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2025 ARRL Field Day is Next Weekend |
| Lather on the sunscreen and get ready for the fun! 2025 ARRL Field Day is June 28 – 29. It is amateur radio’s biggest yearly event. The sun has been very active at the peak of Solar Cycle 25. ARRL is hopeful that it will mean 2025 becomes a legendary Field Day. Get out to an activation and enjoy a good time with your fellow hams. |
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| Use the Field Day Site Locator, featuring more than 1200 sites, if you don’t already have a site you plan to attend. Don’t forget to take the 2025 Field Day guide with you to your Field Day site.
For clubs that are activating a location, here are tips to make the most of your 2025 ARRL Field Day:
5 Tips for Field Day Success!
1. Be safe – Safety should always be your priority. Share pointers and resources with everyone participating in your Field Day event. See: Safety Officer Checklist [PDF]
2. Check Equipment and Operators – Make sure you have all the equipment tested and operational, and all the people needed to operate it. Now is the time to assign tasks and make an operating schedule.
3. Review the Field Day Rules – Make sure you check out the official rule packet [PDF] to know which class your activation fits. Be sure to submit your score. Entries must be postmarked or submitted via web app at field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php by Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
4. Bonus points – Tally high scores by completing bonus point activities. Getting bonus points will increase your Field Day score.
5. Put your best foot forward – ARRL Field Day is the face of ham radio to your local community. Remember to make the public feel welcome at your site and dress the part with 2025 ARRL Field Day gear.
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Protect the Most Important Element of Field Day: The People |
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| Corey Landrum, KB4YPN, adjusts a DX Commander vertical antenna while the sun rises behind him. |
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That includes yourself! Late June holds the Summer Solstice, and in North America where Field Day takes place, that means a higher likelihood of long, hot, summer days. If it’s not everyday you’re working in the heat, you especially need to take care of yourself.
Dr. Carol Milazzo, M.D., KP4MD, is the Section Manager of the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section. She’s also a practicing physician. She knows the danger of heat-related illness and shared some tips with members of her section ahead of Field Day:
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- Wear light colored, loose clothes that block the light. Use sunscreen of at least SPF 15.
- Wear a wide brim hat to protect the neck, forehead, ears, eyes, nose and scalp.
- Limit direct sunlight exposure between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s UV rays are strongest.
- Drink lots of water or sports drinks, about 1 cup every 15 minutes.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or heavy meals — these adversely affect your tolerance to heat.
- Rest regularly in the shade or a cool place.
Know the signs of heat-related illnesses. Monitor yourself and others for symptoms such as headache, light-headedness, dizziness or fainting, weakness, moist skin, muscle cramps, and mood changes such as irritability or confusion. Persons at greater risk from heat illness include young children, the elderly, persons with heavy build, and those with certain medications and medical conditions such as obesity, heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
ARRL wants you to have a good time and stay safe during the event.
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Local, County, and State Governments Proclaim Value of Amateur Radio |
| The Amateur Radio Service is of great value to communities around the nation. Through served agencies, the trained corps of technical and civic-minded operators provide a no-cost service to the public that has shown to be valuable before and When All Else Fails®.
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| Photo: Andy Smolenski, KI5YLX and David Gilpin, K5GIL, receive a proclamation from city officials in Carrollton, Texas where June 22 –25 was declared Amateur Radio Week. [Mike Brown, W5MDB, photo] |
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| The 2025 hurricane season has been forecast to be above normal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As we saw just last year in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, ham radio saves lives through volunteers who use their skills and equipment during emergencies by providing surface weather observations, relaying messages from shelters, and providing health and welfare information to concerned loved ones.
“While ARRL Field Day is a fun, social, occasion to get together and get on the air, it also serves as an opportunity to test equipment in a way that it would be needed in a time of crisis. The same people who come to visit your site under blue skies are the community members who would be served in an identical manner during and after an emergency,” said ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX.
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In recognition of the value of amateur radio, government officials at all levels have issued proclamations and citations across the country. On the ARRL amateur radio proclamations page, you can see the many official documents that have been sent to us at ARRL Headquarters.
“We all know how great the ham community is, but seeing all the proclamations come in around Field Day gives perspective to the efforts of radio amateurs. To have a governor or a councilmember recognize June as Amateur Radio Month truly honors the impact hams have on their community,” said Harrop.
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Hurricane Erick Update for June 19, 2025 |
| Hurricane Erick made landfall early Thursday morning, June 19, in southern Mexico as Category 3 storm with winds of 125 miles per hour (MPH). As of 600 AM CST Thursday (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Erick was located along the coast of Mexico just east of Punta Maldonado. The Hurricane Watch Net noted that Erick is moving toward the northwest at close to 9 MPH and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Erick is expected to move inland over southern Mexico throughout the day. Erick is expected to rapidly weaken over the mountains of Mexico, and the system is likely to dissipate tonight or early Friday, June 20.
Given the proximity of this hurricane, Zian Julio Aguirre Taboada, XE1ATZ, Director of the National Emergency Network (RNE) of the Mexican Federation of Radio Experimenters (FMRE), has requested protection for the following emergency frequencies that will be used during the approach and pass of Hurricane Erick:
80-meter band: 3,960 kHz
40-meter band: 7,128 kHz
20-meter band: 14,120 kHz
Taboada is asking that all amateur radio operators refrain from transmitting on these frequencies and simply listen in case they need assistance from the FMRE.
The Hurricane Watch Network is not active at this time, but when necessary, amateur radio operators can join the net on 14.325 MHz (USB) during the day and 7.268 MHz (LSB) evenings. However, if propagation dictates, daytime operations will be conducted on both frequencies simultaneously.
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Ham Radio Reports Fire; Helicopter Crew Extinguishes Just in Time |
| With the help of amateur radio operators, a potential wildfire was averted in California on June 12 as several hams wound up in the right place at the right time while preparing for the 2025 ARRL June VHF Contest.
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| Jacob T. “Jake” Graham, KC7WXD, [left] and Robert “Bobby” Debevec, W6IWN, [right] both ARRL members from the Reno, Nevada area, hiking on the Grouse Ridge Trail in California, a section of the Tahoe National Forest. |
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| In addition to getting ready for the contest, they had hoped to also activate several Summits on the Air (SOTA) locations. Their day of using the Amateur Radio Service for recreation was going well until they saw smoke near the Black Buttes area and had to use it for its utility value.
Debevec captured the event on video and posted it to his YouTube channel.
“I was surprised to see smoke ahead of us,” said Graham. “As we got closer, it was clear there had been a lightning hit several days ago, and we could also see flames.”
Wireless service is spotty in portions of the eastern Sierra, and they didn’t have a cell signal, so Debevec used his handheld ham radio to report the fire on a nearby repeater. In just seconds, Dan Patterson, W6AI, responded back. He was monitoring the Nevada County Amateur Radio Club linked repeater system in Grass Valley, California, and heard the call. He took the GPS coordinates from Graham and notified the U.S. Forest Service. |
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| “We were monitoring the U.S Forest Service, and it only took about 10 minutes for them to dispatch a helicopter to the area,” said Graham. “We watched four firefighters rappel down, followed by a pack of equipment. The pair then walked closer to the area and started talking to the crew, who thanked them for the report.
“They put out the fires but radioed for a helicopter water drop, before they left on foot, with the gear, to a nearby pickup site,” added Debevec. |
| After the firefighters left, the winds picked up dramatically. Had that happened earlier, the outcome could have been much worse. Amateur radio serves communities before and When All Else Fails®, and having a thriving group of trained operators active in amateur radio allowed it to facilitate emergency communications that saved the day.
All photos courtesy of Bobby Debevec, W6IWN, via YouTube.
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CQ CQ CQ … Calling All Kids! |
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ARRL Kids Day will be held June 21, 2025. Kids Day is designed to give an on-the-air experience to young people and hopefully foster interest in getting a license of their own. It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their stations and love for amateur radio with their children and grandchildren. The June 21st event runs from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.
Here is a list of suggested frequencies:
10 Meters: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz
12 Meters: 24.960 to 24.980 MHz
15 Meters: 21.360 to 21.400 MHz
17 Meters: 18.140 to 18.145 MHz
20 Meters: 14.270 to 14.300 MHz
40 Meters: 7.270 to 7.290 MHz
80 Meters: 3.740 to 3.940 MHz
You can also use your favorite repeater (with permission of the repeater’s sponsor). Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs.
More information about ARRL Kids Day is available at www.arrl.org/kids-day. |
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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ARRL Live Events and Podcasts |
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On the Air LIVE
Want to learn more about Fox Hunting? Perhaps pick up a new strategy or two? Join Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, LIVE from ARRL HQ on June 24 at 8pm Eastern. Registration is open now! learn.arrl.org/webinars/83549”
Up Next:
📅 Date: June 24, 2025
🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific
👉 Register Now
The ARRL Education and Learning Department would like to apologize for the limitation of the registration system for May’s edition of On The Air Live. It hit a limit at 500 registrants. We’ve upgraded the system to allow for this rapid success and growth in participation. The recording of the May session is available in the ARRL Learning Center.
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
Field Day Options for the New Ham
With ARRL Field Day weekend just a little more than one week away, we talk to ARRL’s Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE; Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe, W1DRF, and Education and Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML, about how newer hams can navigate the most popular on-air event of the year. Get recommendations for setups, modes, goals, and more. Listen Now
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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 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.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air | ARRL Audio News |
| ARRL is offering free shipping on 2025 ARRL Field Day Gear! Shop now and get your official merchandise in time for Field Day. ARRL is offering free US shipping on Field Day orders with code FD2025. This offer ends Friday, June 20. While supplies last.
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| This image was taken on June 19, 2025. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
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ARRL Solar Update for June 19, 2025
The sun was moderately active during the 48 hours beginning June 17. R1-R2 (minor-moderate) events are expected through June 22. R1-R2 flaring is expected with a chance for X-class flares (R3-strong) through June 21, mostly driven by Regions 4114, 4115, and 4117.
Solar wind parameters continued to reflect a positive polarity CH HSS (coronal hole high speed stream) regime.
Solar wind speeds primarily averaged 450-510 km/s. CH HSS conditions are expected to persist through June19. There is a slight chance for an enhancement of solar wind parameters June 19 from the arrival of an interplanetary (IP) shock associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred in conjunction with a M8.4 flare.
Radio blackouts reaching the R3 levels (strong) were observed over the past 48 hours. The largest was on June 17. Radio blackout forecast for June 18 – June 20, 2025: R1-R2 (minor-moderate) 75% all three days; R3 or greater 25% (R3-strong) through June 20.
The 10.7-centimeter flux: June 19 – 20, 140; June 21, 138; June 22, 135; June 23 – 24, 125; June 25, 130.
Predicted sunspot numbers: June 19,138; June 20,137; June 21,139; June 22,138.
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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- June 21 – 22 — All Asian DX Contest (CW)
- June 21 – 22 — SKCC QSO Party (CW)
- June 21 – 22 — IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest (CW, phone)
- June 21 – 22 — LZ International 6-Meter Contest (CW, phone)
- June 21 — Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
- June 21 — West Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- June 21 — ARRL Kids Day (phone)
- June 22 — WAB 50 MHz Phone (phone)
- June 25 — SKCC Sprint
- June 26 — RSGB 80m Club Championship, SSB (phone)
- June 27 — Weekly RTTY Test (digital)
- June 28 – 29 — ARRL Field Day (CW, phone, digital)
- July 1 — RAC Canada Day Contest (CW, phone)
- July 2 — Phone Weekly Test (phone)
- July 3 — NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
- June 21 | Knoxville Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
- July 12 | Souris Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, hosting the ARRL North Dakota Section Convention
- July 13 | Sussex NJ Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Hudson Division Convention
- July 26 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention and Ham Fest, Sutton, West Virginia
- August 2 | ARRL Maine State Convention and Hamfest, Augusta, Maine
- August 3 | SVARC Berryville Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Berryville, Virginia
- August 9 | ARRL Idaho State Convention, Post Falls, Idaho
- August 16 – 17 | Huntsville Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
- August 21-24 | Northeast HamXposition, hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention, Marlborough, Massachusetts
- August 30 – September 1 | Shelby Hamfest, hosting the ARRL North Carolina Section Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
Remember to search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database to find events in your area. |
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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.
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 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 © 2025 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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