Latest Amateur Radio News
Showing 20 articles.
Video/Podcast with ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA
<p>ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, was a guest on episode 103 of <i>The DX Mentor</i>, which aired September 19, 2026. Hosted by Bill Salyers, AJ8B, with Joe Pater, W8GEX, the discussion covered highlights from the ARRL Board of Directors’ annual Second Meeting, held July 17; the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU); the August ARRL National Convention hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest, and recent supp...</p>
Your First Contest Without Embarrassing Yourself
Contesting for People Who Have Never Tried It Your First Contest Without Embarrassing Yourself A contest contact is eight seconds long and uses about nine words. Here is exactly what to say, when to say it, and why the big stations actively want to hear from you. What’s Coming Up Check Band Conditions You tune...
October 2026 Schedule Updates: From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Bill Tilford, who shares the following update: From the Isle of Music, October 2026 This month, we will air the postponed episode covering the career of accordionist/bandleader/arranger/composer/producer Eddy Gaytan, born in Argentina but moved to Cuba and had an impact on several styles of Cuban music. We hope to have […]
Will RADE Be the Next SSB?
<p><span>It’s been a half century since single sideband (SSB) supplanted amplitude modulation (AM) as the most popular voice mode on HF, due largely to its spectrum efficiency, occupying roughly half the bandwidth of an AM signal. Now, there’s a new digital voice mode from FreeDV called Radio Autoencoder, or RADE, that occupies half the bandwidth of an SSB signal and reportedly provides more natural-sou...</span></p>
I Put Heil Ham Radio’s All New BM-17 Headset on the Air
<p>If there is one ham radio accessory that I couldn’t live without, it’s probably my headset. I love the convenience of not holding a microphone, and as my ears get older, I really appreciate how the headphones help me pull out weak signals. I can get by without my antenna analyzer, I can ditch the […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com/2026/09/25/i-put-heil-ham-radios-all-new-bm-17-headset-on-the-air/">I Put Heil Ham Radio’s All New BM-17 Headset on the Air</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com">KB9VBR Antennas</a>.</p>
FCC and HHS Initiate New Proceedings on RF Exposure
<p><span>ARRL with ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio</span><span>®</span><span> is following two new federal proceedings concerning radio frequency (RF) exposure. On September 17, 2026, the FCC and the U.S. Department </span><span>of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiated parallel comment periods on RF safety issues. </span><em><span>Neither inquiry changes the current FCC RF exposure rules that apply to all radio amateurs but could lead to ...</span></em></p>
The ARRL Solar Update
<p>Solar activity is likely to continue at low levels with isolated to<br />occasional C-class flare activity, along with a slight chance for<br />R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) M-class flare events, through September 25,<br />according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The SWPC reports<br />that nine sunspot regions are on the visible disk, including a new<br />Region 4541. There were three solar flares observed in the past ...</p>
ELWA Monrovia, Liberia – Then and Now
by Dan Greenall Radio ELWA (Eternal Love Winning Africa) is a Christian ministry station that has been on the air from Monrovia, Liberia since 1954. When I first heard them in the 1970’s from my listening post in Ontario, Canada, they were using 10 and 50 kw transmitters to broadcast their programs to targets in […]
The Chickadee Double Tap’s Maiden POTA Voyage & My New TR-25 Peanuts Pencil Case Field Kit!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Thursday, September 3, 2026, I left my house pretty early for a one-and-a-half-hour drive to spend the day with my father. We had appointments to attend and also planned to enjoy the new Hickory Aviation Museum in Hickory, North Carolina. My dad and I are both aviation buffs, and his local … <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/09/the-chickadee-double-taps-maiden-pota-voyage-my-new-tr-25-peanuts-pencil-case-field-kit/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Chickadee Double Tap’s Maiden POTA Voyage & My New TR-25 Peanuts Pencil Case Field Kit!</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
West Over Lemhi Pass
We continued on our trip along the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail, traveling across Montana and seeing many of the famous Lewis and Clark sites. We completed another 10 Parks On The Air activations along the way. The expedition took two diff...
Does a cross-border contact count as DX?
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! by Vince (VE6LK) Yes. Even if said contact is only 2.5 km away? Yes, yes it does. But what about QRP? Yes, dear reader, all activity was performed at 5 watts or less. But wait, I’m … <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/09/does-a-cross-border-contact-count-as-dx/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Does a cross-border contact count as DX?</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
End of an Era: Kyodo News radiofax service discontinued
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I knew that sooner or later this was going to happen. Yesterday, September 22, 2026, on a cold, sunny morning, I was in Porto Alegre doing my usual radio listening when I thought of tuning in to 16971 kHz to download one of Kyodo News’ news bulletins via radiofax. No signal. […]
The Low Bands Are Waking Up: What Fall and Winter Change on 160, 80 and 40
Seasonal Propagation — 160, 80 and 40 Meters The Low Bands Are Waking Up: What Fall and Winter Change on 160, 80 and 40 Ten meters is getting quieter every month. The bands underneath it are about to have their best season of the year, and the reason has as much to do with thunderstorms...
Texas Radio Shortwave: Schedule for October 2026
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Terry (N5RTC), who shares the following schedules for Texas Radio Shortwave (click image to enlarge):  
Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of NHK (September 21, 2026)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report. Carlos notes: NHK: Prime Minister Takaichi will hold a meeting with Trump on the 22nd. Click here to view on YouTube.
The Xiegu X6200 Returns to the Field: QRP CW from William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, August 15th, 2026, I had a full day ahead with family—most notably, moving a daughter into her Raleigh apartment—so I woke early to fit in a park activation before the chaos began! The previous morning, I’d planned to use my Xiegu X6200 but discovered the battery hadn’t charged properly after … <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/09/the-xiegu-x6200-returns-to-the-field-qrp-cw-from-william-b-umstead-state-park-us-2755/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Xiegu X6200 Returns to the Field: QRP CW from William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>
Compact Wire Antenna, Massive Performance – Spooltenna Ultra Delivers
<p>There is no shortage of end fed half wave antennas on the market. Over the years I’ve tried many variations and one of my personal favorites is the Spooltenna, both for it’s ease of deployment and very good performance. Their new Ultra model is my top pick and last week I put it on the […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com/2026/09/22/compact-wire-antenna-massive-performance-spooltenna-ultra-delivers/">Compact Wire Antenna, Massive Performance – Spooltenna Ultra Delivers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com">KB9VBR Antennas</a>.</p>
Classical, Vermont and Jams via the shortwaves
Hi to all our SWLing Post friends. Here’s this week’s Imaginary Stations schedule for your shortwave listening pleasure. On WRMI on Wednesday 23rd September 2026, at 0200 hrs UTC on 9395 kHz we bring you Imaginary States: Vermont. Welcome to the sounds of the Northeast Kingdom where hippies still thrive six decades later. We will […]
Giuseppe’s Homemade “Cassettone Pomodori Loop Antenna”
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who writes: Dear Thomas and SWLing Post friends, I am Giuseppe Morlè from Formia, in central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. I’d like to introduce you to yet another loop antenna I’ve built using a large crate—the kind that used to hold tomatoes for homemade sauce. […]
Why the Icom IC-7300 Mk2 Makes Sense for a Portable Grid-Down EMCOMM
Hello Operators. Recently, I published a video detailing how to wire our solar and battery power system for a 100W field-deployed radio. This wasn’t just <a class="mh-excerpt-more" href="https://oh8stn.org/blog/2026/09/21/why-the-icom-ic-7300-mk2-makes-sense-for-a-portable-grid-down-emcomm/" title="Why the Icom IC-7300 Mk2 Makes Sense for a Portable Grid-Down EMCOMM">[...]</a>
