Issue 439 September 19, 2026 Top Links FCC ISM rules may shatter LoRa mesh communities How have Meshtastic and MeshCore gotten as far as they have without realizing that they may be in violation of regulations that date back to the 1980s? Hackaday Helioclock Review: An in-depth look at a well-crafted situational awareness display A beautiful and well-designed display piece that gives Geochron a run for both its price and design. Amateur Radio Daily The uncertain future of Ham Radio Software-defined radio and cheap hardware are shaking up a hobby long associated with engineering. IEEE Spectrum "Active" call sign probably isn’t what you think Understand what "active" means when you look up a call sign. K4HST Volunteer with ARDC in 2027 ARDC is now accepting applications for our 2027 volunteer cohort. We’re looking for qualified individuals to contribute their time and expertise across several committees and teams. ARDC The 28.6-kilogram Amateur Radio satellite AO-7 went silent in mid-1981 after its batteries shorted AO-7's 2002 return was not a battery recovery: an inferred change from a short circuit to an open circuit let its solar cells power surviving radio hardware in sunlight. Space Daily PSKReporter levels up A volunteer team has mapped out a three-phase modernization plan. Implementation has begun. Open Research Institute HamRadioWeb: Operate FT8/FT4 remotely From your phone or any PC, anywhere. No port forwarding. No VPN setup. HamRadioWeb HamQ: Satellite, SSTV, and logbook tools for Ham Radio Built for the global Amateur Radio community, HAMQ combines precise SGP4 satellite tracking, automatic SSTV decoding and encoding, and a structured QSO logbook with QSL and LoTW workflows. Use it at home, in the field, or wherever your next contact takes you. BG5AXS Hamtrax: Keeping the rest of a POTA activation An activation leaves you with contacts, photos, equipment notes, and a story. Hamtrax keeps those parts together in one logbook, with POTA folders, radio and antenna details, ADIF import and export, and optional public Showcase links. It runs on the web, iOS, and Android, with a free tier and optional Pro subscription. Hamtrax brugtgrej.dk is Denmark's premier marketplace for used Ham Radio gear Hams may also be interested in their discussion forums and dashboard. brugtgrej.dk Upcoming Events EN100NP on the Air to Honor 100th Anniversary of Symon Petlura June 8, 2026 — December 31, 2026 Fire Prevention Week Special Event Highlights Fire Safety October 4, 2026 — October 10, 2026 Zero Retries Digital Conference 2026 October 16, 2026 See more events Video Stop paying a subscription: Helioclock In this interview, recorded at the Huntsville Hamfest, I sit down with the creator behind Helioclock (call sign KA9NWM) to talk about why he built it, how it works, and what makes it different from a traditional Geochron display. KM4ACK Battery powered soldering irons Demonstrating the features of a portable soldering iron. IMSAI Guy APRS voice alert A powerful feature of the Automatic Packet Reporting System that helps Amateur Radio operators make quick voice contacts using position data. KM4ACK 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 the realization from Philly Mesh that their MeshCore network may violate FCC rules. This appears to be a problem for many mesh communities scrambling to become compliant. The Zero Retries Digital Conference is just 4 weeks away. In addition to attending the conference I will also be speaking this year. My talk will explore New Tech Hams, an emerging persona in the hobby that is bucking a lot of the old trends we might be familiar with. I'm also attending Pacificon and will be sharing a booth with Zero Retries. Stop by to say "Hi" and grab a sticker. General feedback regarding this newsletter or the content within is always welcome. Got a link to share? Simply hit reply. 73 Cale K4HCK Did you receive this email as a forward? Sign-up here Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by K4HCK in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Thank you for reading. 73 More great Ham Radio content | View the archive | Follow on Mastodon