Opening at 88 MHz between Spain and Sub-Saharan Africa - 27th May 2026

Mauricio Molano is a very active FMDXer from Spain and he has managed to receive many long  distance FM radio stations on the 88 to 108 MHz band.

In a post from 2021, I outlined how Mauricio was able to receive FM radio signals on 88 MHz from Ghana, a distance of about 3700 kms.

On the 27th of May 2026, Mauricio managed to catch another exceptional opening on the VHF FM band to sub-Saharan Africa. He heard one radio station from Burkina Faso, two from Ghana, one from Nigeria, and one from Togo.

Mauricio believes that this was the first time that a FM radio station from Togo has been received in Europe. 

These are the stations that were heard on the 27th of May 2026...

Time (UTC) - Freq (MHz) - Country - Station - Distance in kms

17:07 - 89.90 - Ghana - Somuaa Radio, Gushegu - 3322

17:07 - 90.60 - Burkina Faso - Radio Dauphin FM, Koupéla (kot) - 3071 

17:19 - 88.30 - Ghana - Word FM, Bolgatanga/Zuarungu (uea) - 3215

17:26 - 88.50 - Togo - Radio Maria Togo, Dapaong (sav) - 3226  

17:30 - 89.90 - Burkina Faso - RTB Radio Nationale, Pô (nao) - 3170

17:34 - 89.70 - Nigeria - Buzz FM 89.7 (tentative log), Aba - 4040

Report from Mauricio... "One of the first "sporadic" propagation events this year involved a double-hop, bringing in several African stations from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Togo. 

The station that came through the strongest proved to be the most difficult to identify—a challenge where "Artificial Intelligence (AI)" played a decisive role. 

After reading forum discussions about how AI had successfully identified an obscure language—even transcribing and translating its content—my friend Juan Antonio Arranz decided to test it further. He used a recording of this station, which I had shared with him weeks earlier, to see how it would handle an even more unusual language. The results were truly impressive! 

The AI ​​generated a four-page report that identified the language, pinpointed its geographic origin, transcribed and translated the recording's content, and provided enough clues to narrow down the potential stations. Within minutes, it became clear that its top suggestion was correct—though it only provided the name of the licensee company rather than the station's commercial brand name. 

Shortly after reading the AI's report, I found the Facebook page for SOMUAA RADIO and heard the very same announcer from my DX recording—"Mr. Lukman (De Controller)"—hosting his show, "Gushegu Drive." Curiously, neither the AI ​​nor I had noticed that the recording actually contained a jingle that repeated the name of the program! A huge thank you to Juan Antonio and to "Ms. AI"—and also to someone at the station who confirmed my reception, first via Facebook and later by email.

Here is a long recording of this station: https://app.box.com/s/5e3qfah5xqtrpm5phtkwlpeey6dx5dh3

Another station I'm noting as a "tentative log" is the Nigerian BuzzFM. It's pretty clear it's them: they're the only ones who came in with RDS (just 15 seconds). Their IP address (F380) corresponds to Nigeria, their PS was dynamic, and after many attempts, I managed to get several parts of it: "A_______ / DULL____ / MOMENT__ 

/ --.7---- / __----_z". BuzzFM's slogan is: "Buzz FM. Never A DULL MOMENT station"... so, I think their identity is pretty clear. 

Identifying Radio Burkina on 89.9 FM wasn't easy either. The signal only came in for three or four minutes, during a call-in program. I had to listen to recordings on the Facebook and YouTube pages of several potential stations. There were similar programs on more than one station. But the key came from a listener who said goodbye thanking the presenter, Monsieur "Samporé" or something like that. On Radio Burkina's Facebook page, I discovered that Sibiri Charles SIMPORÉ some days hosts the program "Commentons l'actualité" which is what was being broadcast when I caught them.

So far, no station has responded to my messages... receiving an email from a radio station has become more difficult than receiving their FM signals from over 3000 km away! "

Receiving Equipment... The above signals were heard on an RX888 Mk2 SDR.

This uses a 16-bit ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter) which typically results in a receiver which has better sensitivity and a higher dynamic range than other SDR models.

Mauricio has two directional aerials for the FM broadcast band and he was using the Antiference

3-Element Yagi (88-108 MHz) to receive the African stations.

Propagation... The distances reported by Mauricio are in the region of 3100 to 4000 kms which is well beyond the distance of one single Sporadic-E hop. It's very likely the path involved two Sporadic-E hops which is unusual at a high frequency like 88 MHz.

The traditional view of double hop Sporadic-E is that the radio signals are refracted from the Sporadic-E 'cloud' and are then reflected off the ground at the midway point. In the example below, this reflection point might be say 1500 to 2000 kms from the transmitter and receiver.

Considering how strong some of these multi-hop signals are, there is a growing consensus that these exceptional long distance Sporadic-E openings are due to chordal hop with the signal going from one Sporadic-E region to the next and bypassing the lossy earth reflection.

In conclusion... Thanks to Mauricio for all of the information. Considering how busy the FM broadcast band is in Europe, it's a real challenge to hear weak radio signals from sub-Sahara Africa.

Two things stood out for me in the reception report. One of course was the fact that it was the first time a FM station in Togo was heard in Europe! The other is that AI is now being used to help identify unknown radio stations.

It would be really interesting to see more reports from FMDXers in Europe hearing sub-Saharan radio stations. Whatever about radio amateurs, there is no shortage of broadcast stations down there on the 88 to 108 MHz FM band.

Links...

1) See my 88-108 MHz page for more examples of long distance reports.

2) Mauricio has his own blog... https://moladx.blogspot.com/

The 70 MHz (4m) band is 70-years old - Nov 2026

Radio amateurs in the UK were given an allocation on the 70 MHz (4m) band on the 9th of November 1956 and the initial allocation was 200 kHz wide and went from 70.2–70.4 MHz. This was expanded to  500 kHz eventually.

The 70 MHz allocation was seen as a compensation for losing the old 5m band (58.5 to 60 MHz) in 1949 which was used for Band 1 VHF Television.

Initially, the band was just the UK but looking at the records, the first EI to G contact on the band took place in October 1957.

G England G6NB + EI2W - 27th Oct 1957

For about 40-years, it was an unusual band in that there were only a few DXCC entities... G (England), GW (Wales), GM (Scotland), GI (Northern Ireland), GD (Isle of Man), GJ (Jersey), GU (Guernsey), ZB2 (Gibraltar), Cyprus (5B/ZC4) and Ireland (EI).

UK station operating on 70 MHz

Back in the 1950's and 1960's, the 70 MHz band served the same function as say the 145 MHz (2m) band does today. Most of the equipment was valve based and these didn't work well at higher VHF frequencies so 70 MHz was more attractive. 

Much of the equipment was ex-military gear and some of these were from old British tanks and used AM instead of FM. These were used for local nets as 2m radios and repeaters didn't really appear until the 70's.

In terms of DX and EI firsts, the late Harry Wilson EI2W worked nearly all EI firsts on the band back in the 50's and 60's. The one exception was when John, EI6AK managed to work Gibraltar. 

A group of locals in Cork on the south coast of Ireland were using 70 MHz (4m) as a local chat channel. John had his antenna hanging off the clothesline and was using AM like all the rest. On the 16th of June 1967, there was a Sporadic-E opening and ZB2VHF from Gibraltar appeared on the local chat frequency much to John's surprise!

Reports were exchanged and EI6AK had made the first contact between EI and ZB2!

ZB2 Gibraltar ZB2VHF + EI6AK - 16th Jun 1967

Needless to say, the big guns in Dublin were wondering who was this guy in Cork who managed to snag ZB2.

As the years went on, 2m operation became more popular and this led to a decline in 4m activity.

In 1987, the 70 MHz band made available to Class B licensees (no morse requirement) in the UK.

Slovenia - On the 13th of June 1998, radio amateurs in Slovenia (S5) were given permission to use the band. A few days later on the 18th of June, I managed to work S57A for an EI to S5 first on 4m.

S5 Slovenia S57A + EI7GL - 18th Jun 1998

Other UK to Slovenia firsts were recorded around the same time. In time, more and more European countries managed to get a foothold on the band.

GB070MHZ - To mark the 40th anniversary of the 70 MHz allocation, a special event station in Essex  using the callsign GB070MHZ will operate for the month of November 2026 (1st to 28th).

More info... https://www.qrz.com/db/GB070MHZ

Link... For more some of my previous 4m posts, see my 70 MHz page.

RTL Long Wave masts to be demolished Fri 6th Nov 2026

The RTL longwave transmitter on 234 kHz closed down on the 1st of January 2023. It used to transmit with a maximum power of 1500 kW which was reduced to 750 kW after 2020.

The antenna system for the long wave transmitter was three identical 290-metre tall guyed masts.

It has now been announced that these are scheduled for a controlled explosive demolition on Friday, November 6, 2026.

RTL Today will stream the demolition live beginning at 3:00 PM CET.

Link...
1) RTL announcement

Closure of Skywaves DX Forum - Oct 2026

In the middle of October 2026, the SKYWAVES DX FORUM website finally closed down after 30-years in existence.

Here are some stats...

50,252 total posts / 11,012 topics / 490 registered members

1995 — "Skywaves" begins as the monthly bulletin of the British FM & TV Circle, a hobby radio club started at the end of the year. The first month: 18 members.

Late 1990s — Editors send their columns in on floppy disc. Cutting-edge stuff at the time. Membership passes 100 within months.

2000s — The printed bulletin gives way to online logbooks and Yahoo groups, and the club drops its British-only name in favour of simply "Skywaves", with its members being welcomed from around the globe.

Today — An active forum covering Band II FM, TV DX, OIRT, low VHF utilities, DAB, long, medium and short wave, NDBs, pirate radio and ham radio.

14 Oct 2026 — After 31 years, the forum closes its doors.

The Skywaves DX Forum was mainly used by the radio listening community who were interested in unusual or long distance reception reports.

Forums like this were probably at their peak around the years 2005 to 2015 but a lot of that information has now moved to a plethora of pages and groups on platforms like Facebook.

The decision to eventually close the Skywaves DX Forum website was due to problems with the hosting company and costs which is always an issue for what it a free service to end users.

The group have now moved to the Discord Server where a new community is being established.

Surge in sales of domestic radios in the UK - Oct 2026

 

In mid Oct 2026, the UK government advised members of the public and businesses to think more about how they would cope with natural disasters, cyber-attacks or state-sponsored terrorism.

The "Be Ready" campaign encourages households to stock up on supplies to survive for three days and also suggested having a FM radio for updates during outages, and writing down the frequencies of any national or local radio stations.

UK retailer Robert Dyas reported a 160% increase in sales of radios compared with last week, while another retailer Maplin said sales had increased by 92% in radios compared with the same period last month.

Links...

1) BBC - Prepare for supply chain disruption

2) BBC - Rise in sales of radios and tinned foods, say retailers

3) Be Ready Campaign

New Propagation Software from 8P5AB in Barbados

8P5AB in Barbados sends on the following information...

"I have written a new piece of software that shows 2m/70cm propagation between Europe, Latin America, Caribbean and North America. Its called Tradewind and its free. 

Message me for a free copy...please note its unsigned and will give a false danger reading due to play and google settings. The idea is to promote the rare sporadic daily dx on 2m/70 that occurs by getting more operators aware of vhf ducting and TEP. 

My call is 8P5AB "

Video: The Bizarre Bases of Antenna Towers

Grady Hillhouse is the owner of the very popular Practical Engineering channel on YouTube which looks at various infrastructure projects around the world. 

One video on his YouTube channel which caught my interest was titled The Bizarre Bases of Antenna Towers.

Considering how many radio amateurs have antenna masts and towers, it should be of interest to a lot of people.

FM radio stations from Jamaica on 97 MHz are heard in Chile via TEP - 13th Oct 2026

Pipe,  CE3SX / CE3SAD in Chile reports that he managed to hear a FM radio station at 97 MHz  from Jamaica during a Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) opening on the 13th of October 2026.

The Jamaican station, KOOL 97 FM was heard on three different frequencies... 97.3 MHz from Montego Bay, 97.5 MHz from Ocho Rios and 97.9 MHz from Kingston.

Pipe was listening from a location at Chicureo which is just north of the Santiago, the capital of Chile in South America. The stations were heard at 21.21 local time in Chile which is 00:21 UTC.

The distance was approximately 5760 kms.

While I have reported on previous openings on the FM band between Jamaica and Chile, it's always interesting to hear about an opening at 97 MHz over such a long distance.

The distance is at nearly 5,800kms is approaching the maximum distance usually associated with Trans-Equatorial Propagation. 

A video clip of the reception is shown below...

Links...

1) For more examples of long distance reception reports on 88-108 MHz band, see my Band 2 page.

Notice: Upcoming HAARP ionospheric tests from Alaska - 20th to 24th Oct 2026

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is based in Alaska and it's a high-power, high frequency (HF) transmitter for studying the ionosphere.  The principal instrument is a phased array of 180 HF crossed-dipole antennas  capable of radiating 3.6 megawatts  into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.  Transmit frequencies are selectable in the range of 2.7 to 10 MHz.

The research team have announced that they will be carrying out tests from the 20th to the 24th of October 2026.

The press release is shown below and I've added a map to show location and distance.

Date: October 16, 2026
To: Amateur Radio & Radio Astronomy Communities
From: HAARP Program Office
Subject: Notice of Transmission

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign October 20-24 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. 

Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.8 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject to change.

These transmissions are being conducted in support of the INFUSE-II and DUST-III sounding rocket missions launching from Poker Flat Research Range, located north of Fairbanks, AK. INFUSE-II will test a new type of ultraviolet imager for use on future space telescopes, while DUST-III will carry a miniature laboratory into space to study how tiny grains of space dust form and grow.

For more information on both missions, consult the UAF Geophysical Institute’s webpage for the upcoming launches: https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/stellar-insights. The rocket launches will be livestreamed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@pokerflatrr.

Note that due to the need to make real-time schedule adjustments based on ionospheric conditions and to coordinate with the rocket launch teams, no frequencies are specified in the table below. The included

transmission notice supplement contains information on the frequencies HAARP is authorized to transmit. 

HAARP transmissions will only occur on our authorized frequencies. There are no specific data collection requests from funded investigators, but reception reports are appreciated and may be submitted to our online form at https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/form/reception-reports.

There are no specific data collection requests from funded investigators, but reception reports are appreciated and may be submitted to our online form at https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/form/reception-reports

For updates on ionospheric conditions in Gakona, please consult ionograms from the HAARP

Diagnostic Suite: https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/diagnostic-suite

Additional Resources for Reading Ionograms
Understanding HF Propagation and Reading Ionograms from Bootstrap Workbench:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFKNCo3Cl8

Reading Your Ionogram-Keeping It Simple from John (VE6EY):
https://play.fallows.ca/wp/radio/shortwave-radio/reading-your-ionogram-keeping-it-simple/

The image above is an annotated ionogram from HAARP that describes features that may be of

interest. Note that f0F2 is calculated at the top left.

f0F2 is the critical frequency of the F2 layer of the Earth’s ionosphere. This is the frequency at
which radio signals stop refracting off the ionosphere and begin passing through to outer space.
For certain HAARP experiments that deal with interactions in the ionosphere, transmission
frequencies below f0F2 are desirable, while for other experiments (such as those involving high altitude satellites), staying above f0F2 is required.

Supplement to HAARP Notice of Transmission

General Information for HAARP Radio Enthusiasts:

Presentations at the 2026 RSGB Convention

The 2026 RSGB Convention in the UK was held on the weekend of the 11th and 12th of October and the various presentations are now available on the RSGB YouTube channel.

There are a wide range of topics on offer and there should be something of interest there for most people. There are also a few interviews and items of interest in between the full presentations.

These are the presentations with the associated timestamps...

Day 1 - Saturday 11 October 2026

0:18:56 RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX

00:32:55 What is next for the amateur radio service? – IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH

01:44:32 Understanding FT8 through DNA sequencing parallels – Ian Henry, G0LFT

02:44:08 Amateur TV – getting started – Dave Crump, G8GKQ

04:44:15  3Y0K, the Bouvet Island DXpedition – Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA

05:44:05 Tuners and antennas: what’s going on? – Peter Duffet-Smith, GM3XJE

06:59:12 Have you estimated your EMF exclusion zones recently? – John Rogers, M0JAV and Peter Zollman, G4DSE

07:59:58 WRTC 2026 – Lee Volante, G0MTN

YouTube video HERE

Day 2 - Sunday 12 October 2026

00:15:44 LEO Satellites – Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB

01:30:43 A modular approach to construction – Paul Marks, G8FVK

02:30:44 Where is contesting going in the 21st Century? – Chris Tran, GM3WOJ

04:30:59 An update on the latest developments in the microwave community – Heather Nickalls, M0HMO and Brian Coleman, G4NNS

05:30:44 The results of 12 August 2026 eclipse propagation experiment – Steve Nichols, G0KYA

YouTube video HERE

IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH highlights ageing amateur radio population

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is the representative body for radio amateurs worldwide. The IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH made a presentation at the 2026 RSGB Conference titled 'What is next for the amateur radio service?'

One of the key challenges that VE6SH highlighted was the ageing amateur radio population. One  of the graphics that he used was the age profile of membership of the URE, the national society for radio amateurs in Spain.

There are some caveats here. One, this is the membership profile for members of the URE which may not be an exact match for radio amateurs in Spain. Two, this is an example for one country and that may not exactly match the age profile for membership of amateur radio organisations in other countries.

However, I think it's safe to assume that it's reasonably representative of the general amateur radio population in most countries A large percentage of radio amateurs are now between 55 and 79 and there are a lot fewer aged below 50 becoming radio amateurs.

The presentation by VE6SH was part of a live stream of the conference on YouTube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiUs-aSVTBU&t=10068s

It starts at 0:33 and runs until 1:11. There is a follow up panel discussion which then runs until 1:39.

36 MHz Beacon Tests by LY2YR in Lithuania - Oct to Dec 2026

Gintas, LY2YR in Lithuania will be operating a FT8 beacon on 36.680 MHz in the low-VHF part of the spectrum. 

LY2YR will have it on air from October until the 9th of December 2026 and Gintas is investigating if  F2 layer propagation will reach as high as 36 MHz. He especially welcomes reports from outside Europe.

Details as follows...

• Dial Freq: 36.680 MHz

• Mode: FT8

• Power: 10W

• ANT: Multiband Hexbeam (20-6m) – therefore the radiation pattern is broad

• QTF: 290°

Analysis... The map below shows the location of LY2YR in Europe.

Even though we are well past the summer Sporadic-E season, there will still be the occasional opening even in October and November. If someone in the 1000 to 2000 km range left their receiver on all day then there's a chance of catching a weak opening.

Locations like Greece and Italy to the south are about the right distance and it should be possible. Even though LY2YR is beaming west with a Hexbeam, the beamwidth is pretty broad.

This is the wider map...

In terms of F2 layer propagation, openings to Spain and Portugal are possible and certainly the Canary Islands (EA8).

To the east, the path to Australia might be possible via F2 where there is a pocket of low band VHF enthusiasts. The beam heading for Sydney (VK3) is about 83 deg although the front to back of the Hexband might be an issue here.

The more northerly path to North America might be difficult. South America and South Africa certainly seem possible.

Equipment... With so many people now using SDR receivers, tuning to unusual frequencies like 36 MHz is now a lot easier. Ideally you should have an antenna tuned to 36 MHz but an antenna for 28 MHz or 50 MHz will work albeit with reduced sensitivity.

The easiest thing to do is probably just to tune the receiver to 36.680 MHz, mode USB, use a wide bandwidth like 2.5 kHz.

Operating... Leave the receiver on 36.680 MHz for a few hours during the day. The best times are when you are hearing stations in or near Lithuania (LY) on the 28 MHz (10m) band. PSK Reporter is especially good for this.

If you are using software programmes like WSJT-X then you can edit one of the unusual frequencies stored by default in the programme and change it to 36.680 MHz USB. Alternatively, you can use say 28 MHz and just turn off PSK reporting.

Reports... If you hear any signals from LY2YR then any format is fine - whether via PSK Reporter, chat or you can email him directly.

Long Wave service of BBC R4 to close 27th of June 2026

The BBC in the UK recently announced that their Radio 4 service on 198 kHz will finally shut down on Saturday 27th of June 2026 at 00:00 UTC. It will join a list of other radio stations in Europe that have ceased using the Long Wave broadcast band.

In a statement, the BBC said... "Radio 4’s Long Wave (LW) service will close on the 27th June 2026. We will broadcast daily on-air reminders to help everyone switch to other ways of listening.

The company that owns and operates the LW broadcast equipment has confirmed that the system is reaching the end of its life. As LW is an older broadcasting technology, recent years have seen a decline in listener numbers, with the majority now opting for FM and DAB digital platforms. Given these factors, investing in upgrading the LW equipment is not considered a cost-effective solution for licence fee-funded services. "

While most media sources focus on the Droitwich transmitter, BBC Radio 4 operates from three separate locations.

The main transmitter running 250 kilowatts operates from near Droitwick to the south of Birmingham.. This covers all of England and the signal spills over into Ireland, the north of France and Belgium and the Netherlands.

There are two other transmitters on the same frequency transmitting with 25-kilowatts from Burghead and Westerglen in Scotland.

It's very likely that this BBC signal on 198 kHz would have closed years ago if it wasn't for the fact that the signal was being used for switching electricity meters around the country. I covered this in a previous post.

The last few signals on the long wave band that can be heard in Europe are...

153 kHz - Chaîne 1 in Algeria
153 kHz - SRR Antena Satelor in Romania
171 kHz - Radio Méditerranée International in Morocco
225 kHz - Polskie Radio in Poland
252 kHz - Chaîne 3 in Algeria

Outside of Europe, one of the last countries still using long wave is Mongolia where the extra distance of long wave signals is useful for this huge country.

Links...

1) BBC statement on R4 closure on long wave.

Video: Solar Cycle 25 Expectations in 2026 and beyond... by Carl, K9LA

Carl, K9LA recently gave a presentation to the Madison DX club recently about what propagation conditions will like in 2026.

Spoiler alert - We're on the way down off the peak of the sunspot cycle but there will be plenty of openings for a while yet.

You can view the presentation below...

WQ2XDM - New US experimental callsign for radio propagation tests at 40 MHz & 70 MHz

John, K9JMS recently received permission from the FCC to carry out propagation tests at 40 MHz (8m) and 70 MHz (4m) and he was granted the callsign WQ2XDM for a period of two years.

Note that this is NOT an amateur radio licence and no two way communications are allowed. Its purpose is strictly for "scientific and engineering-based propagation research".

The 40 MHz and 70 MHz bands are NOT amateur radio bands in the United States and this is a case of someone getting a permit to make narrow band digital transmissions and seeing if the signals are heard. 

John describes it as follows... "WQ2XDM Propagation Research - Florida-based experimental station studying low-VHF propagation on the 4 meter (70 MHz) and 8 meter (40 MHz) bands using weak-signal digital modes including WSPR and FT8."

The licence has the following conditions attached...

8m band - 40.660 to 40.700 MHz - 10-watts ERP max (FT8 & WSPR)

4m band - 70.000 to 70.200 MHz - 25-watts ERP max (FT8 & WSPR)

40.660 to 40.700 MHz is the 40 MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific & Medical) band.

70 MHz in the United States was used in the past for analogue TV broadcasts.

The image above shows where the experimental bands are located. The 8m band at 40 MHz is between the 10m and 6m amateur radio bands and shares a lot of the propagation characteristics of both bands.

The 4m band is located between the amateur 6m band and the 88-108 MHz broadcast band and again, it shares characteristics of both bands.

Licence application... This is part of the licence submissions... "Although the applicant holds an amateur radio operator license, that license is not being relied upon for any aspect of the proposed testing. All transmissions associated with this application would be conducted exclusively under the authority of the requested Part 5 Experimental Radio Service license, and not pursuant to Part 97. 

The applicant's amateur license is incidental and does not define, authorize, or govern the experimental operations described in the application.

To confirm, the testing requested is not amateur service testing under Part 97, and the proposed operations are not intended to be conducted as amateur radio communications or amateur experimentation. The requested authorization is sought under Part 5 (Experimental Radio Service) for the purpose of scientific and engineering-based propagation research and measurement on the specified frequencies.

The proposed experimental operations consist of controlled test transmissions initiated solely under the authority of the Part 5 experimental license. These transmissions are intended to generate propagation data and are not communications, message exchange, or amateur experimentation within the meaning of Part 97.

Use of Digital Waveforms and Third-Party Reception - Digital waveforms such as FT8 are proposed solely as standardized, well-characterized signaling formats used to generate predictable, spectrally efficient emissions suitable for propagation detection and measurement. The transmissions will be non-interactive and will not involve acknowledgments, responses, or completion of two-way communications.

Reception and confirmation of these experimental signals relies on passive observation and reporting, including reception by licensed amateur radio operators located outside the United States and by automated third-party signal reporting networks (such as PSK Reporter and WSPR-based reporting systems). These entities function only as passive receivers and reporting sources and are not participants in the experimental transmissions."

In the past, a number of radio amateurs in the USA received experimental callsigns for the 40 MHz band. These were used to make contacts which I suspect in the view of the FCC was quasi-amateur radio operation and they refused to renew the permits after the two year period had expired.

What to expect???... The 40 MHz and 70 MHz bands are likely to experience a number of the familiar propagation modes.

This is a map of the USA with some range circles...

40 MHz - The red line shows the typical range of one-hop Sporadic-E at 40 MHz (8m). In late April, early May & August, the range is typically about the 1200 to 1600 km mark and will sometimes extend as far as 2200kms.

During the peak of the Sporadic-E season in late May and the months of June & July, the openings become more intense and the skip distance can drop to below 1000kms.

The distance to the Caribbean is pretty good for Sporadic-E reception reports.

The Yellow line shows the possible range of F2 layer propagation and it's possible that WQ2XDM will be heard in California in months like November and February near the solar maximum peak. That essentially means maybe Feb 2026, Nov 2026 and Feb 2027. After that, conditions will decline and there will be fewer east-west openings.

The maximum usable frequency (MUF) is above 30 MHz most days at the moment but it doesn't quite reach 50 MHz. The question is whether it will reach 40 MHz? Reception of a 40 MHz beacon can indicate that an opening on the 50 MHz band is on the way.

In terms of tropo and local conditions, ranges out to about 200kms should be possible.

70 MHz - The green line shows the typical Sporadic-E distances at 70 MHz and the most common openings are around the 1500 to 180km mark.

Outside the USA... Let's look at the bigger picture...

40 MHz should be excellent for F2 layer propagation on north-south paths from Florida and the signals from WQ2XDM to South America should be possible for several more years.

The purple line shows the path for TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation) and the optimum path will be to Chile (CE) around 8pm local time. 40 MHz is a low enough frequency that there should be a considerable amount of east-west spread and openings to N Argentina (LU), Uruguay (CX) and S Brazil (PY) should be possible.

TEP openings at 70 MHz to Chile should also be possible but I think the problem here is finding people who are interested in trying to listen.

The yellow line on the map shows the possible range of some signals via F2 layer propagation. Openings to Europe are very likely as Florida is the most south-easterly state. The further south in Europe, the more likely the openings. i.e. I'd expect to see plenty of openings on the 40 MHz band to Spain and Portugal.

As for 70 MHz? It would be really interesting to see any reports of multi-hop Sporadic-E openings on 4m across the Atlantic. A lot of paths on the 40 MHz band have been done before but we're still in the early days of exploring very long paths on frequencies like 70 MHz.

In conclusion... It's good to see some experimentation on low-band VHF frequencies in the United States. I can see several challenges with the reception of the signals on the two bands. One is the relatively low power and the other is that a lot of people will be using compromised antennas tuned for other bands for reception.

If you're in the US then trying listening on 40.680 MHz FT8 and see what you can hear.

Links...

1) WQ2XDM website

2) Check out my 40 MHz page

3) Check out my 70 MHz page

New 'Communication Device' for cyclists...

I was watching a video on YouTube recently and someone was talking about a new type of 'walkie-talkie' for cyclists. I was intrigued... how did it work? what frequencies? what modes?

A quick search of the product resulted in several links including the manufacturers website and some cycling news websites describing it as a 'communications device, a 'race radio' and a 'little radio network'.

The communication device is shown above and it's the VeloVox from a company called Lazer who are well know in the cycling world for helmets. 

Link... https://www.lazersport.com/global/accessories/communication/lazer-velovox

The principle is that a user could talk to others in their cycling group and it can operate as a private network. The unit fits on the strap for the helmet and with the addition of noise cancelling software for wind noise, communication with others in the group is possible.

As with many other 'radio' products, it now uses the mobile phone network instead of direct RF between users.

Basically, the unit on the persons head talks to their smartphone in their back pocket by Bluetooth. An app on the phone then communicates via IP over the mobile phone network to another users smartphone and then on to their head unit.

I found it interesting because members of the public still talk about 'radio' and 'walkie talkies' but the reality is a lot of those devices are now IP enabled like 'network radios' and they use the mobile 4G network.

In a sense, it's still 'radio' but just not in the traditional sense that most people expect.

Frequency Measurement Tests in Europe - Feb 2026

 

Is your HF radio on frequency? How accurate is it? The reality is that in most cases, your HF radio could be off frequency by 100Hz or 200Hz and you'd have no idea. On SSB and CW, you just tune in the other station. Even with modes like FT8 on fixed frequencies, you could be off frequency a bit and it will still work fine.

Still though, it's nice to know what your radio is like? Is it accurate or not?

On the 9th and 16th of February 2026, a group in Poland will be making test transmissions from Warsaw (loc KO02md) on precise frequencies on the 20m, 40m and 80m bands.

This is the schedule...

Mon 9th Feb 2026 - Frequency calibration
10:00 UTC - 14.069000 MHz
16:00 UTC - 14.069000 MHz
19:00 UTC - 7.039000 MHz
21:00 UTC - 3.569000 MHz

The message is 'QST DE SN0FMT CALIBATION FMT'

Fri 13th Feb 2026 - Frequency calibration and timing signals
10:00 UTC - 14.0687 MHz
16:00 UTC - 14.0687 MHz
19:00 UTC - 7.0387 MHz
21:00 UTC - 3.5687 MHz

Mon 16th Feb 2026 - Frequency calibration
10:00 UTC - 14.0687 MHz
16:00 UTC - 14.0687 MHz
19:00 UTC - 7.0387 MHz
21:00 UTC - 3.5687 MHz

How to check... If you're not sure how to check your radio then maybe some of you will be using modes like FT8 and software like WSJT-X with its waterfall display. For the 14.069 MHz transmission, set your radio to 14.068 MHz on USB. Check the waterfall display and you should see the carrier at 1000 Hz. If it's off then put the cursor over the signal on the waterfall and see how far off frequency you are.

There are other options as well. I prefer to use software like SpectrumLab which is an audio spectrum analyser and you can examine the frequency in finer detail.

Limitations... Note that the signals are coming off the ionosphere and that is not static, especially if there are points along the path where the sun is rising or setting. You should still be able to get an accurate reading to within a few Hz.

Note that these test transmissions are primarily for Europe but they may be heard elsewhere.

Link... https://fmtlab.org/

***

Addendum... These are my own results when I listened to the test transmission on the 40m band on the 9th of February 2026.

I was using a SDRPlay receiver on 7.038000 MHz USB. The SN0FMT cw signal was on 7.039000 MHz which meant I should hear a 1-kHz tone.

I used the SpectrumLab software programme to examine the signal and as can be seen above, it's very close to 1-kHz / 1000 Hz.

I knew in advance that I should be close because I had adjusted the frequency compensation in the SDRPlay receiver already so that my reception reports on WSPR on 28 MHz (10m) would be accurate.

Still though, it's nice to see the test signal on frequency as predicted.

The test signal lasted for 15-minutes.

Opening on the 50 MHz band from Europe to Australia - 1st Feb 2026

Steve, VK3OT reports that the 50 MHz (6m) band was open between Europe and Victoria, Australia on Sunday 1st February 2026.

The map above shows the FT8 paths as reported on the PSKReporter website. The longest path was to EB1IC in Spain at just over 17,000kms.

A full list of the reported stations can be seen below...

RSGB in the UK outsource their QSL Bureau to the DARC in Germany - Jan 2026

In January of 2026, the RSGB in the UK announced that they were outsourcing their QSL Bureau  to the DARC in Germany.

The RSGB write... "We are pleased to announce the next stage in developing our QSL Bureau Services.

After a comprehensive review of long-term options, the RSGB entered into a formal Contractual Agreement with Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, to process all incoming and outgoing RSGB QSL cards.

This partnership will provide a robust and effective QSL bureau service for RSGB members. Volunteers remain central to the RSGB QSL Bureau Service and the RSGB extends its thanks to all sub-managers, whose dedication forms the backbone of the service."

As can be seen from the photo above, the DARC QSL bureau in Germany is quite complex and is automated in parts.

They already provide QSL services for the SSA in Sweden, the OEVSV in Austria and USKA in Switzerland amongst others.

I'd imagine that the considerable influx of cards from the UK will contribute to the economies of scale of the operation and it may well attract the QSL bureaus of other countries in the future.

The e-confirmation of contacts via Logbook of the World (LOTW) has probably led to a big drop in QSL cards in recent years so the addition of new customers like the RSGB probably helps quite a bit.

This video from the DARC gives an idea of how the DARC QSL bureau works...

Links...

1) RSGB - https://rsgb.org/main/operating/qsl-bureau/

2) DARC QSL Service - https://qslshop.de/

145 Alive activity periods in 2026

The 145 Alive concept is to have activity periods on the 145 MHz (2m) band at certain times during the year. It's not a contest, it just a net where stations are encouraged to call in and exchange signal reports with others on the band. 

The 145 Alive activity period is primarily in the UK and Ireland but some activity in Norway started in late 2025.

These are the planned activity periods for 2026...

Saturday 7th February / Saturday 18th April / Sunday 12th July / Sunday 13th September

The activity period runs from 12:00hrs to 15:00hrs local time.

Activity is on the FM simplex channels. There will be net controllers in certain areas but the easiest thing to do is to tune around and see who you can hear.

There will be some limited activity on SSB for the UK in 2026 as an experiment.

The 145 Alive group are also looking to spread the activity period to other countries and they will share their experience if anyone would like to set up one somewhere else.