ARRL Newsfeed

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

  • Winter Storm Closes ARRL Headquarters on Monday, January 26

    ARRL Headquarters and the Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026, due to heavy snowfall across the Northeast.

    Most membership services will continue uninterrupted, with staff working remotely. Members can access many benefits and services online at www.arrl.org. Members and prospective members may also join, renew, and place orders online or by phone at 860-594-...

  • The ARRL Solar Update

    Solar activity reached moderate levels with two M-class flares
    earlier this week.
     
    The first flares occurred on January 21 in regions 4345 and 4349.
    Region 4345 continued to show development, as well as region 4342.
    Region 4341 was a main contributor to the C-level activity of the
    day, including a larger C-class flare on January 21. No
    Earth-directed CMEs were observed in the available coronagraph
    im...

  • Now Shipping: the 2026 edition of The ARRL Repeater Directory® powered by RepeaterBook

    ARRL is excited to announce that the 2026 edition ofThe ARRL Repeater Directory® is once again powered by RepeaterBook, amateur radio’s worldwide repeater database. New for 2026, The Repeater Directoryfeatures a City Quick Find Index, making it faster and easier than ever to locate nearby repeaters.

    “Each year The ARRL Repeater Directory continues to set the standard for trusted repeater infor...

  • ARRL Honorary Vice President John Cadwallader Kanode, N4MM, Silent Key

    John Cadwallader Kanode, N4MM (SK), of Boyce, Virginia, passed away on January 13, 2026. He was 88 years old. First licensed in 1952, Kanode served on the Board of Directors of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio for 21 years, first as Roanoke Division Vice Director, then Director, and Vice President. He was a member of the ARRL Maxim Society (President Class), a Life Member, and wa...

  • The ARRL Solar Update

    Solar activity reached moderate levels due to an M1.6 flare on
    January 14 from new region AR4341. Spot classification of this
    region is complicated by limb proximity and foreshortening effects.
    New Region AR4342 rotated around the NE limb and was also numbered.
    No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed. Solar
    activity is expected to be low with a 25-30% chance for M-class
    flares (...

  • New 60-Meter Frequencies Available as of February 13

    The new 60-meter frequencies approved by the FCC in December will become available to amateurs as of February 13, 2026, along with new power restrictions on those frequencies. It’s a bit confusing, as different rules apply to different segments of the band. The changes result from the FCC’s action to approve a worldwide 60-meter amateur allocation made by the World Radiocommunication Conference...

  • Bob Jones, VE7RWJ, Silent Key -- Former ITU Official and IARU Expert

    Robert W. “Bob” Jones, VE7RWJ, a former top official of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Canadian telecommunications regulator, passed away on January 7, 2026, at age 82. His early fascination with amateur radio led to a career in telecommunications and engineering, according to his obituary.

    Jones was Director General of the Canadian Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regul...

  • FCC Poised to Exempt Amateurs from Foreign Adversary Reporting Requirements

    At the urging of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to exempt radio amateurs from foreign adversary reporting requirements. These rules would have applied to citizens of the listed countries (see below), including those living in the United States, who hold or are applying for an FCC license.

    On January 8, 2026, the FCC relea...

  • The ARRL Solar Update

    Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic
    storm levels on January 13 and 14, and then from January 17 to 20.

    Unsettled levels are likely on January 12, and then from January 21
    and 22.  All enhancements in geomagnetic activity are due to the
    anticipated influence of multiple, recurrent, coronal holes. The
    remainder of the outlook period is expected to be mostly quiet.

    A tra...

  • Richard Dean Straw, N6BV, ARRL “Antenna Expert,” Silent Key

    by Mark Derks, KC1RVQ, ARRL Headquarters Staff

    Richard Dean Straw (“Dean”), N6BV, died on July 9, 2025. Amateur radio was one of his passions.

    Dean retired from the staff of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® in 2008 following 15 years of service as the Senior Assistant Technical Editor.

    ***

    In 2006, the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) was held in Florianópolis, Brazil, a co...