GBARC Forum

Issue 417 April 18, 2026

Top Links

ITU Corporation acquires Cushcraft, Hy-gain from MFJ
ITU will move manufacturing from Mississippi to a recently purchased facility in Linton, Indiana.
Linton News

Arcanum: ORI’s new Open Source antenna simulation engine
The first Open Source implementation of the Conformal Method of Moments with Exact Kernel.
Open Research Institute

Xiegu XPA125B amplifier cooler 3D print
A 3 fan cooler for the Xiegu XPA125B HF amplifier that stops the heat-sink from becoming heat saturated.
M0AWS

WiRES-X 2.0 is here — and it’s got some explaining to do
Yaesu released version 2.0 of the WiRES-X PC software earlier this year, and it’s a bigger deal than a typical point release.
Random Wire

The most boring book in the world
193 pages of nothing but sweet, intoxicating RTTY frequencies.
EI3LH

QRX: APRS missed message mailbox
QRX monitors APRS-IS for messages addressed to your callsign, watches for acknowledgment, and stores any unacknowledged messages for later retrieval.
QRX

qFT8: Portable FT8 for Android and QMX
Works with the QRPLabs QMX transceiver.
qFT8

Ham Radio plays critical role in Skywarn storm spotting program
Their reports play an integral role in emergencies, though the public often isn’t aware of them.
Daily Journal

Three types of VHF SOTA contacts
I’ve noticed that VHF SOTA contacts tend to fall into three broad categories. Let’s take a look at each one.
K0NR

A linear-loaded monopole antenna for hiking
There is a lot of information online about Linear-Loaded Dipoles, but I haven’t found anything at all about cutting a Linear-Loaded Dipole in half to create a Linear-Loaded Monopole worked against ground.
Ham Radio Outside the Box

Upcoming Events

Southeastern VHF Society 2026 Conference Registration is Open
April 17, 2026 — April 19, 2026
Cat Pix on the Air CPOTA 2026
August 8, 2026
Zero Retries Digital Conference 2026 Announced
October 16, 2026
See more events

Video

Before you go to Dayton 2026, watch this
K3LR is the CEO of DX Engineering and one of the central architects behind contesting’s biggest gatherings, from Contest University to the legendary Contest Dinner at Dayton.
K3LR

FT8 on the CARDPUTER, Full Setup
We had an amazing time connecting a CARDPUTER, an ESP32-based microcomputer, to the QRP Labs QMX Mini for FT8 communication.
Ham Radio Crash Course

DXing with a retro Yaesu FT-897
Campfires, Seafood, and DX on the Beach.
Coastal Waves & Wires

Editor's Corner
Hi, my name is Cale (K4HCK) and I'm the editor of Amateur Radio Weekly.
The most-clicked link from last week's newsletter was K3CAN's idea for an "Every Ham" Radio Contest. I would definitely participate should this become a reality even though contesting is not my jam.
ARDC is seeking qualified candidates to take on contract roles as a Software Developer and a Technical Writer. These are great opportunities to take on professional roles in the world of Amateur Radio.
Thanks to Yewknee for the shoutout on the blog. Yewknee is a cultural staple of Nashville focused on internet culture and music established long before the rest of the world moved here. (Also check out YK Records!)
Hamvention is only 5 weeks away and once again I'll be making the trip to Dayton. Zero Retries and DLARC have generously allowed me to use their booth as a meet-up spot for myself and any other Amateur Radio Weekly readers that wish to say hi. Reply to this email if you're planning to be at Hamvention. I'd like to hear from you. Also, stickers will be on-hand!
Need more Amateur Radio news? Check out Amateur Radio Daily.
General feedback regarding this newsletter or the content within is always welcome. Got a link to share? Simply hit reply.
73
Cale
K4HCK

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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by K4HCK.
Thank you for reading.
73

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Richard VE3OZW