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Gulf Coast Prepares for Isaias |
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| Hurricane Isaias — the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season — is headed for the Florida panhandle and up into Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The National Hurricane Center says landfall is anticipated late Friday night into Saturday morning, bringing areas of heavy rainfall to the central US Gulf coast and much of the Southeast Friday into the weekend. Flash and urban flooding, along with isolated river flooding, will be possible.
ARRL North Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Arc Thames, W4CPD, asks all amateurs to please give priority to any nets or emergency traffic related to this storm. HF frequencies planned for net use include 3750 or 3985 kHz LSB on 75 meters; 7240 or 7290 kHz LSB on 40 meters, as well as 14300, 18160 and 21360 kHz USB if needed. In addition, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) currently plans to activate at 1230 UTC Friday, operating on both 14325 kHz and 7268 kHz, due to poor propagation on 20 meters. Also follow the VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC, the amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center, which will be activated and monitoring the nets. See ARRL News for updates. |
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| The predicted path for Hurricane Isaias as of October 8, 2026. [Image courtesy National Hurricane Center] |
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| | WRTC 2022 Results Re-Scored; New Winner Announced |
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| The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) Sanctioning Committee has announced that the original winner of the 2022 competition (actually held in 2023 due to Covid restrictions) has been disqualified in an expanded investigation into cheating. When a pattern of cheating by certain stations in the 2026 WRTC was discovered and analyzed in depth by the Judging Committee (see ARRL Letter 9/3/2026), it was determined that a similar cheating pattern appeared to have taken place in 2023 as well. A further analysis of the 2023 logs confirmed this, according to the Sanctioning Committee, which announced that original winner I44W (operators UW7LL and VE3DZ) and 9th place finisher I43Z (ops RW7K and RA9P) had been disqualified as a result. In the revised results, the new winner is I43C (ops DJ5MW and DL1IAO), with I49D (ops 9A7DX and 9A3LG) in 2nd place and I47M (ops F8DBF and F1AKK) in 3rd.
The judges determined that the operators of the two disqualified teams had their identities deliberately revealed through pre-contest frequency handoffs, violating a rule intended to prevent competitors from being identified to outside stations. The committee also found that outside stations used 21 pirated call signs to make fraudulent multiplier-enhancing contacts, with the activity disproportionately benefiting I44W and I43Z. Contacts with the pirated call signs were removed from all WRTC logs without penalty. It was noted by Sanctioning Committee Chair Tine Brajnik, S50A, that “(t)he 2023 Judging Committee adjudicated the logs with the tools and time available to it and could not have seen this pattern. It became visible only when the 2026 Judging Committee developed methods to find the same scheme in 2026 and then applied them to the 2023 logs.” Complete details and full revised scores are posted on the WRTC website. |
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| | Radio Scouting Beyond JOTA |
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| Radio scouting activity is perking up with this year’s Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) just over a week away, on October 17 and 18. But in some areas, radio scouting is an ongoing activity. The Dan Beard Council Radio Scouting Committee, which works with Scout troops in greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and northern Kentucky, reports that it held a Morse code challenge in May for scouts heading to the National Jamboree, and that members of the Northern Kentucky Amateur Radio Club — an ARRL Special Service Club — put a station on the air from one of the council’s summer camps for five consecutive Wednesday nights, with 87 Scouts operating and making contacts. In addition, says coordinator Shawn Grubbs, KE8BBC, the West Chester Amateur Radio Association, WC8VOA — an ARRL Affiliated Club — will host scouts during JOTA at its station at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. Finally, one local troop is planning a JOTA campout as the capstone of a three-session Radio Merit Badge program for 30 scouts. |
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| A montage of radio scouting activities from the Dan Beard Council, serving parts of Ohio and Kentucky. [Photo courtesy of Shawn Grubb, KE8BBC] |
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| | On the west coast, Oregon’s Portland Amateur Radio Club and Hoodview Amateur Radio Club — both ARRL Affiliated Clubs — joined forces over the summer to introduce amateur radio to hundreds of scouts and adult leaders attending the Cascade Pacific Council’s Camp Meriwether. They used a converted TV news van with a telescoping 50-foot pneumatic mast, equipped with multiple radios and antennas, which spent every Wednesday over the summer parked on the camp’s main trail. According to coordinator Jim Hill, K7KEY, more than 550 visitors were introduced to amateur radio and the volunteers helped 115 Scouts complete the requirements for Radio Merit Badge. |
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| The converted TV news van used by the Portland Amateur Radio Club and Hoodview Amateur Radio Club at Scouting USA’s Camp Meriwether on the Oregon coast, with its 50-foot mast raised and ready for operating. [Photo courtesy Jim Hill, K7KEY] |
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| | Discovering Ham Radio Via Moonbounce |
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| Ham radio demonstrations typically focus on the value of amateur radio in emergency communications or the fun of talking around the world without relying on wired infrastructure. But Paul Sobon, NOØT, takes a different approach, introducing the public to amateur radio through one of its most esoteric modes, moonbounce. Paul is also an amateur astronomer and president of the Deep Space Exploration Society, which is hosting its 11th annual open house this Sunday, October 11, 2026, at its 60-foot radiotelescope located outside Haswell, Colorado. “Visitors,” says the club’s announcement, “can hear their own voice bounced off the surface of the moon via Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) contacts on 1296 MHz.” The announcement adds that the society’s club station, KØPRT, will be on the air on HF and VHF, and that optical telescopes will also be available.
“EME is a great way to introduce young kids to ham radio since it is so unique from how they communicate today,” Sobon tells The ARRL Letter. “It combines science, outer space and communications for a totally different experience. After hearing their own voice come back from space, they look at the moon very differently now.”
This week says, Sobon, two dozen homeschoolers are visiting the society’s classroom “to learn more about our solar system and what lies beyond,” adding, “This is the only place in southeastern Colorado that these students get to see firsthand science at work. It’s pretty cool.” Sobon notes that the group’s community outreach over the past few years has resulted in growing interest in amateur radio and that a VE team has been lined up to start offering license exams next year.
Details on the open house are available at dses.science. |
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| The Deep Space Exploration Society’s 60-foot dish at the Plishner Radio Telescope Site outside of Haswell, Colorado. [Photo courtesy Deep Space Exploration Society] |
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| | | | 2026 ARRL Online Auction |
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| The 21st annual ARRL Online Auction returns October 16 through October 22, with more than 200 items up for bid. The auction preview opens October 13.
This year’s selection includes 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. Featured equipment includes the Icom IC-PW2 solid-state amplifier, Alinco DR-CS10HT 2-meter FM transceiver, and Elecraft KH1 QRP transceiver with the Edgewood package, along with many other items.
Proceeds from the annual auction benefit ARRL education programs, including efforts to license new hams, provide continuing technical and operating education, and develop instructional materials.
All bidders must register on the auction website at arrl.auctionanything.com. Your ARRL account username and password will not work on the auction site. If you have participated in a previous ARRL Online Auction, you may use your existing auction login information. If you have forgotten your auction User ID or password, click the Help tab for instructions. Before bidding, be sure your mailing address and other account information are up to date. |
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| | Amateur Radio in the News |
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| “Feed Me, Seymour! ‘Little Shop,’ Ham Radios And More Take Over CSM This October” / Baynet (California, MD), October 3, 2026 -- Charles County Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club
“Ham Fest brings amateur radio enthusiasts together in Lima” / WLIO-TV (Lima, OH), October 3, 2026 -- Northwest Ohio Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club
“Local nine-year-old earns her Ham Radio license” / Cleveland.com (Cleveland, OH), October 1, 2026
“In a cellular world, amateur radio finds a niche in Fauquier” / Fauquier Now (Warrenton, VA), September 29, 2026 -- Fauquier County ARES |
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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.
10/07/2026 New Mexico W1AW/5 (host KA8JMW) 10/07/2026 South Dakota W1AW/Ø (host KØBBC) 10/07/2026 Connecticut W1AW/1 (host W8ZY) 10/14/2026 California W1AW/6 (host NZ6Q) 10/14/2026 Georgia W1AW/4 (host AF4DN) 10/14/2026 Missouri W1AW/Ø (host NØAX) 10/21/2026 Arkansas W1AW/5 (host K5DB) 10/21/2026 Alaska W1AW/KL7 (host KTØW) 10/21/2026 Wisconsin W1AW/9 (host W9XT) |
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| | The 2030 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-2030) will be held in Croatia. The “Daily DX” reports that the WRTC Sanctioning Committee announced at the WRTC-2026 awards ceremony in the United Kingdom that it had accepted the bid by Croatia’s national ham association, HRS, to host the next competition in July, 2030. |
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| | This is National Fire Prevention Week (October 4-10), and a dozen special event stations are heating up the ham bands to bring attention to it. Now in its 14th year, the “Hamfire” event features special call signs NØF, N1F, N2F, N3F, N4F, N5F, N6F, N7F, N8F, and N9F, plus “wildcard” stations KF2IRE and VE3FIRE. QSL cards and certificates are available. Started in 2013 by the Siemens Fire Safety USA Amateur Radio Club, KF2IRE, the program is currently administered by Bob Lightner, W4GJ. For more information, visit hamfire.com. |
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| | If your RTTY keyboard isn’t worn out from last month’s CQ World Wide RTTY DX Contest (the raw scores are online, by the way), get ready for the Japan Amateur Radio League’s JARL World Wide RTTY Contest on October 17th and 18th. The “Daily DX” reports that JARL has assumed administration for what had been the JARTS (Japanese Amateur Radio Teleprinter Society) Worldwide RTTY Contest, now in its 35th year. |
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| | NI6BB will be activated by the Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association for the US Navy's 251st birthday from 1700 to 2400 UTC on October 13, 2026. Mode will be at the option of the operator. Frequencies and other details can be found at https://biara.org. Full color photo QSLs will be available per the instructions on the website and on QRZ.com. No LOTW, eQSL or QRZ logs are used. Visit the ARRL Special Events Stations database to find similar commemorative events and activations at www.arrl.org/special-event-stations. |
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| | | One of the “captains” of YACHT — the Young Amateurs Communication Ham Team —became a Silent Key on September 24, 2026. Edward “Ed” Engleman, KG8CX, of Menominee, Michigan, was a co-founder of the group. He was honored by the Dayton Hamvention® with its Amateur of the Year award in 2024 and with the YASME Excellence Award in 2025. A retired educator, Engleman helped start YACHT in an effort to bring more young people into amateur radio and to keep them active. “His major objective,” according to his Hamvention bio, was “to help create and develop enjoyment and skill in communications/technology via ham radio activity … and to encourage friendships with other youth hams.” Engleman, an ARRL member, was 87. |
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| | Former ARRL North Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Harris W. “Bill” Swan, K5MWC, became a Silent Key on September 29, 2026, at age 83. Licensed since 1957, Swan spent his career as an engineer for Collins Radio/Rockwell Collins, including overseeing program development for several major HF communications systems for the military and commercial users. In ham radio, Bill helped establish Collin County (Texas) ARES® in 1973 and served as the county’s Emergency Coordinator for more than 25 years. He was also a founding member of the Plano Amateur Radio Klub and was past president of the Collins Amateur Radio Club, both of which are ARRL Affiliated Clubs. Bill was an ARRL Life Member and served as ARRL North Texas Section Emergency Coordinator from 2000-2010. |
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| | Carlos “Keko” Diez, TI5KD, past president of the Radio Club of Costa Rica (RCCR), has passed away. The Daily DX reports that Diez was first licensed in 1979, and quickly became active in DXing, contesting, and DXpeditioning. According to a post on the RCCR Facebook page, “Keko was an integral part of the history of our institution and of Costa Rican amateur radio. His dedication, friendship, and spirit of service leave a lasting mark on those of us who had the privilege of sharing this great passion for radio with him.” |
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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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| | | NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (moderate) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for tomorrow, October 9. It is associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on October 6. It says the effects should be minor, with mainly manageable effects to some technological infrastructure. The aurora may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho. Additional M-class (minor-moderate) solar flares are expected through October 9, otherwise solar activity is expected to remain at low levels.
The declining sunspot cycle will keep 10 and 12 meters pretty quiet for DX, except for north-south openings and occasional sporadic-E. DX opportunities should be better on 17 and 15 meters in the coming week, with the solar flux above 100 for the entire period (see daily predictions below). Twenty meters will continue being the workhorse DX band, while 30, 40, 60, and 80 meters will be at their best during hours of darkness. Many stations in remote locations will be starting to tune up their equipment for the CQ World Wide SSB DX Contest on October 24-25, so listen for exotic call signs and unanticipated band openings as they test and tweak their setups.
Predicted 10.7-centimeter solar flux: Oct 15-18, 105; Oct 19, 110; Oct 20-21, 105; Oct 22, 100. (Source: NOAA SWPC)
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.
Share your reports and observations. |
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Solar image on October 8, 2026 [Photo courtesy NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center] |
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| | | | Just Ahead in Radiosport |
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| October 8 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest NA (digital) October 10 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW) October 10 -- 10-10 Int’l 10-10 Day Sprint (CW, phone, digital) October 10 - 11 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest (digital) October 10 - 11 -- Oceania DX Contest, CW (CW) October 10 - 11 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB (phone) October 10 - 11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW) October 10 - 11 -- Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone) October 10 - 11 -- Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone) October 10 - 11 -- South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone) October 10 - 11 -- PODXS 070 Club 160m Great Pumpkin Sprint (digital) October 11 -- UBA ON Contest, CW (CW) October 12 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone) October 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW) October 15 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest NA (digital) October 15 - 16 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW) October 17 -- 902 MHz and Up Sprint (CW, phone, digital) October 17 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital) October 17 -- Argentina National 7 MHz Contest (phone) October 17 - 18 -- JARL WW RTTY Contest (digital) October 17 - 18 -- New York QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) October 17 - 18 -- Worked All Germany Contest (CW, phone) October 17 - 18 --Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW) October 18 - 19 -- Illinois QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) October 18 - 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW) October 19 - 23 -- ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital)
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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 9 – 10 | SPARK-CON 2026, hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Sedalia, Missouri October 10 | North Star Radio Convention, hosting the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota October 11 | Nutmeg Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut October 11 | HamFest, hosting the ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention, Mullica Hill, New Jersey October 16 – 18 | Pacificon, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California 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 |
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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.
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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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