ARRL News

April 26, 2024

MFJ Ceasing On-Site Production

Updated 4:26:24 8:00 pm EDT with additional statement from Martin F. Jue, K5FLU. 

MFJ Enterprises, Inc founder Martin F. Jue, K5FLU, announced that as of May 17, 2024, the company will cease on-site production at their Starkville, Mississippi, facility. Ameritron, Hy-Gain, Cushcraft, Mirage, and Vectronics brand products will be affected by the shutdown.  

In a letter posted to social media, Jue ...

April 26, 2024

T-Minus 3 Three Weeks: 2024 ARRL National Convention at Hamvention®

The 2024 ARRL National Convention is just 3 weeks away, on May 17 -- 19, 2024. The event is being hosted by Dayton Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio.

ARRL has a significant amount of technical content planned for the convention program. (see the full rundown at www.arrl.org/expo). There are also presentations planned to challenge and inspire attendees throughout each step of a radio amateur's journey in...

April 26, 2024

Youth on the Air (YOTA) will be accepting in-person donations of eclipse glasses

Recycled glasses will be sent home with Argentinian campers attending the 2024 YOTA Summer Camp in the Americas, so that amateur radio operators and youth can safely watch the Annular Solar Eclipse in October. Donations are only being accepted in person at the Dayton Hamvention YOTA Booth #4304 from May 17 - 19 and at the YOTA Summer Camp in the Americas in Halifax, Novia Scotia, Canada, from J...

April 26, 2024

2024 ARRL National Convention at Dayton Hamvention -- Program and App Available

The 2024 ARRL National Convention, hosted by Dayton Hamvention®, is just a month away, and the convention program guide is now available at www.arrl.org/expo. The ARRL Events app is also ready to use, encouraging everyone planning to attend to preview all of the Hamvention exhibits, forums, and related activities.

Download the free ARRL Events app, or access the content from an internet browser....

April 26, 2024

Amateur Radio Provides Communications Support for Boston Marathon

On Monday, April 15, 2024, ham radio operators provided communications for the 128th running of the Boston Marathon. More than 280 radio amateurs participated in the event.

The marathon is one of the largest events for which hams provide communications support.  

It drew volunteers from many different places. "Operators are volunteering across Start, Course, Finish, Transportation, and various op...

April 26, 2024

The K7RA Solar Update

"ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 0733 UTC/26 APRIL2024 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE.

"A coronal hole wind stream has moderately enhanced the solar wind
speed and been associated with several hours’ worth of southward IMF
parameter Bz. For this reason, it is possible that periods of G1-G2
geomagnetic storm conditions may be observed.

"INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVI...

April 19, 2024

The K7RA Solar Update

Solar activity increased dramatically this reporting week (April
11-17), and thirteen new sunspot groups emerged. One appeared on
April 11, two more on April 13, three more on April 14, another two
on April 15, one more on April 16 and another two on April 17. On
April 18 an additional two sunspot groups emerged, and the daily
sunspot number increased to 247.

The daily sunspot number was 199 on April...

April 13, 2024

Active Hurricane Season Predicted for 2024

Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane researchers predict an active Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) in their initial 2024 forecast.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, attended the National Hurricane Conference in Florida in late March, where the CSU prediction was issued. "The common discussion at the National Hurricane Conference this year was the...

April 12, 2024

Amateur Radio Saves Family in Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is in a remote desert in southern California, where mobile phone networks are spotty at best. On Saturday, April 6, a radio amateur and his family were enjoying the park when their vehicle became stuck in mud in a dangerous area. Without access to a cell network, the ham called for help on the 10-meter band.

According to a news release from the Black Swamp Amateur Radi...

April 12, 2024

Ham Radio Active During Eclipse

Millions of people across the United States got to see a rare solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024.

The path of totality -- the line of darkness where the moon fully occluded the sun -- stretched through the South Pacific, Mexico, central Texas, the Ozarks, the Midwest, the Rust Belt area, and to New England through the Maritimes. In all, 14 ARRL Sections were impacted directly and several mor...

April 12, 2024

The K7RA Solar Update

I did not see last Monday's eclipse, except on television. Here in
the Pacific Northwest, we only got a 20% exposure, and skies were
overcast.

As they moved across the country displaying successive totality, I
noticed the prominences on the edge of the disk. There were always
between one and three little red spots at the edge.

Solar activity over the past reporting week, April 4-10, remains
weak.

Avera...

April 7, 2024

2024 ARRL Field Day Poster Released

A poster promoting 2024 ARRL Field Day has been released on the Field Day web page, www.arrl.org/field-day. The two-sided informational poster features this year's theme "Be Radio Active". It includes a space for clubs to fill in information about their planned activation so that members of their community can come visit the site.

More resources for promoting 2024 ARRL Field Day are being develo...

April 6, 2024

ARRL Seeking Applicants for Assistant Education and Learning Manager

ARRL is working to engage the next generation of radio amateurs right in the classroom. Many young people have become active hams because of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology.

This donor-funded effort brings teachers from across the United States together to get them excited about radio through hands-on experiments. The Institute then trains them on how to take that excitement b...

April 6, 2024

Register Now for the 2024 ARRL Youth Rally!

As part of the fun at Dayton Hamvention®, youth attendees are invited to participate in the 2024 ARRL Youth Rally on Saturday, May 18. The day will include a special agenda of activities and presentations intended to engage and inspire young hams and young newcomers to amateur radio.

The Youth Rally is intended for students who are 11 to 21 years of age. While Hamvention offers free tickets for ...

April 5, 2024

Ham Radio's Many Roles During Solar Eclipse

In one of nature's most spectacular visual displays, on April 8, 2024, the sun will align with the moon and the Earth, casting a shadow that will transit much of North America.

Spectacular Display and Gathering

Millions will gather along the path of totality - the section where the sun is fully blocked by the moon - to witness something that happens, on average, once every 375 years for any place...