Route 66 Takes a Detour Onto the HF Highway

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Route 66 Takes a Detour Onto the HF Highway

What does amateur radio have in common with one of America's most famous roads? Connection — plain and simple. Ham radio has always been about linking people together, and for 100 years, Route 66 has done much the same thing for motorists, connecting small towns, friends, and adventure along the open road.

To mark that centennial, 24 special event stations are on the air throughout the anniversary, running from Saturday 12th September through to Sunday 20th September.

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North Dakota Hams Run a Full Communications Blackout Drill

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North Dakota Hams Run a Full Communications Blackout Drill

Every so often it's worth stepping back from the gear and the bands and remembering what this hobby is actually for. This story from southwestern North Dakota is a good reminder.

The Southwestern District Health Unit in Dickinson reached out to local amateur radio advocates recently, and the result was a full communications-blackout exercise run from 1–4 p.m. on Wednesday. The premise was simple and deliberately harsh: no cell phones, no internet, no landlines. Volunteers set out to move information between emergency operations centres in Stark, Bowman, and Adams counties using nothing but radio — and see exactly how far and how fast it actually travelled.

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Icom Releases Firmware Update 1.03 for the IC-7300MK2

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A quick one for anyone running the newer IC-7300MK2 — Icom has just pushed out a fresh firmware update worth grabbing.

Icom has released Version 1.03 firmware for the IC-7300MK2 HF/50/70MHz transceiver, bringing a set of operational improvements to the radio.

The update is available now from the Icom Global website - https://www.icomjapan.com/support/firmware_driver/4742/

As always with firmware updates, take the time to read through the installation instructions carefully before applying it to your radio — a rushed update is the easiest way to turn a routine improvement into an afternoon of troubleshooting.

If you're running an IC-7300MK2, this is one worth adding to the to-do list.