ARRL News

August 21, 2026

Entrepreneur and Amateur Radio Operator Invests in the Next Generation of Problem Solvers

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announced today a historic and transformational $1 million gift from Dr. James M. Galm, W8WTS. An entrepreneur and amateur radio operator who spent his career solving complex energy and engineering challenges, Galm is now investing in the next generation of problem solvers through his support of ARRL.

The gift will directly support ARRL programs a...

August 18, 2026

Kopernik Observatory Seeks Amateur Radio Operators to Track August 19 Balloon Flight

Amateur radio operators in western New York and other northeastern states have an opportunity to help track an educational balloon. Drew Deskur, KA1M, Director of the Kopernik Observatory, a public observatory and informal STEM education center in Vestal, New York, said the balloon was expected to be launched August 19 at 10 AM Eastern (1400 UTC) with Automatic Packet Reporting System (ARPS) an...

August 17, 2026

The ARRL Solar Update

Weekly Highlights and Forecast, August 17, 2026, by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center:

Solar activity ranged from very low to low levels throughout the
period. No R1 (Minor) or greater events were observed. The largest
flare was a C8.2/Sn at 16/1928 UTC from Region 4506. An associated
CME was observed in LASCO C2 imagery following the C8.2 flare, but
analysis is ongoing in order to determine an...

August 14, 2026

Colombian Amateurs Help in Earthquake Response; Clear Frequencies Requested

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that amateur radio operators in Colombia are providing significant communications support following the major earthquake and aftershocks that struck the country on August 10, 2026. The death toll has reportedly exceeded 200 people, with many more still missing, and major damage is reported to buildings and infrastructure.

International Ama...

August 14, 2026

ARRL Year of the Club Contests Celebrate Outstanding Club Websites and Newsletters

August 14, 2026

ARISS Receives Challenger-7 Recognition

ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, has been honored with the prestigious Challenger-7 Recognition, a national honor celebrating organizations whose work reflects the spirit, vision, and values of the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L.

“This recognition is a tribute, not a competition,” says the Challenger Center. “It honors those who embody...

August 14, 2026

10-Year-Old Receives Ham License and More

A brand-new young ham in Arizona got more than he was expecting after passing his amateur radio Technician class license exam earlier this month. Along with getting his call sign, KM7HFU, from the FCC, 10-year-old Reynaldo Mangual was presented by the Maricopa Amateur Radio Association (MARA) with an almost-new Yaesu FT-857D HF/VHF/UHF multimode transceiver, an LDG YT-100 automatic antenna tune...

August 11, 2026

Colombian Emergency Network Activated Following Earthquake

ARRL received the following report from Carlos Alberto Santamaría González, CO2JC, Emergency Communications Coordinator, International Amateur Radio Union, Region 2 (IARU R2).

Update: Thursday, August 13, 2026

EXCELLENT WORK BY COLOMBIAN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS SUPPORTING SEISMIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE

We have maintained contact with Faber Mosquera (HK6F) and José Fernando Vélez (HK4VEL) of the Colomb...

August 10, 2026

ARRL 2025 Annual Report Now Available

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has published its 2025 Annual Report, which includes a summary of the year’s program activities, along with the 2025 and 2024 financial statements and an independent auditor’s report.

The report shares accomplishments across education, advocacy, emergency communications, publications, technology, and member services, while recognizing members, vol...

August 10, 2026

Amateur Radio Supports Wisconsin Tornado Recovery

On July 27, July 30, and August 1, 2026, members of the Green Bay Mike and Key Club, who are also members of the Brown-Kewaunee County Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®), deployed to Winnebago County, Wisconsin, following a tornado that struck on July 27. The tornado hit Appleton and caused severe damage in Menasha, Fox Crossing, and nearby communities, with peak winds estimated at 140 mp...

August 10, 2026

FCC Cites GMRS Licensee for Illegal Linked Repeater Network

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has issued a Notice of Violation to Gary M. Beckstedt, Sr., of Newnan, Georgia, for operating a network of nearly two dozen linked General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) repeaters in violation of FCC rules for the service. Beckstedt is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of North Georgia GMRS, Inc., and licensee of GMRS station WQYU407. He also holds amateur radio lic...

August 10, 2026

Order Your ARRL America250 Worked All States Award Certificate

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® introduced the ARRL America250 Worked All States (WAS) operating event this year. If you've already confirmed contacts with all 50 states, you can now order your commemorative award certificate. The attractive, frame-worthy certificate celebrates your participation in this once-in-a-lifetime event honoring America's 250th anniversary. 

ARRL is a S...

August 10, 2026

New ARRL Maine Section Manager

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced Cory Golob, KU1U, of Sabattus, Maine, as the new ARRL Maine Section Manager as of August 3, 2026. Golob succeeds Philip Duggan, N1EP, who concluded his term as Section Manager on June 30 after serving since December 2021.

“I want to do the very best for amateur radio in the ARRL Maine Section and build on what our previous Section Ma...

August 10, 2026

Club Update Reminder

In an effort to maintain updated ARRL Affiliated Club records, ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is urging radio clubs to complete the required annual Affiliated Club review now. The annual review requires nothing more than reviewing club information such as the club email addresses and contact information. Clubs should also test their listed email to ensure it is accurate and wo...

August 7, 2026

The ARRL Solar Update

Solar activity has been at low levels, with occasional B-class flaring and isolated low-level C-class flares observed. The largest event of the period was a C1.6/Sf flare on August 5 from Region 4502.
 
The six numbered sunspot regions on the visible disk are mostly stable or in varying stages of decay. Region 4498 showed a slight decrease in penumbral extent. Region 4499 declined in length and ...