“International Ham Radio News & Opinion: ‘The Communicator-January-February 2026.'”
Views expressed in this Amateur/Ham Radio update are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Accessed on 08 January 2026, 2316 UTC.
Content and Source: “Amateur Radio.com.”
URL–https://www.amateurradio.com/the-communicator-january-february-2026/?awt_a=4inN&awt_l=Kd9jW&awt_m=myfN.24jovrzbnN
Please check URL or scroll down to read your selections.
Reminder: The Waimea Big Island of Hawaii Hamfest/Swap Meet is set for Saturday, 21 February 2026, at the Waimea Community Center. Doors open to the public at 0930 HST.
Russ Roberts (KH6JRM).
https://hawaiiarrlnews.com and https://simplehamradioantennas.blogspot.com.
AmateurRadio.com
International Ham Radio News & Opinion
The Communicator: January – February 2026
31 December 2025 | by John VE7TI | Share | | Leave a Comment (1)
The Communicator First Issue of 2026
Happy New Year! This first issue of 2026 spans 110 pages and offers a comprehensive exploration of amateur radio. Readers will find a diverse mix of content, including technical projects, the latest operating news, and engaging historical perspectives relevant to the amateur radio community.
Historical and Informative Features
Readers will find historical profiles of notable figures in radio, this time including Edouard Branly, inventor of the coherer, and the fateful and communications-stricken flight of Amelia Earhart. The Silent Revolution: The future of RF is in light, is an overview of transceivers using light rather than wires, promising less noise and terrific bandwidth. You will find tutorials on a variety of relevant subjects including HF digital modes such as FT8 and JS8Call, suggestions for contest logging software, and tips for successful portable operations.
Technical Articles
Several articles in this issue delve into practical projects and technical experimentation. Topics covered include encrypted communications in amateur radio, antenna construction and tuning, including the revolutionary Challenger+, low-power (QRP) operating strategies, free access to online software-defined radio receivers, and modifications to homebrew equipment. Additional articles address emergency communications preparedness, recent regulatory changes affecting Canadian amateurs, and reviews of new ham radio products and books.
Regular Sections
The issue includes our regular informative columnists, providing valuable information for operators. They include feature propagation forecasts, updates on satellite and digital modes, reports on VHF/UHF activity, summaries of recent contests and on-air events, and even a ‘snow muffin’ recipe for Winter Field Day.
Feature Article: Embracing Versatility in Amateur Radio
An opinion piece reflected by the cover: “Are you an Amateur Radio chameleon?” (p. 102), employs the chameleon as a metaphor for versatility in the hobby. Drawing on the Senegalese proverb, “The chameleon changes colour to match the earth, the earth doesn’t change colour to match the chameleon,” the article gently critiques operators who specialize exclusively in one aspect of amateur radio—whether chasing DX on HF, focusing on VHF repeaters, contesting year-round, or limiting activity to digital modes like FT8.
While acknowledging that specialization can foster deep expertise, the article contends that remaining in a single niche may restrict personal growth and diminish the enjoyment of amateur radio. Instead, it celebrates those who adapt fluidly, moving between CW, SSB, digital modes, satellite work, QRP portable activations, microwave experimentation, public service events, and homebrewing. These “chameleons,” the article suggests, find greater fulfillment and contribute more broadly to the amateur radio community.
It concludes with an invitation for readers to share their own stories of adaptation and discovery by emailing communicator@ve7sar.net.
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On behalf of SARC and SEPAR, we wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
~ John VE7TI, Editor
Contents for this issue:
- Edouard Eugène Désiré Branly and his Coherer 4
- Amelia Earhart: Better radio skills may have made a difference 32
- Photonics the Silent Revolution: The future of RF is in light 38
- Ham Rocket Men 42
- The story of Salmon, Idaho 44
- Profile: The Canadian International DX Club 48
- The Challenger+ OCF: A portable Halfwave Antenna by KJ6ER 50
- About that Un-un 57
- Coaxial Cables and Common Mode Currents 58
- A Challenger+ build 61
- 2025 Appointment to the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame: Geoff Smith VA3GS (SK) 62
- A Starter Guide: Internet Remote Software Defined Radio (SDR) Receivers 64
- The BC QSO Party 66
- Ham Radio Outside the Box: What really determines the efficiency of an antenna? 68
- The VA7ZEB Line of Sight (LoS) Web App 71
- Converting the shack computer to Linux 74
- Foundations of Amateur Radio: I have a problem with logging 76
- Back to Basics: Near Vertical Incident Skywave 79
- Amateur Radio HH as a modular option of a new electric car 82
- No-ham Recipes: Winter Field Day Snow Muffins 83
- Profiles of SARC members: Blake R. Wiggs VA7BWG 86
- 2025 SARC Field Day Results 92
- SARC General Meeting minutes 94
- The Christmas Social 96
- Coming up 98
- The SEPAR Report 100
- Are you an Amateur Radio Chameleon? Embrace the multiverse of the ‘Hobby of Hobbies’ 102
- Ham Leftovers 106
- A look back: at The Communicator—January 2016 108
- Kudos 112
One Response to “The Communicator: January – February 2026”
- KQ9Y:John:
Looking forward to another exciting year of news to and from the Amateur Radio community.
Thank you so much for what you do.
My X-XYL (aka- Double XYL) is also a HAM. (KI6QOG) As we are still good friends, she reads your publication as well. Trying to get her to subscribe. But as she is still employed, her email(s) are frequently jammed with work. Perhaps upon retirement… - – 73 Chris,KQ9Y,USA
- 4 January 2026 at 17:03 UTC
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