ARRL News

17 March 2025

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

• Radio Connects is 2025 ARRL Field Day Theme
• 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...

• Clubs are Gearing Up for ARRL Ham Radio Open House — Yours Can, Too!
• 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...

• Colorado High School Students Visit the Plishner Radio Astronomy and Space Sciences Center

  In late January 2025, 17 students and staff members from Las Animas High School (LAHS) in Colorado visited the Deep Space Exploration Society Radio Telescope (DSES) located at the Plishner Radio Astronomy and Space Sciences Center near Haswell, Colorado. They also got an introduction to amateur radio.

  “This first field trip visit of high school students reflected the dreams of Michael Lowe, form...

• ARRL’s “On the Air Live” Continues to Grow

  ARRL is equipping the next generation of radio amateurs with the knowledge to get active on the air. “On the Air Live” is a monthly interactive webinar series that does deep-dives into topics aimed at the new and intermediate ham. It complements material found in On the Air magazine. February’s event had nearly 130 people in attendance. 

  The events are hosted by ARRL Education Specialist Wayne G...

• The ARRL Solar Report

  Solar activity is expected to range from low to moderate levels
  through March 15.  There is a varying chance for R1 or R2 (Minor or
  Moderate) events, and a slight chance for R3 or greater events.
  
  Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) levels on
  February 28, March 9, and March 12 to 14.  Active levels are
  predicted for March 1. Quiet, and quiet to unsettled conditions are
  expected to...

• Bob Buus, W2OD, ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Manager, Silent Key

  Robert “Bob” Buus, W2OD, passed away on February 18, 2025. He has served as the ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Manager since 2020. Buus served as an Assistant Section Manager, Emergency Coordinator, and Net Manager prior to his appointment. 

  Buus was born in Minnesota and was first licensed in 1950. He graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in electrical engineering. He wo...

• More Seats Available for On the Air Live

  Due to significant demand, ARRL has expanded the number of available spots for this month’s On the Air Live, an online training session linked to content in the current issue of On the Air magazine. The program quickly reached its original capacity. The live event will be hosted by ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF.

  “It is a good problem to have,” said ARRL Education and Learning Ma...