ARRL News

Solar activity reached high levels this past week when Region 4299
produced an M1.1 (R1/Minor) flare on December 6. Shortly after, the
region produced an M8.1/2b (R3/Strong) flare, also on December 6.
Associated with the M8.1 flare was a 1,100 SFU Tenflare, a 1,143
km/s Type II sweep and a Type IV sweep. (A "sweep" is a solar radio
burst that sweeps through the RF spectrum as the energy moves
outward...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 9, 2025, released a long-awaited Report and Order adopting a new amateur radio spectrum allocation in the 60-meter band that was approved for world-wide use on a secondary basis in the WRC-15 (World Radiocommunication Conference 2015) Final Acts. The Commission also agreed with a petition from ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radi...

Solar activity was at low levels this past week with only C class
flares. Region 4294 remains the largest region on the disk but is
appearing to be simplifying magnetically. Region 4296, on the other
hand, gained a delta region in its intermediary region, though with
no corresponding increase in flare activity as of yet. New flux
emerged along the eastern side of Region 4298, resulting in several
C f...

Update 12/4/2025 (See original story, below.)

ChipSat Signals Received; Listeners Still Needed

Updating the story, ‘Space Sailors’ Seeking Download Help from Ham Radio Operators,” posted on December 2, 2025, Cornell University’s “ChipSat”-equipped light sail was successfully deployed on December 3 and several dozen telemetry signals from its ChipSat flight computers have been received and decoded...

Don’t miss it! The annual YouTube telethon to raise money for the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, beginning at 3 PM EST / 12 PM PST, on the Ham Radio Crash Course YouTube channel, hosted by Josh Nass, KI6NAZ.

Join Nass and several other amateur radio contributors for a fun and entertaining livestream. They’ll cover a variety of amateur ...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announces the results of the 2025 ARRL Division elections.

In the ARRL Pacific Division, current Director John Litz, NZ6Q (1,270 votes), of Stockton, California, was declared the winner, defeating Bob Vallio, W6RGG (960 votes).

In the Southeastern Division, current Director Mickey Baker, N4MB (1,596 votes), of West Palm Beach, Florida, was declared...

Solar activity has remained low this past week. The largest flare
was a C9.9 on November 19 from a region just beyond the NE limb near
N17. Region 4284 grew slightly in the early part of the period but
was in decay after November 19.

New Region 4287 was numbered. A Type II radio sweep (estimated at
695 km/s) was observed on November 19 at 2215 UTC, likely associated
with a B9.0 flare from just beyond...

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) has announced the cancellation of SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) 2025.

The necessary time and resources required to plan a comprehensive national event for SKYWARN™ Recognition Day 2025 are not available this year. Thus, the difficult decision was made to cancel this year's event by the NWS. 

The NWS will work with ARRL and SKYWARN™ spotters to brainstorm i...

Updated 11/20/2025 (FCC System Issues Affecting Application Processing)

Original story 11/18/2025

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that the FCC has extended the filing deadline to March 5, 2026, for amateur radio licenses that otherwise were due to expire from October 1, 2025, to March 5, 2026. The announcement is included in an FCC Public Notice (DA-25-943) released on Mo...

There were two nights of visible aurora throughout the continental
US and dead HF bands due to a severe geomagnetic storm caused by
what Space.com calls "a colossal X5.1 class solar flare" and
associated coronal mass ejection (CME) on Tuesday, November 11.

Spaceweather.com for November 14 reports that a NASA model of the
latest CME suggests that it could deliver a glancing blow to our
planet's magnet...

Amateur radio operators throughout the US and Canada are getting ready for one of the most anticipated weekends of the year. The 2025 ARRL November Sweepstakes phone (SSB voice) contest takes place November 15 - 17, beginning at 2100 UTC Saturday and running through 0259 UTC Monday. The CW (Morse code) event was held 2 weeks ago, Nov. 1 - 3.

November Sweepstakes, sponsored by ARRL The National A...

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will mark two major milestones this month with a special Slow Scan Television (SSTV) event aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Beginning November 12 through November 20, the station will transmit a series of 12 commemorative SSTV images, pausing only for a scheduled educational contact.

The “SSTV Spacetacular” will highlight both...

Solar activity has reached high levels due to a pair of X-class
flares.
 
The first was an X1.8 on November 4 from Region 4274. Associated
with the flare were Type IV radio sweeps, 160 sfu Tenflare, and a
partial halo coronal mass ejection (CME) directed mostly off the NE
limb in coronagraph imagery. Although the majority of the ejecta is
expected to pass behind Earth, there is the possibility of a sh...

Many amateur radio clubs and organizations are planning on-air commemorations and special events for Veterans Day 2025. Visit the ARRL Special Events Stations database, and contact the following stations on-the-air:

• In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club will honor the Continental Marines Birthday. Special event station WM3PEN will operate November 8 - 12 from 1300Z - 0...

Six years ago, the Intrepid-DX Group, a international group of amateur radio operators, began their annual youth “Dream Rig” essay contest as a means to reach young people and interest them in amateur radio.

“This year, rather than our past essays, we are seeking well thought-out and clearly communicated project proposals for a public access amateur radio station,” said Paul S. Ewing, N6PSE, pre...

The Murgas Amateur Radio Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a special event that includes the University of Scranton, Kings College, and amateur radio station W3USR. The station is part of the University of Scranton Physics and Engineering Department, a university student club, and a flagship station for the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) project.

The event...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has introduced a new, fully-interactive two-day online course for ham radio licensing. The ARRL Technician Class LIVE Video Course includes everything needed to prepare for the FCC Technician Class amateur radio license exam. Enrollment is open now for the inaugural course, which will take place December 20 - 21, 2025.

Join ARRL Education Special...