal stations could CQ AWA/GB  on  any frequency they could legally tune.
 
I know this would not solve the issue but it would give xtal GB stations a fighting chance in these weekend events with lots of other ham activity going on.
 
BTW in the BK events with my tunable MOPA I did not need any spotting to get a much larger QSO tally in the same time frame with the same power , receiver and antenna. Yes, I realize their were more vfo based rigs. Definitely easier.

I am converting my 807 xtal  power oscillator to an 807 xtal TRI-TET {40 and 20) so I can get some of the 20 meter activity GB next year. You 20 meter guys had some fun. You guys on 40/80 meters had some real staying power!
 
I did enjoy the GB with my new 807 rig and look forward to the next GB too.
Can't wait for the next BK! Thanks to the group for firing up my interest in vintage radio.
 
Fellow BC'er and AWA regular, was Mark, VA7MM managing 17 hard earned contacts with his TNT.


VA7MM - '29 10-Y TNT

VA7MM has wrapped up the George Batterson QSO Party with a total of 17 QSOs. Please find our log and a station photo attached.

Here is a summary of the equipment used:

- TX: 1929 TNT Transmitter, Type 10-Y triode, regulated power supply. RF power output per band: 20m: 2W, 40m: 5W, 80m: 5W, 160m: 1W
- RX: Yaesu FT-817 portable
- Peripherals: Power/SWR meter, antenna tuner, band filters, straight key, and electronic keyer
- Antennas:
- TX: Multi-band dipole at 100 feet AGL
- RX: Multiband inverted vee (apex at 65’), sloping dipole (apex at 130’), and a Wellbrook receiving loop

Operation took place on Friday evening and Saturday as time permitted. Band conditions were generally good, with the best DX QSOs including:

  - KN4RRQ on 40m (3,653 km)
  - W8PU on 20m and 40m (3,246 km)
  - KB0HXL on 40m (2,140 km)

I was pleased to contact Jake (KC7WXD, NV) on three bands with a solid signal. Jim (W7JMP, OR) and Dave (WB7WHG, OR) also had strong signals at my QTH. Local stations Toby (VE7CNF) and Steve (VE7SL) filled in the rest of the log.

Thank you for organizing this vintage radio event in memory of George Batterson, W2GB.


And last is myself, VE7SL on Mayne Island.


VE7SL - RK-39 Grid-Plate Oscillator

I managed 18 contacts with highlights being WK3A on both 40 and 20. Bruce's amazing 20m signal from his 3W Pierce oscillator was just hard to believe. For the low bands (80 and 40), I used my RK-39 grid-plate oscillator which with a very active crystal can generate 20W out. For 20m only, the 6L6 Tri-Tet was used where it can put out 11W. 
Unfortunately there was not much worked on 80m other than the western crew and KB0HXL in Minnesotta. 

VE7SL - 6L6 Tri-Tet

It seems that this year's GB was enjoyed by all participants. Hopefully activity will continue to grow and there will be even more next year. If there is one common thread among several participants, it is not to leave building a GB rig until the last minute! If anyone needs a good winter project, there is lots of inspiring info available right here.

Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 442

10 October 2026 | by Cale K4HCK  |  Leave a Comment (0)

Amateur Radio Weekly

Radio Amateurs prepare for Hurricane Isaias
The Hurricane Watch Net is up and running on both 14.325 and 7.268 MHz.
ARRL

XCL.IS: Amateur Radio Cellular
XCL.IS is amateur cellular — real Ham Radio LTE on Ham bands. A project building practical Ham Radio cellular (amateur LTE) and IMS on the amateur spectrum.
W2FBI

The solar cycle is changing. Don’t panic.
We’re not watching the end of Amateur Radio. We’re simply entering a different part of the cycle.
QRPer

A simple JTTY app
It could be as simple to use as one of the phone instant messenger apps.
marxy’s musing on technology

Good Ideas That Look Obvious in Retrospect
I’m convinced that one of those Good Ideas That Look Obvious in Retrospect is the LinHT (Linux Handheld Transceiver) as a user-changeable Software Defined Transceiver.
Zero Retries

A hobby evolves to meet Gen Zers on their terms
Advances in technology, easier licensing procedures, and affordability are among the factors that make Amateur Radio attractive to youngsters.
The Hindu

SDR–
Wire a receiver to a channel, the channel to a speaker, a map or a recorder. On your desk, or on a server at the antenna.
SDR–

New game: BitWise
Close the loop and the lamp lights. Build the relay, the gate, the adder, the latch, the counter, and a machine that reads Morse. Every circuit runs on a real simulator, and the parts you build become parts you build with. 238 levels about electricity and the machines people made from it.
Steam

A media guide to Amateur Radio
Reporting on technical topics can be difficult, and as journalists, you want to get things right.
KB6NU

Anderson Powerpoles: There’s more. A lot more.
Come on, Big Three! Read the room!
Off Grid Ham

Spectrum allocation
Modern spectrum allocation chart.
XKCD

Upcoming Events

EN100NP on the Air to Honor 100th Anniversary of Symon Petlura
June 8, 2026

Fire Prevention Week Special Event Highlights Fire Safety
October 4, 2026

Zero Retries Digital Conference 2026
October 16, 2026

SAQ Grimeton to Air United Nations Day Message
October 24, 2026

Video

Comparing antennas with WSPR
A better way to measure performance?
K5OHY

JTTY: Don’t overlook this no compromise digital mode
RTTY gives you a real keyboard and full control, right up until your signal and the noise floor meet and the screen turns to garbage.
Digital Rancher

Hacked radio (Baofeng DM-1701)
I hacked my Ham Radio transceiver to do something really cool.
KJ7OMO

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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

LHS Episode #633: 18 Years of LHS

6 October 2026 | by Russ K5TUX  |  Leave a Comment (0)

Show Notes

Featured Topic:

  • Happy Birthday to Linux in the Ham Shack!!
    • Our very first episode dropped on October 7th, 2008
    • Our hosts, over the years:
      • Richard Bailey KB5JBV wanted to start a podcast talking about Linux and Ham Radio (to go with his Resonant Frequency Podcast and Richard’s Radio Adventures).  He put out a call for anyone that was familiar with both departments, and Russ Woodman was the only one that responded.  Richard felt Russ would be an asset because of Russ’s extensive background in Linux and the fact that he had been a ham radio operator for over 15 years at that point. Russ started using Unix in 1987, then switched to Linux in 1991.  His Ham Radio journey began 1993, as N1UYE as a Tech Plus, testing at Aroostook Ham Radio Club in Presque Isle, Maine (where he was living at the time).  He got his general few months later and was assigned N1WAO.  In 2000 he moved to Missouri; he accepted employment at Northern Arkansas Telephone (NATCO) as their Senior Systems Administrator, and rapidly switched them from Windows to Linux.  Within a few months of moving, he was assigned KC0HWX.  Then the rules for Vanity signs changed, and he got K5TUX to reflect his love for Linux in February 2005. At the end of episode 100, which was February 25, 2013, Richard stepped down.  
      • Harrison, VE2HKW, guest hosted #101 with Russ.
      • Rob from the MintCast guest hosted #102 with Russ
      • Pete Landry, VE2XPL, steps up as a permanent host for #103, which was April 3, 2013.  He stayed with us until episode #157 - which was recorded on December 14, 2015.
      • Cheryl Jones, KE0NLC/W5MOO, seems to have come onto the scene, pre-license, on episode #121 - which was January 15, 2014 and my 42nd birthday.  She had been introduced to Ham Radio (and Linux) in April 2000 when Russ moved to Missouri after a long-distance relationship with Cheryl since 1995.  She got her Tech license at Hamvention in 2017 - originally assigned KE0NLC (General license at Hamvention in 2018).  After REFUSING to use Linux for years, she was thrust into using it in 2005… but Russ didn’t trust her to do anything from a command line.  Desktop only!
      • Richard Gordon, KD0RG/K0EB, who previously did Low SWR podcast, stepped up as a permanent host on #161 which was recorded on January 29, 2016; he managed to survive that bumpy ride until episode #168, which happened on April 25, 2016
      • Bill Stearns, KE4RGH/NE4RD, became our super-duper permanent host as of #168… and as of tonight, he’s been here through thick and thin, a ton of Hamventions (8, because we lost a year due to Covid), Russ getting cranky like a toddler at Hamvention (we think it was because he was Hangry), for 465 episodes.  He joined the show on May 9, 2016, and joined us at Hamvention 2017… which was the first year it happened at the Green County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio!  His secondary mission from May 9, 2016 until Hamvention 2017 was to back Russ up in pestering Cheryl to get her license! :-) Because of Russ not being as motivated as he should have been, he recorded 167 episodes in 7 1/2 years (22ish episodes a year).  Bill kept him motivated, and we recorded 437 episodes in just under 10 years (so we doubled the amount of episodes we were releasing!).  Bill is such a slave-driver!
    • We all recorded our year-end episode on December 18th, 2025, with a planned return on January 11th, 2026 after our usual “holiday break”.  This would be the last episode Russ would be a part of.
    • Russ Woodman became a silent key on January 14, 2026 after spending 16 days in Intensive Care - Cheryl and Bill took a break from the podcast for a few months to try to recover and regroup, and started recording the podcast again on March 1, 2026 which was episode #606.
    • My hope is that we’ll be here for another 18 years and another 633 episodes.

Announcements & Feedback:

  • Announcements:
    • Support the show!  
      • Support us via Patreon, Paypal, Merch, Sharing the Podcast via Social Media, and Rating Us in your Podcast Application! Your support allows us to continue to pay to host and produce the 18+ years of the podcast and participate in person at Hamvention!  We have $2/$5/$10 monthly subscriptions via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/lhspodcast) or you can set up to send us a recurring payment (monthly or yearly) via PayPal ([email protected])
    • Come hang out with us on Minecraft!
      • It’s been ages since we reminded folks about this, but… in case you missed it, we have 2 Minecraft Servers, and we’d love to have you join us.  Because of past issues of random unknown people creating some havoc on the servers, we HAVE to Whitelist you.  Make sure you let us know what your username is, so we can do that!
      • minecraft.lhspodcast.info
      • minecraft.bluecows.com
    • We need your feedback!
      • Comments, Questions, Show Topic Ideas! Go ahead and send us hate mail, too… we get bored and need something to read and comment on!  Email us at [email protected]
    • Memorial Service for Russ, K5TUX
      • There will be a memorial service held for Russ at our home in Mt. Vernon, Missouri on November 1, 2026.  Everyone is welcome!  We will be doing the fun stuff Russ loved to do… Texas Hold’em Poker, Bowling, playing Pool, maybe some Geocaching, Cards Against Humanity, etc.  And FOOD!  Serving foods that Russ LOVED and we’ve put a fun spin on them!  If you’d like to join us, please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll send you more info!
      • Facebook event page: https://lhs.fyi/mem
  • Feedback:
    • Email from Bob VK1ED
      • Dear Bill and Cheryl Been a listener of the show for a couple of years now, and love the podcast. I listen regularly to the podcast in the car on my travels, and when I have listened to the current podcast, I occasionally go back through the back catalog for interesting episodes, especially on the longer trips from Canberra to Sydney (about 3 hours each way). Love the talks on Pale ales and IPA’s and now have a deeper appreciation than I have had in years. On ideas for topics, nothing to provide as a clear topic, however, very much a proponent of software integration, especially with the uptake of Linux in the Ham shack (I think we know the reasons why) with many now dipping their toes in the water. The wider range of apps now being available for Linux and Android/iOS (partly due to AI development) A wider range of apps now implementing the protocols
      • So any deep dive episodes talking about 
        • XML-RPC
        • TCI
        • WSJT-X/JTDX UDP Prot ocol
        • UDP Unicast/Multicast/Broadcast
        • TCP/IP Sockets
      • in relation with some real world apps would be of real interest.
      • Working in IT Infrastructure since the Z80 days, with an additional background in software design, and this included EDI since the late 80s, I don’t generally have a problem with understanding it and implementing it, including visualising the bigger picture, but I am noticing that many Hams have never ventured down this path working on a single PC model (everything on inter-communicating on single PC). I am just about to publish some web articles on the Ultimate Ham Shack PC/Network Setup (naturally using Linux) and really keen to hear how others utilise the technology and what works best for them. Anyhow keep up the great work, and thank you to Cheryl for the unexpected mention as a listener on the last episode  - my first time on LHS Discord. Regards Bob (VK1ED)

Subscribers & Supporters:


Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

LHS Episode #633: 18 Years of LHS

6 October 2026 | by Russ K5TUX  |  Leave a Comment (0)

Show Notes

Featured Topic:

  • Happy Birthday to Linux in the Ham Shack!!
    • Our very first episode dropped on October 7th, 2008
    • Our hosts, over the years:
      • Richard Bailey KB5JBV wanted to start a podcast talking about Linux and Ham Radio (to go with his Resonant Frequency Podcast and Richard’s Radio Adventures).  He put out a call for anyone that was familiar with both departments, and Russ Woodman was the only one that responded.  Richard felt Russ would be an asset because of Russ’s extensive background in Linux and the fact that he had been a ham radio operator for over 15 years at that point. Russ started using Unix in 1987, then switched to Linux in 1991.  His Ham Radio journey began 1993, as N1UYE as a Tech Plus, testing at Aroostook Ham Radio Club in Presque Isle, Maine (where he was living at the time).  He got his general few months later and was assigned N1WAO.  In 2000 he moved to Missouri; he accepted employment at Northern Arkansas Telephone (NATCO) as their Senior Systems Administrator, and rapidly switched them from Windows to Linux.  Within a few months of moving, he was assigned KC0HWX.  Then the rules for Vanity signs changed, and he got K5TUX to reflect his love for Linux in February 2005. At the end of episode 100, which was February 25, 2013, Richard stepped down.  
      • Harrison, VE2HKW, guest hosted #101 with Russ.
      • Rob from the MintCast guest hosted #102 with Russ
      • Pete Landry, VE2XPL, steps up as a permanent host for #103, which was April 3, 2013.  He stayed with us until episode #157 - which was recorded on December 14, 2015.
      • Cheryl Jones, KE0NLC/W5MOO, seems to have come onto the scene, pre-license, on episode #121 - which was January 15, 2014 and my 42nd birthday.  She had been introduced to Ham Radio (and Linux) in April 2000 when Russ moved to Missouri after a long-distance relationship with Cheryl since 1995.  She got her Tech license at Hamvention in 2017 - originally assigned KE0NLC (General license at Hamvention in 2018).  After REFUSING to use Linux for years, she was thrust into using it in 2005… but Russ didn’t trust her to do anything from a command line.  Desktop only!
      • Richard Gordon, KD0RG/K0EB, who previously did Low SWR podcast, stepped up as a permanent host on #161 which was recorded on January 29, 2016; he managed to survive that bumpy ride until episode #168, which happened on April 25, 2016
      • Bill Stearns, KE4RGH/NE4RD, became our super-duper permanent host as of #168… and as of tonight, he’s been here through thick and thin, a ton of Hamventions (8, because we lost a year due to Covid), Russ getting cranky like a toddler at Hamvention (we think it was because he was Hangry), for 465 episodes.  He joined the show on May 9, 2016, and joined us at Hamvention 2017… which was the first year it happened at the Green County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio!  His secondary mission from May 9, 2016 until Hamvention 2017 was to back Russ up in pestering Cheryl to get her license! :-) Because of Russ not being as motivated as he should have been, he recorded 167 episodes in 7 1/2 years (22ish episodes a year).  Bill kept him motivated, and we recorded 437 episodes in just under 10 years (so we doubled the amount of episodes we were releasing!).  Bill is such a slave-driver!
    • We all recorded our year-end episode on December 18th, 2025, with a planned return on January 11th, 2026 after our usual “holiday break”.  This would be the last episode Russ would be a part of.
    • Russ Woodman became a silent key on January 14, 2026 after spending 16 days in Intensive Care - Cheryl and Bill took a break from the podcast for a few months to try to recover and regroup, and started recording the podcast again on March 1, 2026 which was episode #606.
    • My hope is that we’ll be here for another 18 years and another 633 episodes.

Announcements & Feedback:

  • Announcements:
    • Support the show!  
      • Support us via Patreon, Paypal, Merch, Sharing the Podcast via Social Media, and Rating Us in your Podcast Application! Your support allows us to continue to pay to host and produce the 18+ years of the podcast and participate in person at Hamvention!  We have $2/$5/$10 monthly subscriptions via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/lhspodcast) or you can set up to send us a recurring payment (monthly or yearly) via PayPal ([email protected])
    • Come hang out with us on Minecraft!
      • It’s been ages since we reminded folks about this, but… in case you missed it, we have 2 Minecraft Servers, and we’d love to have you join us.  Because of past issues of random unknown people creating some havoc on the servers, we HAVE to Whitelist you.  Make sure you let us know what your username is, so we can do that!
      • minecraft.lhspodcast.info
      • minecraft.bluecows.com
    • We need your feedback!
      • Comments, Questions, Show Topic Ideas! Go ahead and send us hate mail, too… we get bored and need something to read and comment on!  Email us at [email protected]
    • Memorial Service for Russ, K5TUX
      • There will be a memorial service held for Russ at our home in Mt. Vernon, Missouri on November 1, 2026.  Everyone is welcome!  We will be doing the fun stuff Russ loved to do… Texas Hold’em Poker, Bowling, playing Pool, maybe some Geocaching, Cards Against Humanity, etc.  And FOOD!  Serving foods that Russ LOVED and we’ve put a fun spin on them!  If you’d like to join us, please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll send you more info!
      • Facebook event page: https://lhs.fyi/mem
  • Feedback:
    • Email from Bob VK1ED
      • Dear Bill and Cheryl Been a listener of the show for a couple of years now, and love the podcast. I listen regularly to the podcast in the car on my travels, and when I have listened to the current podcast, I occasionally go back through the back catalog for interesting episodes, especially on the longer trips from Canberra to Sydney (about 3 hours each way). Love the talks on Pale ales and IPA’s and now have a deeper appreciation than I have had in years. On ideas for topics, nothing to provide as a clear topic, however, very much a proponent of software integration, especially with the uptake of Linux in the Ham shack (I think we know the reasons why) with many now dipping their toes in the water. The wider range of apps now being available for Linux and Android/iOS (partly due to AI development) A wider range of apps now implementing the protocols
      • So any deep dive episodes talking about 
        • XML-RPC
        • TCI
        • WSJT-X/JTDX UDP Prot ocol
        • UDP Unicast/Multicast/Broadcast
        • TCP/IP Sockets
      • in relation with some real world apps would be of real interest.
      • Working in IT Infrastructure since the Z80 days, with an additional background in software design, and this included EDI since the late 80s, I don’t generally have a problem with understanding it and implementing it, including visualising the bigger picture, but I am noticing that many Hams have never ventured down this path working on a single PC model (everything on inter-communicating on single PC). I am just about to publish some web articles on the Ultimate Ham Shack PC/Network Setup (naturally using Linux) and really keen to hear how others utilise the technology and what works best for them. Anyhow keep up the great work, and thank you to Cheryl for the unexpected mention as a listener on the last episode  - my first time on LHS Discord. Regards Bob (VK1ED)

Subscribers & Supporters:


Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

ICQPodcast Episode 494 – Q and A 2026

4 October 2026 | by Colin M6BOY  |  Leave a Comment (0)

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Q and A 2026

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


Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Ham College 144

3 October 2026 | by George W5JDX  |  Leave a Comment (0)


Ham College episode 144 is now available for download.

General Exam Questions Part 5
G1E – Control categories, repeater regulations, third-party rules, ITU regions, automatically controlled digital station.
Information on the AmateurLogic 21st Anniversary Icom ID-5200 Giveaway.

Download
YouTube

Exam Preparation Topics (G1E):
Throughout the show, the hosts discuss several key regulatory concepts:

Third-Party Rules: They clarify regulations regarding message relaying and disqualification criteria for third parties (4:10–7:28, 14:16–16:21, 33:21–34:15).
Repeater Regulations: Discussions cover retransmission rules for different operator classes (7:30–10:05).
Digital Station Control: Understanding how automatically controlled digital stations function and the requirements for interacting with them (10:19–11:46, 30:03–33:18).
Interference Mitigation: Procedures for avoiding harmful interference, particularly regarding secondary band usage and proximity to monitoring stations (11:48–14:15).
ITU Regions: The hosts explain the International Telecommunications Union radio regions, identifying that the U.S. falls into Region 2 (16:24–21:03).
Special Anniversary Giveaway:
The hosts announce an upcoming contest for the AmateurLogic.TV 21st anniversary to give away a new Icom ID-5200A transceiver (37:11–43:30).
Entry details are provided, emphasizing the need to be a licensed U.S. or Canadian operator and highlighting the importance of following specific subject-line formatting and required details in entry emails (44:27–45:47).


George Thomas, W5JDX, is co-host of AmateurLogic.TV, an original amateur radio video program hosted by George Thomas (W5JDX), Tommy Martin (N5ZNO), Peter Berrett (VK3PB), and Emile Diodene (KE5QKR). Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 441

3 October 2026 | by Cale K4HCK  |  Leave a Comment (0)

Amateur Radio Weekly

JTTY: A WSJT-X mode that ignores the clock
K1JT and the WSJT team release WSJT-X 3.2.0-rc1 with JTTY, a weak-signal keyboard mode built for RTTY contesting.
DXZone

Projects find hidden SDR capabilities in ESP32 microcontrollers
Several ESP32 models can now be used as an internal SDR covering 2.2–2.7 GHz, plus 4.8–6.0 GHz on the ESP32-C5, with up to 80 MS/s sample rate and roughly 13–54 MHz of analog bandwidth, depending on the chip.
RTL-SDR

Successful M17 transmission using an unmodified Retevis C62
The most important thing is that the C62 radio is available at about $45 and does not require any hardware modifications to run the M17 mode.
M17 Project

What’s new at Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications
We scanned 179 issues of The Cornell-Dubilier Capacitor. This was a technical/service newsletter for the radio and TV repair trade published by Cornell-Dubilier Electric Corp., another capacitor manufacturer. The Capacitor was published from 1937 through 1964; we have issues spanning 1939-1960.
Zero Retries

Call sign grace period: A hard lesson learned
Don’t forget to pay the renewal fee!
K4HST

GOGUFW Messenger
Turn a $25 Quansheng UV-K1 into a radio-to-radio text messenger.
HamRadio.My

JS8Mail
Reliable offline-first radio mail above an unmodified JS8Call instance.
Steve Netting

Leo.space
Track launches, satellites, weather, and space communications from a single command center.
Leo.space

W2PH streaming radio
A premier internet radio station featuring classic rock/oldies 24/7 streaming with live DJ sessions.
W2PH Radio

Pi Pico recreates the Heathkit Pocket Packet
Once upon a time, you might have squirted data about the airwaves using something like the Heathkit HK-21 Pocket Packet.
Hackaday

Upcoming Events

EN100NP on the Air to Honor 100th Anniversary of Symon Petlura
June 8, 2026

ISS SSTV Weekend Sprint
October 2, 2026

Fire Prevention Week Special Event Highlights Fire Safety
October 4, 2026

Zero Retries Digital Conference 2026
October 16, 2026

Video

Testing the DX Launcher
The DX Launcher is a high-performance compressed air antenna launcher designed to send weighted tennis balls over tall trees with precision and ease.
KB9VBR

Massive vintage radio collection now on display
Daughter keeps her hero father’s memory alive.
WTVR

Department of Public Safety recruiter reaches across the globe
As a Ham Radio operator, he extends his talkative nature to people around the world. Listen as he chats with people on the Eastern Seaboard
Minnesota Department of Public Safety

The Yagi turns 100
Let’s look at what led up to the invention and what has happened since.
W8WWV

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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.
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