We are pleased to announce the 2025 Blossomland Amateur Radio Association and Midwest Classic Radio Net KI8BQ Memorial Trunk Swap is a go!

ARRL News

30 August 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.

• The ARRL Solar Report

  Solar activity was at low levels on 18, 20, and 21 August with only C-class flares observed. Activity increased to moderate levels on 19 August following an M1.1 flare at 19/0439 UTC from an area beyond the Eastern limb. Moderate levels were also observed on 22 August as Region 4191 produced a long-duration M1.7/Sf flare. Associated with this flare was a Type II radio sweep with an estimated...

• Hurricane Watch Net Marks 60 Years of Service

  This Labor Day weekend, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) celebrates its 60th anniversary of providing critical communications support to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and communities impacted by hurricanes.

  As Hurricane Betsy was pummeling the Caribbean on Labor Day weekend 1965, a ham radio operator started hearing calls for information from operators in the Bahamas. Jerry Murphy, K8YUW, spr...

• Interview with ARRL CEO: Details on Recent Board Meeting, Huntsville Hamfest, Legislative Advocacy, and DX
• Resilience Through Amateur Radio for National Preparedness Month 2025

  September is National Preparedness Month, which is a good time to look at your personal, family, and community resilience levels. For 2025, the National Preparedness Month theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home.” 

  Amateur radio is a valuable resource for communication and community service before and during times of crisis, and can be a significant factor in your home’s level of preparedness.

  “Now...

• ARRL Headquarters Will be Closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 1

  ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® Headquarters will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2025, 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 2, at 8 AM EDT (1200 UTC).

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

• FCC Batch Filing System Unavailable

  Updated 8/29/25

  FCC Batch Filing System Restored

  On Friday, August 29, 2025, the FCC’s Electronic Batch Filing (EBF) system was restored. This system is used by all Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) organizations to file exam sessions, individual license applications, and club license applications.

  ARRL VEC staff are working diligently to clear the backlog of approximately 300 sessions and appl...

• The ARRL Solar Report

  On August 22, Spaceweather.com reports a fast-moving Coronal Mass
  Ejection, or CME, left the Sun on August 21.  However, it is not
  Earth-directed, and is predicted to strike the planet Mars.
  
  Solar activity has decreased back to low levels with a few weak
  C-class flares observed from areas located in the northeast quadrant
  of the solar disk. There are currently three sunspot regions on the
  solar disk...

• Lou Dietrich, N2TU, Noted DXer, Past INDEXA Chairman, Passes Away

  A respected member of the DXing community has passed away. Lou Dietrich, N2TU, became a Silent Key on August 15 at the age of 78. 

  Dietrich was the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International DX Association (INDEXA). He was known as a dedicated advocate for international goodwill through radio, and a passionate advocate for the mission of INDEXA. He played a pivotal role in gu...

• New ARRL Book Release: Stealth Antennas for Ham Radio

  Designs for Discreet Amateur Radio Operating!

  Stealth Antennas for Ham Radio is full of antennas to get you on the air no matter where you live. Even radio amateurs who live with antenna restrictions or covenant limitations will find solutions in this book. Learn how to install a multiband vertical that looks like a flagpole, or how to run an end-fed random wire along your roof, so the neighbors...

• The Best of Amateur Radio Honored With ARRL Awards

  ARRL honors the work of amateur radio operators who grow the hobby by advancing technology used within, and the operating culture, of the Amateur Radio Service. At the Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors, hams and journalists who have covered amateur radio were honored with awards.

  The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted annually to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs wi...

• Candidates Named for ARRL Director and Vice Director Elections

  ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced that the candidates for the 2025 ARRL Division elections are now official. ARRL members will choose between four candidates for Director in the Southeastern Division, two candidates for Director in the Pacific and Southwestern Divisions, and two candidates for Vice Director in the Southwestern Division. The Directors in the Rocky Mo...

• The ARRL Solar Report

  Solar activity has been at low levels with mostly weak C-class flares observed from Regions 4172 and 4180. The largest flare of the period was a C6.8/Sf at 15/1037 UTC from Region 4172. There are 12 regions on the disk with most being simple in magnetic complexity. Region 4172 remained the largest region on the disk and continued to decay with its magnetic field decreasing in complexity. All...

• ARRL Serving its Members: NU2W’s Story

  By Phil Temples, K9HI, ARRL New England Division Vice Director

  The New England Division RFI Team assisted Tom Lanieri, NU2W, of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, with a significant RFI problem he’s been suffering with for many years.

  Tom writes: “I moved from central New Jersey ten years ago and knew from day one that my experiences with HF and amateur radio were doomed because of the noise and th...

• Hams Track Campers’ High-Altitude Balloon, Decode Images

  The Kopernik Observatory put out a call last week for hams to receive and decode transmissions from a launch by its High Altitude Balloon Camp. Amateur radio delivered! Social media was abuzz with images decoded from the K2ZRO-9 transmitters. The balloon was launched from Vestal, New York, and ascended over the Catskill Mountains. A crowd gathered at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station...

• Hams Prepare for Forecasted Busy Hurricane Season

  The 2025 hurricane season has been underway for almost two months and there has activity on the both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.   

  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted in June there would be 13 to 18 named storms, 5 to 9 hurricanes, and 2 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater) for the 2025 season. This aligns with Colorado State University’s forecast...

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