ARRL Radio News

An Interview with ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA

A 2-hour interview with ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, is available on The DX Mentor Podcast, hosted by Bill Salyers, AJ8B. Minster was elected by the ARRL Board of Directors as CEO in 2020, and has led the association’s operations since.

Minster talked about a wide range of topics from how he got started in amateur radio as a shortwave listener, to the importance of mentoring new licensees. He ...

Caribe Wave 2025 Tsunami Exercise in Puerto Rico

By: Angel Santana, WP3GW

Amateur radio operators in Puerto Rico participated in the Caribe Wave 2025 Tsunami exercise on March 20.

The event is an annual tsunami exercise, designed to validate and advance tsunami preparedness efforts in the Caribbean and adjacent regions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiz...

Sign Up Now for the ARRL Youth Rally at Dayton Hamvention!

ARRL is inspiring the next generation of radio amateur with a full day fun, learning, community building, and on the air activity.

Registration is now open for the ARRL Youth Rally at Dayton Hamvention®. This amazing event is set to be a great day full of hands-on radio activities for people aged 11 to 21.

Join fellow young people who are interested in ham radio, led by volunteers from the ARRL C...

The ARRL Solar Report

On Wednesday, March 26, around 2130 UTC a Major Storm occurred.  At
one point, the Planetary A Index was 49, and the Planetary K Index
was at 6.

Solar wind parameters are expected to remain enhanced due to
continued coronal hole high-speed stream influences with waning
effects likely by March 29.

The Solar Radiation Storm Forecast for March 29 and 30 has a 1
percent chance of a S1 or greater storm.

No ...

Bonaire for Breakfast

While eating breakfast last Saturday morning at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, ARRL staff member Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, was also on the air from Bonaire, remotely working a pileup from a station he visits often on the island. Physically in Newark, New Jersey, for the annual HamSCI Workshop, Bob had his Wi-Fi-connected laptop on the table in front of him, controlling the station in Bona...

Ham Radio, Students and Scientists at the 2025 HamSCI Workshop

By: Rich Moseson, W2VU

Some 175 scientists, students, professors, and amateur radio operators from around the world gathered in person and virtually on March 14 and 15 to share research, educate each other, and network at the annual HamSCI Workshop. HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation program, aims to promote collaboration between science, amateur radio, and education. The 2025 w...

ARRL Ham Radio Open House Continues to Grow

Dozens of amateur radio clubs have made plans to host an ARRL Ham Radio Open House in April. The nationwide event is centered around World Amateur Radio Day on April 18. 2025 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

While we’ve been using radio for well over 100 years, amateur radio operators continue to be on the cutting edge of innovation in ele...

The ARRL Solar Report

Solar activity reached moderate levels due to an isolated M1.5/1n
flare on March 19 at 2040 UTC from Region AR4031.  Regions AR4028,
AR4034, and AR4035 exhibited slight growth.

Region AR4026 re-emerged in the Southwest quadrant. Regions in the
Northwest quadrant, including AR4020, AR4022, AR4025, and AR4031 all
appeared to be in a decay phase.

No Earth-directed CMEs were detected in available coronag...

FCC Initiates Broad Inquiry on Rules to Delete or Amend

In a Public Notice titled “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete,” issued on March 12, 2025, the FCC is soliciting public input on any FCC rules in any service that members of the public believe should be deleted or modified “for the purpose of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens.” This is the latest in a series of similar proceedings going back to 1996, when the Communications Act was amended t...

The ARRL Solar Report

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at minor storm levels
for March 18, and then from March 27 and 27 all due to recurrent
Coronal Hole influences.

Solar activity was at low levels. Multiple C-Class flares were
observed from newly numbered Region 4028. More spots are rotating
around the Southeast limb that maybe connected to the spot group.
The largest flare of the period was a C6.8 on March...

Perfect Storm Exercise in California Gets Results

The ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section (SJV) conducted “Perfect Storm,” an amateur radio emergency exercise, on March 5 - 7.

Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Dan Sohn, WL7COO, asked that a section-wide exercise be created that would engage both amateur radio operators and non-amateurs to become more active in their community's emergency preparedness and response capabilities.  

There were 120 par...

ARRL Ham Radio Open House — Site Locator Live, PR Workshop Registration

ARRL Ham Radio Open House is a national event being hosted by local amateur radio clubs in April to coincide with World Amateur Radio Day on April 18. The event is designed to highlight technical innovations in ham radio, and show off the current state of the art. It will serve as a tool to tell the story of amateur radio being a pathway to tomorrow's technical careers. 

A site locator is now li...

Dayton Hamvention 2025 Award Winners Announced

The recipients of the 2025 Dayton Hamvention® Awards were announced on March 11, 2025. “The selection process was highly competitive, given the outstanding quality of nominations submitted this year. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners for 2025,” said Dayton Hamvention Awards Chair Michael Kalter, W8CI.

Technical Achievement Award: Dr. Kristina Collins, KD8OXT

Dr. Kristina Coll...

Hurricane Watch Net Founder Gerald Murphy, K8YUW, a Silent Key

Gerald E. “Gerry” Murphy, K8YUW, passed away on February 25, 2025. He was 88 years old, and the founder of the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN). 

According to a statement released by current HWN manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, Murphy, then 28 years old, was stationed at the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island, in 1965. During his time off, he handled countless phon...

The ARRL Solar Report

Spaceweather.com is reporting "A Hole In The Sun's Atmosphere" that
should reach Earth on March 9 and 10.

Solar activity has been at moderate levels for the past 24 hours.
The largest solar event of the period was a M1 event observed on
March 5 at 1150z from Region 4016. There are currently 10 numbered
sunspot regions on the disk.

Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class
flares a...

Get On the Air for the ARRL International DX Contest

We’re seeing peak conditions from Solar Cycle 25 just in time for the ARRL International DX SSB Contest. It gets underway this weekend at 0000 UTC on Saturday, March 1, and concludes at 2359 UTC on Sunday, March 2. 

ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, is gearing up to operate as part of a multi-operator, single-transmitter station for the event. He is eager to get started. “This is...

The ARRL Solar Report

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with a filament eruption
became visible on February 26 at 1448 UTC.  Model analysis
determined this CME to be a miss ahead of the Sun/Earth line.

Unsettled to active levels are likely on February 28 to March 1 as a
Coronal Hole influence continues, and a glancing blow is possible
from a Coronal Mass Ejection that occurred on February 25.

Solar activity is fore...

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