DIY Antennas, QRP, SDR & Ham Radio Projects from VU3DXR
Amateur radio digital modes including FT8, FT2, SSTV, and WSPR with guides, software tools, and DIY interfaces for HF weak-signal communication.
Every vessel larger than 300 gross tons is legally required to broadcast its identity, position, speed, and heading every few seconds on VHF radio. With a $25 RTL-SDR dongle and free software, you can receive, decode, and map those live transmissions from your living room — no licence required, no nautical background needed. This guide walks you through the AIS standard, the hardware and software stack, antenna options, and how to contribute your decoded data to global ship-tracking networks.
It took just one night — February 16, 2026, 22:47 UTC — for a small group of Italian radio amateurs to change the digital HF landscape forever. FT2, developed by Martino Merola IU8LMC of ARI Caserta, compresses a full ham radio QSO to as little as seven seconds, running four times faster than FT8 and twice as fast as FT4. Within two weeks, it had been spotted on PSKReporter from dozens of countries, spawned two incompatible software implementations, and ignited a fierce debate about open-source ethics, automation, and the soul of amateur radio digital operating. This is the complete story of FT2 — the mode, the schism, and what comes next.
In February 2026, amateur radio gained its fastest weak-signal digital mode — and immediately fractured it. FT2 promised ~4-second QSOs and contest-level throughput, but within days of its first on-air tests it split into two incompatible implementations. Here’s the full story of the “FT2 war,” why it happened, and what it means for HF operators everywhere.
Join FCC-licensed WQ2XDM’s 8-meter experiment on 40.680 MHz FT8 and 70 MHz WSPR/FT8. Monitor 24/7 digital modes, decode Sporadic-E signals with SDR, and contribute real propagation data for future band access. Schedules, tips inside.
FT2 promises ultra‑fast QSOs with 3.8‑second cycles and up to 240 contacts per hour, but early adopters are divided. This in‑depth report analyzes FT2’s technical trade‑offs, including its weaker –12 dB sensitivity, very tight ±50 ms clock requirement, Windows‑only Decodium client, and limited award support. It also compiles global feedback from Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, blogs, and WhatsApp groups—ranging from contesters who love the speed to operators who see FT2 as risky, unnecessary, or too fragile for weak‑signal DX.
Developed by Martino Merola, IU8LMC, from the ARI Caserta team in Italy, FT2 is a genuinely operational new digital mode — not vaporware, not a proposal. It was publicly verified on 16 February 2026, with dozens of real QSOs logged on 40m and 80m bands.
FT2 is an emerging weak‑signal amateur radio mode now visible on PSKReporter, offering hams another option next to FT8 and FT4 for HF QSOs and propagation monitoring
Slow Scan Television is a method of transmitting still images over radio using audio frequency tones. The term “slow scan” distinguishes it from conventional fast-scan television (like broadcast TV), which requires much wider bandwidth.
Weather Facsimile—commonly known as WEFAX, HF-FAX, or Radiofax—is easily one of the most rewarding niches in the shortwave hobby. There is a certain “magic” in tuning your receiver to a scheduled frequency and watching a high-resolution synoptic chart or satellite image slowly materialize on your screen, line by line, over several minutes.
ADSBee 1090 is an open-source ADS-B receiver that decodes 1090 MHz aircraft transponder signals using RP2040 PIO — a low-power standalone aviation tracker with Wi-Fi data streaming.