ARRL News

September 22, 2023

Anna Gomez Confirmed to Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The US Senate confirmed Anna Gomez as the fifth commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission on September 7, 2023. Gomez thanked President Biden for the nomination and the Senate for her confirmation.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve," she said in a statement on her LinkedIn page.

Gomez is an attorney with decades of experience in domestic and international communications law ...

September 22, 2023

Celebrating 50 Years of the ARRL Foundation

Thursday, September 21, 2023, marked 50 years since the ARRL Foundation was formed. As a partner with ARRL, the ARRL Foundation stewards philanthropic support for amateur radio through scholarships, club grants, and other programs to ensure a strong and vibrant future for the avocation.

The total assets of the nonprofit entity measured nearly $8M at its most recent annual audit, but it grew from...

September 22, 2023

The K7RA Solar Update

ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 0249UTC on 22 SEPTEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE:

"Solar wind streams from a pair of coronal holes are expected to
mildly increase geomagnetic activity at times during the interval
late 22-Sep to 24-Sep.

"INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED FROM 22-24 SEPTEMBER 2023."

Nine new sunspot groups appeared this week, but th...

September 15, 2023

Amateur Radio Serves in Large Utah Bike Race

 On September 9, 2023, the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club (BARC) in northern Utah provided amateur radio communications support during LoToJa, the longest 1-day USA Cycling (USAC)-sanctioned bicycle race in America. The LoToJa course consists of 200 miles of rough, mountainous terrain. BARC was prepared for the challenge and had been training and working on their communications plans for more t...

September 15, 2023

2023 SET Exercise to Test Skills and Emergency Preparedness

 The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is scheduled for October 7 - 8, 2023.

The SET is ARRL's annual national emergency exercise designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers, as well as those affiliated with other organizations involved in emergency and disaster responses. The SET is open to all radio amateurs and partner organizations,...

September 15, 2023

Hurricane Lee: Radio Amateurs and Nets Activated

Hurricane Lee is expected to impact portions of New England in the Northeastern United States and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada. The storm has had the full attention of forecasters and the volunteer organizations that coordinate Amateur Radio response to hurricanes. 

Amateur Radio Emergency Service®(ARES®) volunteer groups are in an elevated state of readiness and alert ahead of the st...

September 15, 2023

The K7RA Solar Update

Like last week, eight new sunspot groups emerged this reporting
week, September 7-13.

One appeared on September 7, another September 9, four more on
September 10, another on September 11 and one more on September 12.

Solar activity made a nice comeback, with average daily sunspot
numbers rising from 95.4 to 138.1, and solar flux from 137.6 to
159.9.

The most active geomagnetic day was September 12, wh...

September 8, 2023

Amateur Radio Volunteers Needed for Marine Corps Marathon

The 2023 Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will take place on Sunday, October 29 in Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia at 7:55 AM EDT. The MCM Ham Volunteers team is looking for 150 amateur radio operators to support the event by providing racecourse situation reports. 

The Marine Corps Marathon, also known as the People's Marathon, expects to support more than 29,000 runners at this yea...

September 8, 2023

Former ARRL Oregon Section Manager John Core, KX7YT, SK

ARRL is sad to announce that John Core, KX7YT, Section Manager of the ARRL Oregon Section from 2016 - 2018, passed away suddenly on August 11, 2023. He was 80 years young.

 

 

John first earned his Novice-class license in 1970 with the call sign WN7PQL. He subsequently upgraded to his General-class license in 1971 with the call sign WA7PQL, his Advanced-class license in 1976, and finally, to his A...

September 8, 2023

ARRL New Jersey Sections Sign Agreement with American Red Cross

On Friday, August 25, 2023, Section Manager of the ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Robert Buus, W2OD, and Section Manager of the ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Tom Preiser, N2XW, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with representatives from the American Red Cross (ARC) New Jersey Region. The MOU focuses on disaster planning and response for communities within New Jersey during and aft...

September 8, 2023

North Carolina School Contacts the International Space Station

On August 28, 2023, students at Bowman Middle School in Bakersville, North Carolina, talked to NASA Astronaut Stephen Bowen, KI5BKB, who as on board the International Space Station (ISS).

For months, 22 students had been preparing for a 10-minute window to ask Bowen about his time and experiences on the ISS. They were able to ask 13 questions, like, "What is it like to be in space?" and, "Is the...

September 8, 2023

USA Radio Orienteering Team Brings Home Silver and Bronze Medals

 At the 21st International Amateur Radio Union World Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Championship in Liberec, Czech Republic, held August 27 through September 2, 2023, USA competitors won a silver medal for an individual competition, as well as two bronze team medals.

ARDF, also known as radio orienteering, is a multi-skill sport that involves running and navigation using only a map and c...

September 8, 2023

The K7RA Solar Update

At 0046 UTC on September 8, the Australian Space Weather Forecasting
Centre issued this alert:

"A solar filament erupted from the north east quadrant of the Sun on
07-Sep. Event modeling shows an edge of the associated north east
directed CME may graze the Earth's magnetosphere on 10-Sep.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FOR 10 SEPTEMBER 2023."

Eight new sunspot gr...

September 7, 2023

Changes in the ARRL Louisiana Section

Section Manager of the ARRL Louisiana Section John Mark Robertson, K5JMR, has stepped down. He has held this role since April 1, 2018. Robertson has been very active in the Section and in Louisiana ARES. He held the Emergency Coordinator and both District and Section Emergency Coordinator positions before he assumed the role of Section Manager.

Matt Anderson, KD5KNZ, has been appointed to fill t...

September 6, 2023

Dave Coons, WT8W, Former ARRL Great Lakes Division Director, SK

David “Dave” Lee Coons, WT8W, former Director of the ARRL Great Lakes Division, passed away on September 2, 2023, at the age of 92. Coons joined ARRL in 1963 and was a member of the ARRL Diamond Club.

According to the obituary published in the Dayton Daily News, Coons was a disabled veteran of the United States Navy, having served during the Korean War. He retired from his role as postmaster of ...