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Register now for the 2026 ARRL National Convention hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest, August 21 - 23.
NEW: Agendas for ARRL Training Tracks are available (PDF).
Step 1
Register for the National Convention Program on Friday, August 21.
Register Now
Step 2
Get your Huntsville Hamfest tickets for Saturday & Sunday, August 22 – 23.
Hamfest Tickets
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ARRL Board Reviews and Approves Potential Alabama Section Move to the Delta Division; Designates Pacificon as 2028 National Convention Host
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The ARRL Board of Directors met in Windsor, Connecticut, for its Second Meeting on Friday, July 17, 2026. A Member Bulletin
was emailed to all ARRL members and included these highlights:
The Herbert V. Akerberg Award for Outstanding Service to Emergency Communications was established, recognizing exceptional dedication by ARES® groups or individuals to providing emergency communication services and significant contributions to helping their fellow citizens during times of crisis.
The award honors Herbert V.
Akerberg, who, at just 15 years old, used his amateur radio station to provide critical communications during the 1913 Columbus, Ohio, flood, helping establish the legacy of amateur radio emergency communications.
To encourage greater participation by Affiliated Clubs in the ARRL Club Commission Program, a new online membership form will be created to allow new and renewing members to select a participating club to receive credit for their ARRL membership.
The motion also increases the Club Commission for ARRL membership renewals from $5 to $10 each. Affiliated Clubs already earn a $20 commission for each new ARRL Standard membership they sign.
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The Board approved a proposal calling for the CEO to survey members in the Southeastern and Delta Divisions to gauge support for moving the Alabama Section into the Delta Division.
Members in the Alabama Section will receive their survey invitation by postal mail to ensure broad participation.
The change has been approved for February 1, 2027, pending completion of the survey and without major exceptions.
The Board approved revisions to the ARRL Amateur Radio Legal Defense & Assistance Committee (ARLDAC) guidelines, including increasing funding limits to better reflect current legal costs while continuing to support this important member benefit.
ARLDAC has provided legal assistance to multiple amateurs in the nature of research and legal briefs/opinions written by counsel, up to and including direct financial support to fund legal costs in select situations.
The Board authorized Headquarters staff to work with the Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club of California to host the ARRL National Convention in conjunction with Pacificon in October 2028. Pacificon annually hosts the ARRL Pacific Division Convention in San Ramon, California.
Read all the meeting highlights in the Member Bulletin. The complete minutes of the 2026 Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will be available soon on the ARRL website.
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Former ARRL Maine Section Manager “Retooling” |
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Phil Duggan, N1EP, at his home shack testing new radios. [Photo courtesy Phil Duggan, N1EP] | | |
On July 1, 2026, ARRL Maine Section Manager Phil Duggan, N1EP, announced he was retiring and... retooling!
So, after almost a month...how’s that retooling going?
“Well, I’m trying to shed some, not all, but some of my ham radio responsibilities,” he told The ARRL Letter. “It helps to make way for new leadership and new ideas.”
Duggan said his time now is filled with many visits from family, working on computer programming, traveling, and trying new radios. He served as ARRL Maine Section Manager from December 2021 through June 2026. Would there be a “retry” after the retooling is completed? “Well, I might give it another try...and I wouldn’t rule it out,” he added.
For 30 years, Duggan has served as a club president, county ARES Emergency Coordinator, Maine Section Emergency Coordinator, and net control station for NTS and ARES nets.
Duggan has also influenced and supported Maine’s YLs.
“As Maine’s ARRL Section Manager, Phil officially established an Assistant Section Manager position to promote and support Maine’s YLs and women interested in amateur radio,” said Joan Hildreth, W1DLC, Director of the Women Radio Operators of Maine. “Phil has been available to the Women Radio Operators of Maine group and has supported the women’s newly created Facebook page.”
A veteran, he retired from the U.S. Navy in 1996 as a Chief Petty Officer, after which he began to pursue his longtime interest in amateur radio and electronics.
Special thanks to Marion Mason, W1GRL, for information included in this story. Read Mason's full story, "Phil N1EP: Retiring to Retool."
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CQ, CQ, CQ Cats and Dogs! |
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During August, QSOs could sound like cats and dogs!
An international group of operators from Latvia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Netherlands, India, and Germany, will be on the air throughout the month in a mutual celebration of International Cat Day and International Dog Day.
Officially, International Dog Day (in the US, National Dog Day) is August 26 every year. International Cat Day is August 8.
The combined special event stations will be active August 1 – 31, 2026 to call attention to the needs of abandoned, abused and homeless pets around the world.
In the United States, a team of operators will be on the air as KØDOG, operating throughout the country at different times.
Additional dog-station call signs will include YL1DOG, GB4DOG, VU2MGS, DLØDOG and PDØØDOG. Cat stations will be calling CQ as DLØCAT, GB4CAT and DAØCAT. All operators will be on the HF bands using CW and SSB.
Two websites with additional information are dogdayradio.org and catdayradio.org and the main landing page, hamlog.online/iddicd2026, will give hunters for both events a chance to claim their awards as they earn them and to see who is currently on the air.
KØDOG also plans to make downloadable eQSL cards available.
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In an effort to maintain updated ARRL Affiliated Club records, we are urging radio clubs to complete the required annual Affiliated Club review now. The annual review requires nothing more than reviewing club information such as the club email addresses and contact information. Clubs should also test their listed email to ensure it is accurate and working. We often hear from prospective members, and particularly new hams, who cite instances of inaccurate club information. Clubs that do not complete an annual review will be moved to an inactive status. Information on how to complete your club update is found at www.arrl.org/club-update, and clubs requiring additional assistance can email clubs@arrl.org. ARRL extends our thanks to so many radio clubs who have gone the extra mile during this ARRL Year of the Club!
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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“When all else fails, ham radio can help” / Butler Eagle (Pennsylvania) July 28, 2026 -- The Butler County Amateur Radio Public Service Group
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ARRL Live Events and Podcasts |
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On the Air LIVE
What if you need to send a message from a disaster area, but all forms of communication are down? The ARRL National Traffic System could be your tool to get the message out. Join ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, and learn about the history of the National Traffic System, how it works, and how you can become a regular user and be prepared to send and relay traffic. The livestream will air on the ARRL's learning center, learn.arrl.org, August 25th at 8 PM Eastern. Preregistration is required and can be accomplished through the Learning Center.
📅 Date: August 25, 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
A Passion for POTA
Evan McPartland, KC2NRB, visits the podcast to talk about how he got hooked on Parks on the Air operating. Familiarly known as POTA, this popular program involves setting up temporary stations in parks that have a specific alphanumeric POTA designator. Evan expands on information shared in his July/August 2026 On the Air article “Rediscovering Ham Radio Through POTA,” and offers information on how to join the POTA fun. 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.
07/29/2026 Minnesota W1AW/Ø (host AEØBC)
07/29/2026 Wyoming W1AW/7 (host WY7AA)
08/05/2026 Iowa W1AW/Ø (host WBØGAG)
08/05/2026 New Jersey W1AW/2 (NP4H)
08/05/2026 Louisiana W1AW/5 (host N5YS)
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Amateur radio operators will be busy in August chasing QSOs from lighthouses...near and far! US National Lighthouse Day, unofficially held on August 7, is celebrated to honor the historic and cultural significance of lighthouses across the United States. This year the event will be August 8 – 9. International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) is normally held on the 3rd full weekend in August and will be held August 15 – 16. And in Britain, the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, ALK, conducts International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend on the same weekend as the ILLW.
Hams will be operating special event stations near, and in, lighthouses for both events.
Here are a few:
August 8 -9, 2026, The North Ottawa Amateur Radio Club
(NOARC) Youth Lighthouse Activation Aug 8 - 9, 1300Z-0200Z, W8CSO, Grand Haven, Michigan will be active on 14.060,14.237, 7.225, and 28.320 MHz.
August 15 (Rain date Aug. 16), 1000Z-2030Z, Fire Island Lighthouse, NAØ26. The Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club, W2GSB, will be active at the lighthouse using CW, SSB, and digital modes on 14.245, 28.500, 21.325, and 7.275 MHz.
August 15 -16, 1200z to 2030z, the Fair Lawn Amateur Radio Club
in New Jersey, will activate special event station W2L from the Stony Point Lighthouse on the Hudson River in New York State, for both International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend and the 200th anniversary of the Stony Point Lighthouse.
August 15, 1400Z-2100Z, W8GNM/8, Port Clinton Lighthouse Activation, Port Clinton, Ohio, using 7.225, 14.313, 21.350, and 28.600 MHz.
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The 2026 National Scout Jamboree is under way at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia until July 31. At this event, held every four years, Scouts from across the country gather for high-adventure activities, skill-building, community...and amateur radio! During the Jamboree, licensed Scouts are active using demonstration station K2BSA. The station is operating on local VHF and UHF frequencies and on-site repeaters in both FM and digital modes. The K2BSA nightly net is at 1930 on the 2-meter FM repeater. All of the frequencies and additional information can be found here: 2026 National Scout Jamboree — On Site Operating Frequencies | K2BSA Amateur Radio Association.
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John E. Portune, W6NBC, of Santa Maria, California, passed away on July 6, 2026. He was 88 years old. Portune, a prolific author and antenna designer, was a longtime member of ARRL and contributor to QST and On the Air magazine. He won the QST Cover Plaque Award several times, and in recent years had become the primary contributor to the “Project Build” feature in On the Air magazine, sometimes on his own, and sometimes with his writing partner Jim Bailey, W6OEK. Portune was a member of the Satellite Amateur Radio Club, W6AB, in California. “We miss John dearly,” said club president Roy Dugger, KD6R. “From the regular breakfast gatherings with fellow hams to his monthly projects and presentations on anything from antenna systems to steam calliopes, he brought us along on his continual journey of learning and joy of sharing. The club (thank you Jim, W6OEK) continues to sponsor his website to preserve his legacy at www.w6nbc.com.” Portune is survived by his wife Rebecca Humes, KF6OEB, three children and 12 grandchildren.
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The ARRL Teachers Institute
(TI) welcomed participants in the TI Space Communications and Radio Astronomy session, instructed by Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, at ARRL Headquarters in Connecticut.
The teachers learned how to make contacts via amateur radio FM and linear satellites, as well as the International Space Station.
They captured weather satellite imagery directly from NOAA satellites, and built a radio astronomy system consisting of a dipole antenna array and a software defined radio capable of receiving radio signals from the sun and Jupiter.
They were also given a tour of the MIT Haystack Observatory, an interdisciplinary radio science research center in Westford, Massachusetts.
[Photo left] (left to right) Dawn Sudbury, KR4HKP, North Port, Florida; Jackie Blumer, KC9LEH, Sorento, Illinois; Dana Serfass, KL5UM, Eagle River, Alaska; Charnell Long, KR4EPT, Greensboro, North Carolina; Scott Valenta, W9DU, Berkeley, Illinois; Kay Orr, K5ORR, Rockwall, Texas; John Geimer, K4GEI, Sarasota, Florida; Leslie Reese, KI5ISS, Terrell, Texas; Angela Metzger, KE2DRJ, Vineland, New Jersey, instructor Wayne Greene, KB4DSF. [Gregory Sulla, KC1YNI, photos]
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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:
Membership Manager
Technical Editor
RFI Lab Engineer
Public Relations and Outreach Manager
Education and Learning Manager
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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Solar disk image courtesy of NASA/SDO, July 30, 2026 | | |
ARRL Solar Report for July 30, 2026
Solar activity has remained at low levels.
Region 4494 exhibited decay in its trailing spots as its flare activity subsided.
Region 4498 rotated into better viewing positioning, revealing mixed polarity just behind its large leading spot, and was responsible for a handful of low-level C-class flares.
Region 4499 underwent evolution, gaining additional spots and producing a low-level C-class flare. Region 4501 rapidly emerged this period, developed rudimentary penumbra on its leading and trailing spots, produced a low-level C-class flare and was thus subsequently numbered.
The remaining numbered active regions were unremarkable in relation.
No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery.
Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class flares (R1-R2, minor-moderate) through August 1.
Solar wind parameters were at nominal levels.
Solar wind speeds roughly ranged from 310 km/s to 401 km/s. A disturbed solar wind environment will likely return July 30 due to the prospect of combined positive polarity coronal high speed stream (CH HSS) effects and coronal mass ejection (CME) arrivals from events that left the Sun on July 26 – 27. An additional disturbance is likely on August 1 with the arrival of an additional CME that left the Sun late on July 27.
The 10.7-centimeter flux: July 30, 137; July 31, 132; August 1, 137; August 2, 131; August 3, 141; August 4, 127; August 5; 128
Predicted sunspots: July 30, 100; July 31, 93; August 1, 101; August 2, 93; August 3, 107; August 4, 88; August 5, 110
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit
the ARRL Technical Information Service, read A Quick Guide to HF Propagation Using Solar Indices, and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
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August 1 -- European HF Championship (CW, phone)
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August 1 - 2 -- North American QSO Party (CW)
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August 1 - 2 -- ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest (CW, phone, digital)
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August 2 -- SARL HF Phone Contest (phone)
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August 4 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
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August 6 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest-NA (digital)
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August 6 - 7 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
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August 6 -- NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
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August 6 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
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August 8 - 9 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
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August 8 - 9 -- WAE DX Contest (CW)
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August 8 - 9 -- YB Bekasi Merdeka Contest (CW, phone)
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August 8 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
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August 8 -- Kentucky State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)
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August 8 - 9 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party (CW, phone)
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August 9 -- SARL HF Digital Contest (digital)
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Remember to visit the ARRL Contest Calendar
for more events and information.
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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.
August 1 | ARRL Maine State Convention, Augusta, Maine
August 7 – 8 | Shreveport-Bossier Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Delta Division Convention, Shreveport, Louisiana
August 13 – 16 | Northeast HamXposition, hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention, Marlborough, Massachusetts
August 15 | Cincinnati Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Owensville, Ohio
August 21 – 23 | Huntsville Hamfest, hosting the 2026 ARRL National Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
August 28 – 30 | Wyoming HamCon, hosting the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Casper, Wyoming
September 4 – 5 | Shelby Hamfest, hosting the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
Save the Date
Join ARRL at these Division Conventions and other major events throughout the year.
Beginning in the fourth quarter, this list will also include significant events scheduled for the following year.
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 16 – 18 | Pacificon, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
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Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
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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.
The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io
email group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive technology.
On the Air. Published bimonthly for newer hams, featuring introductions to popular activities and key concepts, equipment buying guides, and practical projects with step-by-step instructions — all in language that’s easy to understand.
NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprints, and QSO parties.
QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
Subscribe
to the ARES® Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the NTS® Letter (monthly news about the ARRL National Traffic System message-relay network), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts, and much more!
Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Threads, X, and Instagram.
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The ARRL Letter is published 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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