The ARRL Letter for September 18, 2025

 

 

 



The ARRL Letter



 

, Editor | September 18, 2025















 

In this Issue:


 

ARRL Launches Nationwide Grassroots Campaign to Pass Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

ARRL has launched a nationwide grassroots campaign aimed at securing the passage of federal legislation that would grant Amateur Radio Operators the same rights to install antennas on their property as those enjoyed by users of TV antennas, wireless internet, and flagpoles.

 

The campaign, announced in an on September 17, 2025, follows the reintroduction of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act in February 2025 (see ). The bipartisan bills -- in the House and in the Senate -- are designed to prevent restrictive homeowners’ association (HOA) rules that currently prohibit or severely limit the installation of amateur radio antennas, even when such antennas are hidden in trees, placed in attics, mounted on vehicles, or look like flagpoles.

 

“This legislation is about restoring equal rights to licensed Amateur Radio operators,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick. “These restrictions hinder not only the enjoyment of Amateur Radio, but also its vital role in emergency communication during disasters.”

 

Public Support Needed for Passage

 

To advance the legislation, ARRL is calling on its members and all licensees of the US Amateur Radio Service to take action by sending letters to their congressional representatives. Through a dedicated online tool at , hams can easily generate and submit pre-drafted letters with a few clicks.

 

Go to —

— and help us by sending your letters to your Representative and Senators.

 

ARRL has emphasized that every letter matters. “Your Representative and Senators need to know that the passage of this legislation is important to you.”

 

For more information about the ARRL grassroots campaign to pass the bill, please visit .

 

Donate and Help Us Pass the Bill!

 

Support ARRL's advocacy goals with a donation and help us Pass The Bill!

 

Donate Now:

 

Your support helps ARRL engage legislative leaders to pass this bill and provide the ability of Amateur Radio Operators to install the antennas necessary to serve their restricted land use communities.

 

Dr. Duino

 

ARRL CEO to Talk Ham Radio Advocacy on Live Stream

ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, will join host Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, on his YouTube channel to discuss the just-launched grassroots campaign to pass the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. Minster will demonstrate an online tool to engage all hams in supporting ARRL's federal legislative push to pass the bill:

 

📅 Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025

🕗 Time: 9 PM Eastern / 6 PM Pacific

👉 (YouTube channel)

 


 


 

National Preparedness Month: Know Your Risk

Radio amateurs are valuable resources to their communities in times of crisis. This week, hams in Connecticut as they participated in a mass casualty drill with St. Vincent Medical Center in Bridgeport. Several scenarios played out in which amateur radio volunteers helped the hospital connect with other medical facilities, including a targeted cyberattack, mass shooting, and explosions.

 

While radio can provide resilience to communities, preparedness for those who would operate the radios begins at home. During National Preparedness Month, ARRL is sharing resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on how to be prepared.

 

The starting point for building your own resilience is to understand what threats you face in your area. On the website , there are tools to learn what disasters are most likely to impact your specific area and how to prepare for them.

 

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, says a plan should be tailored to threats you’re likely to face. “While we should all be ready for anything – there are going to be threats specific to a region. Everyone should be well aware of the events that happen in your area,” he said.

 

There is additional information on the FEMA website to learn about region-specific disasters such as hurricanes. Radio amateurs are encouraged to find an ARES group in their area at .

 


 


 

Gear Packed for 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet in February 2026

The 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet Island has packed its shipping container of gear. The team spent the weekend near Oslo, Norway, getting things ready, including generators, tents, tools, and — most importantly — radios, antennas, and amplifiers. This checks off another large box on the to-do list before they depart in February of next year.

 

This international team of radio amateurs is aiming to activate the #10 most-wanted DX entity, Bouvet Island, in February 2026. With 24 operators, two camps, and a load of gear, they hope to provide a lot of QSOs to those who need the entity for their DXCC totals. Bouvet is in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1600 miles from Cape Town, South Africa, and 1000 miles north of continental Antarctica.

 

ARRL Education and Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML, is part of the team. At 21 years of age, he will be the youngest person to ever set foot on the island, and is the youngest operator known in a top-10 DXpedition. He is excited for the opportunity. "I have learned a lot being a part of the 3YØK team,” said Freedman. “A lot of work goes into a DXpedition, more than most people think. It is an honor to work with these high performing ham radio operators to get everything prepared for February."

 

You can find out more about the DXpedition at .

 

The 3YØK DXpedition team sits atop the packed shipping container that will carry their gear to Bouvet Island for the February 2026 operation. [Kenneth Opskar, LA7GIA, photo]

 

Section Manager Workshop Held at ARRL Headquarters

ARRL Section Managers from around the country were at ARRL Headquarters for a training workshop on September 13, 2025. They visited with program leaders from across the Headquarters staff to learn about all the ways ARRL serves members. Within the ARRL Field Organization, Section Managers are the key frontline volunteers. There are 71 sections spread across the Western Hemisphere. Section Managers are elected to two-year terms by ARRL members who live in their sections.

 

In attendance were [L to R] Jimmy Russ, AB4KA, of the West Central Florida Section; Craig McVeay, NØCSM, of the Nevada Section; Jay Ballinger, N6SAC, of the Sacramento Valley Section; Ralph Katz, AA8RK of the Michigan Section; Barry Buelow, WØIY, of the Iowa Section; David Overton, W5JDO, of the West Texas Section; Nomar Vizcarrondo, NP4H, of the Northern New Jersey Section; and Don Lynn, ND7L, of the Idaho Section.

 


 

Amateur Radio in the News

“” / limaohio.com (Ohio) September 9, 2025 -- The Northwest Ohio Amateur Radio Club.

 

“” / The Piscataquis Observer (Maine) September 14, 2025 -- The Piscataquis Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

 

ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
On the Air LIVE

On the Air LIVE

 

Join ARRL's Educaton Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, as he describes and demonstrates how APRS can be leveraged to keep in contact with family and loved ones who live outside of an area where all grid communications are damaged or destroyed due to a natural or man-made disaster.

 

Up Next:

 

📅 Date: September 23, 2025

🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific

👉

 

ARRL On the Air

On the Air

Sponsored by Icom

 

Get Inspired for Contest Season

 

The podcast welcomes Violetta Latham, KN2P, a young contester who has had the opportunity to operate at some big, famous contest stations such as K3LR, PJ2T, and W3LPL. Violetta will talk about how she got started in contesting and how she got to where she is today.

 

| | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

 

ARRL Audio News

ARRL Audio News

 

Listen to , 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. The ARRL Audio News is now broadcast on FM low power radio stations KQRZ-LP 100.7 and 96.7 MHz FM in Spokane, Washington every Saturday and Sunday morning at 8:00 AM PDT. | | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

 
Schulman Auction Amateur Radio Equipment Specialists Rig Expert Take on the Air

 
Rigol RF Test Gear Radioddity Xiegu X6200 Multi-mode HF Radio Flex Radio FT8

 

 

In Brief...

The of Madison, Indiana, will operate special event station W9EFU September 20, 2025, 1400Z - 2200Z for “Remembering the Freedom Trail - Underground Railroad through Indiana.” The event honors citizens of Madison and the surrounding area, along with others throughout the state, for their efforts in providing safe passage to escaped slaves from the South. Frequencies used will be 28.328, 14.314, and 7.207 MHz. Additional information, including a special eCertificate, can be found on the club’s QRZ page or at .

 

The will again host special event stations, using the callsign WWØWWV, to celebrate the 106th anniversary of WWV. The event will last 96 hours, from 0000 UTC October 2 through 2359Z October 5, 2025. Suggested frequencies are the .48s ... 7.048 MHz CW, 7.248 MHz LSB, for example. There will be multiple operators across the country participating. Logs will be uploaded to LoTW and OQRS around October 20. OQRS requests prior to October 20 will not show a QSO, but will afterward. QSL card requests should be sent to: WWV ARC, PO Box 273226, Fort Collins, CO 80527, or via OQRS. A self-addressed stamped envelope is always helpful! QSL card requests will not be processed until October 20, 2025. For more information, including timeslots and bands for which operators have signed up, visit .

 

One of the Halifax & District Amateur Radio Society’s newer members, Martin Clay, M7LAY (left), getting experience working a busy pileup during the CHOTA event, with Max Townend, G4SDX, providing logging support.

Churches and Chapels on the Air (CHOTA) took place on September 13, 2025. CHOTA encourages ham radio operators to active from local churches. The event in 2006 in the United Kingdom as a way to bring awareness to a local fundraising event. In 2024, 54 stations were on the air across the globe. In England, the Halifax & District Amateur Radio Society again this year activated the Methodist Church in the Moorland village of Blackshaw Head, West Yorkshire. The grand total for the day was 122 contacts on HF, with around 16 of those being CHOTA to CHOTA contacts. More information can be found on the .

 

Nominations for Orlando HamCation’s 2026 Awards are now open. There are three award categories: the Gordon West Ambassador of the Year, the Carole Perry Educator of the Year, and a new category, the Amateur Radio Hero of the Year. Nominations may now be submitted for each of the three categories. Links to each award category with details of their criteria and the nomination forms can be found at . HamCation 2026 runs from February 13-15, in Orlando, Florida and is hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention.

 

 

Announcements

ARRL headquarters will close at 12 PM Eastern time on Friday, September 19, 2025, for a staff event. The ARRL Headquarters lobby and store, as well as W1AW, will be open to visitors from 8 AM to 12 PM EDT. Members are reminded that many transactions may be completed on our website at . There won’t be any interruptions to the W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions. W1AW will follow its . ARRL Headquarters will reopen on Monday, September 22, at 8 AM EDT.

 

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:

 

Membership Manager

Membership Services Representative

Technical Editor

Assistant Editor

 

Full details may be found on the ARRL HR web page at .

 

ARRL is an equal opportunity employer.

 


 

The ARRL Solar Report

This image was taken on September 18, 2025. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]

ARRL Solar Report September 18, 2025

 

Solar activity was at low levels this past week. Low-level C-class flaring was observed from Regions 4216 and 4217, as well as from Region 4213 just beyond the SW limb. Slight growth was observed in all spotted regions. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed. Solar activity is expected to be low, with a chance for an isolated M-flare (R1-R2/minor-moderate), through September 20.

 

Solar wind parameters were indicative of coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) influences. Solar wind speed increased to near 760 km/s early on 15 Sep before subsiding to between 600-700 km/s. Total field decreased from 14 to 5 nT but the Phi angle was negative. Solar wind parameters are expected to continue under the influence of a negative polarity CH HSS. Solar wind speed is likely to gradually diminish on September 20.

 

The 10.7-centimeter solar flux: September 18, 130; September 19 – 22, 135; September 23, 130; September 24, 125; September 25, 130.

 

Predicted sunspot numbers: September 18, 138; September 19, 131; September 20, 143; September 21, 128; September 22, 149; September 23, 120; September 24, 155.

 

For more information concerning radio propagation, the ARRL Technical Information Service, read , and the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

 

For customizable propagation charts, visit the .

 


 

Just Ahead in Radiosport
  • September 20 - 22 -- (CW, phone, digital)
  • September 20 - 21 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW (CW)
  • September 20 - 21 -- New Jersey QSO Party (CW, phone)
  • September 20 - 21 -- Texas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
  • September 20 - 21 -- Iowa QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
  • September 20 - 21 -- New Hampshire QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
  • September 20 - 21 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, phone)
  • September 21 -- (digital)
  • September 22 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
  • September 24 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW)
  • September 25 -- RSGB 80 Meter Autumn Series, Data (data)
  • September 27 - 28 -- (data)
  • September 27 - 28 -- YU DX Contest (CW, phone)
  • September 27 - 28 -- Maine QSO Party (CW, phone)
  • September 27 - 28 -- AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party (phone)
  • September 30 -- 222 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

 

Remember to visit the for more events and information.

 

Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
  • September 19 - 21 | , hosting the ARRL New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • September 20-21 | , hosting the ARRL Central Division Convention, Chillicothe, Illinois
  • September 27 | , Moorhead, Minnesota
  • October 4 | , hosting the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South Carolina
  • October 10 -12 | , hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
  • October 10 - 11 | , hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
  • October 10 - 11 | , hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Sedalia, Missouri
  • October 11 | , hosting the ARRL Minnesota State Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
  • October 12 | , hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
  • October 23 - 26 | , hosting the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Grand Junction, Colorado
  • November 1 | , hosting the ARRL Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
  • November 15 | , hosting the ARRL Arizona State Convention, Mesa, Arizona

Remember to search the Database to find events in your area.

 

Have News for ARRL?

Submissions for The ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to . -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ,

 


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