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ARRL Letter Issue
96
The ARRL Letter for October 8, 2026
Richard Moseson, W2VU, Editor | October 8, 2026
ARRL Homepage
ARRL Homepage
In this Issue:
Gulf Coast Prepares for Isaias
WRTC 2022 Results Re-Scored; New Winner Announced
Radio Scouting Beyond JOTA
Discovering Ham Radio Via Moonbounce
2026 ARRL Online Auction
Amateur Radio in the News
ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
Announcements
In Brief...
The ARRL Solar Report
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events
Gulf Coast Prepares for Isaias
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.
The predicted path for Hurricane Isaias as of October 8, 2026. [Image
courtesy National Hurricane Center]
WRTC 2022 Results Re-Scored; New Winner Announced
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.
Radio Scouting Beyond JOTA
Radio scouting activity is perking up with this years 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 councils
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.
A montage of radio scouting activities from
the Dan Beard Council, serving parts of Ohio
and Kentucky. [Photo courtesy of Shawn Grubb, KE8BBC]
On the west coast, Oregons 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 Councils 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 camps 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.
The converted TV news van used by the Portland Amateur Radio Club and
Hoodview Amateur Radio Club at Scouting USAs Camp Meriwether on the
Oregon coast, with its 50-foot mast raised and ready for operating.
[Photo courtesy Jim Hill, K7KEY]
Discovering Ham Radio Via Moonbounce
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, NOT, 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 clubs 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 societys club station, KPRT, 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 societys
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. Its pretty cool. Sobon
notes that the groups 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.
The Deep Space Exploration Societys 60-foot
dish at the Plishner Radio Telescope Site
outside of Haswell, Colorado. [Photo courtesy
Deep Space Exploration Society]
2026 ARRL Online Auction
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 years selection includes gear from QST Product Review articles,
vintage books, pre-owned equipment, signed original sketches by Salty
Walt Hudson, K4OGO, from Salty Walts 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.
Amateur Radio in the News
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
ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
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. Its a great
way to improve your operating skills, gain confidence on the air, learn
about propagation, and become a more effective operatorall while having
a lot of fun. Whether youre 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
Listen to , available every Friday. 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.
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.
Announcements
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/ (host KBBC)
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/ (host NAX)
10/21/2026 Arkansas W1AW/5 (host K5DB)
10/21/2026 Alaska W1AW/KL7 (host KTW)
10/21/2026 Wisconsin W1AW/9 (host W9XT)
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 Croatias national ham association, HRS, to host
the next competition in July, 2030.
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 NF, 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.
If your RTTY keyboard isnt worn out from last months CQ World Wide RTTY
DX Contest (the raw scores are online, by the way), get ready for the
Japan Amateur Radio Leagues 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.
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.
In Brief...
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.
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 countys 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.
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.
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.
The ARRL Solar Report
NOAAs 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.
Solar image on October 8, 2026
[Photo courtesy NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center]
Just Ahead in Radiosport
October 8 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest NA (digital)
October 10 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW)
October 10 -- 10-10 Intl 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)
Remember to visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and
information.
Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events
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
Have News for ARRL?
Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
news@arrl.org. -- Richard Moseson, W2VU, ARRL News Editor
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
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On the Air. Published bimonthly for newer hams, featuring introductions
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NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles
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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.
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