This Week at KE2YK — November 1, 2026
Catch up on two new KE2YK posts and all six Daily Briefs, then look ahead at the DX activity announced for the coming week.
This KE2YK weekly ham radio roundup uses two date windows. Parts 1 and 2 cover Monday, October 26, at 00:01 UTC through Saturday, October 31, at 23:59 UTC. Part 3 looks ahead from Monday, November 2, at 00:01 UTC through Saturday, November 7, at 23:59 UTC.
Part 1: KE2YK Posts From the Past Week
Monday, October 26 — HOA Antenna Rules: Why Hams Want a Change
Many hams who live in HOA communities have trouble putting up useful antennas. This article explains the proposed Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, why ARRL supports it, why an HOA group opposes it, and what operators should do while the bills are still only proposals. Read HOA Antenna Rules: Why Hams Want a Change.
Saturday, October 31 — How to Document Your QRP Station in 6 Easy Steps
A simple station record can save time when something stops working or when you pack for the field. This guide shows how to list equipment, draw the signal path, save settings, record power needs, make a packing list, and keep the notes current. Read How to Document Your QRP Station in 6 Easy Steps.
Part 2: The Daily Brief — October 26–31 in Review
Here are all six Monday-through-Saturday Daily Brief summaries, with source links. The headings identify the brief dates; some reports and events took place earlier.
Monday, October 26 — POTA Planning, ARISS, and QRP DX
FieldQTH offered POTA operators a map with park boundaries and overlapping parks. The brief also highlighted ARISS educational contacts and ISS radio status, which support student conversations with astronauts. The linked status page does not confirm a particular completed school contact that day. The brief also looked ahead to 5Z4GO/P from Wasini Island, Kenya, a QRP CW operation planned for 20 through 10 meters.
Tuesday, October 27 — Venus Echoes, Hidden POTA Parks, and the POTA Website Preview
CAMRAS reported a successful Earth–Venus–Earth experiment. Dwingeloo transmitted on October 17–18, and Astropeiler Stockert received the echoes. The team decoded “VENUS ECHO.” CAMRAS published its report on October 19; the experiment did not take place on October 27.
Charles, K8MDB, shared hidden POTA opportunities along a national trail. His October 26 field report showed how the North Country National Scenic Trail can provide an operating option in a local park that is not separately listed. Check the trail’s POTA reference, current route, access rules, and official activation rules before choosing a spot. A trail passing through a park does not make the entire park eligible.
An October 23 first-look article explored the redesigned POTA website at next.pota.app. It offered an operator’s preview, rather than an official release announcement. Use POTA’s main site for current spots and account tools; the preview report does not establish a new launch on October 27.
Wednesday, October 28 — Portable Planning, CW Reach, and Lesotho
The Wireless Institute of Australia highlighted GridNomad, a tool for organizing portable radio trips. SkipDX provided a free way for CW operators to see how far their signals travel. A South African HF update pointed to CW activity from Lesotho as spring conditions returned to the region.
Thursday, October 29 — Open Source, Leap Seconds, and American Samoa
FOSDEM 2027 announced an open-source amateur-radio technology forum. The planned retirement of leap seconds raised questions about how precise timekeeping changes may affect radio systems. The KH8A American Samoa team prepared for a South Pacific operation on 160 through 6 meters.
Friday, October 30 — VKFF, Juan Fernández DX, and VHF Propagation
The VKFF National Get Together put portable radio and park activity in the spotlight. The XR0Z team announced revised dates for Alexander Selkirk Island, with arrival planned for November 24 and operation hoped for on November 25 or 26, weather permitting. Tradewind software offered a new way to study VHF and UHF propagation across the Americas.
Saturday, October 31 — Satellite Software, Moonbounce, and Australia
OsTrax brought satellite tracking, radio control, rotator control, and logging to Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. The ARRL International EME Contest challenged stations to bounce signals off the Moon. The Wireless Institute of Australia published eight priorities for 2026–2027, including education, club support, modern services, and spectrum protection.
Part 3: DX Activity for November 2–7
The announced operations below overlap the coming Monday-through-Saturday window, except XR0Z, which is retained as a postponement notice. Dates are plans, not promises of nonstop activity. Travel, setup, propagation, and local conditions can change a schedule.
- 3DA0GY — Eswatini: Planned through November 2 on 40 through 10 meters using CW and SSB.
- JD1BQP — Ogasawara: Planned through November 2 on 160 through 6 meters from Chichijima Island.
- 5H3MB — Tanzania: Planned on 80 through 10 meters using CW.
- 3B9/M0CFW — Rodrigues Island: Planned on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB, and digital modes.
- E51MWA — North Cook Islands: Planned from Manihiki Island, mainly CW on HF with some remote operation.
- TZ4AM — Mali: Planned on 80 through 6 meters using CW and SSB.
- 5R8IC — Madagascar: Planned from Sainte-Marie Island, mainly CW with some FT8 and SSB.
- 7P8EA — Lesotho: Planned on 20 through 10 meters using CW and SSB.
- VP2V/NY9K — British Virgin Islands: Planned on 40 through 10 meters using FT8, with some POTA and maritime-mobile activity reported.
- V47JA — St. Kitts and Nevis: Planned through November 6 on 160 through 6 meters using SSB and FT8.
- 6W/I2YSB and 6W/IK2HKT — Senegal: Planned on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8.
- YJ0SP — Vanuatu: Planned through November 5 from Port Vila on HF.
- V26JJ — Antigua: Planned through November 6 on HF using CW, SSB, and FT8.
- KH8A — American Samoa: Planned on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and RTTY.
- 9X5KM — Rwanda: Holiday-style HF activity is planned with a focus on the low bands.
- J3/N9GB — Grenada: Planned through November 6 on 40 through 6 meters using CW, SSB, and some FT8.
- FW3GT — Wallis and Futuna: Planned mainly on 40 through 10 meters using CW and FT8, with some 80- and 60-meter activity.
- XR0Z — Juan Fernández Islands: Postponed beyond November 2–7. The team now lists a start on November 25 or 26 and an end on December 6 or 7, weather permitting, on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8.
- VP2MCV — Montserrat: Planned from November 3 on HF.
- D44PX — Cape Verde: Planned from November 4 on 60 through 6 meters using SSB, FT8, and FT4.
For last-minute changes, QSL details, and new announcements, check the NG3K Announced DX Operations list. Thanks for reading, good luck with the week’s DX, and enjoy your time on the air. 73!
KE2YK posts and all six Daily Brief summaries cover October 26–31. Brief dates are not necessarily event or source-publication dates. Sources and announced DX plans were reviewed November 1, 2026; XR0Z’s revised team schedule supersedes the older DX-list entry. Plans, software, event details, and propagation can change.
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