One of the best things to emerge out of the pandemic was proof that the ham radio community had resiliency as a social network. The pandemic has ended, but one social network born during those years of isolation has remained strong. It’s called the Eyeball QSO Party, as Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us in this week’s final story.
It’s not a net. It’s not a ragchew. It’s not even on the air. The Eyeball QSO Party is a welcoming room on Zoom where hams from different countries simply show up. Once a week, they share their opinions, their experiences and even images on their computer screens. It could be a view of their treasured vintage rigs, their radio-controlled planes, astronomy gear or websites about the events in the news.
The QSO Party’s host, Hugh Owen, KA3TTW, said he created the room during the pandemic to help ease isolation brought on by cancellation of club meetings, hamfests and even social morning coffees. The concept is simple, he said: People show up. Some are as local as the Washington, D.C. area where Hugh lives. Sometimes they’re dropping by from Canada, Luxembourg, Great Britain or even Argentina.
Although getting on the air is why so many hams got their licenses to begin with, this off-air QSO Party still fills a need. Hugh told Newsline “This does have the big advantage of people being face-to-face and people can share things on their screens.” So every Monday, it happens starting at 1700 UTC between March 9th and November 2nd; and at 1600 UTC the rest of the year.
Best of all, propagation is never an issue. Everyone gets a Five-Nine.
Yushi, JK1HFB announces that he will be active from Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands as JK1HFB/JD1 between July 9-18, 2026. QRV on 40-6m; SSB & FT8. QSL via LoTW. This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
Aki, JK1JXZ will again be active from Funafuti, Tuvalu as T2JK during July 30 – August 7, 2026. QRV on 80-6m; on weekdays he will be active after 5pm Tuvalu time and all day during the weekend of his stay. If the stay is extended, it may be possible to continue operations until August 14. […] This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
The Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee HamQuest will be celebrating our 11th anniversary.
We’re currently taking table reservations for our event held at the Wilson County / Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN.
HamQuest is held in the air conditioned “Made in Tennessee” expo building.
Admission is $10.00 for general admission. You’ll see some new and returning features at our event. We’re hosting a plug-n-play area for light equipment testing.
Plan on attending our mini seminars on some new and existing technology. Prizes? Certainly, with drawings every hour. Watch our website for future updates on prizes. Don’t forget to visit our tailgate area for those special treasures. Returning this year is Smith’s Catering, one of Lebanon’s finest caterers. Enjoy breakfast and lunch with us here at HamQuest!!
Special vendors this year include:
Chatt Radio – Jim Gifford out of Chattanooga TN – Commercial Vendor featuring ICOM and many more brands
TN07 Our Stealth Antenna Specialist locally engineered Antennas and Mounts
William Perry Inc. – Over 10 tables of new and pre-owned equipment. Specializes in components and accessories from all facets of radio.
Nicole’s Creative Corner – New to HamQuest this year!! Nicole specializes in personal inscribed gifts for all ham shacks. Nicole will create your very own and personalized mug, mouse pads and coasters. And much more!!
July 2026 is a big month for the United Kingdom and amateur radio. Here are a few highlights to mark on your calendar.
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After more than three years of planning, significant support from the amateur radio community, and enough volunteers to fill all the holes in Albert Hall, the 2026 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is set to take place July 8-13 in England, a place steeped in amateur radio history.
It’s where Michael Faraday constructed the famous cage that bears his name, Marconi’s team sent the first transatlantic radio transmission, and 1,500 civilian operators intercepted and decoded enemy Morse code messages during World II.
In a few days, Great Britain will host a gathering that shines a spotlight on the past, celebrates the best in amateur radio today, and looks to the future of the world’s best hobby.
This will mark the 10th edition of the WRTC, known as the Olympics (or FIFA World Cup, if you will) of on-air challenges. The event will feature 50 of the world’s top two-person teams competing from equal stations dotting Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire counties in East Anglia. Delayed by Covid, the previous WRTC was held in Bologna, Italy, in 2023.
The actual 24-hour competition runs from 12:00 UTC on Saturday, July 11 to 11:59 UTC on Sunday, July 12 during the IARU HF World Championship.
You can be part of the excitement by following the WRTC leaderboard in real-time (powered by the World Radio League-WRL) and getting on the air and making QSOs with competing stations. Visit the WRL website and sign up early for free to stay tuned when the scoreboard page for WRTC goes live.
Downloadable certificates will be awarded to operators based on how many contacts they make with the 50 teams. With QSOs possible across 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters in both SSB and CW, that’s a possible 500 QSOs with WRTC competitors. When you contact one of the special WRTC stations, you can see it on the World Radio League platform. Plus, you can check which of the 50 WRTC stations you still need to contact.
Click here for full details on the WRTC 2026 Awards Program and the different certificates available.
The RSGB IOTA Contest is a great opportunity to celebrate the world’s well-known and lesser-traveled island groups (more than 1,200 of them). The contest is based on the RSBG IOTA awards program, established in 1964 to promote amateur radio and draw attention to the “widespread mystique surrounding islands.”
If you’re new to the RSGB IOTA Contest, which has been around since 1993, click here to read a guide for novices who wish to operate from an official IOTA spot or those who want to make contact with IOTA stations. Bands for the 24-hour contest are 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M on CW and phone.
Read more about the RSGB below.
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The 18th Annual 13 Colonies Special Event kicked off yesterday and runs until July 7. In addition to the challenge of making contacts with stations in all the original 13 colonies, operators can try to reach three bonus stations, including GB13COL based near Durham, England.
A Belated Birthday
While we’re a month late on this, OnAllBands would be remiss not to recognize the birthdate of Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (June 13, 1831), who in the 1860s mathematically predicted the existence of electromagnetic (radio) waves. Albert Einstein, who had a photo of Maxwell in his study, said that his Theory of Relativity was built upon Maxwell’s equations of the electromagnetic field. Heinrich Hertz, who referred to Maxwell as “Maestro,” would later perform experiments that would validate Maxwell’s theories of electromagnetism.
Founded in 1913 and incorporated in 1926, the RSGB is the national membership organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the UK. From the RSGB website, this group of highly active hams is dedicated to:
Advancing the science and practice of radio communication
Increasing awareness and understanding of amateur radio
Making the service accessible to everyone
The RSGB is involved in licensing and education efforts, hosting contests, advocacy for amateur radio, youth and STEM outreach, publishing (e.g., “RadCom” magazine), and operating the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
The National Radio Centre is an educational showcase dedicated to the history, technology, and magic of wireless communications. It features the state-of-the-art GB3RS station, interactive hands-on exhibits (Morse code stations, wave experiments, et. al.), vintage equipment, and historical displays. One exhibit honors the aforementioned volunteer civilian amateur radio operators who intercepted Morse code messages during World War II.
Amateur Radio Products from the UK
You’ll find a great selection of amateur radio gear and accessories from UK-based providers available at DX Engineering. Here are a few:
DX Commander: Proudly designed and manufactured in England’s Midlands region, DX Commander HF Multiband Vertical Antennas can be found in permanent and portable stations around the world. DX Engineering is the exclusive North American distributor of DX Commander products.
InnovAntennas: Based in Canvey Island, Essex, InnovAntennas designs an impressive lineup of precision-engineered, high-performance UHF, VHF, and HF Yagi antennas; loop-fed quad beams; loop-fed arrays; HF verticals; rotatable dipoles; log periodic dipole arrays; Moxon directional antennas; and others. These antennas are manufactured in Herxheim, Germany by WiMo and distributed exclusively in North America by DX Engineering.
And let’s take a moment to remember the designer of the Moxon antenna, Leslie A. “Les” Moxon, G6XN (SK) of Surrey, England. Read much more about his contributions to amateur radio in this OnAllBands article.
Okay, now it’s time to pour a spot of your favorite English tea and enjoy a month of great contesting. Cheers!
Venezuelan Independence Day Contest: July 4, 0000Z to 2359Z. This annual CW/SSB/FT4 contest hosted by the Radio Club Venezolano celebrates Venezuela Independence Day (July 5), which commemorates its history of becoming South America’s first independent country with the enactment of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence in 1811.
CQ Worldwide VHF Contest(SSB/CW/FM): July 4, 1400Z to July 5, 1400Z. Fans of 6M and 2M operating have this annual summer event marked on their calendars long in advance, anticipating the improved propagation and challenge of working the world while collecting VHF Maidenhead grid locations for award credits. The Digital portion of this contest takes place July 18, 1400Z to July 19, 1400Z.
NZART Memorial Contest: July 4, 0800Z to 0859Z, 0900Z to 0959Z, and 1000Z to 1059Z. The nonprofit New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters has been proudly serving Kiwi amateur radio operators in The Land of the Long White Cloud since 1926. A founding member of Region 3 of the IARU, NZART sponsors a number of contests and activities throughout the year, including this 80M-only CW/SSB event.
IARU HF World Championship: July 11, 1200Z to July 12, 1200Z. Open to all licensed amateurs, the International Amateur Radio Union’s HF World Championship encourages operators to make as many contacts as possible, especially with IARU member society HQ stations, on 160/80/40/20/15/10M.
QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint: July 12, 2000Z to 2300Z. This HF CW-only event sponsored by the QRP Amateur Radio Club International rewards stations with multipliers based on how little power you use, from 5W down to 55mW or less. Add big bonus points if operating a homebrew transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. “Homebrew” is defined as equipment that you build, kits included.
IARU Region 1 70 MHz CW/SSB Contest: July 18, 1400Z to July 19, 1400Z. Find all the rules here. From IARU Region 1, “The main objectives are to make as many contacts as possible and to have fun. Other objectives may include improving your operating skills, testing new equipment configurations and techniques, expanding your horizons by operating on the microwave bands, and exploring radio propagation.” IARU Region 1 covers Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and northern Asia.
North American QSO Party, RTTY: July 18, 1800Z to July 19, 0559Z. Here’s a great opportunity for both RTTY aficionados and novices. Designed for contesting beginners and veterans, North American QSO Parties are low-power-only (no amplifiers allowed) contests that are fun and challenging.
YOTA Contest: July 19, 1000Z to 2159Z. This is the second of three rounds of the annual Youngsters on the Air Contest. Per the YOTA website, the contest is designed to increase youth activity on the air, strengthen the reputation of the YOTA program, and demonstrate support for youngsters around the world.
Alabama QSO Party: July 25, 1500Z to July 26, 0300Z.
[#670] The latest FREE NON-SUBSCRIPTION DX-World Weekly Bulletin written by Bjorn ON9CFG is available to download. Click below to get the newest edition which this week runs to 15 pages. Previous bulletins can all be found here. Please contact Bjorn with any updates or errors. DOWNLOAD THE LATEST BULLETIN ===== This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
[INFO by Santiago, LU2DUR] – I have already booked my trip to the Falkland Islands and will be visiting East Falkland from 10 to 17 January 2027. Today, I officially submitted my application for a temporary VP8 amateur radio licence. If approved, I plan to operate from several locations across East Falkland during my stay. […] This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
[INFO] by The WRTC 2026 Team. WRTC is essentially the Olympics of Amateur Radio Contesting – and is almost upon us! On 8th July 2026, competitors that have qualified to represent their Qualification Area (unlike the Olympics, which has participants competing for their country) will arrive in the United Kingdom to prepare for this once […] This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
When most amateur radio enthusiasts think of the word “hamfest,” images of Dayton Hamvention®, Orlando HamCation, Huntsville Hamfest, and other large events come to mind. It’s important that we don’t forget the smaller and more local events, though. While the larger shows are great for meeting up with your long-distance friends, smaller hamfests can introduce you to hams (of all ages, but even young hams!) who you can add to your network and see without having to travel very far.
Attending smaller hamfests in neighboring cities has led me to meet quite a few young hams, many of whom I recognized from larger gatherings but also a few I had never met before. I’ve been able to form many relationships with these hams. It’s incredibly rewarding because having amateur radio acquaintances close by lets you build a community that can enjoy the hobby together at local club gatherings and during operating events like ARRL Field Day.
While most local hamfests don’t have youth lounges or youth forums, they still have quite a bit to offer. One of the most valuable opportunities is the licensing exam session that typically takes place during these events. Much of the time, a local club or two will come together and host an exam session for anyone looking to get their license or upgrade. (Pro Tip: Sometimes you can convince your parents to get licensed at these sessions. My dad passed his Technician exam at one of our local hamfests after a week or two of studying.)
Swap meets are another valuable opportunity at smaller hamfests. As a young ham, I understand the financial limits that not yet having a salary can impose. Purchasing used gear from swap meets is a great way to overcome these limitations and get on the air! You don’t need a state-of-the-art station to make some contacts. Plus, purchasing gear from a swap meet has advantages over purchasing it used online or even buying new gear.
Ordering used equipment from online sites is a good option if getting to a hamfest swap meet is challenging. Buying in person, though, gives you the advantage of being able to test it. Additionally, if you buy used gear from a swap, many of the sellers are happy to give discounts to young people, as well as tips and tricks specific to the radio or antenna.
The DX Engineering Hamfest back in 2020 featured a flea market loaded with deals. (Image/DX Engineering)(Image/DX Engineering)
Regarding tips and tricks, going to smaller hamfests also lets you get to know your local amateur radio community and find an Elmer in your area. While there really are no limits on how close or far away your Elmer should live, having someone to help you set up your station, troubleshoot, or chat with on the local repeater can be immensely helpful. It’s something you simply can’t get with an Elmer who lives farther away.
While it’s possible to find an Elmer at these events, they probably won’t just find you in the crowd, which leads me to a few tips for how to make the absolute most out of a smaller local hamfest:
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Amateur radio is one of the best places to work on this skill since the community is so supportive. Learning how to introduce yourself and ask for an opportunity is an important life skill, anyway.
Be mentally present as much as possible. You have the potential to learn something during conversations, at club/booth visits, during demonstrations and forums, and just about any other situation. Amateur radio is the perfect hobby for learning, and the best way to do that is to actively interact with your environment every chance you get.
Make a plan before showing up to the event, especially if you want to take an exam or meet with someone specific. Know the details of when and where the exam session is, or where to meet someone if you want to have a conversation. Your plan can also be to just go with the flow, but it’s still good to consider your agenda beforehand.
While smaller hamfests may not have the international appeal, endless lists of programming, and a huge number of attendees, they possess something equally important: community and opportunity. I can confidently say as a young ham that I would love to see more of my peers attending local hamfests and building a community. If you’ve never attended a small hamfest before, I highly recommend it—you may be surprised by all that it has to offer!
Now we have reached July, the last weekend of this month sees the IOTA contest taking place; it’s one of the more popular contests in the calendar year. To keep track of participating island stations or to add your entry check here and here. Generally, before the contest, the ADXO page updates regularly & daily. […] This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
