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.

Why are Printed Circuit Boards green in colour?

Why are printed circuit boards green???

It's not exactly the type of question that would keep you awake at night but once you see it, you start to wonder... YEA, WHY ARE THEY GREEN?!?!

Simon Whistler recently posted this video and I found myself going down this 7-minute rabbit hole to find out...

DL0IGI 10m beacon in Germany heard via Auroral-E - 19th Jan 2026

On the 19th of January 2026, I noticed some posts on social media saying that the Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis was visible. Sure enough, I went outside to check and I could see the sky to the north was a red colour.

I went inside and tuned across the 28 MHz (10m) band and noticed that a few beacons were audible.

I was expecting to hear some distorted auroral signals but instead, the CW signals were clear, a sure sign of Auroral-E.

Most of the beacons were from Norway, Sweden and Finland but the one that caught my attention was DL0IGI on 28.205 MHz. This beacon is about 1500kms from my location and I presume the path was like the one shown above with the signal coming back off the auroral curtain.

The screengrab below is the audio spectrum of DL0IGI over a period of about 8-minutes.

I often hear this beacon via Sporadic-E during the summer months and on a display like the one shown above, it should be pretty much a straight horizontal line.

During the aurora, the signal seems to be refracted off a rapidly moving auroral curtain resulting in quite a bit of doppler on the signal. In the diagram above, the signal is jumping around by about +/- 20 Hz but sometimes, it went as far as +/- 60 Hz.

All of this jumping around gave the Auroral-E signal a distinctive quality. The 'mush' and spreading of the CW signal is not present yet there is still something strange sounding about the signal. The constant jumping around gives the CW tone a slightly hollow sound.

I checked the LA5TEN beacon near Oslo and this also had some doppler on it but a lot less. It was the same for the other beacons from Sweden and Finland.

I didn't spend too long on the band other than to listen for a while to a station on the Faroe Islands working a pile up of European stations on SSB. His audio sounded clear but again, it had a slightly hollow sound to it.

None of the signals heard were exactly rare DX but it was interesting all the same to catch this unusual opening.

Looking back at 1981 and the reception of BBC TV audio on 41.5 MHz in Texas

First of all, let's set the scene for a bit of context.

The original TV system in the UK was known as 405-line and was in use from 1936 to 1985. The lowest TV channel was B1 with the video carrier being on 45.0 MHz.

One unusual feature of this system was that the audio was AM and this was 3.5 MHz lower than the video carrier i.e. 41.5 MHz for Channel B.

Pat Dyer, WA5IYX was a very active TV DXer and logged many TV station over the years. Back in November of 1981 after the peak of solar cycle 21, he managed to hear the TV audio on AM on 41.5 MHz from several transmitters in the UK at his home in San Antonio, Texas.

The distance was about 7500kms and was most likely multi-hop F2 propagation.

Pat is now unfortunately silent key but he did send on the recording to Hugh Cocks, a long time TV DX-er himself and now living in the south of Portugal.

The audio can be heard below. See below the video for a description from Hugh.

Hugh writes... "He sent me the recording many years ago, I can't see it on his own channel so thought it was a good idea to post it on YouTube. There are very few 405 line TVDX recordings in existence.

Mainly BBC 1 from the Divis , Northern Ireland 405 line VHF transmitter on 41.5 MHz.

The Recording starts at 1738 UTC where the regions run separate promos. Divis dominates, around 30 seconds in 'Nationwide' can be heard which is almost certainly from the London area Crystal Palace transmitter on the same frequency.

At least one other signal is there too, maybe from Wales or Scotland or Redruth in Cornwall.

After 90 seconds or so they all combine to transmit the national news from London,

The rumbling/varying tone in the background at times is the beating together of the AM(amplitude modulated) audio carriers which are on fractionally different frequencies.

405 line VHF transmissions finished in early 1985."