Jordan is set to mark the 80th anniversary of Independence Day with a nationwide programme of celebrations and cultural events taking place from May 23 to 25 across all governorates. During the period, look out for special event callsign JY80ID. QRV on HF bands. QSL via QRZ.com.
Author: NA4DA
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More About WinLink Express: A Look at Modems, Including the PXdragon DR-9400
Much of what we talk about in amateur radio centers around a “bad day” scenario. Whether it’s a natural disaster, infrastructure failure or political unrest, we extol the virtues of how amateur radio will save the day. As amateur radio operators, we like to boast about how we have redundancy in our power system and a contingency plan for almost every situation.
The problem is, many of us get tunnel vision and lock in on a single modality. The result: We miss out on a lot of other great ideas. I have said it before–I definitely have more than one wrench in my workshop toolbox. Why would you not have more than one tool in your emergency communications toolbox?
The tool we are going to talk about again today is WinLink Express. WinLink is an email client much like Outlook. It allows licensed amateur radio operators to send and receive emails via RF, HF/VHF/UHF rather than through a traditional internet service provider. This allows for transmission of information, forms, and even pictures via email when it would otherwise not be possible.
WinLink has a network around the world of amateur radio volunteers who operate “gateway stations.” These stations are the tie that binds your RF signal to the internet. Using the WinLink software, you format your message just like you would using your current email client and post your composed emails to your outbox. They are stored there until the next time you connect to a gateway station.
This next step is where the waters get a little muddy for some folks. In addition to WinLink software, you will need a modem to connect to the gateway station. When choosing a modem, you have the option of a hardware modem or a software modem.
I recently had the opportunity to test the PXdragon DR-9400 Modems from SCS. The DR-9400-BTWF PACTOR 4 Modem model comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built in. I had always used software modems, which we will discuss shortly. The DR-9400 was like going from DSL to Fiber internet.
(Image/SCS) My transmissions sent and received were 25-50% faster using the PACTOR 4 protocol and the hardware modem. The DR-9400 is backward compatible with PACTOR 1-3 as well. Even with those older protocols, the hardware modem made things considerably faster. WiMo and SCS are working with volunteer gateway station operators to make the new technology available to them.
Digital Mode Audio Interface Cables and Control Cables for the DR-9400 PACTOR Modems are available at DX Engineering. (Image/SCS)
These DIN Adapter Cables for legacy PXdragon to the DR-9400 are available at DX Engineering. (Image/SCS) The majority of non-gateway station operators use software modems. There are several on the market. Most software modems have a free version and a paid version that offers upgraded speed capabilities. I mainly use Ardop, which is built into WinLink and Vara. Although they offer free versions, like WinLink, I am a strong believer that if something is working for you and you use it to your benefit, then the developer is entitled to a little compensation. After all, where would we be in amateur radio without the innovators working hard to develop and maintain products for us.
After you install your software modem(s), you set it up like any other “digital mode software.” You point the software to the appropriate COM port and set up your audio settings. If you are setting up your radio to talk to your computer for the first time, it is IMPERATIVE to install the manufacturer drivers for your radio on your computer BEFORE attaching the USB cable for the first time!
Once the modem and the radio are talking, you simply open a WinLink session on the appropriate modem. I know this is extremely simplified, but there are a ton of YouTube videos on this topic, and I want to focus on the importance of WinLink.
Now that the session is open, you simply choose one of the available gateway stations. WinLink updates the gateway station table when you log on if you have internet. The stations are listed in order of propagation from good to poor. It is as simple as choosing the gateway station and pressing start.
The software will call the gateway station and make the connection. Once connected it will send any messages in your outbox and retrieve any messages from your inbox. Once all messages have been sent and received, it will say goodbye and disconnect. Simple as that.
I must mention that WinLink software will do more than just send and receive emails. It contains a plethora of pre-programmed forms such as the National Incident Management System Incident Command System forms, Geospatial Information System forms, and on and on. The forms library is kept current and updated as you log into WinLink with an internet connection present.
You can choose the appropriate form being requested from your served agency, fill in the blanks based on the paper copy they have hopefully supplied you with, and post it to your outbox. The next time you connect to the gateway station, it will be transmitted to the agency you addressed it to, just like you emailed or faxed the paper form.
WinLink also has a Peer-to-Peer function. You and another party/agency can connect to your best matching gateway station and have an “instant message” type of conversation. And again, this can all be done outside of any local infrastructure.
I strongly encourage you to look into adding WinLink to your arsenal. But it is not enough to install it and carry on as normal. You need to practice. There are WinLink nets that meet weekly or monthly. Practice during your state’s Simulated Emergency Test as well.
As you think about stocking your EmComm toolbox, please carefully consider WinLink Express as one of those tools.
Until next time when we’ll look at NBEMS, 73 de AC8OW
The post More About WinLink Express: A Look at Modems, Including the PXdragon DR-9400 appeared first on OnAllBands.
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CY0S – Sable Island
[QSL PREVIEW & UPDATE] – by Murray, WA4DAN. The CY0S DXpedition team approved the third and final proof of the CY0S QSL card. The card has a double fold with six panels. Franklin Printing in Zanesville, Ohio, designed and will be printing our special cards. Franklin Printing has produced our teams’ cards since our 1992 […]
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V73LM – Kwajalein Atoll, R.M.I
Lee, KO4CRN is currently based in Kwajalein Atoll for work. He applied for a Marshall Islands license and is now QRV when time permits as V73LM. He uses the Kwajalein radio club’s equipment when active. Look for him on 20m SSB.
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DX-World Weekly Bulletin
[#664] The latest FREE NON-SUBSCRIPTION DX-World Weekly Bulletin written by Bjorn ON9CFG is available to download. Click below to get the newest jam-packed edition which this week runs to 16 pages. Previous bulletins can all be found here. Please contact Bjorn with any updates or errors. DOWNLOAD THE LATEST BULLETIN =====
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Signals Without Borders
By Michael Kalter (W8CI) Xenia, Ohio
Hamvention 2026 drew a world of kindred spirits to the Greene County Fairgrounds — and reminded us that radio waves have always been humanity’s most quietly miraculous language.
At a Glance
- Attendees: 30,000+ (official count pending)
- Countries represented: 43+
- Volunteers: 600+
It is finished — and already missed. The 74th annual Dayton Hamvention, held at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio, came to a close this past weekend, leaving behind a fairground full of memories, friendships renewed and forged, and a quiet sense of awe at just how far a radio signal can travel.
From the moment the gates opened on Friday morning, it was clear this year’s gathering was something special. Crowds poured in from across the United States and more than 43 countries around the world — engineers and experimenters, retired servicemen and curious teenagers, seasoned DX chasers and brand-new licensees. Every walk of life. Every mode of communication. All converging on a single fairground in Greene County, Ohio, united by one invisible thread: the radio wave.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from — we can still have fun, talk on the radio, talk around the world, and just be friends. — Hazel Everetts, Assistant General Chairperson, Hamvention 2026
A gathering unlike any other
Hamvention is often called the world’s largest amateur radio convention, and the numbers bear that out. Thousands of attendees filled the exhibit halls, forums, and the sprawling flea market tucked inside the fairground’s horse track infield — with official final attendance figures still being tallied at the time of this writing. Over 350 vendor booths offered everything from brand-new transceivers to decades-old components, with 162 vendors representing the full spectrum of the hobby.
But statistics tell only part of the story. Walk through any aisle of the flea market, sit in on any forum, and you quickly understand that Hamvention is less about equipment and more about people. Friendships maintained year after year over the same crowded tables. Mentors passing knowledge to newcomers who didn’t know, six months ago, what a feedline was. Young operators discovering that this hobby has no ceiling.
Hamvention is the annual pinnacle event of our hobby. It is an honor to work with a great team to make this a successful event. Each year we work on improving the event. It takes a team of dedicated volunteers who share the passion and love of Amateur Radio. I encourage everyone that loves this hobby to get involved! — Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT · Hamvention 2026 Executive Committee
The next generation takes the stage
Among the most inspiring moments of the entire weekend was the Radio Club of America Youth Forum — a Saturday morning tradition that has run for more than three decades, and one that never fails to silence a room full of seasoned operators with nothing more than the enthusiasm of a ten-year-old at a microphone.
Founded and guided for many years by legendary amateur radio educator Carole Perry, WB2MGP — a Fellow and Director of the Radio Club of America, past Hamvention Ham of the Year, and ARRL Instructor of the Year — the RCA Youth Forum brought together carefully selected young ham radio operators, some barely out of elementary school, to deliver polished and passionate presentations on their work within the hobby. Topics ranged across the full breadth of amateur radio: satellite communications, high-altitude ballooning, antenna construction, digital modes, emergency preparedness, and the inspiring mission of bringing ham radio into schools and communities across the globe.
SPOTLIGHT — RCA Youth Forum
Each year, seven to eleven young operators — some as young as nine or ten — take the Hamvention stage to share their experiments, achievements, and passion for the hobby. The forum is consistently one of the most well-attended and warmly received events of the entire weekend.
The audience was captivated. Here were young people who had built their own antennas, chased DX across continents, bounced signals off the moon, and worked satellites passing hundreds of miles overhead — presenting their accomplishments not as hobbies, but as serious scientific and technical endeavors. The room was packed, and the applause was genuine.
The forum reached a remarkable crescendo when an astronaut took the stage to address the young presenters directly — urging them to dream bigger, reach farther, and recognize that the skills they were developing in amateur radio were the same skills that take human beings beyond the atmosphere. It was a moment that drew the connection between radio waves and space exploration into vivid, personal focus: a person who had orbited the Earth, looking out at a room of young operators who might one day follow a similar path.
The next generation of operators is already here — already curious, already building, already calling CQ.
For many in the audience, it was the single most memorable moment of Hamvention 2026. For the young presenters themselves, it may well have been the moment that set the trajectory of a lifetime.
The invisible world we inhabit
There is a particular joy in belonging to a community that understands what most people walk past without a second thought: that the air around us is alive with signals. Radio waves propagate through walls, across oceans, off the ionosphere, and out beyond the atmosphere entirely. Amateur radio operators don’t just use this invisible world — they know it, in a way that is almost devotional.
Every mode of amateur communication was on display at this year’s event. CW operators tapped out Morse code. Digital enthusiasts demonstrated FT8 contacts spanning continents on a fraction of a watt. Satellite operators tracked overhead passes. EME enthusiasts — moonbouncers — described reflecting signals off the lunar surface and catching the echo nearly three seconds later. The hobby, in its full breadth, is staggering.
From Xenia to interstellar space
No reflection on amateur radio and the wonder of electromagnetic communication would be complete without a thought toward the Voyager spacecraft. Launched in 1977 — the same era that shaped a generation of today’s operators — Voyager 1 is now more than 15.8 billion miles from Earth, deep in interstellar space, beyond the heliosphere, beyond the solar system itself. And yet we are still talking to it.
A radio signal sent from Earth today takes nearly 23.5 hours to reach Voyager 1. By November 15th of this year, the probe will cross a historic threshold: it will be a full light-day away — the first human-made object ever to reach that distance. A signal sent in the morning will arrive the following morning. A reply will not return until the day after that.
This is radio at its most humbling. The same fundamental principle — an oscillating electromagnetic field propagating through space — that lets a ham in Xenia, Ohio contact a counterpart in Tokyo is the very thing keeping humanity tethered to its most distant ambassador. The physics does not change. Only the distance grows.
- Distance to Voyager 1: 15.8 billion miles
- Signal travel time: 23.5 hours one-way
- In continuous operation: 49 years
600 volunteers, one community
None of this happens without the people who make it happen. More than 600 volunteers gave their time, their expertise, and their energy to produce Hamvention 2026 — directing traffic, staffing forums, manning information booths, setting up equipment, and doing the thousand invisible tasks that keep an event of this scale moving smoothly. They did it harmoniously, enthusiastically, and without any apparent desire for credit. That, too, is very much in the spirit of amateur radio.
The event also made a meaningful impact on the surrounding community. Hamvention generates an estimated $35 million in regional economic activity each year, filling hotels and restaurants and creating a visible surge of energy throughout Greene County. For the Miami Valley, this is not just a radio convention. It is an annual affirmation that Xenia, Ohio is, for one weekend in May, the center of a global conversation.
Until next year
The fairgrounds are quiet now. The vendors have packed their tables, the forums have ended, and operators from dozens of countries are making their way home — by plane, by car, by train — many of them already looking forward to May 2027, when Hamvention will return for its 75th year.
In the meantime, the radios will keep humming. Signals will keep traveling. Somewhere in the darkness between the stars, Voyager 1 will keep moving outward at 38,000 miles per hour, faithfully answering every call we send its way.
And somewhere in that audience at the RCA Youth Forum, a ten-year-old who just heard an astronaut tell them to reach for the stars is already thinking about what comes next.
We are a remarkable species. We built something that crossed into interstellar space, and we still talk to it every day. We gather by the tens of thousands to celebrate the art of sending a signal into the unknown. We do it peacefully. We do it joyfully. We do it together.
73, and we’ll see you in Xenia next May.
Hamvention 2027 will be held May 21–23 in Xenia, Ohio. Organized by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA). Official 2026 attendance figures pending final count. All other facts and figures drawn from ARRL, WDTN, Radio Club of America, and Greene County CVB reporting.
Source: Hamvention
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Lost Islands 25th Anniversary Activity
From May 21 to May 31, the “Lost Islands – Days of Activity / 25” will take place. Organized by the Russian Robinson International Club, the event is dedicated to Polar Explorer’s Day and the 25th anniversary of the “Lost Islands” High-Latitude Arctic Radio Expedition. During the Days of Activity, special anniversary call signs will […]
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Guide to Prepping for ARRL Field Day 2026: Part 3, Antennas
In Part 3 of our series on prepping for ARRL Field Day 2026 (June-27-28), we’ll be looking at some of the Field Day antenna options available at DX Engineering, where you’ll find a long list of effective wire and vertical choices (way too many to shout out here) that make excellent options for logging more QSOs during all your outdoor activations.
Let’s begin our portable antenna search with words of wisdom from OnAllBands contributor and portable operating expert Thomas, K4SWL:
“Whether you’re a seasoned ham or buying your first antenna, choosing the right one is more about how you operate as an individual and less about the antenna’s capabilities.”
There are several considerations to make when selecting a Field Day antenna for you or your club, including portability, coverage, footprint, ease of installation and tear-down, tuning, power level, suitability for your operating site, and your budget. If you’re not sure what best suits your needs, be sure to consult with the active operators at DX Engineering, who have decades of experience employing antennas of all types on Field Day.
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K4SWL listed questions to ask yourself about how you intend to operate and highlighted the three antenna options (below) in his article, “Choosing a Portable Vertical Antenna that Matches Your Needs.”
(Image/DX Engineering) “This antenna deploys in about five minutes and works great for portable activities such as POTA.” James, DX Engineering Customer
Chelegance MC-750 carrying case (Image/Thomas, K4SWL) Interested? Check out this stellar review of the MC-750 by DX Engineering’s Michael, KI8R.
Find other Chelegance portable antennas at DX Engineering, including:
- JPC-12 Portable HF Vertical Antenna (40-6M)
- JPC-7 Portable HF Dipole Antenna (40-6M)
- MC-599 Portable Rigid V Rotatable Dipole (40-6M)
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The second option highlighted by K4SWL is the Chameleon CHA MPAS 160-6M Lite Modular Portable Antenna:
(Image/Thomas, K4SWL) 
(Image/Chameleon) “I was looking for a good system to take hiking for POTA and SOTA activations, and this one answered my needs: compact, highly portable, robust construction, and flexible configuration…Overall, a great system that I look forward to using extensively this year.” Jonathan, DX Engineering Customer
Here are a few other portable options from Chameleon:
- Basic Limited Edition HF Antennas
- WARC-D Dipole Antennas (30/17/12M)
- F-LOOP 3.0 Total Portable HF Loop Antenna (3.5-29.7 MHz)
- LEFS-8010 End-Fed Half-Wave Sloper (80-10M)
- LEFS-4010 End-Fed-Half-Wave Sloper (40-10M)
- OCF-40 Off-Center Fed Dipole (40/20/10/6M; with tuner 60/30/17/15/12M)
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K4SWL also showcased the REZ 80-10M Ranger 80 Portable Antenna System, now available in an upgraded Version II model. All REZ Antenna Systems products are available exclusively through DX Engineering.
(Image/REZ) Read an excellent review of the Ranger 80 from Mark, K8MSH, here.
The Ranger 80 is just one of several options from REZ Antenna Systems. Here are a few more:
- Recon 40 Version 2 HF Portable Antenna Systems (40-10M)
- SCOUT Vertical Antenna System Combos (20-6M/40-6M)
- Portable Delta Loop Kit Combo (40-6M)
- 4-Band Linked Dipole Kit
REZ Antenna Systems founder Mike Giannaccio, W5REZ, installs a SCOUT antenna during a parks rove covering three states. Watch the video here. (Image/REZ) REZ’s SCOUT multi-configuration antenna system, featuring the SCOUT-XF Mounting Base, has an innovative anti-rotation mounting port and a range of optional accessories, allowing for flexible deployment in a variety of setups:
- 1/4 Wave Vertical
- Coil-Loaded Vertical
- Wire Dipole
- Rigid Dipole
- Delta Loop
Don’t Forget the G5RV
For some hams, no Field Day operation is complete without a G5RV wire antenna. DX Engineering carries several models from Moonraker:
This Moonraker G5RV model covering 80/40/20/15/10M has 500W power handling and comes with 101.71 feet of PVC-coated flex weave antenna wire and 30.18 feet of ladder line. Other models cover 40-10M. (Image/Moonraker) NVIS & DX Combined
For those who want both Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) and DXing capabilities on Field Day, the Alpha Antenna Portable MIL EmComm Enhanced Antenna offers long-distance and emergency communications with horizontal and vertical polarization operation. With a deployment time of 10 minutes, it’s ideal for Field Day or rapid deployment scenarios.
(Image/Alpha Antenna) Find many more popular portable models from Alpha Antenna at DX Engineering.
The Expedition model (30.18 feet extended height) covers 40-6M and comes with sturdy fiberglass pole, alloy plates, spreader plates, stay-up kit, shock-cord, DX10 wire, hardware, and more. The antenna features efficient quarter-wave vertical performance and low SWR on every band of operation without the need for traps, coils, or antenna tuners. The antenna is rated at 1,500W SSB/CW and 400W for FT8 and other digital modes. The Expedition comes with speed slots, screw base, and quick-release elements for fast deployment and teardown.
(Image/DX Commander) Find all DX Commander HF Multiband Vertical Antennas and Accessories at DX Engineering, the exclusive North American distributor of DX Commander products.
OnAllBands blogger and POTA enthusiast John, WG8X, highlighted several antenna options in his insightful articles on getting the most fun out of portable operating: Spooltenna Parks EFHW4010 End-Fed Half-Wave Portable Wire Antenna
(Image/Spooltenna) This compact feedpoint kit is an essential component for building a QRP end-fed half-wave antenna system. Perfect for portable operations and outdoor activities, it simplifies setup while delivering reliable performance. The TWIG EFHW QRP Antenna Feedpoint Kit is rated for 25W SSB, 10W CW, and 5W digital, delivering an SWR of less than 2:1 without an antenna tuner.
The kit features a 49:1 transformer that matches the impedance of the user-supplied half-wave element wire to 50 ohms, ensuring compatibility with most QRP transceivers. The BNC female connector pairs easily with recommended coax cables. When the element wire is properly tuned, no external tuner is required, reducing the amount of gear you need to carry.
(Image/DX Engineering) DX Engineering also offers its Low-Power Portable Dipole and Winder Kits:
(Image/DX Engineering) These kits provide the parts for a fun DIY build of a lightweight resonant HF antenna designed for fast portable operations on 40 meters or higher. Here’s what you receive:
- Center insulator with a 1:1 low-power balun
- 24-gauge stranded hi-visibility yellow insulated wire; 80 feet (two 40-foot sections)
- Four link insulators
- Four alligator clips (two per link)
- Four clip hooks for user-supplied rope
- Snap hook to support the center insulator balun on a portable mast such as the DX Engineering Nomad
- Three easy-to-hold DX Engineering red winders
- BongoTies to secure wires onto winders
(Image/W3YJ) Not sure what kind of antenna you want for Field Day? Here’s an easy solution. This kit has the pieces you need to create a range of wire antennas, including single-band, multiband, multi-frequency, folded dipole, doublet and inverted-V, OFC, Windom, Zepp, long wires, rhombic, V-beam, or loop antennas. There’s no need for looping, wrapping, or soldering, so adjusting wire lengths in the field is fast and simple.
(Image/DX Engineering) Designed for building wire antennas for high-power operations, this model mounts to any DX Engineering balun for a balanced and isolated wire antenna, or this insulator kit may be used directly with DX Engineering 300-Ohm Ladder Line for a non-resonant multiband dipole. The kit includes a center-T insulator; two end insulators; two stainless steel wire connection bolts, nuts, and washers; six crimp ring terminals for antenna and ladder line wire connections; and additional stainless steel hardware for mounting a DX Engineering balun.
Find many more antenna options at DX Engineering.com from leading brands including PackTenna, Par EndFedz, Kelemen, Alpha Delta, Buckmaster, Bushcomm, TW Antenna, plus other DX Engineering branded antenna choices and accessories.
PackTenna 20/10M EFHW2010 End-Fed Half-Wave Portable Antenna. (Image/PackTenna) The post Guide to Prepping for ARRL Field Day 2026: Part 3, Antennas appeared first on OnAllBands.
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BBC Long Wave Shutdown Special Event
The following is a message from Nick (G4FAL):
The RSGB and the BBC Amateur Radio Group will be activating four special calls to mark the closure of BBC Long Wave transmissions on 198kHz (1500m) after more than 90 years. The Long Wave transmitters at Droitwich in Worcestershire, Westerglen near Stirling and Burghead overlooking the Moray Firth, will be closed down on 27 June 2026.
GB1500M will be active for one week from 21-27 June 2026 and may be activated from G, GM, GW, GI, GJ, GD and GU, by RSGB and BBCARG members over the period.
GB198LW will be activated by Cray Valley RS (England), GB198END by Moray Firth ARS (Scotland) and GB198KHZ by Stirling and District ARS (Scotland) during the week 21-27 June 2026.Full details are on the RSGB website https://rsgb.org – search for “BBC Long Wave Shutdown.” A commemorative QSL card will be available for any QSOs or SWL reports via M0OXO OQRS.
Source: RSGB
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HC8M – Galapagos Islands
Edgar, K2IN is currently QRV from San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands. During May 28 to June 2, he will be joined by Martín, LU5DX and Mark, LU8EOT preparing the HC8M station for the CQ WPX CW contest (May 30-31); SO/AB/HP category. — picture by LU9ESD.