W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio

The WRTC 2026 Games Begin Now: Mark Haynes M0DXR

Within weeks, ham radio competitors hungry for one of only 50 team slots in the WRTC 2026 will have their first chance to earn qualifying points. The CQ Worldwide DX SSB contest in late October is the first of only fifteen contests over the next couple of years where points can be earned. In this interview with London area contester and WRTC chairman, Mark Haynes M0DXR, you'll learn more about how the best of the best contesters qualify, how various operating categories are weighted, and the meticulous planning that is required to make this 24-hour contest fair, efficient, and enjoyable. Mark estimates that several hundred people - competitors, referees, site managers, sponsors and spectators - will all converge in England in July 2026 to celebrate this milestone 10th World Radiosport Team Championship. If the conversation leaves you curious to learn more from a competitor's vantage point, look for my earlier interviews with recent winner Yuri VE3DZ, Randy K5ZD and Tim K3LR.

Team Ukraine: Ham Radio Champs VE3DZ & UW7LL at WRTC 2022

What's it take to win the Ham Radio Olympics? Yuri, VE3DZ, would suggest that luck is a big factor and, at this level, he's likely correct. Then you learn that Yuri has participated in 8 of the 9 World Radio Team Championships telling us that experience and proficiency are also very important. When he explains that his WRTC teammate, Yarik, UW7LL is a technical wizard, one can easily see the competitive benefit of being able to analyze and correct a problem in the moment. Yuri says that he and Yarik did not have time to communicate during the contest, and had no specific strategy, yet they worked in lockstep with band changes and multiplier chasing. Yuri makes it sound easy, or a result of luck, but it's clear that there's a lot more to it. Watch this video interview with Yuri VE3DZ and decide for yourself.

US Islands Award Program with Jay NS4J

The US Islands program is a nationwide initiative that promotes amateur radio operations from various islands across the country's inland waterways and coastal regions. The program encourages hams to set up stations on these islands and for others to contact them. The program maintains a comprehensive list of designated island reference numbers, aiding operators in identifying specific islands for activation. Hams earn recognition for island activations based on established rules and point systems. Through this initiative, the US Islands program fosters camaraderie among operators, public awareness about amateur radio, and reinforces the vital role of ham radio in disaster response and community connectivity. Join me for this conversation with Jay NS4J to learn more about the US Islands program.

Swains Island W8S DXpedition

On October 4th 2023, a band of ten experienced ham radio DXpeditioners will be QRV from Swains Island in the South Pacific. This is a much sought after QSO as Swains is ranked #27 on the Club Log most wanted DXCC list. DX Hall of Famer, and W8S teammate, Adrian Ciuperca KO8SCA explains their entire operation in detail including the team’s unique relationship with the island owners, the Jennings family, who are providing a significant amount of logistical support for the trip. Before you get on the air to make your contact, learn more about Swains and the effort being made to bring you this rare DXCC, IOTA and POTA contact.

TX5S Clipperton Island DXpedition Update from Co-Organizer K3EL Dave Lloyd

Clipperton Island, the atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, has a storied history of presidential visits, castaways waiting to be rescued, government squabbles over ownership and, of course, ham radio DXpeditions. In January 2024, the Perseverance DX Group will add their names to the history of this rare entity that is #38 on the Clublog's most wanted list. In this conversation, PDXG co-founder and Clipperton co-organizer, Dave Lloyd K3EL, offers an overview of their activation plans as well as specifics about equipment, antennas, operating schedules and more. Learn about the team behind the 2024 Clipperton DXpedition in anticipation of getting this rare one in your log early next year.

Young Ham Radio Leadership: Katie Campbell KE8LQR

Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, is 15 years old and clearly not the image of ham radio that has everyone worried about an aging hobby. Not only is she a licensed and active ham radio operator, Katie holds positions as the Assistant Youth Section Coordinator for Ohio, is a correspondent for the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL), and is the assistant PR manager for Youngsters on the Air (YOTA). She has presented at many ham conventions working closely with the legendary youth educator, Carole Perry, WB2MGP. Most recently, Katie was one of a select group of young ham radio operators who took over the K3LR superstation for the RSGB IOTA contest. If you’re curious about attracting more youth to ham radio, you should get to know Katie Campbell KE8LQR and follow her work in promoting the hobby.

American Samoa KH8 DXpedition Wrap-up: James Gallo KB2FMH

26,679. That’s the number of QSOs that teammates James Gallo KB2FMH, Hal Turley W8HC, and Yuri Sushkin N3QQ, put in the log over their 16 days in American Samoa as KH8RRC. From all accounts, it was a well-executed DXpedition with operations on multiple bands, in multiple modes, and providing credit for the DXCC entity, a Parks on the Air park and the IOTA island. Social media was alive with reports during those two weeks in July. James KB2FMH joined me for this conversation about what went right, what went wrong, and how they dealt with the problems that arose. In keeping with his inimitable style, James is very entertaining in his description of events on the ground in the American Samoa. He even hints at where their next DXpedition might be!

Ham Radio Storyteller: Michael Martens KB9VBR

Michael Martens, KB9VBR, is on a “mission to inspire and educate the amateur radio community.” With over 545 videos that have been viewed nearly 7 million times, it appears that he’s accomplishing his goal. What distinguishes Michael’s content above most others is the high production quality so it wasn’t surprising to hear that he has a film and creative story telling background. In our conversation, we talk about Michael’s start with ham radio in 1999, his business venture called “J-Pole Antennas,” Parks on the Air activations, and, of course, his passion for creating content that inspires on his extremely popular YouTube channel, KB9VBR Antennas.