GazLabs

Radio, RC, Linux, gaming, drawing & content creation

Ham radio, RC, Linux, gaming, drawing, and content creation, all in one place. Live solar space weather, DX cluster spots, satellite pass predictions, HF band conditions, antenna calculators and more — no signup required.

📝 Blog 🧩 WebApps 🚗 RC Cars & Trucks
16+
Free WebApps
16
Amateur Satellites Tracked
12
HF Bands Monitored
5+
News Sources Aggregated
Welcome

What GazLabs is about

GazLabs is a hobby website run by a licensed UK radio amateur. It brings together hands-on articles, free web tools and reference guides for amateur radio, electronics, RC cars, home-lab computing and a few favourite games. Everything is written from real use — radios that have been on the desk, cables that have been built and tested, and problems that have actually been fixed — and it's all free to use with no signup.

Amateur radio, from a UK point of view

Most of the site is about ham radio. The blog covers new transceivers and handhelds (including hands-on first looks), side-by-side comparisons, digital modes like FT8, D-STAR and System Fusion, and practical fixes: USB driver problems, firmware boot loops, amplifier PTT and band-data cables, and connecting SDRs to logging and data-mode software. Band plans, propagation notes and licensing references are based on Ofcom rules and IARU Region 1, so they're right for UK and European operators rather than written for the US.

Free tools you can use in the shack

The live tools pull public data together in one place: solar flux, K-index and space weather from NOAA, HF band conditions, DX cluster spots, amateur satellite pass predictions and a grey-line world map. Alongside them are calculators for antennas and frequency error (PPM), an interactive FT8 setup hub that walks you through WSJT-X, rig and audio settings, a fault-finder for Ciro loop antennas and a database of wide-band modifications. Live data is cached on the server where possible, so pages stay fast and your browser isn't talking to lots of third parties.

Beyond the radio

GazLabs also covers the other things that live on the workbench: RC cars for bashing in the UK, Meshtastic mesh networking and trackers, Raspberry Pi and self-hosted home-lab builds, and network security tools. There are in-depth game guides too — a multi-page Soulmask guide, an Enshrouded recipe book and an ARK breeding calculator — written while running community dedicated servers.

Honest, independent and kept up to date

GazLabs isn't paid by manufacturers or dealers for coverage. Reviews say when they're based on early hardware or published specifications, prices are dated, and articles are updated when firmware or availability changes. Hosting is paid for out of pocket, helped by adverts from Google AdSense. You can read more about GazLabs, or use the contact form to ask a question, report a bug or suggest a tool.

Blog & Web Apps

Apps, News & More

GazLabs original blog, live ham radio news, grey-line propagation map, and a directory of all web applications — tools, calculators, databases and reference guides.

📝
Blog
Radio and hobbies blog with articles on amateur radio, SDR, antenna projects, equipment reviews, modifications, and more. Posts with full HTML content, search, and reader interaction.
GazLabs Blog
🧩
WebApps
All GazLabs web applications in one place — antenna calculators, modification databases, fault finders, parts lookups, and more. Browse the full collection of tools and utilities.
App Directory
🚗
RC Cars & Trucks
RC cars and trucks resource — guides, links, battery and motor comparisons, and community forums for radio-controlled vehicle enthusiasts of all skill levels.
RC Resource
📰
Ham Radio News
Latest amateur radio headlines aggregated from ARRL, QRZNow, IARU, HamDaily and AmRadio. All major amateur radio news sources in one place, updated every 30 minutes.
Live · RSS Aggregator
🗺️
World Map & Grey Line
Live grey-line propagation map with real-time satellite tracking, FT8 cluster overlay, and APRS position data. Built on Leaflet with satellite.js TLE propagation engine.
Live · Leaflet Map
Calculators & Reference

Antenna & Radio Tools

Offline-capable tools for antenna design, modification research and fault-finding. No live data required — use these in the shack, in the field, or anywhere.

📐
AntennaCal
Wire antenna designer for dipoles and end-fed antennas. Calculates SWR, feed impedance, voltage and current distribution. Covers 17 wire types, 11 HF/VHF bands and multiband comparison.
Calculator · Offline
📡
WBMod DB
Wideband modification database for Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood transceivers. MARS/CAP TX/RX expansion guides with diode maps, photos and step-by-step instructions.
Database · Reference
🔁
Ciro Baby Loop Fault Finder
Interactive fault-finding guide for the Ciro Baby Loop magnetic loop antenna. Step-by-step diagnostics covering capacitor, motor, controller and RF connector issues.
Fault Finder
🔄
Ciro MK2 Enhanced
Enhanced Ciro Baby Loop MK2 diagnostics with NanoVNA guide, efficiency calculator, SWR logger with session history, and advanced fault-finding decision tree.
Fault Finder · NanoVNA
⚡
ACOM Amplifier Parts
Genuine replacement parts for ACOM HF linear amplifiers. Covers ACOM 1200S (LDMOS), 2000A (dual-tetrode), and 1000 (single-tetrode) models.
Parts Reference
📻
Kenwood Parts Lookup
Genuine replacement parts for Kenwood radios sourced from official service manuals. Currently covers TS-590S HF/50MHz transceiver.
Parts Reference
📻
Yaesu Parts Lookup
Genuine replacement parts for Yaesu radios sourced from official technical supplements. Covers ATAS-120, FT-818ND, FT DX 10 and FTM-500DR models.
Parts Reference
Other Apps

Radar, Maps & More

✈️
Sky Radar
Retro-style ADS-B radar scope showing aircraft within range of your postcode. Live flight data from OpenSky Network. Popular with aviation enthusiasts and ham radio operators tracking aircraft.
Live · ADS-B · OpenSky
🌐
Meshtastic Live Map
Live map of Meshtastic LoRa mesh network nodes across the UK. See active nodes, signal reports, and mesh network coverage on an interactive Leaflet map.
Live · LoRa · Mesh
🚆
Live Train Departures
Real-time UK train departure boards. Search any UK railway station by name or three-letter code for live departure times, platform info, operator and service status.
Live · UK Rail
🥩
ProteinPlanner
Personalised high-protein meal planner. Enter your stats, get macro targets, browse 100+ recipes, build a meal plan and generate a shopping list. All data stays on your device.
Calculator · Offline
🥚
ARK Breeder Helper
Score your ARK dinos by weighted wild stat levels, find the best source per stat, get breeding pair recommendations, plan colour mutations, and rank your herd — all local, no server needed.
ARK · Breeding
About

What is GazLabs?

GazLabs is my humble corner of the internet — a UK radio amateur's self-hosted mix of ham radio tools, RC builds, Linux tinkering, gaming guides, drawing, and content creation, made for tinkerers, DX hunters, and anyone who wants real data without the noise. Every tool here is free and open, supported by ads served through Google AdSense.

No Signup Required

Every tool on GazLabs is available immediately with no account, no email, no login. Just open and use.

Live NOAA Data

Solar conditions and space weather data come directly from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center APIs — the same source used by professional forecasters.

IARU Region 1 Focus

Band plans, frequency references, and propagation estimates are all based on IARU Region 1 allocations for UK and European operators.

Open Data Sources

DX spots from dxc.jo30.de, TLE orbital elements from Celestrak, aircraft data from OpenSky Network, and news from ARRL, IARU and QRZNow.

Privacy Friendly

GazLabs itself adds no third-party trackers or tracking cookies (adverts are served by Google AdSense — see the Privacy Policy). A small first-party visit counter logs basic page-view stats — no cookies, nothing shared with anyone else, and your IP address is never stored, only a one-way daily hash used to estimate unique visitors.

RSGB Member

Built by a licensed UK radio amateur and RSGB member. Got feedback or a bug to report? Use the contact form.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about GazLabs tools, data sources, and amateur radio concepts.

What is the SFI (Solar Flux Index) and why does it matter for ham radio? ▼
The Solar Flux Index (SFI), also called F10.7, measures the intensity of radio emissions from the sun at 10.7 cm wavelength. It is a reliable proxy for solar activity and directly affects HF radio propagation. A higher SFI (above 150) means the ionosphere is more densely ionised, supporting higher frequency bands like 10m, 12m and 15m. A low SFI (below 80) typically means only 40m, 80m and 160m will support reliable contacts. NOAA publishes daily SFI readings from the Penticton Radio Observatory in Canada.
What is the K-index and how does it affect propagation? ▼
The planetary K-index (Kp) measures geomagnetic activity on a scale of 0–9. Low Kp (0–2) means quiet conditions — ideal for HF DX, especially on northerly paths. Kp 3–4 is unsettled to active — conditions degrade. Kp 5 and above indicates a geomagnetic storm, which causes auroral absorption on high-latitude paths (UK to Scandinavia, North America to Europe) and elevated noise on low HF bands. The K-index is updated every 3 hours by NOAA from magnetometer stations worldwide.
How accurate are the band condition estimates? ▼
The band condition estimates on GazLabs are simplified models based on SFI and Kp only. They use a rough MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency) calculation: MUF ≈ SFI × 0.15 + 2. Real propagation is significantly more complex — it varies with time of day, season, solar cycle phase, geographic path, antenna type, and local noise floor. The estimates are a quick starting point, not a precise forecast. For detailed propagation prediction use tools like VOACAP, PropFinder, or DX Atlas.
How do I use the Satellite Passes tool? ▼
Select your nearest city from the dropdown. The tool fetches current TLE (Two-Line Element) orbital data from Celestrak and calculates the next pass for each satellite over the next 48 hours. It shows the pass start time, maximum elevation angle and duration. Passes with higher elevation (above 30°) give much better signal. FM satellites like SO-50 and AO-91 need a dual-band handheld — some require a CTCSS tone to open the repeater. Linear transponder satellites like RS-44 need SSB/CW with Doppler correction.
What is a DX cluster and how do DX spots work? ▼
A DX cluster is a real-time network where amateur radio operators post "spots" when they hear a rare or distant station (DX). A spot includes the callsign of the station heard, its frequency, mode (CW, SSB, FT8 etc.) and any comments. GazLabs pulls spots from dxc.jo30.de, a European DX cluster node, every 3 minutes and shows the latest 100 spots. You can filter by band to see what DX is active on 20m, 40m, 10m and so on right now.
What licence do I need to operate as a radio amateur in the UK? ▼
In the UK, amateur radio is licensed by Ofcom. There are three licence levels: Foundation (entry level, up to 10W), Intermediate (up to 50W), and Full (up to 400W with full HF access). All levels require passing an exam run by the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain). Foundation allows operation on most amateur bands including HF, VHF and UHF. The RSGB website at rsgb.org has full details on exam dates, training materials and licence conditions.
What is FT8 and why does it dominate the DX cluster? ▼
FT8 is a weak-signal digital mode developed by Joe Taylor (K1JT) and Steve Franke (K9AN) and released in 2017. It uses 15-second transmission sequences, extremely narrow bandwidth (50 Hz), and forward error correction to achieve contacts at signal levels 15–20 dB below what SSB requires. This makes it highly effective when bands are marginal or signal paths are poor. FT8 has become the dominant HF mode for DX contacts, which is why most DX spots today show FT8 activity, particularly on 20m, 17m and 15m.
What is a wideband modification (wbmod) and is it legal? ▼
Many amateur radio transceivers are manufactured with receive and/or transmit capabilities restricted by software or hardware to comply with amateur radio band limits in different countries. MARS/CAP modifications (also called wideband mods) remove these restrictions. In the United States, MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System) and CAP (Civil Air Patrol) operators are licensed to use some frequencies outside standard amateur allocations, and manufacturers support these mods for them. In the UK, any modification that enables transmission outside your licensed amateur bands is illegal. The WBMod DB on GazLabs is provided as a technical reference only. Always operate within your licence conditions.
Resources

Useful Ham Radio References

Key organisations, data sources and references used by GazLabs and the wider amateur radio community.

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

The primary source for all space weather data on GazLabs. NOAA SWPC provides real-time solar flux, K-index, X-ray flare data and geomagnetic storm alerts. swpc.noaa.gov

Celestrak TLE Archive

Source of Two-Line Element orbital data used for satellite pass predictions. Celestrak maintains up-to-date TLEs for all amateur radio satellites. celestrak.org

RSGB — Radio Society of Great Britain

The national membership organisation for UK radio amateurs. Runs the UK amateur radio licence exam programme in partnership with Ofcom. rsgb.org

IARU Region 1

The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 coordinates frequency allocations and band plans for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. All band plans on GazLabs follow IARU R1 recommendations. iaru-r1.org

dxc.jo30.de DX Cluster

The European DX cluster node that powers the GazLabs DX Spots webapp. Provides a live feed of DX spots from radio amateurs across Europe and worldwide.

AMSAT — Amateur Satellite Corporation

AMSAT designs, builds and operates amateur radio satellites. The satellite frequency database and TLE data used by GazLabs is maintained with AMSAT coordination. amsat.org

Cookies & Tracking
GazLabs shows ads served by Google AdSense. Google and its advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies to personalise ads and measure performance — see our Privacy Policy for details and how to opt out. Beyond that, GazLabs itself sets no advertising cookies and does no third-party tracking of its own. Only system fonts are used — no external font loading. A first-party visit counter records page views and a one-way, daily-rotating hash of your IP address (never the IP itself) to estimate unique visitors — no cookies involved, and nothing is shared off-site. Theme preference stored in localStorage only.
External Data Sources
Live tools fetch data from NOAA SWPC, dxc.jo30.de, Celestrak, and OpenSky Network. These services receive your IP address as part of normal HTTP requests. Some fetches are proxied server-side to apply caching and avoid CORS restrictions.
Data Controller
GazLabs is operated by a UK radio amateur. For enquiries use the contact form. Subject to UK GDPR and PECR. Basic, aggregated visit statistics are kept to understand which pages get used — see Cookies & Tracking above for what that involves. Read the full Privacy Policy.