ARRL Letter Concern

Amateur radio operators from Florida’s Santa Rosa, Nassau, Lake, Pinellas, and Leon Counties played an important role in supporting emergency communications efforts during and following Hurricane Isaias, helping ensure that critical communication capabilities remained available throughout the storm.

In Santa Rosa County, volunteer amateur radio operators staffed the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the evacuation shelter at the Milton Community Center. These volunteers provided a communications link between the shelter and the EOC, relaying situational updates and maintaining readiness to support emergency communications should traditional systems become unavailable.

Amateur radio operators across the state also supported auxiliary communications efforts, providing additional capabilities to maintain contact with the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee if conventional communication networks experienced disruptions.

“While traditional communications systems have become significantly more reliable over the years, amateur radio continues to serve as a dependable auxiliary communications resource,” said Arc Thames, W4CPD, Santa Rosa County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Program Manager. “When disaster strikes, our volunteers are trained, prepared, and ready to step in wherever we’re needed. It’s another layer of resiliency that helps protect our communities.”

Thames also serves as the ARRL Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and the Amateur Radio Liaison to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, supporting the coordination of amateur radio and auxiliary communications resources statewide.

“During tropical weather events impacting Florida, our Auxiliary Communications team provides volunteer operators to monitor amateur radio communications at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee,” Thames explained. “This ensures that if someone is unable to reach emergency officials through traditional means, we have another way to receive and relay critical information. We always hope we’re not needed, but we’re glad to be there just in case when all else fails.” — Thanks to ARRL Northern Florida SEC Arc Thames, W4CPD, for the above

The Santa Rosa County, Florida, emergency operations center was

a hub of activity during the response to Hurricane Isaias.

[Photo courtesy Arc Thames, W4CPD]

Online market eBay has imposed new restrictions on listings of radio transmitting equipment in response to new FCC rules that took impact this week, however responded to ARRL that its new coverage won’t apply to gear that operates completely on newbie radio frequencies. The FCC’s guidelines are meant to make use of its tools authorization program to guard towards “nationwide safety threats to the communications provide chain” and canopy all kinds of merchandise.

In its Third Report and Order issued on July 23, 2026, the Commission makes clear that on-line marketplaces share within the obligation to guarantee that unauthorized RF gadgets should not supplied on the market on their platforms. The guidelines took impact on October 13. Moving ahead, tools topic to FCC authorization should have its FCC ID quantity submitted to {the marketplace} and posted with its itemizing. There are exemptions for posts already on-line, “small sellers,” and used tools, however preliminary messages to sellers from eBay urged that an FCC ID could be required with the intention to publish an inventory for any tools that transmits RF vitality.

In response to a request from ARRL for a clarification regarding newbie radio tools that doesn’t require FCC authorization, an eBay spokesperson supplied the next assertion:

eBay permits the sale of gadgets able to working solely on frequencies that the FCC has allotted to be used by Amateur Radio Service licensees. As these gadgets don’t require FCC tools authorization, FCC IDs won’t be required for these listings as an newbie licensee might use his or her license to function such radios.
However, two-way VHF/UHF radio tools able to working outdoors of the newbie frequency bands can’t be imported, marketed, offered, or operated inside the United States, together with on eBay, with out an FCC tools certification.
If eBay inadvertently takes motion towards listings for gadgets that do not require FCC IDs and are in any other case licensed, the affected vendor ought to inform eBay and we are going to assess whether or not to take away restrictions from the itemizing.

It ought to be emphasised that the FCC didn’t change its underlying tools authorization guidelines. Amateur radio tools, apart from industrial HF amplifiers, continues to not require FCC authorization.

The Radio Club of America has brought together both wireless industry professionals and amateur radio operators for more than 100 years. Each year, it bestows prestigious awards and elevates several members to RCA Fellows. This year, as always, many of those on the list are hams. The award recipients include Dr. Charles C. Counselman, III, W1HIS, who developed technology for making highly accurate GPS positioning widely available; Jay Adrick, K8CJY, who helped develop digital television and serves as Board President of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting; inventor Charles Kirmuss, WØCBK, who developed digital video and audio recording systems for public safety; Carole Perry Young Professional Award winner and electrical engineer Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN, a longtime proponent of youth in amateur radio; Dr. Ajay Poddar, AC2KG, an internationally-recognized leader in radio science and engineering; Dr. Henry Richter, W6VZA (SK), who developed the communications system for Explorer 1, the first US Earth satellite; and Anthony Rizi, NR1Z, a military and cybersecurity professional and college professor who is also active in ARISS, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program.

This year’s class of RCA Fellows include amateurs Rachel Jones, KO4HLC; Geoffrey Mendenhall, W8GNM; Nick Pennance, N1CKP, and Dominic “Nick” Tusa, K5EF. The award winners and new Fellows will be formally recognized at RCA’s 2026 Technical Symposium and Awards Banquet in New York City on November 21. Visit the club’s website for a complete list of awardees and their biographies.

Back in the earliest days of the internet, a whole block of IP (internet protocol) addresses — beginning with 44 — was set aside for amateur radio use. Most of that block of addresses is still there and is managed by ARDC, Amateur Radio Digital Communications. In December of 2025, ARDC launched 44Net Connect, a service intended to make it easy for hams to begin using 44Net addresses for things like experimenting with digital modes, enhancing repeater roads, establishing a house lab, and extra. In the following months, greater than 2000 customers have signed up and ARDC is now increasing entry by doubling its variety of “factors of presence,” or “PoPs” across the international stage, including new ones in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Sydney, Australia (present ones are in Frankfurt, Toronto, and Dallas). A PoP is a bodily entry level that connects completely different networks. “The further PoPs will develop community capability and produce nodes nearer to customers in numerous elements of the international stage,” defined Rebecca Key, KO4KVG, ARDC’s Communications Manager. “This can shorten the gap knowledge travels, lowering latency, and enhancing the general expertise.”

“44Net Connect provides licensed hams a less complicated solution to get a static 44Net IP tackle and not using a sophisticated setup,” provides Key. “We’re seeing it used for every little thing from private tinkering to membership tasks, training, and EmComm.”

You can discover extra details about 44Net Connect, together with find out how to get began, in ARDC’s introductory blog post.

Mel Parkes, NM7P, has resigned as Vice Director of the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division, efficient October 10, 2026. Parkes was elected in 2025 to a three-year time period that started January 1, 2026. He cited well being and private causes for his resignation.

Previously, Parkes served as Utah Section Manager for 22 years, from 1999 till 2021.

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has appointed Ed James, KA8JMW, of Edgewood, New Mexico, to be the brand new Vice Director, serving the rest of Parkes’ time period, which runs by way of December 31, 2028. An ARRL Life Member, James has served in a number of ARRL Field Organization positions, together with Section Manager of New Mexico.

ARRL is ruled by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. Elections are held yearly for 5 of ARRL’s 15 Divisions, with Directors and Vice Directors serving 3-year phrases.

​Amateur Radio within the News

​ARRL Live Events and Podcasts

On the Air LIVE

Contesting for the Beginning Radio Amateur

Join Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, ARRL Director of Education and Learning, for the October episode of On the Air Live on Tuesday, October 27, at 8 PM Eastern. Wayne will introduce the enjoyable and advantages of newbie radio contesting, with a particular give attention to how newly licensed hams can get began.

Contesting is greater than chasing factors and making contacts. It’s a good way to enhance your working abilities, achieve confidence on the air, find out about propagation, and turn into a simpler operator—all whereas having numerous enjoyable. Whether you’re focused on informal working, awards, emergency communications, DXing, or finally competing in main contests, contesting may also help sharpen abilities that carry throughout the passion. The livestream will air on the ARRL’s Learning Center, learn.arrl.org. Preregistration is required and could be achieved by way of the Learning Center.

📅 Date: October 27, 2026

🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific

👉 Register Now | ⏪ Previously Recorded Sessions

ARRL Audio News

Listen to ARRL Audio News, obtainable each Friday. ARRL Audio News is a abstract of the week’s high information tales within the international stage of newbie radio and ARRL, together with interviews and different options. More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also obtainable on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

On the Air

Sponsored by Icom

Get Ready for Contest Season      

ARRL Director of Education and Learning and host of On the Air LIVE, Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, joins the podcast to speak about what goes into an on-air contest, and what you, as a brand new ham, can get out of taking part in a single. More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also obtainable on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

The following America250 W1AW Portable Activations begin 0000z on Wednesdays, and end 2359z on Tuesdays (7 days total for each activation). See the complete schedule at www.arrl.org/america250-was. Review your award progress and order your certificates and endorsements at america250.arrl.org.

10/14/2026 California W1AW/6 (host NZ6Q)

10/14/2026 Georgia W1AW/4 (host AF4DN)

10/14/2026 Missouri W1AW/Ø (host NØAX)

10/21/2026 Arkansas W1AW/5 (host K5DB)

10/21/2026 Alaska W1AW/KL7 (host KTØW)

10/21/2026 Wisconsin W1AW/9 (host W9XT)

10/28/2026 Michigan W1AW/8 (host K8NGW)

10/28/2026 Nevada W1AW/7 (host NØCSM)

The Dog Day Radio Amateur Radio Club, KØDOG, is again on the air from the first by way of the seventh of November. In observance of International Dog Day in August, the membership’s monthlong actions have been all in regards to the rescue and accountable care of canine. In November, operators are calling CQ for one week in recognition of the selfless work of the volunteers, rescuers, veterinarians, shelter staffers and different supporters of animals in want of loving and accountable houses. The occasion coincides with National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week created by the Humane Society of the US. Listen for KØDOG on the HF bands, utilizing CW and SSB. Share your personal tales as adopters, foster caregivers and rescue employees. QSL playing cards can be found for all confirmed contacts and SWLs who ship an SASE. Visit KØDOG on QRZ.com to study how one can donate skilled providers, funds, clear towels and sheets, or some toys and meals.

The Nashua Area Radio Society, an ARRL Affiliated Club, will probably be holding its subsequent on-line Ham Bootcamp on Saturday November 14th from 10 AM to six PM Eastern time. Ham Bootcamp is a web-based, interactive program to assist new, inactive, and potential hams study the talents that they should get on the air. The morning periods are all about VHF and the afternoon periods give attention to HF. There isn’t any price to attend Ham Bootcamp. Advance registration is requested. Questions could also be emailed to [email protected].

The 21st annual ARRL Online Auction gets under way tomorrow, October 16, and runs through October 22, with more than 200 items up for bid. The auction preview is already open. This yr’s choice contains gear from QST “Product Review” articles, classic books, pre-owned tools, signed authentic sketches by Salty Walt Hudson, K4OGO, from Salty Walt’s Portable Antenna Sketchbook, and 4 fashionable thriller containers contributed by the ARRL Lab staff. Featured tools contains the Icom IC-PW2 solid-state amplifier, Alinco DR-CS10HT 2-meter FM transceiver, and Elecraft KH1 QRP transceiver with the Edgewood bundle, together with many different gadgets.

Proceeds from the annual public sale profit ARRL education schemes, together with efforts to license new hams, present persevering with technical and working training, and develop educational supplies.

All bidders should register on the public sale web site at arrl.auctionanything.com. Your ARRL account username and password will not work on the public sale website. If you’ve gotten participated in a earlier ARRL Online Auction, you might use your present public sale login data. If you’ve gotten forgotten your public sale User ID or password, click on the Help tab for directions. Before bidding, make sure your mailing tackle and different account data are updated.

Nominations are open for the 2027 CWOps Award for Advancing the Art of CW. The function of the award is to acknowledge people, teams, and organizations which have made the best contribution(s) towards advancing the artwork or follow of radio communications by Morse code. Candidates for the award could also be a number of of the next: Authors of publications associated to CW; CW recruiters, trainers, mentors, coaches and instructors; public advocates of CW; organizers of CW actions; designers and inventors who advance the artwork or follow of CW, and different contributors to the artwork or follow of CW. The award is just not restricted to newbie radio operators or their organizations.

Nominations could also be made by anybody and should embody the nominee’s title, name signal (if relevant), and full contact data; nominator’s title and speak to data, and an in depth rationalization supporting the nominee’s {qualifications} for recognition. Nominations should be emailed by February 15, 2027, to [email protected] with a replica to [email protected]. The winner will probably be acknowledged with a plaque on the 2027 Dayton Hamvention®.

Six new newbie radio satellites constructed by three completely different AMSAT organizations have been launched into orbit on October 1, driving aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The AMSAT News Service studies that the group contains three PocketQubes from AMSAT-DL in Germany, two satellites from AMSAT-EA in Spain, and one other PocketQube from AMSAT Nepal. The spacecraft traveled aboard OSSIE-D, the primary orbital switch automobile developed by Spanish area transportation firm UARX Space. Following separation from the Falcon 9 higher stage, OSSIE-D started deploying its assortment of small satellites, giving the worldwide AMSAT neighborhood a very sturdy presence on the mission.

The AMSAT-DL “PocketQubes” are satellites measuring simply 5 centimeters on either side, meant to advertise newbie radio and area know-how by way of open-source communications, telemetry, and different experiments. AMSAT-EA’s two satellites supply voice communication capabilities. HADES-E2 carries a repeater with a 145.925 MHz uplink and 436.888 MHz downlink, whereas HADES-L contains a 10-meter uplink, on 29.472 MHz USB, with an FM downlink on 436.665 MHz. AMSAT Nepal’s SanoSat-2, additionally a 5-centimeter PocketQube, carries a digicam able to transmitting photographs as SSDV packets utilizing GFSK modulation, permitting amateurs to obtain and reconstruct imagery from orbit. SanoSat-2 may function as a digital store-and-forward repeater by way of which newbie operators can add messages for later transmission.

ARRL member and Amateur Extra Class operator Brian Daly, WB7OML, has been reappointed to each the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) and the Technological Advisory Council (TAC). He has additionally been chosen to proceed serving as Co-Lead of the TAC Emerging Wireless Broadband Working Group, which is inspecting applied sciences and insurance policies that may affect the way forward for wi-fi broadband communications. Daly is an AT&T Fellow and Radio Club of America Fellow. The appointments place him amongst a choose group of consultants advising the FCC on points starting from communications safety and community resilience to rising wi-fi applied sciences and future spectrum wants. Daly says his continued service displays the longstanding custom of newbie radio operators contributing technical experience, innovation, and public service on the highest ranges of communications coverage and know-how improvement.

Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) is that this weekend, October 17 and 18, and as we’ve been reporting, radio scouting teams are getting ready to assist Scouts across the international stage get on the air. ARRL Puerto Rico Section Public Information Coordinator Angel Santana, WP3GW, studies that a number of newbie radio teams on the island will probably be working with Scouts from almost 20 completely different troops to assist them make radio contacts and earn their radio advantage badges. According to Santana, that is Puerto Rico’s largest-ever JOTA activation.

ARRL member Carol Laferty Dantzler, K4SAF, of Clearfield, Kentucky, was offered with a plaque on September 26 in recognition of her 69 years as a licensed newbie radio operator. Carol has been licensed since 1957. She has earned ARRL’s 5-Band DXCC and 5-Band Worked All States awards, in addition to the Young Ladies Radio League’s Worked All States – YL award. Carol can also be an ARRL card-checker for Kentucky. She was offered with the plaque on the Paintsville, Kentucky, Hamfest by ARRL Kentucky Section Manager Bob Selbrede, K6ZZ.

Open Positions at ARRL

Come be a part of the headquarters workers of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®! We are at the moment searching for certified candidates for the next positions:

Technical Editor

RFI Lab Engineer

Public Relations and Outreach Manager

Membership Marketing Analyst
Instructional Specialist

Full particulars could also be discovered on the ARRL HR internet web page at www.arrl.org/careers.

ARRL is an equal alternative employer.

Look for improved propagation on the upper HF bands, as both the sunspot numbers and 10.7-centimeter radio flux remain near or above 100. According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the increase in activity is being fueled primarily by sunspot Region 4551, which is described as the largest and most complex of six sunspot regions currently visible on the surface of the Sun. Mostly quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected as well, with some disturbances possible late next week.

The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre predicts mostly normal HF propagation conditions worldwide.

The W3LPL Propagation Forecast from the Daily DX is predicting significantly improved DX conditions on 10 and 12 meters for as many as the next 10 days, with excellent conditions on 17, 15, and 20 meters as well. DX openings on 30 meters should begin in late afternoon each day, followed by 40 meters around an hour before sunset, and 80 meters just after sunset.

Keep listening for DXpeditions and other activity from rare DX locations as stations get tuned up for the CQ World Wide SSB DX Contest on October 24 and 25.

Predicted 10.7-centimeter solar flux: Oct 15, 105; Oct 16, 100; Oct 17-18, 95; Oct 19-20, 100; Oct 21, 105, Oct 22, 100. (Source: NOAA SWPC)

Share your studies and observations. Send your ideas, questions, or feedback to [email protected].

For extra data regarding radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is offered. For customizable propagation charts, go to the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio web site.

Solar picture on October 15, 2026

[Photo courtesy NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center]

​Just Ahead in Radiosport

• October 15 — VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest NA (digital)

• October 15 – 16 — Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

• October 17 — 902 MHz and Up Sprint (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 17 — Feld Hell Sprint (digital)

• October 17 — Argentina National 7 MHz Contest (cellphone)

• October 17 – 18 — JARL WW RTTY Contest (digital)

• October 17 – 18 — New York QSO Party (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 17 – 18 — Worked All Germany Contest (CW, cellphone)

• October 17 – 18 — Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)

• October 17 – 26 — DX Marathon Sprint (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 18 – 19 — Illinois QSO Party (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 18 – 19 — Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

• October 19 – 23 — ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 24 – 25 — CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB (cellphone)

• October 26 — RSGB FT4 Contest (digital)

• October 28 — SKCC Sprint (CW)

• October 28 — UKEICC 80m Contest (CW)

• October 30 — Zombie Shuffle (CW)

• October 31 – November 1 — ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)

• October 31 – November 1 — Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, cellphone, digital)

• October 31 – November 1 — UK/EI DX Contest, SSB (cellphone)

​Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events

ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions (subsequent 60 days)

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database at www.arrl.org/hamfests to seek out occasions in your space.

October 16 – 18 | Pacificon, internet hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California

October 24  | ARRL Day in the Park, internet hosting the ARRL Mississippi Section Convention, Ridgeland, Mississippi.

October 30 – 31 | Stone Mountain Hamfest, internet hosting the ARRL Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia.

November 7 | Superstition ARC Superfest, internet hosting the ARRL Arizona State Convention, Mesa, Arizona

November 14 | Montgomery Hamfest, internet hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama

December 11 – 12 | Tampa Bay Hamfest, internet hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida

ARRL — Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

Join ARRL or renew today! No different group works tougher to advertise and shield newbie radio. Membership helps advantages, providers, applications, and advocacy that will help you get (and keep) lively and on the air. Membership contains entry to digital editions of all 4 ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.

Listen to ARRL Audio News, obtainable each Friday.

The ARRL Letter is offered in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io electronic mail group. The group is devoted to discussions about newbie radio because it considerations blind hams, plus associated subjects together with ham radio use of adaptive know-how.

On the Air. Published bimonthly for newer hams, that includes introductions to fashionable actions and key ideas, tools shopping for guides, and sensible tasks with step-by-step directions — all in language that’s straightforward to grasp.

NCJ — National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, options articles by high contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprints, and QSO events.

QEX — A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, options technical articles, building tasks, columns, and different gadgets of curiosity to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

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