OPDX TO QRT - After 36 years the OPDX mail list will cease publication. “Gaggle Mail” has discontinued their free plan, causing this decision. When OPDX first started, 1,000 subscribers were the limit. The change is to just 200. There are currently 700 readers, so 500 would have to be removed. November 9 will be the last posting. List administrator Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW says, “I have decided to totally retire the OPDX ML after 36+ years.”
Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, released version 1.1.5 of OscarWatch Tracker on October 29. New features include custom SSTV save folders, chroma smoothing for cleaner Robot/PD pictures, an FT4 CQ blocklist, live DXCC logging, audio silence warnings, and improved USB sound card recovery. The release also includes SSTV sync fixes that prevent noisy Robot 36 pictures from being misidentified as Robot 72.
Felix, DL5XL, will operate as DP0GVN from Neumayer-Station III in Antarctica (IB59ui) from November 5, 2026, to February 12, 2027. He will be active on HF (80–10m) and QO-100.
ARRL New England Division Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, resigned from the ARRL Board of Directors effective November 1, 2026. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has appointed Bruce Blain, K1BG, of Harvard, Massachusetts, as the new Vice Director. Blain will serve the remainder of the term, which expires December 31, 2027.
Watching, Listening, Reading...
What Ham Operators Heard The Night Pearl Harbor Was Attacked - On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed the course of American history. But beyond the official reports and radio broadcasts, amateur radio operators were part of a nationwide network of listeners who followed the airwaves during one of the most dramatic moments of World War II (via YouTube).
Ham Radio Voices from the Past - this is an unusual video about a tape that was discovered of recordings of ham radio made some 65 years ago (via YouTube).
Vacuum Tubes Still Glow - Grayson Evans, KJ7UM talks about his path from Georgia Tech EE student to self-taught vacuum tube builder, why Thermatrons are more accessible than most hams think, his glue-and-go construction method on copper clad board, and the simple QRP kits he sells to get beginners started without getting shocked (via YouTube).
