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ARRL Letter Issue
96
The ARRL Letter for October 29, 2026
Richard Moseson, W2VU, Editor | October 29, 2026
ARRL Homepage
ARRL Homepage
In this Issue:
ARRL Partners in NASA-Funded Space Weather Education Initiative
Venusbounce (With a Message)
How to Work VK9XY on 6 Meters (Hint: Extreme Long Path)
ARRL Foundation Opens Applications for 2027 Scholarship Program
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
Save the Date
ARRL Partners in NASA-Funded Space Weather Education Initiative
ARRL and HamSCI are participating with the University of Scranton and
four other institutions in a NASA-funded initiative to advance space
weather education, scientific discovery, and public engagement through
amateur radio. As part of the project, ARRL will receive grant funding
to develop and deliver a new Teachers Institute program on space
weather, providing high school STEM educators with hands-on professional
development in solar activity, Earth's magnetosphere, the ionosphere,
and the effects of space weather on radio communications.
According to ARRL Director of Education and Learning Wayne Greene,
KB4DSF, the four-day program will integrate real-world data from NASA
missions and a network of citizen science space weather monitoring
stations, allowing educators to bring authentic scientific
investigations into their classrooms. Participating teachers will also
help expand the network of monitoring stations at schools, enabling
students to contribute to ongoing scientific research. Through this
initiative, ARRL will demonstrate the important role amateur radio plays
in scientific discovery while equipping educators to inspire the next
generation of scientists, engineers, and radio amateurs.
The program is part of Discovering the SPARC: Space Physics Through
Amateur Radio Connections, developed by University of Scranton Professor
and HamSCI founder Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, and funded by NASAs
Science Activation (SciAct) program to the tune of nearly $5.5 million
over a 5-year period. An expansion of HamSCIs successful efforts to
create a worldwide network of amateur radio operators collecting and
providing data to scientists studying the ionosphere and space weather,
the centerpiece of SPARC will be the installation of discovery stations
in public venues such as schools, libraries, and museums. In addition,
the grant will fund the deployment of 85 Citizen Science Space Weather
Monitor stations around the country. Other collaborating institutions
include the Space Science Institute, MIT Haystack Observatory, the
University of Alabama, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Venusbounce (With a Message)
You may be familiar with amateur radio moonbounce communication, also
known as Earth-Moon-Earth or EME. But what about EVE Earth-Venus-Earth?
A series of transmissions from the Netherlands on October 17 and 18
resulted in the third-ever successful amateur radio EVE reception,
including the first-ever reception of a message, VENUS ECHO.
The first successful amateur radio EVE transmissions were made by
Germanys AMSAT-DL in 2009, a feat not repeated until 2025 by members of
the C.A. Muller Radio Astronomy Station (CAMRAS) foundation at the
Dwingeloo radio telescope, PI9RD, in the Netherlands. That signal was
simply a long tone transmitted on 1299.5 MHz, with the echo received
back at Dwingeloo and at the Stockert radio telescope in Germany. The
most recent transmissions included messages in several formats and the
echoes were received at multiple radio telescopes. However, the signals
were so weak that it took 40 minutes of echoes to decode the entire
10-character message.
Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, CEO of Open Research Institute (ORI), which
collaborated with the Dutch team on this effort, told ARRL that bouncing
a message off Venus is a big step up from a radar return, which in its
own right is a very difficult technical challenge. She explains that
this is a very challenging radio channel. It has an enormous path loss.
Best case, when Venus is close to Earth, is that it's 250 dB or so at
the EVE frequencies used, one way. That's roughly equivalent to the
round-trip path loss for EME. So, after you deal with 500 dB path loss
to Venus round trip, you have Doppler Spread. Your signal is messed up
because Venus spins. (See Thompsons article, A Day at Dwingeloo, in the
October 2026 issue of QST, the ORI blog post on this EVE experiment, and
details on the signal modulation, coding, and theory used for the
successful message transmission.)
Further transmissions were planned this past week, as EVE is possible
only during Venuss inferior conjunction, when it is closest to Earth.
Still, the signals must travel over 26 million miles in each direction,
with a round trip at the speed of light taking roughly 5 minutes.
Thompson says the next EVE opportunity will be in June 2028, and ORI is
looking for interested amateurs to get involved. The eventual goal is to
complete a 2-way EVE QSO.
Spectrogram of the reflected signal from Venus, as received at
the Stockert radio telescope in Germany. [Image from
CAMRAS blog]
How to Work VK9XY on 6 Meters (Hint: Extreme Long Path)
The upcoming VK9XY DXpedition to Christmas Island (November 16 -
December 4) is planning to have a 6-meter station on the air in addition
to its HF operations. But Christmas Island is a bit remote for
traditional 6-meter contacts, so the groups focus will be on the moon!
After the HF stations are operational, according to an announcement from
the Pacific Islands DXpedition Group, the team will set up a 6-meter EME
(Earth-Moon-Earth) station using a Flex 6700 transceiver with a kilowatt
amplifier on transmit and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) on receive,
feeding an antenna at the top of a cliff with a totally unobstructed
view to the north from east to west. Operators will be watching
https://livecq.n6nu.org and the ON4KST EME chat.
The antenna is a 6M8GJ on a 24-foot mast that will allow elevation to
about 75 EME station up and running. The team notes that it has the
required experimental license in hand to allow 1000 watts PEP (425
average) between 50.180 and 50.220 MHz.
ARRL Foundation Opens Applications for 2027 Scholarship Program
The ARRL Foundation will begin accepting applications for its 2027
Scholarship Program on Friday, October 30, 2026, offering students an
opportunity to secure financial support for their educational goals.
More than 150 scholarships, ranging from $500 to $25,000, will be
available to eligible students pursuing higher education.
Applications must be submitted online by 12 PM EST on December 21, 2026.
All applicants must be licensed amateur radio operators pursuing higher
education.
Made possible through the generosity of donors who believe in the
promise of the next generation, the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program
helps students pursue their academic ambitions while encouraging them to
explore the opportunities amateur radio offers in science, technology,
engineering, wireless communications, and other related fields.
In 2026, the ARRL Foundation awarded 163 scholarships totaling $813,000,
helping students take the next step toward their educational and career
goals.
Students are encouraged to explore the available opportunities and
apply. Learn more and access the online application at
www.arrl.org/scholarship-program.
Amateur Radio in the News
From Scranton to space: University of Scranton professor receives $5.5
million NASA grant to study impact of space weather / WVIA (Pittston,
PA), October 23, 2026 (Also see "ARRL Partners in NASA-Funded Space
Weather Education Initiative above)
Ham radio enthusiasts tune up and tune in / Courthouse News Service
(Online), October 23, 2026 -- San Diego ARES
Learn Guide Update: ARISS SSTV on Fruit Jam / Adafruit blog (online),
October 26, 2026
Sarasota Military Academy reaches out to International Space Station /
Sarasota Observer (Sarasota, FL), October 25, 2026 plus WWSB-TV
(Sarasota, FL), October 22, 2026, and Fox13 Tampa Bay (Tampa, FL)
October 22, 2026 -- Tamiami Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated
Club
ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
On the Air LIVE
Learning CW From Zero to Your First QSO
Interested in learning Morse code but not sure where to start? Join ARRL
Director of Education and Learning Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, for the
November edition of On the Air Live as we explore practical ways to
learn CW and put your new skills to work on the air. Wayne will discuss
proven learning methods, free training resources, common mistakes to
avoid, and how to build an effective practice routine. Whether you're
completely new to CW or have tried learning before, this episode will
help you take the next step toward your first CW contact. The livestream
will air on Tuesday, November 24th at 8 PM Eastern at the ARRL Learning
Center, learn.arrl.org.
Date: November 24, 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.
10/28/2026 Michigan W1AW/8 (host K8NGW)
10/28/2026 Nevada W1AW/7 (host NCSM)
11/4/2026 Arizona W1AW/7 (host W7RAP)
11/4/2026 Virginia W1AW/4 (host WA8AHZ)
11/4/2026 Oklahoma W2AW/5 (host N5HZR)
11/11/2026 Kansas W1AW/ (host KSJD)
11/11/2026 Wyoming W1AW/7 (host WY7AA)
11/11/2026 Maryland W1AW/3 (host K2EJ)
In Brief...
Last call for schools to apply for grants from ARRLs Education and
Technology Program (ETP). The application deadline is October 31. The
grants assist schools and teachers in the purchase of radio equipment,
software, and other radio-related resources for school ham stations. The
program offers two types of grants: ETP School Station Grants for
schools providing a plan to use amateur radio as part of in-classroom
learning or an enrichment program; and ETP Progress Grants for teachers
already using amateur radio in their classrooms to purchase additional
resources or for those teachers needing resources in order to start
teaching about electronics and wireless technology using amateur radio.
Details are on the ETP page of the ARRL website.
Voting is now under way for members of the ARRL Board of Directors in
three Divisions. ARRL members are choosing between two candidates for
Director in the Delta, Great Lakes, and Midwest Divisions, and two
candidates for Vice Director in the Midwest Division. The Director
positions in the Atlantic and Dakota Divisions are unopposed, as are the
Vice Director positions in the Atlantic, Dakota, and Delta Divisions.
The Great Lakes Division had no candidates for Vice Director.
Candidates in contested elections are:
Director, Delta Division: Incumbent David Norris, K5UZ, and challenger
David Thomas, KM4NYI
Director, Great Lakes Division: Incumbent Scott Yonally, N8SY, and
challenger Michael Kalter, W8CI
Director, Midwest Division: Incumbent Art Zygielbaum, KAIZ, and
challenger Drew Vonada-Smith, K3PA
Vice Director, Midwest Division: Ron Ochu, KOZ, and Todd LeMense, KKDX
Successful candidates will be announced in November. Candidates declared
elected will assume their roles for terms beginning January 1, 2027.
ARRL is governed by its Board of Directors. Elections are held for five
of the 15 ARRL Divisions each year, for terms of three years.
ARRL Honorary Vice President Jay Holladay, W6EJJ, of La Canada,
California, became a Silent Key on September 5, 2026, at age 90. An ARRL
Life Member, Holladay served for 21 years on the ARRL Board of
Directors, as Vice Director and Director of the Southwestern Division,
and as First Vice President before being named an Honorary Vice
President in 1996. Holladay was also president of the Southern
California DX Club in 1969, and DXer of the Year in 1970. In his
professional life, Jay was an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena, where he worked on unmanned space missions. A celebration
of his life will be held in Pasadena on November 14.
ARRLs annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is traditionally held in
early October, but Section Field Organization leaders have the option of
scheduling their drills at a different time, and thats whats happening
in New Hampshire. Section Public Information Coordinator Skip Camejo,
AC1LC, reports that NH-ARES will be conducting its SET on Saturday,
November 7, from 8 AM to 2 PM. The scenario will be the ARES response to
a major hurricane that disables cellular service, public safety radio
and amateur radio repeaters throughout the state. Participants will
focus on passing simulated emergency traffic via FM simplex and Winlink
email, with the goal of passing messages without changes or errors to a
simulated state emergency operations center, and to a simulated American
Red Cross communication center, both in Concord, the state capital. In a
news release to state media, Camejo notes that the public may see NH-
ARES radio operators located at various high elevation points along the
side of roadways, in parking lots or other locations that enhance point
to point radio communication.
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
Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels in the coming days,
according to NOAAs Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), as one
sunspot region (4561) rotated out of view and a second (4562) was quiet
and in decay. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were
observed. The geomagnetic field has been quiet, although an enhancement
is expected late on October 30, with a minor geomagnetic storm possible
on the 31st, as a result of a recurrent equatorial positive-polarity
coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS).
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre predicts normal to fair
HF propagation conditions for the middle latitudes, with generally quiet
conditions on the sun.
The W3LPL Propagation Forecast from the Daily DX is predicting mostly
normal propagation on the 15- through 80-meter bands -- good DX during
the day on 15, 17, and 20 meters; and at night on 30, 40, 60, and 80
meters -- with generally poor DX on 12 and 10 meters as the maximum
usable frequency (MUF) dips below 24 MHz due to low sunspot activity.
Predicted 10.7-centimeter solar flux is much lower than last week: Oct
29-Nov 1, 84; Nov 2-5, 82. (Source: NOAA SWPC)
Share your reports and observations. 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.
Solar image on October 29, 2026
[Photo courtesy NOAA Space
Weather Prediction Center]
Just Ahead in Radiosport
October 30 -- Zombie Shuffle (CW)
October 31 - November 1 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
October 31 - November 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone,
digital)
October 31 - November 1 -- UK/EI DX Contest, SSB (phone)
November 1 -- North American SSB Sprint (phone)
November 1 -- EANET Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
November 1 -- High Speed Club CW Contest (CW)
November 1 -- Real Time Contest (CW, phone)
November 1 - 4 -- Classic Exchange, CW (CW)
November 2 -- RSGB 80m Autumn Series, Data (digital)
November 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
November 4 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (phone)
November 5 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity, NA (digital)
November 5 -- NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
November 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
November 5 - 6 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
November 7 -- IPARC Contest, CW (CW)
November 7 - 8 -- YBDXPI FT8 Contest (digital)
November 7 - 9 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes, CW (CW)
November 8 -- IPARC Contest, SSB (phone)
November 8 -- FIRAC HF Contest (phone)
November 9 -- Four States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
November 10 -- DARC FT4 Contest (digital)
November 11 -- RSGB 80m Autumn Series, SSB (phone)
November 12 -- VHF/UHF FT8 Activity Contest (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 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
December 11 12 | Tampa Bay Hamfest, hosting the ARRL West Central
Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida
Save the Date
Join ARRL at these Division Conventions and other major events
throughout the upcoming year, 2027.
February 12 14 | Orlando HamCation, hosting the ARRL Southeastern
Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
April 3 | RARSfest, The Raleigh Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Roanoke
Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 17 | Ham Radio University, hosting the ARRL Hudson Division
Convention, Brookville, New York
May 21 23 | Dayton Hamvention, Xenia, Ohio
August 14 | Cincinnati Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division
Convention, Owensville, Ohio
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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NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles
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QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly,
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items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
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