ICQPodcast Episode 495 - Antennas for QRP and POTA

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB)  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Antennas for QRP and POTA.

We would like to thank Mike Wogden (G4KWQ) and Peter Weston (2E0DED) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast ad-free. To donate, please visit: http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Six Satellites, Three Continents: AMSAT Organisations Make Their Mark on Transporter-18
• Ten Minutes That Made History: Chile's First Direct ARISS Contact With a Public School
• Commercial AM and FM Station Counts Keep Sliding, Latest FCC Totals Show
• Set Up, Make Contact, Pack Down, Repeat: RaDAR Rally 2026 Is Coming
• A Century-Old Transmitter Sends a Message of Peace on United Nations Day
• APRS Connect Lands on iPhone — And Brings APRS OTA Along With It

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 494 - Q and A 2026

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Q and A 2026

We would like to thank Daryll McCaffery (VK6DMC) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast ad-free. To donate, please visit: http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Will RADE Be the Next SSB?
• New Azores Collective Brings School Amateur Radio Clubs Together
• UN Agencies Warn: Spectrum Interference Is Putting Early Warning Systems and Climate Science at Risk
• Summit Activator's 12th Contact of the Day Wasn't on the Radio — It Was a Rescue
• On This Net, Etiquette Is No Trivial Matter
• Nearly 1,000 QSOs Made From a 12,000-Year-Old Archaeological Site in Turkey
• Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test Set for 17th November — As AM Radio Bill Awaits Senate Vote
• RSGB 2027 Construction Competition Is Open
• RSGB Adds Another Decade of RadCom to the App
• Two New Federal Inquiries Put RF Exposure Back Under the Microscope

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 493 - What makes a Radio Antenna Fail?

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB)  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is What makes an Antenna Fail?

We would like to thank Daryll McCaffery (VK6DMC) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit: http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• AMSAT Youth Initiative Launches Its Fifth Course: Satellites and Astronomy
• Remote FT8, No VPN Required: Say Hello to HamRadioWeb
• Two Years After Helene, Western North Carolina Builds a Radio Network That Won't Go Dark
• Route 66 Takes a Detour Onto the HF Highway
• North Dakota Hams Run a Full Communications Blackout Drill
• Icom Releases Firmware Update 1.03 for the IC-7300MK2
• 100 Years of the Yagi: Contest University Marks a Milestone Antenna Design

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 492 - Which Hotspot

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Which Hotspot.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast ad-free. To donate, please visit: http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Amateur Radio technologies help in Canadian Cave Rescue.
• $1 Million and Counting: Contester and Engineer Dr James Galm Makes Historic Gift to ARRL
• AST SpaceMobile's 800 MHz Trial Wraps Up — But the 70cm Interference Story Isn't Going Away
• South African Regulator Closes In on Repeater Interference in Gauteng
• When the Networks Go Down: Bangladesh Runs Nationwide Radio Drill for Quakes, Floods, and Worse
• Wildfire Scorches Vital Nevada Repeater — Repairs Racing to Beat Labour Day
• Bangladesh Wants a Ham Radio Payload on Its Next Satellite — And They Need Your Voice

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 491 - The Science of Making Distant Contacts

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Frank Howell (K4FMH) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is The Science of Making Distant Contacts.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Colombian Hams Answer the Call After Deadly Earthquake
• 10 Years Old, Freshly Licensed, and Already Rocking a Yaesu FT-857D
• FCC Cracks Down on "Largest GMRS Network in the US" Over Linked Repeater Violations
• Pennsylvania Hams Step Up for the Red Cross
• NASA's PUNCH Mission Cracks Solar Storm Forecasting
• POTA Pulls the Plug on 85% of French Parks — And a Volunteer Resigns Over It
• From Morse to Micropython: RSGB Marks National Coding Week 2026
• Solder, Circuits, and a Radio to Take Home: RSGB's Build Your Own Radio Workshop Returns
• 25 Years On: K4A Takes to the Airwaves for "9/11 We Do Remember"

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 490 - Ham Radio ATU’s

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Ed Durrant DD5LP and Frank Howell K4FMH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Ham Radio ATU’s.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Father-And-Son Dxpedition Team Adds An APRS Mission
• Space Station Logs Historic First ARISS Contact with Kenya
• UK's Leading Observatory Earmarked for Shutdown
• An Incredible Experience. In the Austrian Alps, no less!
• HamSCI Meteor Scatter QSO Parties Target the Perseids
• Examinations Standards Committee Annual Report
• International Dog Day and International Cat Day Special Event

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 489 - STEM and Radio for a Brighter Future

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is STEM and Ham Radio Works.

We would like to thank our Chris Carini, (GW4RER), Walter Washburn, (KT0D), Constantine Papas (KL0S) and monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• HAMgpt Launches as an AI Assistant Built Around Your Station
• Keeping Teams Connected Where the Network Isn't
• Scientists Building Massive Deep Synoptic Array in Nevada Desert
• FCC Clears Orbital Mirror Satellite Despite Widespread Objections
• aprs.world — A Free, Modern Live APRS Map in 11 Languages
• RSGB Club Finder Back Online After Redevelopment
• Peter the First Island DXpedition Seeks Operators
• Icom RS-BA1 Version 2 (Version 2.81) & RS-R8600 (Version 1.02) Software Updates

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 488 - World RadioSport Team Championship (WRTC) 2026

In this special episode, Martin Butler (M1MRB), Chris Howard (M0TCH) and Colin Butler (M6BOY) attended and brought you a flavour of the World Radiosport Team Championship 2026 taking place in the UK.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for helping keep the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

ICQPodcast Episode 487 - A Taste of Ham Radio Friedrichshafen

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is a Taste of Ham Radio Friedrichshafen.

We would like to thank Frank Westphal (K6FW), Ken Delap (KX9U), Reggie Waller (G6YAJ) and Pete Weston (2E0DED) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Germany Likely to Get Full 4 Metres Band Back
• Eyeball-to-Eyeball Off-the-Air QSO Party
• Canada Reviewing Policy on Antennas, Towers
• Researchers Create Space 'Wall' to Weaken Solar Storms
• YOTA CAMP Region 1 - Austria July 2026
• RSGB Offers RFI Workshop Using SDRPlay at This Year’s Convention
• OSCAR LOCATOR Web Generator Turns Live Elements Into Printable Tracking Sheets

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

 GB3XP Repeater

ICQPodcast Episode 486 - Windows 10 to Linux

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB)  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Windows 10 to Linux

We would like to thank Philip Heckingbottom (VK6ADF) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: 

• Volunteers Wanted for Intruder Watch team
• Young Ham Radio Operator Supports the America250 Celebration
• Tour De France is a Tour De Callsigns
• Radio Has a "Senior Moment" to Remember
• New Annual Verification Process by RadioID.net
• 2026 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
• New Technician Question Pool Takes Effect 1st July 2026
• WRTC 2026 Update

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 483 - Fault Finding

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Fault Finding.

We would like to thank Peter Weston (2E0DED) and monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: -

• STEM On and Off the Air
• Award Recognises Dxpeditions with Remote Operations
• WIA asks for Changes to Sub-Antarctic Callsign Prefixes
• CW Ops Needed to Copy Data from Tokyo-Built Cubesat
• Closure of BBC Radio 4 on Long Wave (LW)
• Salty Walt Goes “Next Level” with New Portable Antenna Sketchbook
• New Edition of No Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide
• Morse Code Used as Part of a Hack to Steal $200,000 Worth of Cryptocurrency
• Cat Pix on the Air - 2026

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 485 - World Cup Special Event Station

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is World Cup 2026 Special Event Station.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the  podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: -

• Number of Amateur Radio Operators in Japan Continues Declining
• Find the Right Rig: New Comparison Tool for ARRL Members
• PRESENTER OPINION: Button, button. Who’s got the button?
• Sale Keeps Two More Ham Brands Alive
• HAMSCI asks Canada to reconsider the shortwave shutdown
• Amateur Radio Has The Power Of Awareness
• OscarWatch Tracker: A New Satellite Tracking Program
• FCC Relaxes Amazon's Satellite Internet Deadline
• The MINT STAR – Creating the STEM Future

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 484 - New Lead Free Solder

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB,  Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is New Lead Free Solder.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: -

• Senator Ted Cruz Praises Amateur Radio Volunteers for Emergency Preparedness
• Project Pursues Mysteries of Sporadic E-Skip
• Open-Source Software Modem Called a Vara Replacement
• ARISS Announces Plans for Moon-Based Ham Radio
• Helping Girl Guides Earn Licenses in the Caribbean
• Alamogordo Hamfest Turns 40 This September
• Student Joins South Georgia Island Dxpedition Team
• Turn Your Android Phone into a Modern Ham Radio Transceiver
• Icom UK and Icom America Partner to Sponsor WRTC 2026

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 482 - AMSAT President Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is AMSAT President Drew KO4MA

We would like to thank Paul Elliott (G0TXL) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: -

• Free antenna booklet by Jukka Siitari
• Hamlib Named Winner of the 2026 Amateur Radio Software Award
• FCC Grants Frequencies' Use for Satellite Service
• Linux Kernel Drops AX.25 and Amateur Radio Subsystem Support
• Rocket Lab Launches Eight JAXA Satellites on Kakushin Rising Mission
• Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution
• Amateur Radio to Participate in DoD Armed Forces Day Crossband Test

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

 

ICQPodcast Episode 481 - Home Brewing & Kit Building

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Colin Butler M6BOY to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Home brewing / Kit building.

We would like to thank John Merkel (AJ1DM) and monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

ITU Corporation Re-purposes Linton Armoury Facility to House Iconic Amateur Radio Manufacturing

News stories include: -

• New Regulations for Hams in Norway
• Students are ‘Over The Moon’
• Station's Experiments Explore Use of 4m and 8m Bands
• Arrest for Interference with Emergency Radio Channels
• Britain Seeks Views Before it Drops the Hammer on Signal Jammers
• 2026 ARRL Field Day Merch Now Shipping
• VOA Museum Announces Expanded Hours During Hamvention
• Your TP-Link Router is Under Attack from Russian State Hackers

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

ICQPodcast Episode 480 - Bob K0NR: VHF, Summits and More

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Chris Howard (M0TCH), Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH) and Bill Barnes (WC3B) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Bob K0NR: VHF, Summits and More

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: - 

• Hams Respond to Historic Floods in Hawaii
• FCC Warns Pittsburgh Amateur Radio Operator for 911 Interference
• Doomsday Radio awakens after 50 Years - Repeats “Degazator”
• Starlink Satellite Broke Apart in Orbit after Suffering an Unexplained "anomaly."
• Cat Pix on the Air CPOTA 2026
• ARISS Outlines Opportunities for Space Station Contacts in 2027

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

 

ICQPodcast Episode 479 - Baofeng UV-5R Mini

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief, and the episode's feature is Baofeng UV-5R Mini Review.

We would like to thank our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert-free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include: - 

• FO-29 Enters Full Sunlight: Veteran Satellite Sees Renewed Activity in 2026
• New Indiana Law Protects Ham Radio Antennas, Towers
• Radio Interference Has Landed U.S. Airlines With an $8 Million Bill to Fix Faulty Equipment on Boeing 787s
• Tennessee Approves Credentials for Amateur Radio Technician License
• 630M at Dayton Hamvention
• New Microwave Capabilities for the NRC
• Start Planning for ARRL Field Day 2026
• Judge Orders Voice Of America Back On The Air
• WRTC 2026 Not Permitting National Flags, Symbols

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com