ARRL News

07 December 2023

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

• ARDC and ARRL Announce $2.1 Million for the Next Generation of Amateur Radio
• NCVEC Question Pool Committee Removes Two General-Class License Questions

  The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) has removed two General-class license questions. 

  Pursuant to the November 13, 2023, FCC rule change to remove symbol rate restrictions on amateur radio digital emissions (https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-hails-fcc-action-to-remove-symbol-rate-restrictions), the QPC of the NCVEC has deleted two question...

• Florida Hams Make Contact 100 Miles Apart via 10-Meter Repeater… in Switzerland.

  When 10 meters is open, amazing things can happen. Lu Romero, W4LT, knows that well. He said, “When 10 is open, I often venture up into the top of the band to see if there is any FM activity. I’ve always liked to use 10 FM, especially when conditions are marginal to observe the Faraday phase distortion on signals. Before FT8, 10 FM was always a good way to discover where the band was propagatin...

• ARRL Advocacy Win: FCC Approves Request for Pearl Harbor Day Crossband Operations

  ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® sought a waiver on behalf of the activators, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted it. The waiver allows amateur radio operators to participate in a special event commemorating the 82nd annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

  The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA), with authority from the US Navy and Sou...

• The K7RA Solar Update

  "GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 23/74 ISSUED AT 2321UT/29 NOVEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE.

  "Several CMEs are expected to impact Earth over 30 Nov and 01 Dec. Two CMEs were observed on 27 Nov that were expected to arrive on 30 Nov, followed shortly by a very mild glancing blow from a third.

  "One or possibly two halo CMEs were observed on 29 Nov which are Earth d...

• WX1AW Active for 2023 SKYWARN™ Recognition Day

  As part of the celebrations for SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) on December 2, 2023, hams will be on the air as WX1AW from the ARRL® Radio Laboratory station, W1HQ. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and other amateurs plan to be on the air for several hours Saturday morning and midday. 

  The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their co...

• ARRL RF Safety Committee Develops New Guidelines to Communicate RF Safety

  Radio amateurs now have a new tool from ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® to help answer questions about their stations. Neighbors of amateur radio operators are sometimes concerned about transmissions and radio frequency exposure from amateur stations. The ARRL RF Safety Committee, with their international counterparts at the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Irish Rad...

• The K7RA Solar Update

  Geomagnetic conditions were very quiet last weekend, good conditions
  for the ARRL Phone Sweepstakes. But there was much more geomagnetic
  activity toward the end of the reporting week, when the planetary A
  index jumped to 30 and Alaska's College A index reached 60, a very
  high value.
  
  This past weekend was the CW portion of the CQ World Wide DX
  Contest.
  
  Solar activity really picked up in the past few da...

• 2023 Fall Section Manager Election Results

   

  Two balloted Section Manager elections were conducted this fall. Ballots were counted on Tuesday, November 21, at ARRL Headquarters. All two-year terms of office will begin on January 1, 2024.

  For Section Manager of the ARRL Alaska Section:

  • David Stevens, KL7EB (incumbent), received 105 votes

  • Jeffrey Wolf, N8EX, received 72 votes

  David Stevens, KL7EB, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been declared re-el...

• ARRL Headquarters to Be Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

  ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23, 2023, and Friday, November 24, 2023. There will be no W1AW bulletins, code practice, or visitor operations during that time.
  
  ARRL Headquarters will reopen at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on Monday, November 27, 2023. We wish you and yours a hap...

• Former Illinois Section Manager Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN, SK

  ARRL is sad to report that Thomas "Tom" T. Ciciora, KA9QPN, of Sandwich, Illinois, has become a silent key. He was 66 years old. Ciciora served as the Section Manager of the ARRL Illinois Section from 2006 - 2017. He was an ARRL Life Member.

  According to an obituary, Ciciora was active in several amateur radio clubs and had been the director of the Sandwich Emergency Management Agency.

  Ciciora w...

• 2023 ARRL Board of Directors Election Results

  ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® announces the results of the 2023 ARRL Division elections.

  ARRL Great Lakes Division Vice Director Scott Yonally, N8SY (2,175 votes), of Lexington, Ohio, defeated candidate Michael Kalter, W8CI (2,023 votes), for the position of Division Director. Yonally will assume the role when Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, who has held the seat since 2014,...

• The K7RA Solar Update

  "ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 2306 UTC 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE.
  
  "Two recent CMEs associated with small solar filament eruptions are
  expected to increase geomagnetic activity from mid 19-Nov to 20-Nov.
  
  "INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FROM 19-20 NOVEMBER 2023."
  
  Solar activity was lower this week, Nove...

• SKYWARN Recognition Day Is Ready to Go

  The 2023 SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) is December 2 from 0000z to 2400z.

  The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their contributions to the National Weather Service (NWS) during severe weather. Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication to the NWS and emergency management when normal communications fail.

  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin...

• The University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club, W3USR, Got a Facelift

  With a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) for almost $200,000 and private donations of more than $20,000, the University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has installed new amateur radio equipment and antennas for its station, W3USR.

  The station is now located on the fifth floor of the university's Loyola Science Center and features state-of-the-art op...

Southgate Amateur Radio News

QRZ Amateur Radio News

BARA Ham of the Year Recipients