American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources

Former ARRL COO Harold R. Kramer, WJ1B, Silent Key

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:45:00 -0500

Former ARRL Chief Operating Officer (COO) Harold Robert Kramer, WJ1B, of Cheshire, Connecticut, passed away on Monday, August 31, 2026, at age 78. Kramer served as COO and QST Publisher from 2005 to 2016, following a career in broadcasting. He was an ARRL Life Member and donor, supporting the Diamond Club, the Second Century Campaign, and the ARRL Lab.

Former ARRL CEO Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, recalled...

Candidates Named for ARRL Director and Vice Director Elections

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:20:00 -0500

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced that the candidates for the 2026 ARRL Division elections are now official. ARRL members will choose between two candidates for Director in the Delta, Great Lakes, and Midwest Divisions, and two candidates for Vice Director in the Midwest Division. The Director positions in the Atlantic and Dakota Divisions are unopposed, as are the ...

The ARRL Solar Update

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:22:00 -0500

Solar activity reached moderate levels this week. Region 4513 was responsible for an M2.2/1B flare that reached its peak on August 26. This event was accompanied by a 10.7-centimeter radio burst that reached 140 solar flux units (SFU) and a type II radio sweep with an estimated shock speed of 930 km/s despite its relatively impulsive nature. No resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) has been obs...

The ARRL EME Contest

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:45:00 -0500

Radio, Learning, and Community at the 2026 ARRL National Convention and Huntsville Hamfest

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:41:00 -0500

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

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:19:00 -0500

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...

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

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:01:00 -0500

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...

The ARRL Solar Update

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:10:00 -0500

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...

Colombian Amateurs Help in Earthquake Response; Clear Frequencies Requested

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:15:00 -0500

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...

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

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:07:00 -0500

ARISS Receives Challenger-7 Recognition

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:52:00 -0500

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...

10-Year-Old Receives Ham License and More

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:13:00 -0500

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...

Colombian Emergency Network Activated Following Earthquake

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:32:00 -0500

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...

ARRL 2025 Annual Report Now Available

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:04:00 -0500

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...

Amateur Radio Supports Wisconsin Tornado Recovery

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:52:00 -0500

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...