ARRL News

Ever wanted to operate amateur radio satellites but felt intimidated by tracking the “birds” or unsure about the equipment needed? ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®'s new book, Satellite Operating for Amateur Radio, is now shipping and shows just how approachable, exciting, and rewarding satellite communication can be.

Written by Tony Milluzzi, KD8RTT, the book offers a clear step...

The ARRL Foundation’s 2025 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award has been awarded to Dr. Ethan Miller, K8GU, and Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, W2NAF, for their August 2025 QST article, “About Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances.”

The editors of QST nominated Miller and Frissell in August 2025, the ARRL Foundation Board approved the awards in January 2026, and the award plaques were distributed to...

This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on February 19, 2026. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.

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The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released a February 19, 2026, revision to the new 2026 - 2030 Technician Class question pool. Questions drawn from that pool are vali...

This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on December 18, 2025. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.

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On December 18, 2025, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released the revised 2026-2030 Technician Class (Element 2) question pool. It will be required for all Amateur ...

Amateur radio operators will participate in the Department of Defense’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on May 9, 2026. The annual event will not impact any public or private communications.

For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have participated in this interoperability exercise between the amateur and government radio services. The AFD Crossband Test provides a unique opp...

Solar activity remained at low levels this past week with numerous C1
flares from Region 4420, which exhibited growth during the period.
Region 4419 showed minor decay, particularly in its trailing spots,
while producing a lone C1.0 flare. Region 4422 was numbered during
the period but remained inactive. No Earth-directed CMEs were
observed in coronagraph imagery.

Solar activity is expected to contin...

Dayton Hamvention 2026 features a wide range of forums to appeal to amateur radio operators of all interests, experience levels, and ages. The Hamvention Forums Committee has assembled a diverse lineup covering technical topics, operating skills, and emerging interest areas. 

On opening day, Friday, May 15, there are 22 forums beginning at 9:15 AM with HamSCI: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Inves...

This story was updated 4/27/2026

The University of Pittsburgh had a unique opportunity last week...helping NASA track Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft on its mission to the moon and back! Students from the university’s Panther Amateur Radio Club (PARC) were among the students and faculty who participated.

Faculty advisor Juan Manfredi, NAØB, said the school responded to a request from NASA to submit...

Solar activity was at very low levels with only isolated B-class
flaring, mostly from Region 4416.
 
There are currently four numbered regions on the visible disk. Region
4416 remains the largest group by area but exhibited signs of
structural weakening, including flux submergence and a slight decay
of its intermediary pores. Region 4419 was the most complex group on
the disk and showed flux emergen...

Solar activity remained at low levels this week. Most of the C-class activity came from either Region 4414 or Region 4409, which has developed a delta spot in its intermediary area. All remaining spots were either stable or in slight decay, with Region 4406 rotating over the west limb by the end of the reporting period.
 
Coronal activity was observed in CCOR-1, LASCO and STEREO available imager...

Brent Walls, N9BA, has resigned as Central Division Director of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®, citing professional and personal commitments. He served as Director since 2025, and before that as Vice Director beginning in 2021.

“Serving in the capacity of Division Director has been a truly rewarding experience and the highlight of my amateur radio journey,” said Walls in a mess...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has welcomed a new high-performance Elecraft station to Studio 3 at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, at its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Watsonville, California, Elecraft produces high-performance amateur radio equipment available both factory-assembled and as kits. Its product line span...

Solar activity has been at low levels with only C-class flares
produced by Regions 4401, 4405, and 4409. There were 9 numbered
active regions on the solar disk, with 4409 showing the most
significant growth during the period and producing the largest flares
on April 1. A new region emerged but it has not yet been numbered.
 
Multiple filaments erupted during the day on April 1, producing
coronal mass...

Chris Stallkamp, KIØD, of Selby, South Dakota, has been appointed Vice Director of the ARRL Dakota Division. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, appointed Stallkamp who has been South Dakota Section Manager since 2012. 

Stallkamp, an ARRL Life Member, has been a radio amateur since 2006 and holds an Extra Class license. He is a member of the Black Hills Amateur Radio Club and Lake Area Radio Klu...

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking formal and informal educational institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an amateur radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS.  

Crew members will participate in scheduled amateur radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has responded to a complaint involving a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, amateur for operating outside the privileges of his Technician Class license and causing interference to local emergency service communications by transmitting on a public service frequency, 470.4375 MHz.  

According to a letter released by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, agents investiga...