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The Communicator: November – December 2025

31 October 2025 | by John VE7TI | Share | | Leave a Comment (0)

Welcome to the November-December 2025 edition of the SARC Communicator, your go-to guide for all things amateur radio in our vibrant RF neighborhood. This edition is a journey across the history, innovation, and fascinating activities of amateur radio.

As we transition from crisp fall days to the festive glow of holidays ahead, this issue looks at the enduring legacy of Émile Baudot, the pioneer of digital communication, and revisits the vital role of radio during the catastrophic 1917 Halifax Explosion.

For satellite operators, discover how to seamlessly integrate SkyRoof with the Icom IC-9700 for LEO satellite operations, and check out our review of the past year in amateur satellites.

Technical articles dive into RTTY as a viable emergency digital mode and explores the fascinating use of radio telemetry in insect tracking. We also have several articles on a current ‘hot’ activity, homebrew vertical antennas for Parks on the Air (POTA). Finally, catch up on the excitement of the ARDF World Championship and a glimpse into the future of Software Defined Radio.

There are articles for all levels of amateur radio and you’re sure to find something of interest.

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Dive in for inspiration, connections, and the pulse of what makes our hobby of hobbies special. A special year-end thank you to our contributors and columnists. On behalf of SARC and SEPAR, we wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season.

Stay engaged—our readership powers us forward!

Enjoy this final issue of 2025!

~ John VE7TI, Editor

Contents for this issue:

The Rest of the Story: RTTY and Émile Baudot’s Enduring Legacy 4
Radio's Role in the 1917 Halifax Explosion 8
NARA NVIS Test 12
The Lighter Side of Amateur Radio 13
Repair and Repurpose 14
Radiofrequency and Telemetry in Insect Tracking 24
What’s New at DLARC — October 2025 28
ARDF Canada World Championship 2025 in Lithuania 30
Integrating SkyRoof with the Icom IC-9700 32
RTTY; A viable emergency digital mode? 36
Pile-Up Control System - Take control of the pile-up! 40
Satellite Tracking: Looking back on 2025, and ahead into 2026 42
Homebrew Mobile Antennas 44
The genius logic of the NATO phonetic alphabet 46
The North American QRP CW Club 48
Simple QRP 9:1 Unun Construction 50
The Dominator End-Fed Halfwave Antenna by KJ6ER 52
The POTA PERformer vertical antenna revisited 60
FreqBuddy: A Modern Web-Based Radio Frequency Database 69
Ham Radio Outside the box: PERformer modifications 70
A good idea for suspending radials 72
A Portable Power Project 73
Zero Retries 76
Margaret Atwood on CW? 80
When your hobby revolves around electricity... 82
Back to Basics - Digital Modes 86
Study Aids 89
No-ham Recipes: Meatloaf with sweet tomato-mustard sauce 91
Profiles of SARC members: Sheldon Friesen VE7SRF 94
SARC Member donates digital nautical archive 97
SARC 50th Anniversary the transformative role of SARC 100
Peter Vogel VE7AFV: Profile in Tech, Science & Amateur Radio 102
SARC General Meeting minutes 104
The SEPAR Report 110
We’re back on track! 115
QRT: Is Amateur Radio an Old Hobby or a playground for explorers? 116
HAM LEFTOVERS... 118
A look back… at The Communicator—December 2015 120