The Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test is scheduled for May 10th, 2025. Organized by the Department of Defense (DOD), the event facilitates two-way communication between military stations and amateur radio operators.

...authorized by the Federal Communications Commission in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations 47 CFR 97.111. The test provides opportunities, and challenges, for operators to test their individual technical skills in a controlled scenario that will not impact public or private communications.

The DOD message will be sent via RTTY on 14667.0 kHz at 1400 and 2000 UTC. For additional schedules and frequencies, see the MARS website.

Source: ARRL

The Zero Retries Digital Conference is seeking requests for papers and presenters for the inaugural conference taking place in Everett, Washington on September 13, 2025. A wide range of topics are being considered from Open Source amateur radio projects in the digital communications space to amateur radio regulatory reform. Presentation slots are limited, but authors do not have to participate in the conference to submit and have papers included.

Proposals may be submitted to ZRDC Conference Manager Tina Stroh (KD7WSF) via email - tina@zeroretries.net, with “Paper Presenter” in the subject line.

Zero Retries Digital Conference is an annual in-person technology conference first held in 2025 in Everett, Washington, USA. ZRDC is an outgrowth of Zero Retries, an independent newsletter promoting technological innovation in and adjacent to Amateur Radio, and Amateur Radio as (literally) a license to experiment with and learn about radio technology.

Source: Zero Retries

Update 5/5/25: AMSAT-UK has posted that the ISS SSTV event will take place from 1200 UTC May 5th through 1800 UTC May 12th. A series of 27 images will be transmitted marking the end of World War 2 in Europe. Listeners can tune to 145.800 MHz and set their SSTV software to receive in PD120 mode.

AMSAT is reporting a joint Russia-ARISS SSTV transmission will take place from the International Space Station on May 5th beginning at 12:00 UTC. The event aims to commemorate a regional holiday. No other information has been provided at this time.

Source: AMSAT

ARDC will once again have a presence at Hamvention in 2025. An interactive display of 44Net will be available at the ARDC booth, #1302 in Building 1. A forum will also be held on Friday at 12:50 PM in Room 3. The presentation will focus on a range of topics from vision and strategy to priority areas for funding.

Source: ARDC

ARDC has awarded a second grant to the Internet Archive's Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications. The grant will allow DLARC to continue curating and preserving historical content related to ham radio for an additional two years. The library includes a plethora of content from club newsletters, to software, to old printed callbooks that date back to the early 1900s.

DLARC has a wantlist. If you own copies of any of the publications sought by DLARC, please consider donating them for preservation and future amateur radio enthusiasts.

Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications is a free online library devoted to ham radio, shortwave listening, college radio, and early communications. This free resource combines archived digitized print materials, born-digital content, websites, oral histories, personal collections, and other related records and publications. The goals of DLARC are both to document the history of amateur radio and to provide freely available educational resources for researchers, students, and the general public.

Source: Store and Forward

Yaesu has released information about a new series of radios targeting both field operation and base station use cases. The FTX-1 series of transceivers is made up of the FTX-1 Field and the FTX-1 Optima. Both radios are HF/50/144/430MHz all mode transceivers. While the Field model can operate up to 10 Watts, the Optima can operate up to 100 Watts.

Gigaparts has suggested availability as early as mid May.

More details are available from this Yaesu FTX-1 brochure (PDF).

Source: Yaesu

ARRL plans a wide range of activities during the three days of Hamvention taking place in Xenia, Ohio May 16th through 18th. Events include:

• ARRL Youth Rally Saturday May 17th
• ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program is (re)inspiring ham radio among our nation’s colleges and universities. Saturday May 17th 4:00 PM Room 4
• Lesson on portable antennas with “Salty Walt” Hudson (K4OGO) Friday May 16th 10:15 AM Room 3
• ARRL Membership Forum updates on the league's effort to promote amateur radio Saturday May 17th 11:25 AM Room 3

A schedule of additional forums may be viewed on the ARRL website.

The ARRL will once against host its exhibition area making publications availble for purchase, help hams renew their licenses, as well as making available on-site radio emissions testing through ARRL Labs.

Source: ARRL

The following is a message from the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL).

The Japan Amateur Radio League, Inc. (Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; President: Koji MORITA, JA5SUD), hereinafter JARL, is proud to support Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an official Site Operation Supplier. In this role, JARL is operating a special commemorative amateur radio station, 8K3EXPO, at the Expo venue to promote the event.

JARL’s Contribution to the Expo

By operating an amateur radio station at the Expo site, JARL will promote the event not only across Japan but all over the world through the global amateur radio community. This initiative aims to enhance public awareness and excitement on the Expo, and to foster international exchange.

Details of the Special Commemorative Station

• Operation period：April 13 (Sun) – October 13 (Mon), 2025, 184 days (Full duration of the Expo)
• Callsign：8K3EXPO (for both fixed and mobile stations)
• Frequency and Power:1.8 MHz – 10 GHz, up to 1kW (planned)

This is the first amateur radio station in history to be assigned a call sign starting with "8K" — a prefix symbolizing Kansai and Kinki.

JA3XPO: A Mobile Commemorative Station

In addition to 8K3EXPO, JARL will also operate JA3XPO, a mobile commemorative station that will travel to each of the Kansai prefectures. This callsign, originally used for the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Suita, Osaka, has been revived after 55 years. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supported us.

How to Operate 8K3EXPO

The operation booth is staffed by volunteers mainly from JARL’s Kansai Regional Headquarters and branches. Licensed amateur radio operators are welcome to operate the commemorative station.

For those without a license, trial operations under supervision are available—everyone is welcome to try. Please don’t hesitate to speak with the staff on site.

Operating Eligibility for Overseas Visitors

Visitors with amateur radio license that was issued by countries that have a reciprocal license agreement with Japan may operate the 8K3EXPO station. For details, please refer to: https://www.jarl.org/English/3_Application/Annex.htm

Even if you do not have such a license, you may still enjoy operating the station through a supervised trial experience. For inquiries, feel free to contact JARL’s International Division at intl@jarl.org well in advance of your arrival in Japan.

Important Notice

Please note that Radio communication equipment such as amateur radio equipment, specified low-power radio equipment, walkie-talkies, etc. are prohibited within the Expo site (excluding mobile phones, radios, PCs and tablets). While it may be tempting to use handheld radios inside the venue, we ask for your cooperation in not bringing such equipment, while only station staff are granted special permission to do so.

Opening Ceremony Held on April 13

The commemorative station opened on April 13, 2025, with an opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. After the first QSO by JARL President Koji Morita (JA5SUD), 8K3EXPO made contact with many domestic and international stations.

For Updates

For the latest news about commemorative stations 8K3EXPO and JA3XPO, please visit:

• Official Website: https://jarl.gr.jp/jarl-kansai_expo2025/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8k3expo

Source: JARL

AMSAT Dinner at Tickets – Thursday, May 15th

The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held at Tickets Pub & Eatery on Thursday, May 15th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT. There is no program or speaker – just good conversation. Everyone is invited... Come as you are; no reservations required.

TAPR/AMSAT Banquet – Friday, May 16th

The 16th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 16th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s banquet speaker will be Phil Karn, KA9Q, who will highlight developments and use cases for his ka9q-radio software suite.

Tickets are $70 and may be purchased from AMSAT

AMSAT Forum – Saturday, May 17th

The AMSAT Forum will take place in Forum Room 2 at 1:35pm – 3:10pm on Saturday, May 17th. This will immediately follow the ARISS Forum in the same room at 12:40pm, so get there early and see both presentations!

Volunteer at the AMSAT Booth

For those eager to be part of AMSAT’s presence at Dayton Hamvention or request more information about volunteering, Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Team Leader, serves as the point of contact. To volunteer or inquire further, individuals can reach out to Phil via email at w1eme [at] astrocom.net. Your involvement not only enriches the event but also contributes to the vibrant amateur radio community.

Source: AMSAT

To reach hams in areas not serviced by a National Traffic System (NTS) net on local repeaters, the ARRL has created the Virtual NTS Training Net (VNTN). Like a traditional traffic net, the virtual version will accept check-ins and radiograms over Zoom. VNTN currently meets on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Hams can join the virtual net here.

Source: ARRL

Nominations for Young Ham of the Year are being accepted through May 31st, 2025. Sponsored by Amateur Radio Newsline, the organization seeks nominations for outstanding amateur radio operators that are 18 years old or younger.

To submit a nomination, visit the Amateur Radio Newsline website for details.

The Young Ham of the Year for 2024 was awarded to Grace Papay (K8LG).

Source: Amateur Radio Newsline

Editor's Note: Since this article was published, the APRS Foundation has delayed this event until fall 2025.

On May 10th the APRS Foundation is hosting its first ever online education summit to promote APRS.

This groundbreaking event is designed to empower, educate, and inspire anyone interested in Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)—from beginners to seasoned operators.

Sessions will cover a range of topics from APRS fundamentals to the future of APRS. Question and answer sessions and networking opportunities will also take place.

For more details including registration information keep an eye on the APRS Foundation website.

Source: APRS Foundation

At 7:00 PM Eastern time tonight, the Jim Fisher Memorial Digital Network Association will host a webinar featuring the IP400 Network Project and the future of amateur radio. Steve Stroh (N8GNJ) of Zero Retries will give the presentation which will focus on IP400 and the vast potential the project holds for experimentation and growing the amateur radio community. IP400 aims to bring digital voice modes, data transfers, messaging, and a data networking layer that links repeaters together via RF.

The webinar will be hosted over Zoom and can be joined here using passcode 728493.

Source: Jim Fisher Memorial Digital Network Association

Saņemtas QSLs no: DL - 5,56 kg , EA - 1,84 kg , SV - 395 g un no VE - 672 g .

Saņemts sūtījums no YL2BK.

Saņemti sūtījumi no YL2EA un YL3GAO.

Saņemts sūtījums no YL2EC.

Alle Anfragen zur Information nach vermissten Personen sollten über das Rote Kreuz oder andere anerkannte Hilfsorganisationen geleitet werden. Darüber berichtet der IARU-Region-1-Notfunk-Koordinator Greg Mossop, GØDUB (Textübersetzung Mike Becker, DJ9OZ).

Weitere Informationen zur Sendung gibt es unter www.rbb-online.de/zibb/index.htm/doc=!content!rbb!rbb!fernsehen!programm!24_08_2016!18293952367.html.

Für das leibliche Wohl wird gesorgt sein. Nähere Informationen gibt es im Internet: www.darc.de/d und www.darc.de/d20. Die Adresse des Clubgeländes lautet: Am Berl 13-15, 13051 Berlin. Parkplätze sind in großer Anzahl vorhanden. Vom S-Bahnhof Wartenberg sind es nur drei Gehminuten. Man kann auch mit der Straßenbahn M5 bis Zingster Str. fahren. Von dort sind es nur 10 Minuten zu Fuß. Einweisung erfolgt auf 144,650 MHz sowie auf dem Relais DBØBLO auf 439,275 MHz. Telefonische Erreichbarkeit besteht unter (0 30) 70 24 27 42. Im APRS wird eine entsprechende Bake gesetzt sein.

Der 12. Service-Tag der Distrikte Rheinland-Pfalz und Saar findet am 24. September statt. Tagungszentrum ist das Landesinstitut für Pädagogik und Medien in 66125 Saarbrücken-Dudweiler, Beethovenstrase 26. Beginn ist um 9.30 Uhr, Einweisung erfolgt auf dem Relais DBØSR auf 145,600 MHz ab 9 Uhr. Erstmals besteht die Möglichkeit, eine US-Amateurfunkprüfung vor Ort abzulegen. Alle drei US-Klassen (Technician, General und Amateur Extra) werden geprüft. Beginn ist um 9.30 Uhr. Eine Anmeldung ist bei Michael Kraus, DF3VM, per E-Mail unter mike(at)df3vm.de erforderlich. Folgende fünf Workshops bzw. Vorträge werden angeboten:

Aktuelle Entwicklungen rund um den Digitalen Sprechfunk (DL5DI)
Störungserkennung, Störungssuche, Störungsmeldung, Störungsbearbeitung (DL4VAI)
Frequenzaufbereitung in SDR und analogen Sendern (speziell auch im Audiobereich) (DK3DY)
„Amateurfunk – ein verkanntes Hobby?“ (DJ5AR)
CW-Reader und ein 4-Port-Sequenzer für Contester, jeweils auf Arduino-Basis (DL8VQ)
Zur Teilnahme ist eine Anmeldung über die Internetseite des Distriktsservicetages erforderlich unter https://dst.darc-saar.de.