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Pass the Bill: Information and Instructions Now Available in Spanish |
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ARRL needs every licensed radio amateur in the United States to help pass the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. Instructions and a link to Send Your Letters Now to Congress are available at https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/.
To encourage US hams who are native Spanish speakers to participate, ARRL has published information and instructions in Spanish.
Se Habla Español – Pasar el proyecto de ley
Si su lengua materna es el español, ARRL ha creado instrucciones y una página web para que envíe sus cartas al Congreso.
Descargue las instrucciones aquí:
https://send-a-letter.org/espanol/
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Zoe Rodriguez Named 2025 Craigie Memorial Educator |
| Zoe Rodriguez, a teacher at the Raymond School in Franksville, Wisconsin — near Milwaukee — has been named the 2025 Carter Craigie, N3AO, Memorial Educator. Rodriguez serves as the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) teacher as well as the school’s technology integrator and library media specialist. She also started a club for 3rd through 8th graders called “Girls Who Code.” She attended the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) at ARRL Headquarters from October 6 – 9, 2025.
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| Zoe Rodriguez has been named the 2025 Carter Craigie, N3AO, Memorial Educator. She was presented the honor by ARRL Director of Learning and Education Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. |
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Rodriguez, who previously was a Fulbright Scholar who taught English in Colombia, is concurrently participating in the Teacher Innovator Institute, a two-year program from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. She’s excited to integrate amateur radio and wireless technology into her broad experience she shares with students. “[TI] would provide tangible ways to help my students engage in critical thinking and solve real world problems… This program would allow me to create highly engaging and hands-on projects where my students could work collaboratively and build their communication skills. This will not only fit into, but strengthen, my curriculum as I currently teach the engineering design process, circuits, coding, robotics, 3D printing, and cardboard construction,” said Rodriguez.
The Carter Craigie, N3AO, Memorial Educator of the Year program funds a seat at the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. It was created in 2024 through a generous endowment given by former ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, in memory of her late husband, Carter, who also was an avid radio amateur, first licensed in 1981.
A graduate of Woodberry Forest School and Williams College, Carter Craigie earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. Despite life-long challenges with learning disabilities, Carter became a beloved educator. He taught fifth grade at Montgomery Country Day School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He also taught at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania, retiring in 1995 after 25 years on the faculty as professor of English and Communications. He became a Silent Key in 2024.
Rodriguez looks forward to taking what she learned at TI and sharing it with other teachers at the Raymond School. “Not only will this support my teaching, but I will be able to support our general education teachers in integrating the concepts I learn to create more engagement in their curriculum,” she said.
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Club Newsletter Contest — Call for Submissions! |
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A club newsletter can keep members informed of news and upcoming events, keep them interested between meetings and activities, teach them about ham radio skills and technology, or even make them laugh, remember, or set an operating goal — the sky’s the limit! ARRL wants to see what your club does with the mix of information that can go into a newsletter. Enter the Club Newsletter Contest for the chance to have your newsletter honored in QST. Here are the rules and requirements:
The Club Newsletter Contest is open to ARRL Affiliated Clubs that have published a newsletter for at least one (1) year.
Submit PDF files of 1 year’s worth of consecutively published issues — no gaps — ending with your most recent issue. If your newsletter is monthly, submit 12 consecutive issues. If your newsletter is bimonthly, submit six consecutive issues. If your newsletter is quarterly, submit four consecutive issues.
Publication dates may span 2024/2025/2026, if necessary. For example, if your newsletter is published monthly and the September 2025 issue is your most recent publication at the time of your submission, send us all 12 issues from October 2024 through September 2025. Do not send additional issues once you have submitted 1 year’s worth of issues.
Submissions must include a completed Club Newsletter Contest Submission Form (https://www.arrl.org/club-newsletter-contest), which asks for information about your club and newsletter, as well as a 500-word statement on the purpose of your newsletter, and how the newsletter’s contents and design fulfill that purpose. Part of the judging process will include a comparison of these statements with the newsletter samples.
Winners will be notified in May 2026, with awards presented at Huntsville Hamfest in August 2026.
Winners will be announced in a 2026 issue of QST, as part of ARRL’s Year of the Club celebration. The QST article may present material from the 500-word statements supplied in the winners’ Club Newsletter Contest Submission Form. Please note that winners may be asked to supply high-resolution files of specific newsletter pages.
Submission Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026, 4 p.m. Eastern time.
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FCC Issues Notice of Violation for Unauthorized One-Way Transmissions and Denial of Inspection |
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Notice of Violation (NoV) to Mike F. Conte of Naples, Florida, citing alleged rule violations related to unauthorized transmissions and refusal to allow station inspection. The FCC notice by the Regional Director, Region One, Enforcement Bureau, was released on September 29, 2025, and includes that Conte holds an Amateur Radio Service license, KA2FPZ.
According to the Notice, FCC Enforcement Bureau agents from the New York Field Office conducted an investigation on March 17, 2025. Using direction-finding techniques, they located and monitored transmissions on 7.200 MHz emanating from a residence owned by Conte in Brookfield, Connecticut that appeared to be one-way broadcasts originating from KA2FPZ.
According to the FCC, Conte was “pretending to speak with a station he identified as KB2VBO,” a call sign not currently assigned to any licensee. No station responded to the transmissions, and the Notice included that “Conte later admitted to an agent that he was engaging in one-way communication that was neither allowed nor exempted under the rules.”
In addition to the alleged unauthorized broadcasting, the FCC reported that “Agents were denied access to the Residence,” in violation of the Commission’s rules.
Read more about this story on ARRL News.
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ARRL Foundation Accepting Grant Applications in October |
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The ARRL Foundation is accepting grant applications from amateur radio organizations for eligible amateur radio-related projects and initiatives, particularly those focused on educating, licensing, and supporting amateur radio activities. To grow amateur radio’s future, youth-based projects and initiatives are especially encouraged.
The ARRL Foundation grants program accepts proposals on a cyclical model three times a year: in February, June, and October. Proposals for the October grant period are accepted through October 31. Awardees will be notified approximately 1 month after the closing of each cycle.
The ARRL Foundation carefully manages a portfolio of endowments in which donors have provided specific goals for their gifts, and that portfolio is invested and managed in a way that it can continue to support those goals for many years to come. Additional information and a link to the grant application can be found at www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-grants.
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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
Join ARRL’s Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, as he describes and demonstrates how VarAC can be leveraged to keep in contact with family and loved ones who live outside of an area where all grid communications are damaged or destroyed due to a natural or man-made disaster, no matter your license class.
Up Next:
📅 Date: October 28, 2025
🕗 Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific
👉 Register Now
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
Get Inspired for Contest Season
The podcast welcomes Violetta Latham, KN2P, a young contester who has had the opportunity to operate at some big, famous contest stations such as K3LR, PJ2T, and W3LPL. Violetta will talk about how she got started in contesting and how she got to where she is today. Listen Now
More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
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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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| Jack Prindle, AB4WS, left, receives his award from John A. “Bud” Sohl, KC4WQ. |
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The Greater Louisville Hamfest Association has recognized Jack Prindle, AB4WS, as Kentucky’s 2025 Amateur of the Year. Prindle holds an Amateur Extra class license and produces a weekly podcast highlighting amateur radio activity and covering the latest amateur radio news in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Prindle had an early interest in AM broadcast radio, evolving from scanner listening to public safety before becoming an amateur radio operator. He is active daily on HF and supports several local clubs. In addition to his award, Prindle received an amateur radio log book and a $50 ARRL prize certificate.
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| 13 Colonies Special Event founder and coordinator Ken Villone, KU2US, passed away on October 2, 2025. He was 76 years old. Villone founded the event in 2009 and organizers say it has grown into one of the largest special event activities on the air. This year’s event was dedicated to Villone and to Tom Francis, W1TEF (SK), South Carolina State Manager. Under Villone’s leadership, 12,000 contacts were made in 2009 and 292,496 contacts were made around the world in 2024. Villone held a General Class license and was an ARRL member. Services will be held Friday, October 17th and donations in Villone’s memory may be sent to: Hildabrandt Hospice, 2652 Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester, NY 14626.
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| The New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club, NJ2KC, will host a special event October 11 – 13, 2025, to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of Columbus Day. The event is scheduled for 0000Z – 2359Z, using 7.234, 14.234, 21.234,and 28.234 MHz. A certificate & QSL will be available. The first Columbus Day celebration took place on October 12, 1792, and many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and not of Columbus himself. The day was first celebrated in New York City on October 12, 1866. Today, it is a federal holiday and recognized in some states as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
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| The Greater St. Louis Area Scouting Council will be active during this year’s JOTA – JOTI event and all stations will be on the air October 17 – 19, 2025. JOTA-JOTI – Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet, is the world’s largest digital and amateur radio Scout event, promoting friendship and global citizenship. Tom Dougherty, NØTJD, Greater St. Louis Area Scouting STEM Radio Community Chairman, said they received an ARRL Foundation Grant late year for $21,865 which allowed for new amateur radio equipment to be installed at Scout camps around the region. For the JOTA-JOTI event, Scouts will have a total of 7 stations operating HF, UHF and VHF and 1 portable HF station. In the Greater St. Louis Area Council, all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) directors for each district — a total of 22 districts encompassing 27,000 Scouts — have been promoting the event since early August. JOTA-JOTI is held on the third full weekend of October each year, coordinated by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). For registration and all of the details, visit JOTA-JOTI 2025 | A World Shaped by Youth.
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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
Senior RFI Lab Engineer
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 Image from the Learmonth Solar Observatory via Australian Spaceweather.com October 9, 2025. |
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ARRL Solar Report October 9, 2025
Solar activity was at low levels this past week. Low-level C-class X-ray emissions from a source around the western limb were the strongest of the period.
Region 4241 produced a C1.9 flare on October 6, newly numbered Region 4244 was quiet as it rotated further from the eastern limb. Regions 4236 and 4232 remained the largest on the visible disk but did not produce any notable activity in the past 24 hours.
Additional activity included a filament eruption near S20E25 that began on October 5 and was ongoing at the time of writing. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed in available coronagraph imagery. There exists a chance for solar flare activity to reach moderate levels (R1-R2/minor – moderate), with a slight chance for strong (R3-strong) October 6 – 8.
A slight chance for R1-2 radio blackouts will remain for October 9. R1-2 probabilities increase to a low chance on October 10 with the prospect of regions due to return.
Solar wind parameters reflected slightly enhanced conditions likely due to magnetic cloud influences. Total field was slightly elevated at 8 to 10 nT while the Bz component was mostly southward from -5 to -8 nT. Solar wind speeds averaged near or just under 400 km/s. Phi was mostly in the positive solar sector. Weakening parameters are expected by October 9, with a return to a nominal environment anticipated on October 10.
The 10.7-centimeter solar flux: October 9, 140; October 10, 145; October 11, 140; October 12 – 13; 135; October 14, 140; October 15, 135.
Predicted sunspot numbers: October 9, 106; October 10, 97; October 11, 113; October 12, 93; October 13, 118; October 14, 86; October 15, 124
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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- October 10 – 10 – 10 International 10 – 10 Day Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
- October 11 – 12 — ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
- October 11 – 12 — Oceania DX Contest (CW)
- October 11 – 12 — Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB (Phone)
- October 11 – 12 — Nevada QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- October 11 – 12 — Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone)
- October 11 – 12 — Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone)
- October 11 – 12 — South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone)
- October 12 — UBA ON Contest – 80/40m (CW)
- October 14 — DARC RTTY Sprint (digital)
- October 15 — RSGB 80m Autumn Series, Data (digital)
- October 16 — NTC QSO Party (CW)
- October 18 – 19 — 10-10 International Fall Contest (CW)
- October 18 – 19 — New York QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- October 18 – 19 — Worked All Germany Contest (CW, phone)
- October 18 – 19 — Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
- October 19 — Argentina National 7 MHz Contest (phone)
- October 19 – 20 — Illinois QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
- October 10 -12 | Pacificon, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
- October 10 – 11 | Melbourne Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
- October 10 – 11 | SPARK-CON, hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Sedalia, Missouri
- October 11 | North Star Radio Convention, hosting the ARRL Minnesota State Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
- October 12 | Nutmeg Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
- October 23 – 26 | HamCon Colorado 2025, hosting the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Grand Junction, Colorado
- November 1 | Stone Mountain Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- November 15 | Superstition ARC Superfest & Electronics Expo, hosting the ARRL Arizona State Convention, Mesa, Arizona
- December 12 – 13 | The Tampa Bay Hamfest, hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida
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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