Improving conditions on 28 MHz at Equinox - Sept 2025

Over the last few days, the conditions on the 28 MHz (10m) band have really improved as we approach the equinox.

The map above shows the stations that I heard using the WSPR beacon mode on 28.1246 MHz on the 19th of September 2025. The key takeaway is the east-west path across the North Atlantic and especially to the west coast of North America. This requires a more northerly path and is a sure sign of good conditions.

It's worth noting that the number of people using WSPR is relatively small. If had used FT8 instead, the number of stations would be much higher.

Saturday the 20th of September showed a similar pattern. Note the long path all the way south to the DP0GVN, the German research station in Antarctica. The power output for DP0GVN is listed as 5-watts and I got 39 decodes over three days.

For Sunday the 21st of September, there was a small change. In addition to DP0GVN in the Antarctica again, I got once decode from the 0.2-watt signal from JW1WSP on Svalbard in the Arctic.

As well as the opening to the western side of North America, there was one decode from JF3HPN in Japan running 1-watt. Again, if this was on FT8 then the number of stations would likely be much greater.

If we look at the overall number of spots for the three days combined, there are some patterns...

For North America, most of the stations are in the region of 5000-6000kms. These are most likely double hop F2 signals and are 2500-3000km hops multiplied by two.

In Europe, there is a distinct lack of stations heard in the area I've marked with a brown line. To the east of this line, the signals are via one hop F2 layer propagation and in the region of 2400 to 3000kms.

To the west of the line, you can see all the stations that I heard via Sporadic-E propagation and most are in the region of 500-1500kms. Even in September, there are Sporadic-E openings that can support propagation on the 28 MHz (10m) band.

The 'skip zone' in Europe for the three days was the 1500km to 2400km gap... too close for F2 layer propagation and too far for Sporadic-E.

In conclusion... The chart above shows the progression of the current sunspot cycle. The Winter of 2025/2026 should be really good again on 28 MHz but you can see how things are going to change over the next few years.

As time progresses, conditions on the higher HF bands like 28 MHz will decline faster than on the lower bands like 14, 18 & 21 MHz. 

Make the most of the current conditions before you start the long wait for the next sunspot cycle.

The last print edition of the World Radio TV Handbook will be in 2026...

The World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH) has been a valuable source of information for short wave listeners and DX-ing enthusiasts for about 80 years. 

Up to 2022, it used to be be published by a company in the UK and I had a post about this back in December of 2021.

It was subsequently taken over by a company in Germany and they published print copies in 2023, 2024 & 2025. They also introduced an E-book version in 2024 and an app version in 2025.

They have now announced that the last printed edition will be in 2026.

They wrote... "An Important Message to the WRTH Community

Dear Friends of WRTH,

As we approach the publication of the 80th edition of the World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH 2026), we find ourselves at both a moment of celebration and of change. For eight decades, WRTH has been a constant companion to radio listeners, broadcasters, and enthusiasts worldwide. We know that many of you treasure the annual arrival of the printed book, and it is with great care and reflection that we share the following news.

The Final Printed Edition

WRTH 2026 will be the last edition to appear in print. After this milestone 80th edition, WRTH will move entirely to digital formats—our regularly updated Web App and the twice-yearly E-book (Winter and Summer schedules). This is not a decision we have taken lightly. The printed WRTH has been part of the identity of our community, and we understand what it means to see it come to a close.

Example page inside the book showing frequency lists

Why This Change Is Necessary

Over the past years, the costs of producing WRTH in print have risen sharply. Printing, paper, tariffs, shipping, and logistics have all become increasingly expensive and difficult to manage. Despite our best efforts to absorb these pressures, continuing to publish in print on a yearly basis is no longer sustainable. In order for WRTH to survive as a publication, and continue serving the global broadcasting community, we must adapt.

Pre-Order Only: A Collector’s Edition

The WRTH 2026 printed book will be available exclusively through pre-order, with delivery scheduled for December 2025. There will be no launch stock or reprints. Once pre-orders close, the book will not be available again. This makes WRTH 2026 a true collector’s edition—our final tribute in print to 80 years of The World’s Most Comprehensive and Up-to-Date Guide to Broadcasting.

Pre-orders will open on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, and close on Friday, October 31, 2025.

Please watch our communication channels for the official announcement, and subscribe to our newsletter to always stay up-to-date: https://wrth.info/newsletter/ 

Looking Ahead with Digital

Moving forward, WRTH will be available in two formats:

The WRTH Web App, updated throughout the year with the most current data.

The WRTH E-book, released twice a year to cover Winter and Summer schedules.

We believe this transition will allow WRTH to remain relevant, accessible, and sustainable, while providing you with more up-to-date information than print has ever allowed.

Updated Pricing

To reflect the realities of production and to keep WRTH alive in its new form, prices for 2026 are as follows:

WRTH 2026 Printed Book: EUR 59,90 (excluding shipping)
WRTH 2026 Web App: EUR 47,90
WRTH 2026 E-book (Winter and Summer editions): EUR 47,90

Please note: Prices are set in EUR. Currency conversion applies at the point of purchase for all other currencies.

Shipping costs will remain similar to last year, varying by region, with WRTH continuing to subsidize rates in some areas.

A Word of Thanks

We know these changes may be difficult to accept, especially for those who have collected the printed WRTH for many years. Please know that this was not an easy decision for us to make. It comes from a deep responsibility: to ensure that WRTH not only celebrates its remarkable past but also secures its future.

We are grateful beyond words for your loyalty and support, and for the place you have given WRTH in your lives. As we turn this page together, we hope you will join us in celebrating the WRTH 2026—the final printed volume and a lasting collector’s item—and in embracing the new digital editions that will carry WRTH into the years ahead.

If you have any other questions, please visit our FAQs ( https://wrth.info/faqs/ ) for quick, clear answers and support.

With gratitude, The WRTH Team"

Obviously the cost of printing a large book for a diminishing number of people has become prohibitive.

The image below shows how the price of the printed edition has changed recently.

The 2026 edition will cost almost €60 before shipping which I'm sure some will find very expensive. The 2026 physical edition costs about 50% more than the 2023 edition.

On their website, they have the E-book editions for 2024 & 2025 listed as €29.90. The 2026 price is €47.90 and that covers a winter and summer edition.

The 2026 app version at €47.90 is only €10 cheaper than the printed book.

In summary... The WRTH contains a wealth of information about various radio and TV stations around the world. Most if not all of this information is available online but the advantage of the WRTH is that it's in one location.

For some, the price of the WRTH will be way too high. For other users, the price will be acceptable.

If you're interested in ordering the last print edition for 2026 then visit their website... https://wrth.info/

Ireland's first cubesat EIRSAT-1 comes to end of life...

Back on the 1st of December 2023, Ireland's first satellite called EIRSAT-1 was launched on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Now 22-months later in early September 2025, it's mission comes to a close as it is expected to burn up on the 4th of September in the earths atmosphere.

At the time of writing, it's altitude is about 220kms which is well within the ionosphere and where it will start to experience significant drag from air molecules.

Update - Thurs 4th Sept 2025...

...

16:00 UTC... It seems that the last reception of EIRSAT-1 was by VE9EX as the satellite passed over Newfoundland at 15:20 UTC.

There were no reports as it passed over South America, back up over Indonesia and South-East Asia and back down again over Canada and the United States.

It may well have re-entered and burnt up on this orbit, roughly about 16:00 UTC.

Last few reception reports

14:09 UTC - Heard over Brazil...

12:24 UTC - Heard in the Netherlands by PA0SAT...

12:21 UTC - Final pass over Ireland...

Slán go fóill

11:30 UTC - From the control team at UCD Dublin...

Still receiving EIRSAT-1 loud and clear over UCD Dublin this morning at approx 160km altitude.  Thanks to the radio amateur community @SatNOGS @LibreSpace_Fnd for tracking and sharing reports in these final hours of the mission.

Thanks to Department of Enterprise and Enterprise Ireland for your  support. Minister Alan Dillon TD: “I am very proud that the mission was supported by my Department,  through our membership of ESA (European Space Agency). EIRSAT-1 demonstrates the value of membership of  ESA for a  small country, such as Ireland"

11:00 UTC - Change in height (2nd Sep ~230kms, 3rd Sep 220kms, 4th Sep 190kms). Latest projection is that EIRSAT-1 will burn up sometime between 11:09 to 19:09 UTC.

09:29 UTC - Heard over Belarus. Note the doppler shift on the signal as it slopes to the left.

08:00 UTC - The latest orbit tracking shows an altitude of about 185kms which is about 30kms lower than yesterday.

VU2JEK in India decoded this message around 06:30UTC

The term 'Slán go fóill' is a traditional Irish parting message which means 'Bye for now'.

***

During its mission, EIRSAT-1 carried three payloads / experiments. One was a Gamma-Ray Module (GMOD) to detect gamma ray bursts, one was the ENBIO module, a materials testing platform to test the performance of thermal management coatings in LEO for the first time and the final one was the the Wave Based Control (WBC) module, which tested and validated a novel control system for advanced satellite pointing in space.

The successful validation of its Wave-Based Control system was one of the more interesting ones. The software-led payload lets satellites fine-tune their orientation mid-orbit. This was developed at University College Dublin (UCD) and the system uses magnetorquers (tiny coils that push against Earth’s magnetic field) and a clever algorithm inspired by spinning tops. 

Once the satellite starts spinning, the gyroscopic stability lets the controller nudge it in any direction. The result is that pointing accuracy within a few degrees is achieved. Dr. David McKeown of UCD called it a “major milestone.”

Some satellites wish to use the very high communication bandwidths available by using lasers as opposed to microwave links and precise pointing is critical for such space space missions.

In conclusion... So ends the mission of EIRSAT-1. In international terms, it may seem like a minor project but the major accomplishment here was that a team at University College Dublin started from scratch and designed, built and operated a satellite.

They conducted some scientific experiments and showed that they could complete such a complex project.

It now allows the University to approach the European Space Agency for more projects in the future.

Markus Baseler, DL6YMM - Silent Key

It was recently announced that Markus Baseler, DL6YYM has passed away.

As well as being a very active QRP and CW operator, he also operated from numerous potable locations including Greenland.

He was also the maker of the high-quality BaMaTech TP II and TP III CW keys used by numerous CW operators worldwide.

BaMaTech have released the following statement...

"Dear customers and business partners,

Following the sudden and painful loss of our company owner, we are deeply saddened to announce that we will be permanently closing our business.

In his spirit, we are currently carrying out a clearance sale of the remaining inventory. The online shop remains available to you as usual. All existing orders are being reviewed as quickly as possible to determine whether they can still be fulfilled.

The limited special edition of the golden TPIII key – “Feel the Heat” – is expected to be available as planned starting in October. Pre-orders can be placed via bestellung@bamatech.de or through the shop in the coming days.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to you for your long-standing loyalty, your trust, and the many valuable encounters over the years.

Sincerely,

Your BaMaTech Team."

Website... https://www.bamatech.net/

Video: The rise and fall of Radio Shack - From $5 billion to bankruptcy

About 20 years ago, RadioShack had over 8000 stores in the USA and sold a multitude of radio and electronic parts and computers. 

In his most recent video, YouTuber Michael Girdley looks at the decline of the business.