Latest Amateur Radio News

NCVEC Question Pool Committee Removes Three Questions from Use

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (February 5, 2026)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcast. Carlos notes: Iranian armed forces are ready for any scenario, Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran, 15135 kHz Click here to view on YouTube.

ARRL Joins America250 as a Supporting Partner for the Nation’s 250th Anniversary

RFI issue solved!

 For those of you who are consistent readers of my blog, you may remember that for some time now, I have had an issue with RFI. The problem it caused was that my contesting program N1MM+ would freeze while CW contesting on 15m and sometimes on 20m...

Two Marks POTA at W. Goodrich Jones State Park!

by Mark (KB2PIZ) Every year, when I go to Houston for a conference, I manage to squeeze in an amazing eyeball QSO with Mark Tyler (K5GQ). Mark is my CWOPS Instructor and mentor, instrumental in bringing my CW skills up to speed. We had originally planned to meet on Sunday, but a major blizzard was &#8230; <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/02/two-marks-pota-at-w-goodrich-jones-state-park/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Two Marks POTA at W. Goodrich Jones State Park!</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>

Winter Field Day 2026: Extreme Cold Edition

<p>I&#8217;ve been doing Winter Field Day, give or take, for about 10 years. There&#8217;s been a couple years when I had other things going on and couldn&#8217;t participate, and one year the where there was so much snow that we couldn&#8217;t get into the cabin we were planning to operate from. Needless to say, every [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com/2026/02/04/winter-field-day-2026-extreme-cold-edition/">Winter Field Day 2026: Extreme Cold Edition</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.jpole-antenna.com">KB9VBR Antennas</a>.</p>

Hop on the train to the 45th Parallel

Greetings all SWLing Post community! This week Imaginary Stations takes you back to our secret shortwave laboratory along the 45th Parallel for our Annual Midwinter broadcast. No matter where you are on the planet, we&#8217;re halfway there. Great tunes are coming to you via the ionosphere from shortwaveradio.de on Saturday 7th February 2026 at 1200 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz. In case [&#8230;]

Heavy 40 Meter Morning Pileups from a Quiet North Carolina State Forest

by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday morning, January 14, I decided to squeeze in another Parks on the Air activation while spending a few days in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. This time, I set my sights on Clemmons Educational State Forest (US-4853), which is about a 25-minute drive from where we usually stay when &#8230; <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/02/heavy-40-meter-morning-pileups-from-a-quiet-north-carolina-state-forest/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Heavy 40 Meter Morning Pileups from a Quiet North Carolina State Forest</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>

Sunny Jim’s Trance Journey: February 2026 Program Schedule

February programme now out!! 60 minutes of music you&#8217;ve likely never heard before (except for one) and &#8211; contrary to some popular belief &#8211; proof that they do make music as good as they used to, and, you can hear the words&#8230;!! (Yes I know&#8230; again I&#8217;m sticking my head above the parapet to be [&#8230;]

Alan’s Elecraft KX2 Field Kit in a Hidden Woodsmen Haversack

My friend Alan (W2AEW) has just posted a video of his new Elecraft KX2 field kit built into a Hidden Woodsmen Haversack M55: Click here to view on YouTube. I love your field kit, Alan! I especially appreciate the number of antenna options you’ve managed to pack into what is still a very compact setup. It’s &#8230; <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/02/alans-elecraft-kx2-field-kit-in-a-hidden-woodsmen-haversack/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Alan’s Elecraft KX2 Field Kit in a Hidden Woodsmen Haversack</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of CGTN (February 1, 2026)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent CGTN broadcast. Carlos notes: Tehran has confirmed a framework for discussions but remains on high alert for a possible US attack, CGTN Radio Click here to view on YouTube.

W7MDN: Trail-Running SOTA with the LNR Mountain Topper MTR-3B

by Matt (W7MDN) The Perfect Combination When my work schedule allows, I try to marry up trail running with a SOTA activation, which adds to the adventure aspect of Summits on the Air. I’ve been tweaking my ultralight SOTA kit recently, with the goal of reducing weight and space to just the essentials needed for &#8230; <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/02/w7mdn-trail-running-sota-with-the-lnr-mountain-topper-mtr-3b/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">W7MDN: Trail-Running SOTA with the LNR Mountain Topper MTR-3B</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>

Former FCC official John B. Johnston, W3BE, Silent Key

<p><span>John B. Johnston, W3BE (SK), of Derwood, Maryland, passed away on January 7, 2026. </span><span>He was 98 years old. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Johnson was a World War II veteran and served in the Pacific Theater. </span></p><p><span>He was first licensed on March 15, 1954, as KN2HHR. Following military service and college, he worked for the General Electric Company, and then as an engineer for the Federal Communications Commis...</span></p>

Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 406

Hamvention 2026 theme and logo Our theme for Hamvention 2026 is &#8220;Radio Adventure!&#8221; Hamvention HamClock project to sunset June 2026 The HamClock project will no longer receive updates. Amateur Radio Daily Ham Radio isn&#8217;t growing and it&#8217;s all your fault Hang around the Amateur Radio community for a few decades and its many peccadillos will [&#8230;]

The ARRL Solar Update

<p>Solar activity continued at low levels this week. Low level C-class<br />flares were observed from Regions 4342 and 4353. The majority of the<br />regions were either stable or in decay. New Regions 4359, 4360, and<br />4361 emerged on the disk and were numbered. No Earth-directed<br />Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed. The forecast calls for<br />solar activity to remain at low levels with a chance for M-class<br />fla...</p>

Pairing the KX2 & AX1 for a Quickie Activation at Falls Lake State Recreational Area

by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina for the week, trying to fit in as many Parks on the Air activations as possible while my wife and I ran errands and worked through a handful of projects around town. That afternoon, we found ourselves in North Raleigh, and &#8230; <a href="https://qrper.com/2026/01/pairing-the-kx2-ax1-for-a-quickie-activation-at-falls-lake-state-recreational-area/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Pairing the KX2 &#038; AX1 for a Quickie Activation at Falls Lake State Recreational Area</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>

North Carolina Students Scheduled to Make Contact with the International Space Station

<p><span>580 students at Conn Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina, will participate in a conversation with an astronaut on board the International Space Station (ISS). Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has confirmed the contact, scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026, just after 10:00 AM EST.</span>  </p><p><span>Radio communications will be provided by the </span><span>Raleigh Amateur Radio Socie...</span></p>

ARRL to announce winner of Icom® Dream Station at HamCation®

ARRL Director Tharp, KB7HDX, Receives Search-and-Rescue Award

<p><span>Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, Director of the </span>ARRL Northwestern Division,<span> has received the Hall of Honor Award for 35 years of service to the </span><span>Yakima Search and Rescue</span><span> group. </span>  </p><p>Tharp called the award “unexpected and very much appreciated,” adding, “You don’t do volunteer work to get awards, you do it because it’s needed and makes a difference.” </p><p>Tharp was first licensed in 1989 and now holds an Extra Class...</p>

Student Coding Competition is Underway with $25,000 Award

<p><span>ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio</span><span>®</span><span> is asking members to help encourage licensed youth in their communities to participate in the ARRL Student Coding Competition, an initiative focused on developing practical resources for the Amateur Radio Service. The competition, which began January 1, 2026, challenges young amateurs to create a mobile application that ARRL will use as a long-te...</span></p>