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Two upcoming DXpeditions with a focus on young operators are the latest recipients of Colvin grants from ARRL. The grants, funded by an  endowment established by noted DXpeditioner Lloyd Colvin, W6KG (SK), are intended to support amateur radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX.
The latest recipients are the upcoming VK9XY DXpedition to Christmas Island, south of Indonesia — scheduled for this November 16 through December 4 — and the VPØSG expedition to South Georgia Island, in the South Atlantic, planned for March 2027.
Ten of the 12 VK9XY operators are under age 26, and the team leader is ARRL Education and Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML, already a veteran DXpeditioner at age 22. But the truly unique aspect of this expedition are plans for up to 40 young hams to operate the station remotely from various parts of the world, using an internet-linked “rig in a box,” or RIB. |
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"The VK9XY team would like to sincerely thank ARRL granting us the  Colvin Award,” said Freedman. “It is only with this collective support from groups like NCDXF, DX Engineering, ARRL, and the community at large that we are able to bring the next generation of radio amateurs right to the bleeding edge of DXpeditioning."
The VPØSG team will also include three (on-site) young operators and will be the first amateur radio activation of South Georgia since 2016. (One young operator, Violetta Latham, KN2P, is part of both the VK9XY and VPØSG teams!) In addition to the challenges associated with getting to and operating from a sub-Antarctic island, the team also has to negotiate very strict environmental regulations. According to the team’s website, the group is committed to “operating with the highest possible standards of environmental responsibility” while maximizing the number of unique contacts to give smaller stations a better opportunity to work South Georgia. |
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Members of the Mt. Carmel High School Amateur Radio Club in San Diego, California, used a high-altitude balloon launch October 17 to generate interest among their fellow students and the community in amateur radio, science, technology, engineering and math. Members of the public were encouraged to track the balloon flight in real time using an app called Sondehub-Amateur, which displays telemetry from amateur radio high altitude balloon launches.
This flight, which carried the call sign K6GO, belonging to Gayle Olson, a volunteer for the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee and Maxim Society member, flew to an altitude of 17-1/2 miles before the balloon burst and the payload parachuted back to the ground in Julian, California, some 60 miles inland from its launch point on Fiesta Island. The launch was part of the San Diego Repeater Association’s annual “Hamtastic” event, which brings together hams and clubs from throughout the region to get on the air, socialize, and demonstrate amateur radio to the public. The San Diego Repeater Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club. |
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| | | Randy Standke, KQ6RS, preparesthe K6GO weather balloon forlaunch during the San DiegoRepeater Association’s annual “Hamtastic” event in Southern California. [Photo courtesy of Gayle Olson, K6GO] |
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| | Gayle Olson, K6GO, holding the weather balloon that would carry her call sign to an altitude of more than17 miles from its launch at the SanDiego Repeater Association’s Hamtastic event on October 17.[Photo courtesy of Gayle Olson, K6GO] |
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The 2026 Chicago Marathon on October 11 drew 55,000 runners from around the world and 165 ham radio operators from 6 states to help provide medical communications and logistical support. This was the 18th year of amateur radio participation, according to Rob Orr, K9RST, president of Ham Radio Chicago, which coordinated amateur radio activity at the marathon. The group also helps recruit new volunteers and provides training in public service communications.
Orr said the hams relied on 5 repeaters with citywide coverage as well as 5 portable UHF tactical repeaters to make sure every amateur radio team had at least three ways to contact the command tent in Grant Park. In addition to traditional FM voice communications, Orr said the hams also use DMR (digital mobile radio) and, this year, introduced a Zoom channel on which medical personnel could have private consults if needed. The hams coordinated the calls on the radio and then got the parties together at a Zoom station in the command tent.
One hundred radio amateurs were stationed at medical tents along the course, as well as a medical hub, passing along the medical teams’ requests for transport, supplies, and other information. The hams also provide situational awareness to the event organizers, reporting on the number of patients being cared for at each medical tent, as well as the stress levels the medical teams face in providing care. Orr notes that amateur radio is just one component of a very complex event that requires 15,000 volunteers to succeed. However, the hams’ role is unique, he points out, adding that “this event has shown the public, city officials, and the runners that ham radio is very much alive and doing well.” |
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Jiangyun Zuo, KE9BWM, was oneof 165 ham radio operators from 6 states who helped provide communications and logistical support for the 2026 Chicago Marathon earlier this month. [Photo courtesy ofHam Radio Chicago, Inc.] |
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| | One hundred amateur radio operators — including Jon Baker, KC9OO, pictured here — were stationed at medical tents along the course ofthe 2026 Chicago Marathon,keeping course medical staff in contact with the medical hub.[Photo courtesy of Ham Radio Chicago, Inc.] |
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| | | | | First published in 1926, The ARRL Handbook has helped generations of radio amateurs turn curiosity into knowledge, ideas into circuits, and experiments into new discoveries. Over the past century, it has evolved alongside radio technology, reflecting new developments and inspiring hands-on learning and experimentation. |
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| | Edited by Gregory D. Lapin, Ph.D., P.E., N9GL, the 102nd edition continues The ARRL Handbook’s long history of technical excellence, with updated coverage of radio electronics, circuit design, antennas, propagation, digital communications, testing, and troubleshooting. New and expanded topics include signals below the noise, AI and FreeDV, digital mesh networks, satellite communications, compact and stealth antennas, NanoVNA applications, software defined radio (SDR), and microwave technology. Now shipping, the 102nd edition is available in a six-volume set, a softcover edition, and a digital edition. The print editions include the digital edition and more than 350 supplemental files, including articles, projects, software, PC board templates, and support files. From understanding fundamental radio principles to experimenting with emerging technologies, The ARRL Handbook continues to give radio amateurs the knowledge and inspiration to build, experiment, and innovate. The ARRL Handbook is available from the ARRL Store or your ARRL Dealer. Handbook 102 six-volume book set, ARRL Item No. 2462, ISBN 978-1-62595-246-2, is $69.95 retail. Handbook 102 softcover edition, ARRL Item No. 2455, ISBN 978-1-62595-245-5, is $69.95 retail. Handbook 102 digital edition, ARRL Item No. 2455D, is $49.95 retail. To order by phone, call 1-888-277-5289 (toll-free in the US), Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 7 PM, and Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. Outside the US, call (860) 594-0200. |
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| | | | Amateur Radio in the News |
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“Mosquito control pilot killed after helicopter strikes 150-foot amateur radio operator’s tower in Myakka City, FL” / Wireless Estimator (Online), October 19, 2026 (Also see “In Brief…” item below)
“Ham radio buffs to gather Saturday at Fiesta Island for weather balloon launch” / San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego, CA), October 15, 2026 (Also see “San Diego Balloon Launch Draws in High School Students” above) -- The San Diego Repeater Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club
“When the Power Goes Out, This Montco Radio Club Stays Connected” / Montco.today (Montgomery County, PA), October 20, 2026 -- Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club
“These amateur radio enthusiasts build community over the air on Denton County’s ‘The Morning Show’ ” / Denton County Magazine (Denton, TX), October 11, 2026 |
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| | | | ARRL Live Events and Podcasts |
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| On the Air LIVE  Contesting for the Beginning Radio Amateur
Join Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, ARRL Director of Education and Learning, for the October episode of On the Air Live on Tuesday, October 27, at 8 PM Eastern. Wayne will introduce the fun and benefits of amateur radio contesting, with a special focus on how newly licensed hams can get started.
Contesting is more than chasing points and making contacts. It’s a great way to improve your operating skills, gain confidence on the air, learn about propagation, and become a more effective operator—all while having a lot of fun. Whether you’re interested in casual operating, awards, emergency communications, DXing, or eventually competing in major contests, contesting can help sharpen skills that carry across the hobby. The livestream will air on the ARRL's Learning Center, learn.arrl.org. Preregistration is required and can be accomplished through the Learning Center.
📅 Date: October 27, 2026 🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific 👉 Register Now | ⏪ Previously Recorded Sessions |
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| | ARRL Audio News  Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features. More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
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| | On the Air  Sponsored by Icom
Get Ready for Contest Season ARRL Director of Education and Learning and host of On the Air LIVE, Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, joins the podcast to talk about what goes into an on-air contest, and what you, as a new ham, can get out of participating in one. More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts. |
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| | | | The following America250 W1AW Portable Activations begin 0000z on Wednesdays, and end 2359z on Tuesdays (7 days total for each activation). See the complete schedule at www.arrl.org/america250-was. Review your award progress and order your certificate and endorsements at america250.arrl.org.
10/21/2026 Arkansas W1AW/5 (host K5DB) 10/21/2026 Alaska W1AW/KL7 (host KTØW) 10/21/2026 Wisconsin W1AW/9 (host W9XT) 10/28/2026 Michigan W1AW/8 (host K8NGW) 10/28/2026 Nevada W1AW/7 (host NØCSM) 11/4/2026 Arizona W1AW/7 (host W7RAP)
11/4/2026 Virginia W1AW/4 (host WA8AHZ)
11/4/2026 Oklahoma W1AW/5 (host N5HZR) |
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Last chance for this year’s ARRL Online Auction! Today is the final day of the 2026 ARRL Online Auction, sponsored by GigaParts. More than 200 items are up for bid, including gear from QST “Product Review” articles, vintage books, pre-owned equipment, signed original sketches by Salty Walt Hudson, K4OGO, from Salty Walt’s Portable Antenna Sketchbook, and four popular mystery boxes contributed by the ARRL Lab team. Proceeds from the annual auction benefit ARRL education programs. All bidders must register on the auction website, arrl.auctionanything.com. ALL BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 10 PM EDT TODAY. |
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Historic LF station SAQ will be on the air on October 23 and 24 to mark United Nations Day on the 24th. The Alexanderson alternator-based Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden transmits on 17.2 kHz, and operated as a commercial radio station from 1924 until the early 1990s. It is now a World Heritage Site. SAQ will conduct test transmissions on the 23rd, between 1100 and 1400 UTC, and will “spread a peace message to the world” in Morse code on October 24th at 1245 UTC. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube. In addition, amateur station SK6SAQ will be on the air on the 24th, operating CW on 80, 40, and 20 meters, as well as SSB on 75 and 40 meters. Reception reports for SAQ may be submitted online for an E-QSL card. QSLs for SK6SAQ contacts may be sent via the SM bureau, by email to info@alexander.n.se, or by postal mail to Alexander Association, Radiostationen 72, SE-432 98 Grimeton, Sweden. |
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The FCC will allow amateurs to communicate with two military stations aboard museum battleships in connection with National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on December 5-7, 2026. The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association received a waiver on October 14, permitting short-term crossband communications between amateurs and military stations NEPM aboard the Museum Battleship Iowa (transmitting on 6.989, 14.375, 18.036, and 21.856 MHz), and NEMW aboard the Museum Battleship Alabama (transmitting on 3.347, 7.463, 14.7615, and 18.060 MHz). The military station operators will announce the amateur frequencies on which they will be listening. Read the complete FCC order (PDF). |
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A helicopter pilot was killed after his aircraft crashed into a radio tower believed to belong to a well-known ham in Florida. According to various news reports, the pilot worked for the Manatee County Mosquito Control District and had been conducting aerial spraying on October 15 in an effort to control the spread of a mosquito-borne illness. He was reportedly returning to his base when he struck what was described as a 150-foot private radio tower in Myakka City, east of Sarasota. The tower apparently belonged to well-known contester Dan Street, K1TO, and was the tallest of three on his property. ARRL has reached out to Street for additional information. |
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The YASME Foundation has presented its 2026 YASME Excellence Award to the team behind the Reverse Beacon Network, or RBN, in recognition of their “support of a global volunteer-operated network of automated amateur radio receiver stations (SDR skimmers) that listen to radio bands and report who is transmitting in near-real time.” According to the foundation, the RBN typically has 250 active nodes around the world measuring a station’s frequency, signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, and sending speed, all of which is then reported live to a central RBN database. Amateurs use this data for many purposes, including propagation testing, antenna comparisons, contest operating and results adjudication. The RBN team consists of founder Felipe Ceglia, PY1NB; Nick Sinanis, F5VIH; Mark Glenn, K7MJG; Dave Pascoe, KM3T; Pete Smith, N4ZR; Dick Williams, W3OA, and Chris White, WX7V. |
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October 31 is the deadline for schools to apply for grants from ARRL’s Education and Technology Program (ETP). The grants assist schools and teachers in the purchase of radio equipment, software, and other radio-related resources for school ham stations. The program offers two types of grants: ETP School Station Grants for schools providing a plan to use amateur radio as part of in-classroom learning or an enrichment program; and ETP Progress Grants for teachers already using amateur radio in their classrooms to purchase additional resources or for those teachers needing resources in order to start teaching about electronics and wireless technology using amateur radio. Details are on the ETP page of the ARRL website. |
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Former ARRL Membership Services Manager Charles “Chuck” Hutchinson, K8CH, of Lake Odessa, Michigan, became a Silent Key on October 10, 2026 at age 86. Chuck was born on August 25, 1940, in Lansing, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in TV/radio broadcasting from Michigan State University, while working at the university as a TV engineer. He later worked for IBM servicing computers and spent 3 years in Ecuador as an engineer for shortwave station HCJB before coming to work at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Chuck retired after 20 years at ARRL and moved back to Michigan, but continued to contribute to amateur radio through various ARRL publications, including Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia, two sons, and a granddaughter. A complete obituary is online. |
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Students and faculty members at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania have been working for the past year and a half with five clients of the Lackawanna Blind Association to teach them ham radio and help them get their Technician licenses. All five have now successfully earned their licenses, and are regulars on the university amateur radio club’s W3USR repeater, according to club advisor Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF. Frissell says the club used training materials from the Handiham program, and that at a recent graduation ceremony, each of the new licensees was presented with a tactile plaque containing their name and call sign, 3D-printed and in Braille. The program was recently highlighted on the university’s online news site, Royal News. The University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club. |
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HAARP, the University of Alaska Fairbanks High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, is in the middle of a research campaign that will result in high-powered transmissions on frequencies between 2.8 and 10 MHz (but not within the 80- or 40-meter amateur bands). The research campaign began on October 20 and will continue through October 24, with transmissions on varying frequencies between 0530 and 0930 UTC daily. According to the university, these transmissions are being conducted in support of the INFUSE-II and DUST-III sounding rocket missions. INFUSE-II will test a new type of ultraviolet imager for use on future space telescopes, while DUST-III will carry a miniature laboratory into space to study how tiny grains of space dust form and grow. |
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| | Open Positions at ARRL Come join the headquarters staff of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®! We are currently seeking qualified applicants for the following positions:
Technical Editor RFI Lab Engineer Public Relations and Outreach Manager
Membership Marketing Analyst
Instructional Specialist
Full details may be found on the ARRL HR web page at www.arrl.org/careers.
ARRL is an equal opportunity employer. |
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| | | | | The active sunspot region that has been giving us improved propagation over the past several days will be rotating away from Earth’s view today, but conditions on most of the HF amateur bands should remain pretty decent in the days ahead, as the 10.7-centimeter radio flux remains right around 100. However, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) says the geomagnetic field could become unsettled to active heading into the weekend as a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CHHSS) heads toward Earth.
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre predicts mostly normal HF propagation conditions worldwide.
The W3LPL Propagation Forecast from the Daily DX is predicting a dropoff in DX openings on 10 and 12 meters as the active sunspot region rotates away from Earth and the solar cycle continues its decline. However, good conditions are expected to continue on 15, 17, and 20 meters, with the lower HF bands (30, 40 and 80 meters) providing excellent long distance nighttime propagation.
This weekend is the CQ World Wide SSB DX Contest (0000Z October 24 through 2359 Z October 25). It’s often said that this contest makes its own propagation, most likely because there are stations active to take advantage of unanticipated openings, even on the higher HF bands. So keep listening for calls from faraway stations.
Predicted 10.7-centimeter solar flux: Oct 22-23, 100; Oct 24-26, 95; Oct 27, 100; Oct 28-29, 105. (Source: NOAA SWPC)
Share your reports and observations. Send your tips, questions, or comments to w2vu@arrl.org. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website. |
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Solar image on October 22, 2026[Photo courtesy NOAA SpaceWeather Prediction Center] |
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| | | | Just Ahead in Radiosport |
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| October 19 - 23 -- ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital) October 24 - 25 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB (phone) October 26 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (digital) October 28 -- SKCC Sprint (CW) October 28 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (CW) October 30 -- Zombie Shuffle (CW) October 31 - November 1 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital) October 31 - November 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone, digital) October 31 - November 1 -- UK/EI DX Contest, SSB (phone) November 1 -- North American SSB Sprint (phone) November 1 -- EANET Sprint (CW, phone, digital) November 1 -- High Speed Club CW Contest (CW) November 1 -- Real Time Contest (CW, phone) November 1 - 4 -- Classic Exchange, CW (CW) November 2 -- RSGB 80m Autumn Series, Data (digital) November 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW) November 4 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (phone) November 5 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity, NA (digital) November 5 -- NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital) November 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW) November 5 - 6 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW) November 7 -- IPARC Contest, CW (CW) November 7 - 8 -- YBDXPI FT8 Contest (digital) November 7 - 9 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes, CW (CW) November 8 -- IPARC Contest, SSB (phone) November 8 -- FIRAC HF Contest (phone)
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| | | | | | Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events |
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| ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions (next 60 days) Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database at www.arrl.org/hamfests to find events in your area. October 24 | ARRL Day in the Park, hosting the ARRL Mississippi Section Convention, Ridgeland, Mississippi. October 30 – 31 | Stone Mountain Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia. November 7 | Superstition ARC Superfest, hosting the ARRL Arizona State Convention, Mesa, Arizona November 14 | Montgomery Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama
December 11 – 12 | Tampa Bay Hamfest, hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida |
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Join ARRL at these Division Conventions and other major events throughout the upcoming year, 2027.
February 12 – 14 | Orlando HamCation, hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
April 3 | RARSfest, The Raleigh Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 17 | Ham Radio University, hosting the ARRL Hudson Division Convention, Brookville, New York
May 21 – 23 | Dayton Hamvention, Xenia, Ohio
August 14 | Cincinnati Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Owensville, Ohio |
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ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News  and Information
Join ARRL or renew today! No other organization works harder to promote and protect amateur radio. Membership supports benefits, services, programs, and advocacy to help you get (and stay) active and on the air. Membership includes access to digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io email group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive technology.
On the Air. Published bimonthly for newer hams, featuring introductions to popular activities and key concepts, equipment buying guides, and practical projects with step-by-step instructions — all in language that’s easy to understand.
NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprints, and QSO parties.
QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
Subscribe to the ARES® Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the NTS® Letter (monthly news about the ARRL National Traffic System message-relay network), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts, and much more!
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| | | The ARRL Letter is published on Thursdays, 51 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.
Copyright © 2026 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. |
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