The airwaves never really go quiet — they just wait for someone to notice. Today’s haul from the ham and pirate corners of the internet is a mix of shiny new browser tools, stubborn QRP boxes, weather from space, and a bit of old-school radio romance.

OrbitNight: Point Your Rotator from a Browser Tab

RTL-SDR.com dropped a note about OrbitNight, a free, no-signup browser-based satellite pass viewer. Polar plot, live az/el, AOS/LOS countdown, and a radio tab pulling frequencies from SatNOGS. The interesting bit: it can drive a Yaesu GS-232-compatible or EasyComm rotator straight from Chrome or Edge via Web Serial. No Gpredict + Hamlib dance required.

Original post | RTL-SDR write-up

Is this the beginning of the end for dedicated satellite software for the casual tracker? Or just another tab you’ll forget is open until the ISS is already half way across the sky?

RTL-SDR USB dongle with antenna adapter

Clouds from Orbit, Served Fresh in Vancouver

Peter Vogel (VE7AFV) shared four crisp Meteor-M2 images received and processed in Vancouver with Nooelec gear and a WIMO TA-1 turnstile. One of them is particularly rich in cloud detail — the kind of shot that makes you remember why people still haul antennas outside for a 10-minute pass.

Original post with images

Nothing revolutionary, just a solid reminder that weather satellites remain one of the most rewarding “first real project” targets for new SDR owners.

Xiegu X6200: Nice Design, Software Still Fighting Back

A German operator (DC6NS) posted a short field note on the Xiegu X6200: 5/8 W, swappable battery, built-in ATU, FM broadcast, pleasant design — and the usual quality and software rough edges. The QRP community has been chewing on this radio for a while; CW keyer timing, AGC quirks, and power output that doesn’t always match the screen are recurring themes.

Original post

Chinese QRP boxes keep getting better at looking and feeling the part. The firmware department, however, still seems to work on a different timeline.

Meshtastic and Meshcore: Did Ham Radio Win Again?

Someone asked whether Meshtastic/Meshcore is suddenly more relevant because of AI-related internet worries. The reply from the crowd was familiar: a lot of people tried the mesh devices, then quietly went back to actual ham radio once the novelty wore off. Ham Radio Club House even had a live stream on the topic.

Discussion

LoRa mesh is fun until you want more than a few kilometres of text messages and a solar node that actually stays up.

Lunchtime License-Free in Japan

JG1TKM spent a lunch break at Sakitama Kofun Park running the Japanese license-free (特小) service on the Akagi Mountain repeater, working a couple of stations, and doing some BCL on えびすFM. Onigiri included. The license-free scene in Japan continues to look remarkably active and low-drama compared with most other countries’ CB/PMR offerings.

Original post

Sometimes the most interesting radio is the stuff that doesn’t require a test or a callsign.

90s London Pirate Radio, the Sequel That Never Needed One

A short nostalgic post recalled the classic 90s London pirate tactics: concrete the studio door, climb in over the balconies, keep the jungle records spinning that no legal station would touch. Raids didn’t kill it. The internet did.

Post

Every generation of pirate radio eventually meets a technology that makes the risk-to-reward calculation change. The aesthetic, though, remains undefeated.

Homebrew direct conversion HF amateur radio receiver

If you have a directional antenna and an RTL-SDR, give OrbitNight a spin on the next decent LEO pass. And if you’re still sitting on an X6200 with the latest firmware, the CW community would love another data point.