Season’s greetings

Merry Christmas & a Happy 2026!

Radtel RT-950 Pro - Focus on APRS functionality

A radio that's currently extremely popular is the Radtel RT-950 Pro. In addition to 2 meters and 70 cm, this radio also transmits on 11 and 10 meters, and can receive all modes from long wave to 1 GHz. Of course, you'll need a suitable antenna. The price-performance ratio is excellent. Currently around €60, including shipping.

The display with its triple VFO/memory channels is large, making it a substantial radio. Radtel is also very active in releasing new firmware. This radio also has APRS on board; I tested it and it works fine. In the APRS menu, you need to specify which VFO you want to use APRS from. If you've done this correctly, you'll see the letters APRS appear on the right side of the display for the VFO in question (A, B, or C). I did discover a missing APRS functionality; receiving and sending messages is not possible. Hopefully, this will be resolved in a future firmware update. The TNC also doesn't work in KISS mode.

APRS mode is on, with APRS in yellow letters on the left, and the red icon means APRS Mute. This can be turned on or off in the APRS advanced menu.

Website up and running again!

 Last months i encountered a strange phenomenon on this website; it looked it was in a kind of loop.

No matter the type of browser; the issue looked the same.

Today i removed one of the configurable gadgets / widgets which was based on Java and xml.

That did the job, for now site is working as it should be.

Season’s Greetings.

 Wish you all a healthy 2025.

 PA0FRI SK

This weekend i heard the sad news that Frits PA0FRI passed away at the age of 83 years.

I knew Frits from early nineties and remember him as a real friendly ham operator willing to help many hams not only in the Netherlands but all over the world.

His famous website www.pa0fri.com with a lot of Frits’ knowledge will stay online as promised by his son.

Frits Geerligs PA0FRI is silent key. r.i.p.

 

APRS 144-145 MHz transceiver v2

 Designed by Robert PA2RK and published on PI4RAZ 

This transceiver can be build with a DRA818 and ESP32 as basis.

Locater via build in gps 

Contains preprogrammed repeater frequencies for the Netherlands

Configuration can be done via build in webserver, a quite easy and flexible way to change settings or parameters.

The aprs beacon works via rf and if availble wifi as well.

Nice and easy kit to build, see www.pi4raz.nl where you also can order the 2 pcb’s.

Touch display and DRA818 can be ordered at several Chinese webshops or ebay.

Updates from the shack.

Last year i sold my nanovna and replaced it with this nanovna-F v2

This unit has a solid enclosure, very clear screen and range till 3GHz.

A very nice pice of equipment for an affordable price.

From an estate i got this famous Yaesu FT-7 qrp transceiver from the seventies.

It’s still working fine, but i decided to perform a mod on the rx amplifier in order to reduce the gain which was too high. Mod can be found on PA0FRI website : www.pa0fri.com

Since this transceiver is modular build, it’s easy to take out pcb’s for service purposes.

 Also from the same estate i got this Bird 43 wattmeter which is almost like new.

Several slugs to swap for other power and or frequencies.

Very nice additions to my shack!

Quansheng UV K5 handheld radio

 A lot of information is already written and on Youtube as well.

Basically this radio is used for ham operation on vhf and uhf (145 / 430 ) mhz with the am airband for rx only,

As many of you will know some guys made new firmware for this radio available to expand the frequency and to add usb mode.

After a firmware flash this radio is able to tx and rx from 18 mhz till 1.3 ghz…..

My advise is not to transmit outside both vhf/uhf band since it will produce many harmonics!

But for the price ( i have two, lowest price 16 euro incl shipping to europe) you will have a very nice wideband receiver.

Check the firmware on github:

https://github.com/spm81/Quansheng_UV-K5/blob/main/Firmware/UNIVERSAL%20FIRMWARE%20%28%20All%20Radios%20-%20UV-K5%2C%20UV-K5%288%29%2C%20UV-K6%2C%20UV-5R%20Plus%2C%20etc...%29/Open%20Spectrum%20Firmware%20by%20facgi/uv-k5-firmware-fagci-mod-v1.1.2-SSB-lite-test.bin

Some pictures of the radio after firmware flash:

Season’s Greetings

Wish you all happy holidays and a healthy 2024!

Sommerkamp Memorial Activity 2023

 

Dear radio friends, Do you remember the famous “Coffee warmer”, Sommerkamp TS 788 DX?

The Sommerkamp friends, a group on Facebook, like to honor, the entrepreneur behind the great brand of Sommerkamp radio.

Mr. Wolfgang Sommerkamp, born on September 11th in Dortmund, Germany. HAM radio call DJ2YJ , EA8YS as well as other used calls. OM Wolfgang passed away in 2021, and during the Weekend September 8-10 2023, we like to invite all radio operators to the “Sommerkamp Memorial Activity”.

In the future, we like to dedicate every second weekend in September, to have such a radio event. So get your Sommerkamp radio equipment ready, regardless if amateur or 11 m enthusiast. 

We like to meet on the following bands, 80 m, 40 m, 20 m, 15 m, 11 m, 10 m or 2 m. Of course you are welcome to use transverters with your equipment and activate … 4 m, be creative, join the fun.

Activity Frequencies

• 7.101 MHz
• 14.301 MHz
• 21.301 MHz
• 28.301 MHz
• 144.301 MHz

Please remember, this is not a contest. There is nothing to win, it is rather a friendly, get together on the airwaves. Communicate with one another, share what equipment you use, perhaps when you have purchased it … are you a longtime Sommerkamp radio owner or did you pick up the equipment just recently … perhaps inherited it … Your phantasy is the limit.

Please share the information with others, make them aware of our Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/224973084337664

Feel free to contact the organizers, emails are available over qrz.com 

• OZ2CBA / Danish + English 
• PA1PXL / Dutch + English 
• DK3HV / German + English 
• DL2AU / German

You have a picture from your activation - send it to Email  or post it in the Sommerkamp Facebook Group.

Season’s Greetings

 Wish you all a happy Christmas and healthy 2023.

Icom IC-7700 replaced by Kenwood TS-890

 After almost a year the IC-7700 moved to a new happy owner.

 Had the chance to got a very nice TS-890 line so it’s on my desk now and first impressions are very good.

Time to read the user guide and in-depth manual as well😀

Sommerkamp Memorial Activity

Dear radio friends, Do you remember the famous “Coffee warmer”, Sommerkamp TS 788 DX?

The Sommerkamp friends, a group on Facebook, like to honor, the entrepreneur behind the great brand of Sommerkamp radio.

Mr. Wolfgang Sommerkamp, born on September 11th in Dortmund, Germany. HAM radio call DJ2YJ , EA8YS as well as other used calls. OM Wolfgang passed away last year (2021), and during the Weekend September 10. – 11.2022, we like to invite all radio operators to the “Sommerkamp Memorial Activity”.

In the future, we like to dedicate every second weekend in September, to have such a radio event. So get your Sommerkamp radio equipment ready, regardless if amateur or 11 m enthusiast. 

We like to meet on the following bands, 80 m, 40 m, 20 m, 15 m, 11 m, 10 m or 2 m. Of course you are welcome to use transverters with your equipment and activate … 4 m, be creative, join the fun.

Activity Frequencies

• 7.101 MHz
• 14.301 MHz
• 21.301 MHz
• 28.301 MHz
• 144.301 MHz

Please remember, this is not a contest. There is nothing to win, it is rather a friendly, get together on the airwaves. Communicate with one another, share what equipment you use, perhaps when you have purchased it … are you a longtime Sommerkamp radio owner or did you pick up the equipment just recently … perhaps inherited it … Your phantasy is the limit.

Please share the information with others, make them aware of our Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/224973084337664

Feel free to contact the organizers, emails are available over qrz.com 

• OZ2CBA / Danish + English 
• PA1PXL / Dutch + English 
• DK3HV / German + English 
• DL2AU / German

You have a picture from your activation - send it to Email  or post it in the Sommerkamp Facebook Group.
 

Xiegu X6100 extended

 After owning the X6100 for some time i really can say that i like the radio.

In fact it’s a Linux server with built in radio.

Some firmware updates were released by Xiegu and a kind of community of owners hacked the radio with some nice features.

To access the radio one can use Putty or Winscp. I use both via wifi!

Winscp, access the X6100 as user root and password 123

Navigate to directory /etc/xgradio/ 

Edit file xcradio.conf and change fullband-tx disable to fullband-tx enable

Save and exit, switch your X6100 off and on and full transmit from 500 kHz to 55 mHz is enabled.

Note the red F-TX box left top of your screen.

Enjoy!

New in the shack: Xiegu X6100 transceiver

 Today i picked up a new ham toy; a very nice Xiegu X6100 HF/50 mhz transceiver.

The main reason to buy this gem is that it contains a linux server in it, in fact you can say it’s a linux box with a hf transceiver build in.

It’s from China, so does it has flaws? You bet if has! But since it’s hackable and new firmware updates are provided by Xiegu it will be very interesting to own and experiment. Access to a transceiver via Putty or Winscp how cool is that?

To be continued!

Radio Caroline 648 Khz AM

Long ago, in the early 1970s, I was fascinated by Dutch radio pirates such as Veronica, Noordzee, Mi Amigo and the British channel Caroline. These stations had their studio, transmitter and antenna on board a ship, so all transmissions were from sea. In 1974 the law changed and the channels had to stop broadcasting. Mi Amigo and Caroline went on for a while but eventually disappeared from the airwaves as well. It was during that time that my interest in radio arose. Great was my surprise that after so many years I suddenly heard Radio Caroline on 648 Khz! As if nothing had changed, the music from that time sounded again in my shack. Glad they're back.

Seasons Greetings

Despite Covid situation all around the world, i wish all of you a Merry Christmas and healthy 2022.

 

New in the shack: Icom IC-7700

 After many years of owning a Yaesu FT-2000 a new transceiver arrived at my shack.

The Icom IC-7700 is big and weights approx 25 kilos.

Mine is in very good shape and i’m looking forward to make radio contacts on the hf bands with this new toy.

Acom 1000 Display replacement part 2

 Within a week Val of Acom send me the ribbon cable.

I soldered the connector of the cable on the new display and also connect both anode and kathode wires to the little swtich board.

This is the result, bracket, new display and new ribbon cable with blue connector.

Now put everything back in reverse order (or you may clean the inside of the amp before close its cover)

Time to switch on some power and....

Looks great! Simple to replace a broken display on your Acom!

Acom 1000 display replacement. Part 1

 Several years ago i bought my Acom 1000 from a local ham.

The only flaw was the display; some light bulbs failed but that was no show stopper for operate.

Because i planned to fix this issue i ordered a new display direct at the Icom factory.

These are no common displays also no common price!

A special bracket to hold the new type of display was also ordered as advised by Acom

For some reason the new display arrived directly on the shelf for some years....

But okay now in this Covid period i decided to fix the job.

First a safety warning : DUE TO HIGH VOLTAGES IN SUCH AN AMP, ASSURE THAT YOU WORK SAFE!!!

So convince yourself that the amplifier is safe to work on.

Put band switch on 14 mhz and load and tune on 50.

With a tin hobby knife remove the cover of the 3 knobs, do this very carefull.

Remove the knobs from the front pannel and remove the cover of the amp.

On top and bottom of the front pannel find the screws and take them out.

Gently pull the pannel from the case. Be aware of some connectors on the inside!

So now the first part is done. Remove the connectors from the frontpannel, note that 2 identical connectors  exist so mark them before pulling them out.

Now unscrew the protection cover.

At this point you reached the display. The blue connector connects the display and the white the control knobs of the amplifier.

Unscrew both display and control board and pull both connectors gently!

At this point i had to stop; The display Acom sent me had not the ribbon cable and blue connector.

To desolder the connector from the old display is almost impossible without damage!

That was a mistake from Acom.

So i contact Acom and they send me a new ribbon cable with blue connector.

As soon as i got it i can continue this job.