New sunspot group 2739 appeared on April 17, and the daily sunspot number rose to 24. The new sunspot has a polarity indicating it is still part of old cycle 24, the current sunspot cycle. This reporting week (April 11-17) the average daily sunspot number rose from 6.9 to 14, while average daily solar flux increased from 75.4 to 76.4.

Sunspots have been visible on every day since April 7, so as ...

“All About Safety” is the focus of the new (April 18) episode of the “So Now What?“ podcast for Amateur Radio newcomers. If you’re a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! “So Now What?” offers insights from those who’ve been just where you are now. New episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episod...

ARRL Headquarters will be closed on Friday, April 19. There will be no W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions on Friday, and no edition of the ARRL Audio News podcast this week. ARRL Headquarters will reopen on Monday, April 22, at 8 AM EDT. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

AMSAT Academy will take place on Thursday, May 16, the day before Hamvention. AMSAT says this is a unique opportunity for both beginners and advanced satellite operators to learn about Amateur Radio in space and working the FM, linear transponder, and digital satellites now in orbit.

AMSAT Academy will take place on Thursday, May 16, 9 AM until 5 PM, at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA...

Two of the J20DX operators, Col McGowan, MM0NDX, and Jonathan Bowes, MM0OKG, report that all of their radio equipment was impounded by customs at the airport upon arrival, despite the fact that the third operator, Christian Cabre, EA3NT, cleared customs smoothly 2 days earlier.

“This remains the case today despite our official radio licenses being issued by Djibouti Telecom permitting us to oper...

Hamvention® has announced that it will open the gates to all, without charge, on the final day of the annual gathering at Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Hamvention 2019 General Chair Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, said the idea is to encourage the curious to see what attracts some 30,000 visitors to Hamvention each spring.

“We have decided to open the doors to Hamvention to the p...

ARRL and the FCC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that paves the way to implement the new and enhanced Volunteer Monitor program. The memorandum establishes the Volunteer Monitors as a replacement for the Official Observers (OO) program. Current OOs have been encouraged to participate in the new program.

“We are excited by the opportunity to codify our partnership with the FCC and...

The ARRL Foundation has announced the Dick Hanna, K3VYY, Memorial Scholarship. Created through the generosity of the Hanna Family in memory of J. Richard “Dick” Hanna, K3VYY, of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, this scholarship is intended exclusively for educational use, to provide assistance with the cost of tuition, room, board, books and/or other fees essential to the higher education of the rec...

American Honda has announced that it’s voluntarily recalling some 200,000 of its portable generators sold in the US due to a potential fire and burn hazard. The recall includes the EU2200i, EU2200i Companion, and EB2200i generators. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the affected portable generators can leak gasoline from the fuel valve. Users should stop operating the recall...

Thursday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day (WARD), this year marking the 94th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), founded in Paris in 1925. Each year, WARD celebrates Amateur Radio’s contribution to society. Groups in the US and around the world will celebrate WARD 2019 with on-the-air activities.

“I am pleased to extend my greetings for World Amateur Radio Day,” IAR...