The ARRL Letter for May 14, 2026 undefined

 

 

 

The ARRL Letter

 

, Editor | May 14, 2026

 

In this Issue:

 

Follow ARRL at 2026 Dayton Hamvention®

 

Follow ARRL at Dayton Hamvention 2026, May 15 – 17 in Xenia, Ohio, for the latest , , and highlights from the convention. Visit our throughout the weekend as we add new images from the ARRL exhibit area, and from throughout all of Hamvention. If you’re attending Hamvention, be sure to stop by the ARRL booths in Building 2 – Tesla.

 

Nominations for 2026 ARRL Media and PR Awards Accepted Through May 31

ARRL has extended the deadline to May 31, 2026, for nominations to honor outstanding work that advances amateur radio through media and public relations.

 

ARRL Bill Leonard Professional Media Award

 

The Bill Leonard Award honors three professional journalists or journalistic teams each year whose outstanding coverage highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service value of the Amateur Radio Service. The award was created as a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard, W2SKE (SK). The award is divided into three categories, based on format: (a) audio, (b) visual, and (c) print and text.

 

Nominations are judged by members of the ARRL Public Relations Committee, and the final decision is made by the ARRL Board of Directors at their Second Meeting in July. Award winners in each category, either individual or group, will receive an engraved plaque and a $250 contribution will be made for each winning entry to the charity of their choice.

 

The 2025 Leonard Award for Print Reporting was presented to Makena Kelly and Dell Cameron, of WIRED for their October 2024 article, ""

 

The 2025 Leonard Award for Video Reporting was presented to NBC Today Correspondent Harry Smith in recognition of his outstanding coverage of amateur radio in the television segment, “”

 

Nomination instructions are available at .

 

 

ARRL Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award

 

The annual award honoring Phil McGan, WA2MBQ (SK), is given to an amateur(s) who has demonstrated success promoting amateur radio to the public. McGan was a journalist who served as the first chairman of the ARRL Public Relations Committee, which helped reinvigorate the organization’s commitment to public relations. The award was established by ARRL and friends in the New Hampshire Amateur Radio Association.

 

Public relations activities for which the McGan Award is presented include efforts specifically directed at bringing amateur radio to the public’s attention (and most often the media’s) in a positive light. This may include traditional methods, like news releases, or non-traditional methods, such as hosting a radio show or being an active public speaker.

 

The 2025 McGan Award was presented to Micah Martin, KN6VUT, of Tehachapi, California, for his outstanding volunteer public relations efforts on behalf of amateur radio.

 

See the nomination details at .

 

 

USCG Adopted by the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club

The (BARC) in Massachusetts has “adopted” a Cape Cod Coast Guard station for what is hoped to be a new amateur radio initiative.

 

ARRL New England Division Assistant Director Rob Leiden, K1UI, said the process all started early in 2025 with the club’s Technician License in a Weekend class at the US Coast Guard (USCG) station in Chatham.

 

“We began testing at USCG Station Chatham, but at that time no Coast Guard members were involved,” said Leiden. “However, during the February 2026 Cape Cod blizzard, there was a breakdown in normal communication and an extended loss of power. Local amateur radio repeaters, using emergency power generators and large capacity battery banks, provided a lifeline for snowed-in hams, shelter operations, and National Weather Service reports.”

 

Coast Guard members showed an interest after they became aware of the contributions of Cape Cod ARES to the emergency response operations coordinated by the Regional Emergency Planning Committee.

 

Coast Guard Station, Chatham, Massachusetts

 

On April 25 - 26, 2026, the first class was held for Coast Guard enlisted personnel and was unique in two ways. As part of the most recent initiative, and in recognition of their service and the temporary lack of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, all FCC and ARRL VEC exam fees were underwritten by BARC, and all ARRL Technician License Manuals were provided by ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager Jon McCombie, N1ILZ, at no cost to the students. Eight enlisted petty officers at the station attended the Technician course and all successfully passed the exam. A second licensing class, planned for early June, will include additional enlisted personnel.

 

“For most of my crew, this was their first experience with a loss of all the utilities that we barely give a moment’s thought to until they are lost,” said Chatham Coast Guard Station Officer-in-Charge, Ross Comstock, KE5BM. “Now, the crewmen who have successfully earned their licenses are exploring all the different paths of amateur radio.”

 

In the spirit of ARRL’s “Year of the Club,” BARC hopes that other clubs will adopt local military installations and hold license classes, both as a way to show appreciation for the service provided by these young men and women and to attract new, young people into amateur radio.

 

“This type of relationship is what we talk about all the time,” said ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. “Relationships are one of the keys to healthy clubs, ARES groups and amateur radio as a whole.”

 

 

YOTA at Hamvention® 2026

(YOTA), known for programs such as YOTA Camp and other activities that enrich the amateur radio experience of young hams, has a full schedule of activities for this year’s ® May 15 - 17 at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center, in Ohio.

 

YOTA booth, #4304 in the Volta Building (building 4), will have volunteers on hand to answer questions about youth activities and will have free items for youth while supplies last. All young hams and their siblings are invited for a free youth lunch during social hours at noon on both Friday and Saturday in the ‘booth talks’ area behind the YOTA booth.

 

[Photo courtesy of YOTA]

 

Several forums and booth talks will help young attendees connect with all the other youth at Hamvention. will present Gary Mikitin, AF8A, who will lead a booth talk and Q&A session titled, "Careers in Engineering: Unlimited Opportunities". Young people interested in engineering are encouraged to stop by and ask questions about the profession.

 

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station () will also have booth nearby, with events happening on Friday and Saturday.

 

ARRL is sponsoring a Youth Rally on Saturday afternoon, from 1 to 4 PM in Forum Room 4 for students 11 - 21 years old. is recommended to get this year’s Youth Rally t-shirt. After the rally, the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program () will hold a meetup in the same room. Students are also invited to visit the education and youth exhibits in the ARRL exposition area in the Tesla Building (Building 2) throughout Hamvention.

 

More information is available at , including the latest schedule of speakers and topics from HamSCI and ARISS, and listings for many other youth activities at Hamvention no matter who sponsors them.

 

 

SteppIR Communications is serving the ham radio market once again

According to the website, their Urban Beam, BigIR, and SmallIR verticals, and three- and four-element Yagi antennas are available for online purchase. Their DB-series products are available, but must be scheduled to fit within the production schedule of their commercial operations. CEO John Mertel said in a recent Groups.IO post: “We never left ham radio because we wanted to, we did it because what we had been successful at for many years in the ham market was not working any longer and we were trying to be too many things to too many people and taking a lot of (deserved) heat in the process from our ham customers. We knew for certain that something had to change and while we did not know how this was all going to turn out, we were always hoping for some kind of rekindling of the ham radio consumer market. Now a year later, here we are; we have a stable, growing commercial business platform, key commercial partnerships, and we feel we can responsibly start going back to our original roots — our ham radio customers. We’re still not a perfect company by any means, for example we’ve got work to do on making the user experience a better one — albeit through more modern means of communication and support.” ARRL spoke with Mertel recently: “Though we’re not exhibiting at the Hamvention, we have donated an UrbanBeam to the grand prize pool. You can find our products online at our website, along with parts for all of our products.”

 

Thanks to ARRL Contest Update Editor Brian Moran, N9ADG, for the information contained in this story.

 

 

Amateur Radio in the News

“” / Rocket Miner.com (Wyoming) May 9, 2026 -- The Sweetwater Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

 

“” / NewmarketToday.ca (Canada) May 9, 2026 -- The York Region Amateur Radio Club.

 

“” / The Highlands Current (New York) May 13, 2026 / The Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club.

 

 

ARRL Live Events and Podcasts

On the Air LIVE

 

Join ARRL's Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, as he takes amateur radio to the final frontier! In this session of On the Air Live, we will explore how to make contacts through amateur radio satellites and the International Space Station (ISS) using portable equipment. We’ll dive into the essential gear—including handheld radios and directional antennas—and discuss the techniques needed for successful space-based communication. Plus, Wayne will show you how to use computer and smartphone apps to accurately track satellite passes in your specific area. Whether you are a newcomer or a seasoned operator, tune in to learn how to work "the birds" right from your own backyard!

 

The session will air on the ARRL'S learning center, , on May 26th at 8 PM Eastern. Preregistration is required and can be accomplished on the learning center.

 

📅 Date: May 26, 2026

🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific

👉 | ⏪

 

 

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. | | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

 

 

On the Air

Sponsored by Icom

 

Get On the Ham Satellites!

ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, visits the podcast to discuss his May/June 2026 On the Air article “Equipment for Making Contacts Through an Amateur Radio Satellite” as well as the upcoming May 26 “On the Air Live” session he’ll be hosting on the same topic. | | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

 

 

Announcements

The continues to partner with area amateur radio operators to host special event station WW1USA for Memorial Day 2026. This year’s event will be Monday, May 25, 10AM - 5PM (CDT) at the Overland Park Christian Church in Overland Park, Kansas. Station operators will contact hundreds of other amateur radio operators across the world. Individuals are welcome to serve as a guest operator of WW1USA at any time with all guests receiving a special amateur radio operator certificate. Operating events from WW1USA have been very successful! During the five years of the centennial, from 2014 through 2018, there were 19 events, with over 27,000 contacts in all 50 United States, 11 of 12 Canadian provinces, and 133 countries worldwide. WW1USA acknowledged over 2500 QSL cards and sent out 5,000 certificates. As of 2021, there were over 100,000 lookups on . Contact WW1USA for additional information and operating frequencies.

 

 

In Brief...

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 .

 

05/20/2026 Connecticut W1AW/1 (host W8ZY)

05/20/2026 Missouri W1AW/Ø (host NØAX)

05/27/2026 Colorado W1AW/ Ø (host K1DDN)

06/03/2026 New Jersey W1AW/2 (NP4H)

06/03/2026 Oregon W1AW/7 (host N7JI)

 

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes during an Armed Forces Day Crossband Test? The (BIARA) has posted a YouTube video of this year’s test on May 9, 2026. You can watch the video at The Battleship IOWA ARA is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

 

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, was Puerto Rico's Amateur Radio Day. There have been many stories about the legacy of Joaquín Agusty and Jesús T. Piñero, the first radio amateurs on the island, and founders of the Puerto Rico Radio Club in 1921. Because of Agusty's work, he was recruited to run Puerto Rico's first radio station, WKAQ, in 1922. This year highlighted another of its founders, Luis Rexach Disdier, amateur radio callsign 4OI.

 

In September 1922, Luis finished the construction of his station in San Juan, equipped with a 100-watt transmitter, and began contacting radio amateurs in the United States for the almost daily sending of welfare messages. The feat caused a sensation and was reviewed in the ARRL's QST magazine in November of that year.

 

Thanks to ARRL Puerto Rico Section Public Information Coordinator Angel L. Santana, WP3GW, for the information contained in this story.

 

 

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:

 

Awards Program Supervisor

Membership Manager

RFI Lab Engineer

Public Relations and Outreach Manager

 

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

 

ARRL is an equal opportunity employer.

 

 

 

 

 

The ARRL Solar Report

Solar disk image courtesy of NASA/SDO, May 14, 2026

ARRL Solar Report for May 14, 2026

 

Solar activity remained at low levels this past week. Region 4436 was responsible for the majority of the C-flare activity, including the largest flare of the period, a C2.3 that peaked on May 13. Region 4432 rotated off the west limb. Two new regions were numbered during the past 24 hours. Region 4437, which has since decayed to plage, and 4438, resulting in a total of 4 numbered regions now on the visible disk.

 

No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery.

 

Solar activity is expected to remain predominately at low levels with a chance for M-class (R1-R2/minor-moderate) flares through May 16.

 

The solar wind parameters reflected possible combined effects from a coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) influence and a coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the Sun on May 10. The speeds and densities also showed enhancements during the period, with maximum speeds of ~490 km/s, through these had decreased to ~450 km/s by the end of the period.

 

Solar wind parameters are expected to continue to be slightly disturbed through May 14, as the glancing influence from the May 10 CME wanes and a positive polarity CH HSS remains geoeffective. On May 15 - 16, a corotating interaction region (CIR) associated with a negative polarity CH HSS is anticipated to arrive near Earth, likely resulting in more disturbed solar wind conditions.

 

The 10.7-centimeter flux: May 14, 130; May 15 – 16, 130; May 17, 120; May 18, 122; May 19, 130.

 

Predicted sunspots: May 14, 104; May 15, 98; May 16, 110; May 17, 93; May 18, 114; May 19, 114; May 20, 88; May 21, 118.

 

For more information concerning radio propagation, the ARRL Technical Information Service, read , and check out the .

 

For customizable propagation charts, visit the .

 

 

Just Ahead in Radiosport

  • May 14 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest-NA (digital)
  • May 14 -- QRP Minimal Art Session (CW)
  • May 16 -- UN DX Contest (CW, phone)
  • May 16 -- NZART Sangster Shield Contest (CW)
  • May 16 - 17 -- His Maj. King of Spain Contest (CW)
  • May 16 - 17 -- EU PSK DX Contest (digital)
  • May 16 - 17 -- Arkansas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
  • May 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)
  • May 17 - 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
  • May 18 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (digital)

 

Remember to visit the for more events and information.

 

 

Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

  • June 5 -7 | , hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
  • June 13 | , hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • June 14 | , hosting the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Butler, Pennsylvania
  • June 19 - 20 | , hosting the ARRL Arizona Section Convention, Flagstaff, Arizona.
  • August 28 - 30 | , hosting the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Casper, Wyoming
  • October 9 - 10 | , hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Sedalia, Missouri

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

 

Save the Date

 

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