Blog
I, OE5LXR, Mountain Goat
194 summits, 7 years and 5 months, 2940 QSOs after starting my journey on 31st March 2024 I have finally obtained "Mountain Goat" status 😉 .
European SOTA Activity Day 2024
The European SOTA Activity Day 2024 will take place on 14th September 2024. Its focus is on EU wide portable ham radio operation from a mountain.
Micro Build Report: Kanga Rooster 40 m CW Transceiver
The Kanga Products Rooster 40 m CW transceiver is a neat little rock-bound CW QRP transceiver. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
Micro Build Report: QRPMe Tuna Topper
The QRPme Sudden Storm is a RF amplifier kit (up to 5W for 40 m band) made by OM Rex Harper, W1REX. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
Micro Build Report: QRPMe Sudden Storm
The QRPme Sudden Storm is a rock-bound CW receiver kit for the 40 m band made by OM Rex Harper, W1REX. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
Micro Build Report: QRPMe Tuna Helper
The QRPme Two Tinned Tunas is a RF sensing sensing automatic transmit/receive switch kit made by OM Rex Harper, W1REX. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
A cheap DIY dummy load using wire wound power resistors
This article describes how I assembled a cheap dummy load using a pair of 100 Ω / 50 W wire wound resistors and why that wasn't the best idea.
Micro Build Report: QRPMe Two Tinned Tunas (EZ Build)
The QRPme Two Tinned Tunas is a rock-bound CW (morse) transmitter building kit made by OM Rex Harper, W1REX. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
Micro Build Report: QRPMe Tuna Tunah
The QRPme Tuna Tunah is a switched inductor antenna tuner building kit made by OM Rex Harper, W1REX. Pictures from assembly by OE5LXR.
Thoughts on the Purpose of Ham Radio in the Modern World
In this article I try to examine the relevance of ham radio in our modern world thoroughly saturated with a plethora of digital communication.
European SOTA Activity Day 2023
The European SOTA Activity Day 2023 took place on 16th September 2023. Its focus is on EU wide portable ham radio operation from a mountain.
Sota Antennas #1: Multi-Band Inverted-Vee Trapped Dipole
Article about my primary SOTA antenna which is a multi-band (20/30/40) inverted-vee trapped dipole with over 100 successful activations.
Micro Build Report: Hardrock HF-50 HF Amplifier
This micro build report describes my impressions of the build and operational usage of the HobbyPCB Hardrock HF-50 HF amplifier.
How to import a GPX file into Garmin Basecamp
Learn how to export a GPX file from the OE5LXR SOTA tour database, convert it to a route, and send it to your GPS device for navigation.
A curated list of the best technical ham radio books
This article contains a curated list of the very best technical ham radio books. It's an open list and anyone may suggest further candidates.
A curated list of the best non-technical ham radio books
Technical ham radio books are legion. Non-technical books that capture and convey the magic of ham radio are rare. Some are listed here.
A curated list of the best ham radio blogs
With the declining value of search engine results this article attempts to capture a list of excellent ham radio blogs around the world.
ISS SSTV Gallery - SSTV transmissions decoded by OE5LXR
The ISS SSTV Gallery contains all the SSTV images received and decoded from the ISS by Alexander Entinger (OE5LXR).
How to decode SSTV images with QSSTV
Learn how to decode SSTV images with QSSTV on Linux. Interesting for decoding SSTV images received from ISS during ARISS and MAI SSTV events.
My setup for receiving SSTV images from the ISS
From hand-held radio to complex automated antenna rotor systems: There are many options how to receive SSTV from ISS. This is how I do it.
A Bonus Conversation in Times of Zoom
Modern video conferencing tools can drastically simplify communication. But sometimes they can also throw a wrench into the gearbox.
A Little Fable
Inspired by Franz Kafka's short story "A Little Fable" I went down a rabbit hole before finally writing down my own little fable.
European SOTA Activity Day 2022
The European SOTA Activity Day 2022 took place on 17th September 2022. Its focus is on EU wide portable ham radio operation from a mountain.
KG-STV on ISS - Digital SSTV on the International Space Station
On Sunday, 20th February 2022 ARISS Europe was conducting a special experiment transmitting KG-STV digitally encoded images from the ISS.
European SOTA Activity Day 2021
The European SOTA Activity Day 2021 took place on 18th September 2021. Its focus is on EU wide portable ham radio operation from a mountain.
How to interface your Yaesu FT-817ND/FT-818 radio with a Hardrock-50 HF amplifier
A Yaesu FT-817ND hardrock interface allows automatic band switching of the Hardrock-50 HF amplifier via FT-817ND and FT-818.
How to receive and decode WSPR with a simple RTL-SDR
Weak Signal Propagation Reporter is a digital radio protocol for probing potential propagation paths. Learn how to receive WSPR with RTL-SDR.
Yaesu FT-817ND Transmitter Output Power Levels
The Yaesu FT-817ND has four transmitter output power levels: 5 W, 2.5 W, 1 W and 0.5 W. See the different visual indicators for each level.
How to automate your QSL card workflow
Learn how to automate your QSL card workflow by exporting QSO data directly from your logging program and print to beautiful adhesive labels.
My SOTA Journey - From Novice to Veteran
Every journey begins with a single step. Every mountain goat starts with one single summit. This is my SOTA journey from novice to veteran.
Yaesu FT-817ND/FT-818 PowerPole Adapter
The YAESU FT-817ND PowerPole Adapter protects against dangerous mechanical stress exerted on the DC input connector when operating portable.
How to assemble the WiMo X-Quad Antenna for 2m
Learn how to perform a WiMo X-Quad Antenna 2m assembly and use this fantastic anteanna for receiving signals from the ISS during SSTV events.
How to decode SSTV images with MMSSTV
In this article you'll learn how to decode SSTV with MMSSTV. Interesting for decoding SSTV images received from ISS during ARISS SSTV events.
How to build a diode voltage reduction adapter for your LiPo
Learn how to build a diode voltage reduction adapter for reducing battery voltage of your LiPo battery pack to a safe level for your radio.
European SOTA Activity Day 2020
The European SOTA Activity Day 2020 took place on 19th September 2020. Its focus is on EU wide portable ham radio operation from a mountain.
The ultimate guide to your Yaesu FT-817ND radio
The ultimate guide to your Yaesu FT-817ND contains all the knowledge necessary to get the most out of this robust and versatile little radio.
My portable ham radio setup for VHF and HF
In this article I’ll be describing my portable ham radio setup for both VHF and HF in order to give beginners a reference setup to build upon.
How to install the YF-122S Yaesu FT-817ND ssb filter
Learn how to fit the YF-122S ssb filter into the Yaesu FT-817ND in order to improve the suppression of strong signals on adjacent channels.
CQ, CQ, this is OE5LXR ...
Hi! My name is Alexander Entinger (ham radio callsign OE5LXR) and welcome to my personal blog about portable ham radio and SOTA.