ARRL news

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2024, in observance of the Labor Day federal holiday. There will be no W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions. ARRL Headquarters will reopen on Tuesday, September 3, at 8 AM EDT (1200 UTC).

Visit the ARRL Special Events Stations database to find on-the-air events and commemorations this weekend.

ARRL wi...

Applications for the 2024 ARRL Club Grants program are now being reviewed (the application period closed July 26, 2024).

ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, said 110 grant applications have been received and the awards will be announced in late November. “Grants are available up to $25,000 and emphasis is given to projects that are transformative in nature,” said Walters.

Examples of ...

August is National Make-a-Will month. Some estimates show that nearly two-thirds of Americans don't have a plan. For some, it's procrastination. Others don't know where to start. “So many times we hear from the family of a Silent Key who are overwhelmed with what to do with a lifetime worth of amateur radio gear,” said ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL. “Simply thinking through wha...

Amateur radio is an excellent tool for community resilience in times of crisis. The utility value of the critical communications it provides is enhanced by having well trained local Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) groups and other teams. However, to maximize the value to yourself, your family, and your community; an operator must be prepared. September is National Preparedness Month. A...

 Ten new sunspot groups appeared over this reporting week (August 15-21), but both solar flux and sunspot numbers were lower, due to the extraordinary numbers in the previous week.

Average daily sunspot number declined from 255 to 180.3, while average daily solar flux went from 284.9 to 232.7.

Geomagnetic numbers were quieter. Average daily planetary A index declined from 28.6 to 11.9, and aver...

Sometime in early May 2024, ARRL’s systems network was compromised by threat actors (TAs) using information they had purchased on the dark web. The TAs accessed headquarters on-site systems and most cloud-based systems. They used a wide variety of payloads affecting everything from desktops and laptops to Windows-based and Linux-based servers. Despite the wide variety of target configurations, ...

ARRL® The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced that the candidates for the 2024 ARRL Division elections are now official. ARRL members will choose between two candidates for Director in the Hudson, New England, and Northwestern Divisions. The sole candidates in the Central and Roanoke Divisions for both Director and Vice Director are unopposed. The Vice Director incumbents in t...

With sunspot numbers and solar flux at times both above 300, recent daily space weather has been exciting for radio amateurs who watch the sun. We like higher activity because it correlates with a dense ionosphere, bringing with it better conditions on higher frequencies.

This extreme activity also comes with greater geomagnetic disturbance, which cause higher absorption of HF signals. 

For exa...

Thursday, August 15, 2024 Midday Update:

The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Ernesto had become a Category 1 hurricane.

A hurricane warning has now been issued for Bermuda and dangerous rip currents are likely along U.S. East Coast beaches this weekend, August 17 - 18.

Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, Hurricane Watch Net Manager, reports the net’s activation plans:

Friday August 16 

• 20 me...

By: Frank Donovan, W3LPL

Editor’s note: This article was written earlier in the week. The latest measurements show even higher numbers. See this week's K7RA Solar Report in The ARRL Letter for latest information. 

Record High Solar Cycle 25 Solar Maximum Sunspot Numbers Have Improved HF Propagation Since Mid-July and Possibly Bringing Worldwide 6 Meter F2 Propagation This Fall.

According to the NO...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accepted for public comment a Petition for Rulemaking filed by NextNav Inc., a licensee in the 900-MHz Location and Monitoring Service (LMS), to completely reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band and replace the LMS with high-powered 5G cellular and related location services.

The FCC Notice requested comment on the effects that NextNav’s proposals would have ...

"ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 0211UT/09 AUGUST 2024 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE.

"Recent CME activity is expected to increase geomagnetic activity from mid 09-Aug and on 10-Aug. Further CME activity on 08-Aug is now expected to also increase geomagnetic activity on 11-Aug.

"INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FROM 09-12 ...

On August 1, 2024, Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, ARRL Education and Learning Manager, took a train trip to New York City to visit the Staten Island Technical High School. He was there to help administer amateur radio exams to 49 students and all passed their exams. Several upgraded their licenses from General to Extra class and two students went from unlicensed to Extra class in one sitting.

Their teac...

David Galletly, KM2O, has been appointed Vice Director of the ARRL Hudson Division. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, appointed Galletly to the remainder of the term ending in December, 2024, following the promotion of former Vice Director Ed Wilson, N2XDD, to Hudson Division Director.

Galletly has been active in amateur radio since 1998. An ARRL Life Member, he is a member and past President ...

Andrew “Andy” Milluzzi, Ph.D., KK4LWR, has been appointed Vice Director of the ARRL Southeastern Division. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, appointed Milluzzi to the remainder of the term ending in December 2025 following the recent death of former Vice Director Jeff Beals, WA4AW (SK).

Milluzzi works for Walt Disney Imagineering as a Senior Ride Control Systems Engineer. He earned his Ph.D. a...

Beginning on Friday, September 6, 2024, Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will begin using a new 17-meter frequency for its scheduled CW transmissions due to increased activity near the current bulletin frequency. In order to reduce the possibility of interference, W1AW will move to 18077.5 kHz.

Carter Craigie, N3AO, passed away on August 1, 2024, at age 86. Licensed since 1981, he was an ARRL Life Member and Maxim Society Member. He was married to past ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, for 49 years.

Carter’s public service communications included appointments as Eastern Pennsylvania Section Traffic Manager and ARES Emergency Coordinator for Chester County, Pennsylvania. After moving to...

Monday, August 5, 2024 AM Update:

Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend coastal area just after 11:00 PM on Sunday night as a Category 1 Hurricane, near Steinhatchee, Florida, just 9 miles southeast of where Category 3 Idalia made landfall on August 30, 2023. 

Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) nets have been activated and will continue to monitor the situation. The amateur ra...