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More Seats Available for On the Air Live |
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| ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF |
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Due to significant demand, ARRL has expanded the number of available spots for this month’s On the Air Live, an online training session linked to content in the current issue of On the Air magazine. The program quickly reached its original capacity. The live event will be hosted by ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF.
“It is a good problem to have,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. “We can easily add more capacity, and we’re glad that ARRL members are responding so positively to the concept,” he said.
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DX Opportunities Abound Around ARRL International DX Contest |
| With Solar Cycle 25 still at peak conditions, and several popular contests this time of year, there have been some interesting, if not totally rare, DX opportunities on the HF bands. Spots have been flying on DX club email reflectors this week. VK9XU on Christmas Island, V73WW on Marshall Island, 5N9DTG in Nigeria, KH7AL/KH9 on Wake Island, and 7Q2MM in Malawi have all been noted, among many others.
The featured DXpedition timeline on DX-World.net shows a number of interesting opportunities to add to the logbook totals in the next several weeks. A full slate of operators is fanned out around the world for the ARRL International DX Contest. The CW portion was this past weekend, and the phone weekend starts March 1 at 0000z.
“Getting on the air and being familiar with current propagation conditions is a great way to prepare for contests,” said ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE. Contest activity is on an upward trend with the peaking solar cycle. Bourque hopes more entrants brings an even higher level of excitement to the contest. “Last year,” he noted, “we saw a record number of logs submitted. I hope even more operators participate this year. You don’t have to be a big gun to be part of it. Everyone is welcome, hopefully the solar cycle will give even modest stations like mine access to a global playing field.”
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| Scott Avery, AD4SA (left), and Corey Landrum, KB4PYN, working on an antenna ahead of a contest on Tangier Island, Virginia. [Sierra Harrop, W5DX, photo] |
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YLRL Scholarships Available for Students |
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The Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) has announced its Memorial Scholarship program for 2025. The scholarship program is aimed at female amateur radio operators studying radio, communications, electronics or amateur radio related arts and sciences.
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There are three Memorial Scholarship award categories:
- The Ethel Smith, K4LMB, Memorial Scholarship — $2,500 award
- The Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, Memorial Scholarship — $2,500 award
- The Martha “Marte” Wessel, KØEPE, Memorial Scholarship — $1,500 award
“YLRL is committed to investing in women in amateur radio, and we believe that every act of volunteerism through amateur radio, even a small one, helps turn the world into a better place,” said Vicki Zumwalt, N6KLS, President of YLRL. “We hope that our scholarships will not only encourage students to learn more about science, technology, and engineering but also inspire them to take pride in being an amateur radio operator and to encourage others to do so as well.”
The YLRL believes that education in the fields or radio, communications, electronics, and amateur-related arts and sciences will play an important role in shaping the world’s future. Through these memorial scholarships, YLRL hopes to encourage female students to learn more about amateur radio.
To qualify, students must be female, have an amateur radio license, meet the requirements listed on the YLRL website and apply using the online application. Applications are due by April 30, 2025. Winners will be announced in July 2025.
The Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) is an international non-profit organization of female amateur radio enthusiasts. It was founded in 1939 and is the longest-running YL club in the world.
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Bob Buus, W2OD, ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Manager, Silent Key |
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| Robert “Bob” Buus, W2OD, Silent Key |
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Robert “Bob” Buus, W2OD, passed away on February 18, 2025. He has served as the ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Manager since 2020. Buus served as an Assistant Section Manager, Emergency Coordinator, and Net Manager prior to his appointment.
Buus was born in Minnesota and was first licensed in 1950. He graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked for Bell Laboratories and completed a master’s from New York University, according to his obituary.
Buus was a Volunteer Examiner and an ARRL Life Member. He was 87 years old.
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Changes in the ARRL Iowa Section |
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Election results have been finalized in the ARRL Iowa Section. Barry Buelow, WØIY, received 283 votes, defeating incumbent Leilia Garner, WAØUIG, who received 146 votes.
Buelow, of Cedar Point, will assume Section Manager duties on April 1. Buelow is a veteran of the United States Air Force and has worked in aerospace engineering. He has served on the ARRL National Convention Committee and is a past Chair of the ARRL Midwestern Division Convention.
Garner has served as Section Manager since 2019.
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High School and a Sci-Fi Movie Spark Interest in Amateur Radio |
| Steve Schickel was a young high school student in the late ’80s and was introduced to amateur radio through his electronics classes. He also spent time working at a local RadioShack and watching science fiction movies at a nearby theater in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
Amateur radio’s next biggest influence on Steve came in 1997, on opening night of the movie “Contact,” about a scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact.
“I remember the entire theater erupted when, in the opening scene, amateur radio operator K4WLD responded to a call from W9GFO and stated his location was Pensacola,” said Schickel. “It sounded like the home team had scored in overtime to win the game; it was so loud!
Fast-forward to November 2024. Schickel passed the exam for his Technician license and was assigned KQ4YXP on November 11. Then he passed his General license exam and on November 29 changed his to callsign to KQ4ZDR and then again to KZ4OW. After a month of study, he passed his Extra Class license exam. But there was still something missing from his newfound amateur radio hobby.
“To celebrate, I started researching vanity call signs in order to try and reward myself with a 1×2 call sign. I researched everything that had become available, and I was just about to file my application with the FCC with a list of about a dozen 1×2 calls when I paused and wondered if anybody actually had the call sign K4WLD from the movie.”
It turned out K4WLD had just fallen out of a two-year grace period hold a couple weeks prior and was now available. Schickel submitted his vanity application and on January 11, 2025, was assigned the new call of K4WLD.
“I can proudly say that K4WLD was awarded to me in January 2025, and I still live in Pensacola! Now, life is imitating art,” Schickel concluded, “and K4WLD has come home to Pensacola in real life … just like in the movie.”
All well and good except for one small detail. Most of his equipment has been on back order for several months! Schickel hopes to make his first “contact” in a few weeks. He is also a proud new ARRL member!
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
Have a Ham Radio Open House in April
World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18 every year, and in 2025, WARD is extra special. ARRL invites radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in April, to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands-on pathway into STEM fields for the next generation. ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX, and Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering at the University of Scranton, Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, join the podcast to talk about what a Ham Radio Open House might include, and how your club or group can start organizing one.
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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.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air | ARRL Audio News
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Greg Lee, KI6GIG, has shared information about the Grassroots Emergency Communications Operations (GECO) in Arizona. GECO is a free grassroots community-powered disaster recovery program for amateur radio operators and amateur radio emergency communicators, especially in marginalized communities without emergency plans. The group’s free software offers basic information and encourages local organizers to consider two enhancements:
- Adding amateur radio communications, both radio and non-radio methods
- Using community-based education to integrate indigenous knowledge and emergency preparedness with STEM/STEAM/STEAMING classroom lessons
The information is designed to improve local education, enhance relevant and practical knowledge/skills/experience to develop a preparedness mindset, and cultivate future generations of emergency service volunteers and workers to aid in local economic development. For additional information contact Greg Lee via email at gecoradio@gmail.com.
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| North American QSO Party (NAQP) RTTY 2025 will be in full operation Saturday, February 22, 1800 UTC through Sunday, February 23, 0559 UTC. The North American QSO Parties are favorites of beginners and seasoned operators alike. The NAQPs are low-power only, no amplifiers allowed, which makes for a lot more breathing room on the bands. Small stations can generate very effective “runs” in the NAQP contests. Multipliers count once per band, which makes for an exciting format, as multipliers can be “moved” from band to band. The NAQPs allow stations from all parts of North America to be in the running for the top spots. The 12-hour format allows participants to do some great contesting, yet still have time for other activities during the weekend. Participants may enter in the single-op or multi-op categories, and they also have the opportunity to combine up to five separate single-op scores into a team score. For complete rules and log information, visit 2025 North American QSO Party (CW/SSB/RTTY).
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| This image was taken on February 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
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ARRL Solar Report February 20, 2025
Solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for M-class flares and a slight chance for an X-class flare on February 20, 21, and 22, 2025. The largest solar event of the period was a C4 event observed on February 19 from Region 3997. There are currently 8 numbered sunspot regions on the new solar disk.
The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to minor storm levels for the past 24 hours and is expected to remain at unsettled levels for the next 3 days.
The 10.7-centimeter solar flux for February 20 is 180; predicted 175 on February 21; 170 on February 21 – 23, and 190 on February 24. No radio blackouts were observed over the past 24 hours.
Solar flare activity has been at low levels and there have been no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed over the past 24 hours.
The predicted average of sunspot numbers for February is 133.8, with a high of 140.8 and a low of 126.8.
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.
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- February 21 – 23 — CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB (phone)
- February 22 – 23 — REF Contest, SSB (phone)
- February 22 – 23 — UBA DX Contest (CW)
- February 22 – 23 — South Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- February 22 – 23 — North American QSO Party, RTTY (digital)
- February 22 – 23 — NA Collegiate Championship, RTTY (digital)
- February 23 — World Wide Patagonia DX Contest (CW, phone)
- February 23 — High Speed Club CW Contest (CW)
- February 23 – 24 — North Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- February 24 — RSGB FT4 Contest (digital)
- February 26 — SKCC Sprint (CW)
- February 26 — UKEICC 80m Contest (CW)
Remember to visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information.
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
- February 22 | HAM-CON, hosting the ARRL Vermont State Convention, Colchester, Vermont
- February 28 – March 1 | BirmingHamfest, hosting the ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Trussville, Alabama
- March 7 – 8 | Greater Houston HamFest, hosting the ARRL Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
- March 15 | 69th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Hamfest, hosting the ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
- March 29 | Central Dakota Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, hosting the ARRL North Dakota State Convention, Bismarck, North Dakota
- April 5 | RARSfest, hosting the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
- April 11-12 |
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