Amateur Radio News and Notes 5/15/2026

Beschreibung

In the log this week * Dayton Hamvention Starts Today May 15-17, 2026 * QRPARCI Four Days in May Recap * Elecraft Announces New AX4 Antenna * Yaesu Announces System Fusion III and DR-3X Repeaters * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com]. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Dayton Hamvention Starts Today May 15-17, 2026 Image courtesy https://www.make-it.ca/hamvention/ [https://www.make-it.ca/hamvention/] Today kicks off the 2026 edition of the Dayton Hamvention at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Dayton Hamvention is the biggest hamfest in the world with last year’s attendance of 36,814 attendees. Hamvention starts Today May 15th, 2026 from 9 AM to 5 PM and continues Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 9 AM to 1 PM. This year’s theme is “Radio Adventure” and as always there will be a ton of vendors, tailgate sellers, and an extensive lineup of forums. Amateur Radio News and Notes on the scene in Xenia to report on the latest developments. I will be walking around on Friday and Saturday at the Fairgrounds, so If you’re going this year and see me definitely say hello. For more information about Dayton Hamvention including lists of vendors and scheduled forums visit https://hamvention.org/ [https://hamvention.org/]. QRPARCI Four Days in May Recap Image Courtesy https://qrparci.org/ [https://qrparci.org/] Yesterday, Thursday May 14, 2026 the QRP Amateur Radio Club International’s Four Days in May conference took place in Fairborn, Ohio. This year there were a lot of great talks. Harold KE6TI started out the day with a talk about his journey in the world of homebrewing radios from a young novice to his career in electronics. Next up was Anthony K8ZT who reminded us that life is NOT too short for QRP with a talk that gave a lot of tips on how to succeed in QRP operations (his talk can be found at https://tiny.cc/qrptips [https://tiny.cc/qrptips]). Then we were treated to a fascinating talk by Jonathan KM4CFT about the design philosophy of his CFT1 QRP radio that discussed his objectives and methods to create and release his popular radio. The next talk was from Thomas K4SWL about how he and his community in Swannanoa, NC dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene using amateur radio and the power of community (see his coverage of at http://qrper.com/tag/helene-aftermath [http://qrper.com/tag/helene-aftermath]). His talk highlighted the resilience and resourcefulness of the community and provided some practical tips about how to be better prepared for future disasters. Jerry AC4BT had a talk about some of the methods he uses to build his CW skills. Stewart G3YSX gave a talk about how “Vibe Coding” using Artificial Intelligence is changing amateur radio with some practical examples and information. Al AC8GY and Jack W8TEE showed their clever magnetic loop antenna controller which allows for the automatic tuning of the notoriously difficult to tune magnetic loop antennas. Their result was impressive and they have released their code as open source so you can build your own. And last, but not least, Ross VK1UN showed us how he was able to design antenna tuners for the 160 meter, 630 meter, 2200 meter, and 8900 Hz bands allow him to have his QRP signals received thousands of miles away through ingenious engineering and circuit modeling. Then in the evening Ashhar Farhan VU2ESE gave a talk about his LARCSET 40 meter transceiver kits that allow builders to get on the air for around 30 dollars. The evening was capped off with vendor night, with many QRP vendors in attendance including Adam K6ARK, Packtenna, N6ARA Electronics, Halibut Electronics, Tufetln, HF Signals, Spootenna, POTA Cat, QRPMe, DX Engineering, and many more. It was a busy and fun filed day in Fairborn, Ohio. Elecraft Announces New AX4 Antenna Image Courtesy Elecraft [https://elecraft.com/products/ax4] Just ahead of Dayton Hamvention, Elecraft announced the next release in their AX line of compact antennas, the AX4. The new antenna maintains a compact form factor while allowing 100 Watts of output on CW and SSB and 50 Watts on digital modes. It is designed to be clamped to a table or bench, or put on a tripod with a 1/4-20 mount and has a longer 8 foot long whip that boasts a 6 dB gain improvement on then previous 4 foot whips. The antenna is resonant on 7, 10, 14, and 21 MHz and with the use of an antenna tuner the antenna can be used from 40 meters through 10 meters. The BL3 Balun unit keeps RF off the feedline and is an essential part of the 100 Watt power handling capacity of the antenna. The unit weights 15 oz, the main unit is 6.7 inches long and the whip is 13 inches collapsed and comes with a bag. As we go to press Elecraft has not announced a price, but they did have one on hand at FDIM’s Vendor Night. For more information about the antenna and to sign up for their wait list visit https://elecraft.com/products/ax4 [https://elecraft.com/products/ax4]. Yaesu Announces System Fusion III and DR-3X Repeaters Image Couresy Yaesu USA YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9caD5NX7VM] John Kruk N9UPC announced on Yaesu USA’s YouTube channel that Yaesu will be announcing the latest version of their System Fusion system, version 3 at Dayton Hamvention today. The new version is fully backwards compatible with existing radios, and details about the new capabilities in version 3 will be discussed in more detail at Hamvention today. Also announced were two new repeater systems, the DR-3XV and the DR-3XU. The V version transmits on 2 meters with an increased output power of 85 Watts and the U version transmits on 70 centimeters with an increased power of 65 Watts. The radios are rated for a continuous duty cycle and implement the new features of System Fusion III. The modulation method remains the same C4FM with automatic mode selection, but an added feature is the inclusion of their ASP (Audio Signal Processor) functionality seen in some of their newest VHF/UHF rigs which they claim will increase receive capabilities and signal intelligibility in weaker signals. They also mention a Interference Evasion System that purports to deal with intentional interference and reroute radios to an alternate frequency until the interfering signal disappears. Additional details are forthcoming at today’s Hamvention. For the full podcast announcement visit MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Galapagos (HD8R), Western Sahara (S09S), Rodrigues Island (3B9G), Kenya (54Z/MM0ZBH), Burkina Faso (XT2AW), French Polynesia (FO/F6CBW), Mauritius (3B8IDX), Corsica (TK/F4FTV), Iceland (TF/WE9G), Greenland (OX3LX), Saint Kitts and Nevis (V4/EI8KN, V4/EI7BR), Thailand (E25VCR/p), and Tonga (A31AA). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html [https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html]. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 106 and the estimated sunspot number was 60 with 4 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 496 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at active to major storm levels today and at unsettled to minor storm levels on Saturday and Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 5% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are possible with a predicted probability of 40% today, 30% Saturday, and 25% Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 5% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ [https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/] and https://solarham.com/ [https://solarham.com/]. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ [https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/]. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap [https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap]. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/ [https://prop.kc2g.com/]. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the UN DX Contest, the NZART Sangster Shield Contest, the His Majesty King of Spain Contest on CW, the EU PSK DX Contest, the Arkansas QSO Party, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Baltic Contest, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php [https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php] Interesting Online Radio Content Yaesu USA announces System Fusion III and the DR-3X repeaters - Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW discusses recent solar weather - Dave G3LRC takes the Flex Radio Aurora out to the field - Mark KD7DTS takes a K6ARK dipole to a summit for SOTA fun - Josh KI6NAZ briefs you on what you should know about Dayton Hamvention - Thomas K4SWL takes a look at some new pressure paddles for the Elecraft KH1 and activates POTA - Thomas K4SWL tests out some custom accessories for the Elecraft KH1 and activates POTA - That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Amateur Radio News and Notes 7/3/2026

In the log this week * Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide VHF July 4-5, 2026 * SAQ Grimeton Alexander Day VLF Broadcast July 5, 2026 * REF Tour de France Special Event Station July 4-26, 2026 and August 1-9, 2026 * 13 Colonies Special Continues Until July 7, 2026 * MVARC ARRL Field Day 2026 Recap * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com]. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Contest Spotlight: CQ World Wide VHF July 4-5, 2026 This weekend brings the CQ World Wide VHF Contest. The fun starts at 1400 UTC Saturday (10 AM Eastern Time) and ends 1400 UTC on Sunday (10 AM Eastern Time). The objective of the contest is for “amateurs around the world to contact as many amateurs as possible in the contest period, to promote VHF, to allow VHF operators the opportunity to experience the enhanced propagation available at this time of year, and for interested amateurs to collect VHF Maidenhead grid locators for award credits”. All frequencies on the 6 meter and 2 meter bands may be used as permitted by the operator’s license and stations may be worked once per band. This is the SSB/CW/FM weekend, so only those “analog” modes are permitted in this edition of the contest. The exchange is the Maidenhead grid locator (so FM18 for me in Northern Virginia). Signal reports are not required and should not be included in the logs. Multipliers are the different grid locators worked on each band. Grid locators count once per band unless you’re a rover station, then you can re-work grids once you’re in a new grid yourself. QSOs are 1 point on the 6 meter band and 2 points on the 2 meter band. Scores are total QSO points multiplied by the number of grid locators worked. Entry categories include Single operator at High (up to 1500 Watts), Low (up to 100 Watts), and QRP (up to 5 Watts) power levels, Hilltopper which is a single op category for up 6 hours of continuous operation up to 100 Watts, Rover which allows up to 2 operators that travel to more than one grid location and signs with “Rover” or “/R”, and Multi-Op with 2 or more operators with only one signal per band. Repeater and satellite contacts are not permitted. Spotting assistance is allowed so long as it is not used to confirm a QSO or convey information in the exchange. Self spotting by APRS by rovers is also permitted. Logs must be submitted by July 10, 2026 to be eligible for awards. For more information including rules and details visit https://cqww-vhf.com/ [https://cqww-vhf.com/]. Good luck. SAQ Grimeton Alexander Day VLF Broadcast July 5, 2026 Image Courtesy Chrumps - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42756712 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42756712] On July 5, 2026 the historic VLF broadcast station, SAQ Grimeton, will fire up their Alexanderson alternator transmitters and transmit a message on 17.2 kHz CW. The Grimeton station is an early wireless station that used VLF frequencies to send transatlantic wireless messages from its location in southern Sweden. The site used a very early transmitting apparatus called the Alexanderson alternator which used rotating machinery to generate continuous wave signals. They will fire up the transmitter around 0830 UTC (4:30 AM ET) with initial calls beginning at 0845 UTC (4:45 AM ET) and then transmitting a message at 0900 UTC (5 AM ET). There will be a second transmission later with the same sequence at 1230 UTC (8:30 AM ET), 1245 UTC (8:45 AM ET), and 1300 UTC (9:00 AM ET). There will also be transmissions on amateur radio station SK6SAQ on 3517.2 kHz, 7017.2 kHz, 14017.2 kHz on CW and 3755 kHz and 7140 kHz on SSB. If you have a receiver that can receive VLF tune in and see if you can hear the historic transmitter on the air. For more information visit https://daily.hamweekly.com/2026/06/saq-grimeton-on-air-for-aexanderson-day-july-5/ [https://daily.hamweekly.com/2026/06/saq-grimeton-on-air-for-aexanderson-day-july-5/] https://alexander.n.se/en/ [https://alexander.n.se/en/] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimeton_Radio_Station [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimeton_Radio_Station] Good luck. REF Tour de France Special Event Station Image Courtesy https://www.qrz.com/db/TM00TFR [https://www.qrz.com/db/TM00TFR] Le Tour de France is one of the most well known cycling events in the world and the Réseau des Émetteurs Français (REF) will be organizing special event stations from July 4th to July 26th for the Le Tour de France and from August 1st to August 9th for Le Tour de France Femmes. Look on the air for the stations with of the form TMxxTFR where xx is a department number, for example TM66TFR and TM11TFR, to make contact. There is a challenge during the special event where CW contacts count for 5 points; SSB, PSK, and RTTY count for 3 points; FT8 and FT4 count for 2 points; each contact with a stage department counts for 4 points, each contact with a non-stage department earns 4 points, and each station can be contacted once per day. Just like in the Tour de France there is the Yellow award for those who contact all stage and transited departments, the Green award for the “best sprinter” who contact all stage departments, the Polka-Dot award for the “best climber” who contact all departments involving a mountain stage, and the White award for young operators under 25 who participate and finish the challenge. There are a lot of ways to play in the event, so check out https://www.qrz.com/db/TM00TFR [https://www.qrz.com/db/TM00TFR] for full information and rules. It promises to be a fun way to enjoy the excitement of this year’s Tour de France races. Good luck. 13 Colonies Special Continues Until July 7, 2026 Image Courtesy https://www.13colonies.us/ [https://www.13colonies.us/] The 18th Annual 13 Colonies Special event is underway and continues until Tuesday, July 7, 2026. As expected the pileups have already been intense with many of the special event stations making numerous contacts on the bands. The event has operating stations for each of the 13 original colonies each with its own 1x1 call. K2A in New York, K2B in Virginia, K2C in Rhode Island, K2D in Connecticut, K2E in Delaware, K2F in Maryland, K2G in Georgia, K2H in Massachusetts, K2I in New Jersey, K2J in North Carolina, K2K in New Hampshire, K2L in South Carolina, and K2M in Pennsylvania. There are also bonus stations available for GB13COL in the United Kingdom, TM13COL in France, and WM3PEN in Philadelphia. The event is staffed by volunteers in each of the states, and it can be a fun challenge to see if you can get them in the log. If you do find one of the stations, they ask that you give them a spot on DX Summit at http://www.dxsummit.fi/ [http://www.dxsummit.fi/], which is also a great place to find spots for the stations you need. The event tends to be VERY active on CW and SSB and may also be on RTTY and Digital. Activity will be on all bands (including the WARC bands) except 60 meters. I hope to be able to make a clean sweep on CW this year and always enjoy this event. Each of the stations has special QSL cards you can send for if you make a contact, and you can apply for a certificate for the event as well. More information about the event can be found at https://www.13colonies.us/ [https://www.13colonies.us/]. Good luck! MVARC ARRL Field Day 2026 Recap Image Courtesy Corey KN4YZY The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club had a great Field Day outing last weekend with a lot of QSOs in the log and a ton of fun being had by all. We were graciously hosted this year by the Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and the bands cooperated allowing us to make contacts coast to cost and internationally. Image Courtesy Corey KN4YZY We also had several members of the community come by and learn about amateur radio and we got some of them on the air as well. We took a break from operating for our Field Day picnic where we feasted on delicious pizza and enjoyed each other’s company. There was some light rain during the event, but our shelters kept us and our equipment nice and dry. Thanks to everyone who helped to plan the event, those who assisted in setup and tear down, those who operated during the event, and all those who joined us out in the field. We look forward to doing it all again next year! MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include French Polynesia (FO/F6CBW), Cameroon (TJ1GD/P), Saint Martin (FS/F4EQE), Kyrgyzstan (EX/KZ1R), Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FP/KV1J), Ogasawara (JD1BQP, JR6HYO/JD1), Greenland (OX/DL8JJ), Luxembourg (LX/PA1SND), Crete (SV9/HB9EMP), Benin (TY5FR), and Sardinia (IS0/IZ3KVD). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html [https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html]. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 203 and the estimated sunspot number was 101 with 3 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at high levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 2 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 389 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at moderate levels with a slight chance of X-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to major storm levels today through Saturday and at quiet to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 20% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely with a predicted probability of 70% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 20% chance predicted today through Sunday. With the elevated activity this week there have been good conditions on some of the higher bands with some remaining open through the night. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ [https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/] and https://solarham.com/ [https://solarham.com/]. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ [https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/]. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap [https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap]. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/ [https://prop.kc2g.com/]. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the CQ WW VHF SSB/CW Contest we discussed earlier as well as the NZART Memorial Contest, the TA VHF/UHF Contest, the ARAM 50 MHz Contest, the Marconi Memorial HF Contest, the Original QRP Contest, the PODXS 070 Club 40 meter Firecracker Sprint, and the FOC Old School Classic 1960s QSO Party. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php [https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php]. Interesting Online Radio Content The Summer INDEXA Newsletter has been released with reports of recent DXpeditions and a look ahead https://indexa.org/documents/newsletters/Newsletter-Issue-149-Summer2026.pdf [https://indexa.org/documents/newsletters/Newsletter-Issue-149-Summer2026.pdf] Gabe KL1FI builds a portable folding antenna for weather satellites - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LdVeY6ouGE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LdVeY6ouGE] Ciprian YO6DXE tests out a high-performing RF choke - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz7FlUusF6Q [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz7FlUusF6Q] Mike K8MRD takes Caitlin K8FAE out for her first QRP Field Operation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXVREXaKJ3Y [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXVREXaKJ3Y] Alan W2AEW investigates common emitter amplifier input and output impedance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuf2_Zu8T8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuf2_Zu8T8] Lewis M3HHY listens to the shut-down of longwave for BBC Radio 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRYTjEzxZno [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRYTjEzxZno] Stuart VE9CF tests the KJ6ER challenger to great results - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87namlPG3U [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87namlPG3U] Kevan 2E0WMG operates from Guernsey as 2U0WMG (Part 1 of a series) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcF7RhwC1Vo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcF7RhwC1Vo] George VK2AOE fabricates a microphone connection for his Yaesu FT101E - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnYN-JbfdOQ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnYN-JbfdOQ] Mike K8MRD visits 4 Field Day sites in Texas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElgFHctlNIw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElgFHctlNIw] Walt K4OGO uses 2 telescopic whips to get gain and work DX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZn42at0GKY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZn42at0GKY] Peter VK3YE listens to the last moments of BBC Radio 4 on longwave - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEQ62PkHS80 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEQ62PkHS80] Craig KM6LYW show off version 2.1 of his DigiPi hotspot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY5NLZ0XBC4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY5NLZ0XBC4] That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

3. Juli 202613 min

Amateur Radio News and Notes 6/19/2026

In the log this week * ARRL Kids Day 6/20/2026 * CHU Canada Shutting Down 6/22/2026 * Event Spotlight: World Cup Special Event Stations * Contest Spotlight: Stew Perry Top Band Challenge * NOAA Solar-1 Satellite Now Operational * Ameritron and Mirage Brands Acquired by ITU * ARRL Field Day Next Weekend * MVARC Nets on the Air * What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update * Upcoming Contests * Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com]. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. ARRL Kids Day 6/20/2026 This Saturday brings the Summer edition of ARRL Kids Day to the air. Kids Day happens twice a year to give young people a chance to get on the air and get excited about amateur radio in the hopes they pursue their own licenses. It also gives current amateurs a chance to share their station with kids and share their love of the hobby with them. Kids Day starts at 1800 UTC on Saturday (2 PM Eastern Time Saturday) and ends at 2359 UTC (7:59 PM Eastern Time Saturday). This isn’t a contest, so operators can operate as much or as little as they would like. The suggested exchange is name, age, location, and favorite color. You can work the same station multiple times if the operator has changed. The ARRL encourages ops to call “CQ Kids Day” to draw attention. The ARRL Kids Day site has a series of frequencies they suggest for centers of operation and encourage you to send your stories and photos as well. There is also a downloadable certificate you can print and give to young operators who get on the air. This promises to be a fun event to get kids on the air and a great opportunity to work those kids and get them excited about amateur radio. For more information and resources visit https://www.arrl.org/kids-day [https://www.arrl.org/kids-day]. Good luck. CHU Canada Shutting Down 6/22/2026 As we covered a couple weeks ago, CHU Canada, the time signal station that broadcasts time signals on 3.330 MHz, 7.850 MHz, and 14.670 MHz is scheduled to shut down on June 22nd. CHU’s signal has been easily heard in the United States and around the world with its broadcasts of time announcement by voice and also via digital time codes. It is broadcast in Upper Sideband with a carrier reinserted to allow it to be received without an SSB radio using three atomic clocks located at the transmitter site and the signals are highly accurate. In addition to providing the time, the signals were used by many to gauge ionospheric propagation conditions. Recently HamSCI, an organization engaged in citizen science using amateur radio, released a statement [https://www.hamsci.org/CHU] on how they have been actively using the signals from CHU to further their research, formally asking the Canadian National Resource Council (NRC) which operates CHU to reverse their decision to close the station. As we go to press there is no indication that the decision will be reversed. The decision to end CHU broadcasts follows the closing of Canada’s weather radio network on March 16 earlier this year. Tune your radio to CHU for one last time this weekend before it falls silent. The YouTube channel OfficialSWLchannel reports [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Fyng4LJEE]that their sources indicate the final transmission may be at 10-10:30 AM Eastern Time on Monday, June 22nd, with 10:10 AM Eastern Time being the expected end of transmission. More information about CHU can be found at https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortwave-station-broadcasts-chu [https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortwave-station-broadcasts-chu]. Event Spotlight: World Cup Special Event Stations Image Courtesy https://www.wc2026ses.org/ [https://www.wc2026ses.org/] A special event station to commemorate the 2026 World Soccer Tournament is currently underway with operators on the air in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are special stations for each of the event venues including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, and a bonus station. In the US there are several 1x1 calls (W4C, W1C, W5C, K0C, W6C, K4C, W2C, WM3PEN, W6S, W7C, as well as WC5WC). In Canada stations include VC3F and VB7F and in Mexico stations include 4A1GDL, 4A1CMX, and 4A1MTY. Operators will be working VHF, UHF, and HF on analog and digital and there will be 16 QSL cards to collect. They’re looking for volunteers and the event continues until July 19, 2026. For more information on the event and how to participate, visit https://www.wc2026ses.org/ [https://www.wc2026ses.org/]. Good luck. Contest Spotlight: Stew Perry Top Band Challenge This Saturday, June 20th, brings the June edition of the Stew Perry Top Band Challenge. The Challenge starts at 1500 UTC (11 AM Eastern Time) on Saturday and lasts for 24 hours. Ops may only work a total of 14 hours total and off times must be at least 30 minutes in length. The contest is on the “top band” or 160 meters on CW only and has the feature that the point value of each QSO is dependent on the distance between the two stations. Categories of operation include Single and Multi-Operator at High (up to legal limits), Low (up to 100 Watts), or QRP (up to 5 Watts) levels. The exchange is a 4 character Maidenhead Grid Square Locator (in my case in Virginia I’m FM18) and an RST is optional. QSO Points are based upon the distance between the centers of the two grid squares. The base points are 1 point with an additional point for every 500 kilometers in distance. So a QSO with 1,750 km of distance would count for 4 QSO points. You may not count long path distances for points. If you work a low power station you’re given a multiplier of 2 and if you work a QRP station you get a multiplier of 4. This is calculated based upon received logs and done automatically during the log checking process. External assistance is not permitted. This includes using spotting networks, or even telling other ops that another station is on another frequency at the end of the QSO. Use of the RBN or skimmers is also not allowed. If using a remote receiver to reduce QRN it must be within 100 km of your transmitter site. Look at Rule 6 in the rules as it gives specific advice about what is and what is not permitted. Scores are QSO points multiplied by 1.5 for Low power stations and 3 for QRP stations. Logs must be submitted within 14 days of the contest using their log upload tool online. Full rules and links to resources can be found at https://www.kkn.net/stew/ [https://www.kkn.net/stew/]. Good luck. NOAA Solar 1 Satellite Now Operational Image Courtesy NOAA [https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaas-solar-1-enters-new-era-of-space-weather-monitoring] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Space weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness 1 observatory satellite (SOLAR-1) officially entered operational service on June 10, 2026. Acording to NOAA, “SOLAR-1 is the first U.S. satellite designed exclusively for continuous, operational space weather observations”. It will provide improved observations around the clock of the sun to ensure preparedness for solar storms. SOLAR-1 was formerly known as Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) and launched on September 24, 2025. After launch it travelled nearly one million miles to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1) where it is now parked to continuously monitor solar wind and observe coronal mass ejections (CMEs) emitted from our sun. The L1 Lagrange Point is the point in space between Earth and the Sun where gravitational forces are equal and provides an unobstructed view of the Sun. Before being deemed operational, it went through 8 months of testing to check its instruments and primary systems. According to NOAA, SOLAR-1 is “a cornerstone of the nation’s space weather early warning system, providing the observations needed to issue timely watches, warnings, alerts, and decision support before solar storms impact critical infrastructure and missions”. It will allow for CME imagery to be sent to earth within 30 minutes of being captured in space which is significantly faster than the 8 hours existing observatories can currently provide. Additionally NOAA reports data from “SOLAR-1’s Solar Wind Plasma Sensor, SupraThermal Ion Sensor, and Magnetometer will be available within five minutes. SOLAR-1 data will be available to the public in real time via the SWPC website [https://www.spaceweather.gov/] and archived through the NESDIS Space Weather Portal [https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/cloud-access/space-weather-portal]“. The full NOAA press release can be found at https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaas-solar-1-enters-new-era-of-space-weather-monitoring [https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaas-solar-1-enters-new-era-of-space-weather-monitoring]. Ameritron and Mirage Brands Acquired by ITU The Linton News reports that ITU Corporation based in Linton, Indiana added two more MFJ brands to their portfolio earlier this month: Ameritron and Mirage amplifiers. This is in addition to the Hy-Gain and Cushcraft brands they acquired earlier this year. Manufacturing operations for the brands are being relocated from Starkville, Mississippi to ITU Corporation’s facility in Indiana. Full production is expected to begin by the end of this year. This is welcome news for the amateur radio community as Ameritron and Mirage amplifiers and associated products were very popular before they ceased production as MFJ stopped manufacturing. For more information visit https://www.lintonnews.com/itu-corporation-acquires-ameritron-and-mirage-rf-amplifier-brands-from-mfj-enterprises-free-article/ [https://www.lintonnews.com/itu-corporation-acquires-ameritron-and-mirage-rf-amplifier-brands-from-mfj-enterprises-free-article/]. ARRL Field Day Next Weekend Image Courtesy ARRL [https://www.arrl.org/field-day] We are just one week away from amateur radio’s biggest event, ARRL Field Day, which happens June 27-28 this year. Field Day is described as amateur radio’s “open house” where amateurs go out into the field to practice emergency preparedness and test their mettle in a fun operating event over the course of the weekend. We’ll have expanded coverage next week, but now is a good time to start planning for your operations if you’d like to participate. Many clubs, including the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club, will be operating Field Day this year and welcome both amateur radio operators and the public to see amateur radio in action. The ARRL has a Field Day Locator [https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator] which can help you find a club near you that you can visit in the field to say hello and potentially even get on the air. Check out https://www.arrl.org/field-day [https://www.arrl.org/field-day] for rules and details about Field Day and mark your calendars to join in the fun in the field or from home this year. Additionally, the Long Island CW Club has free courses available on Zoom to help you learn the ins and outs of operating Field Day and improve your CW for the event. More information about those classes can be found at https://longislandcwclub.org/2026fieldday/ [https://longislandcwclub.org/2026fieldday/]. Good luck. MVARC Nets on the Air * 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW] * MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB] What’s Happening with DX There will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include French Polynesia (FO/F6CBW), St. Martin (FS/K9EL), Cameroon (TJ1GD/P), Cape Verde Island (D4OL, D44EC), Curacao (PJ2/PH2M), British Virgin Islands (VP2V), Madagascar (5R8EC), Palau (T88TB), Sardinia (IS0/S55DX), Armenia (EK/DL2JRM), and Easter Island (3G0YM). A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html [https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html]. Solar Activity Update As we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 111 and the estimated sunspot number was 50 with 3 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 3 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 473 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a slight chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet levels today and Saturday and at quiet to unsettled levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 1% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are unlikely with a predicted probability of 15% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are unlikely with a 1% chance predicted today through Sunday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ [https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/] and https://solarham.com/ [https://solarham.com/]. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ [https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/]. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap [https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap]. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/ [https://prop.kc2g.com/]. Upcoming Contests This weekend brings the Stew Perry Top Band Contest and ARRL Kids Day we spotlighted earlier as well as the All Asian DX Contest on CW, the SMIRK Contest, the Feld Hell Sprint, the Pajajaran Bogor DX Contest, the SKCC QSO Party, the IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest, the LZ International 6-Meter Contest, the West Virginia QSO Party, the WAB 50 MHz Phone Contest, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php [https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php]. Interesting Online Radio Content OfficialSWLchannel reports on the end of CHU Canada - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Fyng4LJEE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Fyng4LJEE] The Smokin Ape talks about Low Band DX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-TbkedBJYI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-TbkedBJYI] Josh KI6NAZ talks about a citation from his municipality about his amateur radio antennas and his intent to challenge it using PRB-1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKafsLALbUA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKafsLALbUA] Walt K4OGO goes vintage radio hunting at local antique stores - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNtRKWJRos0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNtRKWJRos0] Bobby W6IWN and Chuck KK6USY operate ARRL VHF from a mountain top fire look-out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tFWWNEogP8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tFWWNEogP8] Gabe KL1FI tests out the NanoFarField Portable Antenna Lab - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFTVaoUFxs0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFTVaoUFxs0] Chuck KK6USY takes a look at the Yaesu FT-80 ATU - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkVqwuRk6xk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkVqwuRk6xk] Ben VE6SFX uses a safety pin to make a frequency agile antenna with RSE line - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSSe4PFOPRg [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSSe4PFOPRg] Michael KB9VBR makes a "bushcraft" dipole using wire and a Swiss Army Knife - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quja5S1O-IA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quja5S1O-IA] Mike K8MRD shows some of his portable radio go-kits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37blIg2hyr8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37blIg2hyr8] Kevin W1DED talks to some of the young ops going to South Georgia for the VP0SG DXpedition - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5rRh0PM6Zc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5rRh0PM6Zc] Walt K4OGO builds a simple 1/4 wave antenna for DX on the beach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZz6ZrTBEI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZz6ZrTBEI] Mike K8MRD shows Jonathan KM4CFT's 3D printed solution to mounting 2 microphones while mobile - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daIt3Q4mLvQ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daIt3Q4mLvQ] Tom Scott visits the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZyJuaBfKA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZyJuaBfKA] Di KO4BTM and the Queens of the Mountains do SOTA with Ormoo the cat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzku2a0S7w [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzku2a0S7w] George VK2AOE shows off his 40 Meter QRP Beast build - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-jehUjNsBc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-jehUjNsBc] Thomas K4SWL does a post-Hamvention activation with friends and tries the mcHF QRP radio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn47VcE8Zuc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn47VcE8Zuc] Forrest KI7QCF does a 15 mile ride to a SOTA first activation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bIupszNBUw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bIupszNBUw] Craig KM6LYW talks about antennas and their trade-offs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmFjHjo-J4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmFjHjo-J4] That’s it for this week. Best 73, Ed N2EC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mvarc.substack.com [https://mvarc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

19. Juni 202617 min

Amateur Radio News and Notes 5/15/2026

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