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To : LETTER@ARRL
===============
The ARRL Letter
===============
Richard Moseson, W2VU, Editor | September 24, 2026
In this Issue:
- FCC and HHS Initiate New Proceedings on RF Exposure
- Morse Code Detectives
- Remembering Four Silent Keys
- Will RADE Be the Next SSB?
- 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
FCC and HHS Initiate New Proceedings on RF Exposure
---------------------------------------------------
ARRL is following two new federal proceedings concerning radio frequency
(RF) exposure. On September 17, 2026, the FCC and the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) initiated parallel comment periods on RF
safety issues. Neither inquiry changes the current FCC RF exposure rules
that apply to all radio amateurs but could lead to changes in later
proceedings if the current rules are found to be deficient.
The FCC's Public Notice is narrowly focused on specific RF exposure issues
remanded to the Commission in 2021 by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The
Commission emphasizes that it will give particular weight to submissions
reflecting specialized expertise in health and safety matters. The HHS
Request for Information (see also HHS press release) broadly seeks evidence
and information concerning the potential health effects of electromagnetic
fields (EMFs), RF radiation, and wireless technologies.
Comments on the HHS inquiry are due October 21, with comments on the FCC
issues due by October 22.
The current rules governing RF exposure took effect on May 3, 2021, and are
discussed in the September 2021 and May 2023 issues of QST. The ARRL
website features additional information, including an RF exposure
calculator, the RF Safety section from the 100th Edition of The ARRL
Handbook for Radio Communications, an explanatory video, FAQs, and more.
ARRL has made these resources available to everyone in the amateur radio
community without regard to membership. ARRL urges all licensees to stay
compliant and safe.
Morse Code Detectives
---------------------
The California Historical Radio Society is teaming up with the Girl Scouts
of Northern California to offer a series of Junior Detective badge workshops
focused on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) topics.
The first one, coming up on October 3, will use Morse code as the basis for
a program on coded communications. According to the group's website,
"Juniors will learn how detectives and investigators use coded communication
by exploring the history of Morse code and creating a custom beaded bracelet
or keychain that spells out a secret message in dots and dashes. This
hands-on activity strengthens observation, pattern recognition, and
problem-solving skills while introducing participants to one of history's
earliest wireless communication systems. Juniors will earn and receive the
Detective badge in this workshop." Junior Girl Scouts are in grades 4 and 5.
The California Historical Radio Society is a museum and preservation
organization focused on radio and broadcasting. The organization's Director
of Marketing and Partnerships, Michael Toedman, says many of the group's
800-plus members are ham radio operators and that the museum includes an
active ham shack and club station, W6CF. That is the call sign of longtime
ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell (SK), whose wife, Trudy, donated
Jim's station and library to the society following his passing.
Girl Scout Junior Detective
badge [From www.girlscoutshop.com]
Remembering Four Silent Keys
----------------------------
We are saddened to report this week on the passing of four well-known
amateurs, including two members of the extended "ARRL family."
Longtime ARRL Rhode Island Section Manager Robert George "Bob" Beaudet,
W1YRC, became a Silent Key on September 10, 2026, at age 88. An ARRL Life
Member, Gold-Level Diamond Club member, and Maxim Society member in the
President Class, Beaudet served as Rhode Island Section Manager from 2002 to
2023. In 2020, the ARRL Board of Directors recognized his contributions to
the Field Organization with the Knight Distinguished Service Award. An ARRL
Volunteer Examiner, Bob took part in over 340 license exam sessions, and was
a long-serving member of the DX Advisory Committee. Just a week before his
passing, the nursing home where he'd lived since 2025 reported on Facebook
about a carefully-organized "jailbreak" in late July, in which Bob was able
to briefly return home and once again take to the airwaves as W1YRC, joining
a Wednesday night net with more than 40 other Rhode Island hams. Current
Rhode Island Section Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, noted in an email that
"amateur radio in Rhode Island owes a lot to Bob." Read the full obituary.
Perry T. Green, WY1O, of Winsted, Connecticut, is also now a Silent Key. A
U.S. Army Veteran, he passed away on September 14, 2026, at age 79. Perry
was on the ARRL Headquarters staff from 2002 to 2017. He was Assistant
Manager of the ARRL VEC Department and had served as a member of the
Question Pool Committee for the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner
Coordinators. ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, recalled that "Perry had
a special gift for connecting with people. He built lasting personal
relationships with many of our Volunteer Examiners and customers and . made
people feel welcome and appreciated." Somma added that Green's "dedication,
kindness, and ability to connect with others made him a valued colleague and
important part of the ARRL VEC team." An obituary is available.
Charles "Uncle Chuck" Lee Wyrick, N1UC, of Stuarts Draft, Virginia, became a
Silent Key on September 1, 2026, at age 82. An ARRL member, he was a
longtime employee of Ham Radio Outlet (HRO), joining the staff there in
1989. He was the company's National Operations Manager from 2007 until his
retirement in 2017. According to the HRO website, Wyrick was responsible for
bringing the company "into the 21st century" by implementing a networked
point-of-sale application which connected all HRO stores and allowed sharing
of sales and inventory control data among all locations. Chuck was also an
active satellite operator and was a control operator of the AO-27 satellite.
Read the full obituary.
Doug Hendricks, KI6DS, passed away on September 18, 2026. A co-founder of
the NorCal QRP Club and founder/owner of Hendricks QRP Kits, he helped start
and fuel the popularity of kit-building among QRP (low power) enthusiasts.
Hendricks was also a long-time master of ceremonies for the OzarkCon QRP
conference and a regular presenter at Four Days in May, the QRP gathering
that precedes the Dayton Hamventionｩ each year. Off the ham bands, Doug
taught science and math, and coached basketball, at Dos Palos High School in
California, where he was responsible for more than 300 victories and the
school's first-ever league championship.
ARRL sends condolences to the families and friends of these four leaders of
the amateur radio community.
Bob Beaudet, W1YRC (SK) | 1938 - 2026 (left).
Doug Hendricks, KI6DS (SK) | 1947 - 2026 (right).
[Tommy Gober, N5DUX, photo]
Will RADE Be the Next SSB?
--------------------------
It's been a half century since single sideband (SSB) supplanted amplitude
modulation (AM) as the most popular voice mode on HF, due largely to its
spectrum efficiency, occupying roughly half the bandwidth of an AM signal.
Now, there's a new digital voice mode from FreeDV called Radio Autoencoder,
or RADE, that occupies half the bandwidth of an SSB signal and reportedly
provides more natural-sounding speech. According to Amateur Radio Digital
Communications (ARDC), which funded research that advanced RADE's
development, "FreeDV RADE combines machine learning with classical digital
signal processing (DSP) and can operate at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) as
low as -2 dB. Its design also addresses spectrum use, speech quality, and
power efficiency, all important considerations for voice communications over
HF."
Most significantly, ARDC reports that manufacturers are beginning to
integrate the mode directly into their radios, starting with a module that
can be downloaded and installed on certain FlexRadio models. Users of other
transceivers may run the mode through computers connected to their radios.
More details are available from FreeDV and on the ARDC website.
Caption: The FreeDV RADE digital voice
signal occupies only 1.5 kHz, half the
bandwidth of an SSB signal.
[Image from FreeDV.org]
Amateur Radio in the News
-------------------------
"Radio enthusiasts gather for 68th annual Midwest Superfest" / Central
Illinois proud.com (WMBD-TV), September 20, 2026 -- Peoria Area Amateur
Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
"The 28.6-kilogram amateur-radio satellite AO-7 went silent in mid-1981
after its batteries shorted. Then, on 21 June 2002-21 years later-British
radio ham Pat Gowen heard it transmitting again" / Space Daily, September
17, 2026 "Mission Notes" column.
"Concord Historical Society to host local ham radio operators" /Springville
Journal (Springville, NY), September 17, 2026 -- Southtowns Amateur Radio
Society, WB2ELW.
"Beauregard Parish E911 Partners With Beauregard Amateur Radio Group" / West
Central's Best (Leesville, LA), September 17, 2026 -- Beauregard Amateur
Radio Group.
"Pakistan's amateur radios are tuned in for the apocalypse" / Dawn (Karachi,
Pakistan), August 26, 2026 -- Pakistan Amateur Radio Society is an IARU
Member Society.
ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
-----------------------------
On the Air LIVE
Contesting for the Beginning Radio Amateur
Join Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, ARRL Director of Education and Learning, for the
October episode of On the Air Live on Tuesday, October 27, at 8 PM Eastern.
Wayne will introduce the fun and benefits of amateur radio contesting, with
a special focus on how newly licensed hams can get started.
Contesting is more than chasing points and making contacts. It's a great way
to improve your operating skills, gain confidence on the air, learn about
propagation, and become a more effective operator-all while having a lot of
fun. Whether you're interested in casual operating, awards, emergency
communications, DXing, or eventually competing in major contests, contesting
can help sharpen skills that carry across the hobby. The livestream will air
on the ARRL Learning Center, learn.arrl.org. Preregistration is required and
can be accomplished through the Learning Center.
-Date: October 27, 2026
-Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific
-Register Now | ? Previously Recorded Sessions
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.
On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
About the New QST Product Review Comparison Tool for ARRL Lab-Tested Devices
Some of the products seen in QST Product Review, including transceivers,
receivers, and amplifiers, are tested in the ARRL Lab to see how they stack
up against the manufacturer's claims. Those test results are included in the
published review to help you make more informed buying choices. ARRL's new
online interactive Comparison Tool for ARRL Lab-Tested Devices makes it even
easier to refer to, compare, and understand the test results. ARRL Digital
RF Engineer John Jobin McAuliffe, W1DRF, visits the podcast to talk about
what the tool does and how to use it to better inform your radio purchases.
More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
The ARRL Letter
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.
09/30/2026 No activations scheduled
10/07/2026 New Mexico W1AW/5 (host KA8JMW)
10/07/2026 South Dakota W1AW/� (host K截BC)
10/07/2026 Connecticut W1AW/1 (host W8ZY)
10/14/2026 California W1AW/6 (host NZ6Q)
10/14/2026 Georgia W1AW/4 (host AF4DN)
10/14/2026 Missouri W1AW/� (host N戡X)
In Brief...
-----------
ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, was a guest on episode 103 of The DX Mentor,
which aired September 19, 2026. Hosted by Bill Salyers, AJ8B, with Joe
Pater, W8GEX, the discussion covered highlights from the ARRL Board of
Directors' annual Second Meeting, held July 17; the International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU); the August ARRL National Convention hosted by the
Huntsville Hamfest, and recent support from major donors. Minster also
answered questions submitted by listeners and viewers. The DX Mentor podcast
is available on many major platforms, and the video interview is available
on YouTube at youtu.be/Sd1Rt092BM8.
ARRL Oregon Section Manager Scott Rosenfeld, N7JI, reports that hams in his
Section were very busy making Oregon-based special event QSOs this summer,
making more than 12,000 contacts from multiple operations. W1AW/7 accounted
for 3,800 QSOs in its first week and 3,270 contacts in its second; the Lewis
and Clark Trail special event logged 3,309 contacts over 16 days; W7O had
1,285 QSOs in 12 days of operation at the Oregon State Fair, and W7S at the
Springfield Block Party rounded things out with 74 contacts in just 4 hours
on the air.
An ARESｩ/RACES team in Texas was called out to help with communications
following an apparent carbon monoxide incident at a local middle school on
August 27. Team member Liz Brown, K5EMB, reports the school's roughly 1200
students were evacuated to a nearby stadium. Staff members found it
difficult to communicate from one side of the facility to the other, so the
city's Emergency Management Coordinator requested help from the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch-Addison ARESｩ/RACES group. While the
communications problems were quickly resolved, the hams were asked to remain
and "shadow" certain school officials until all students and parents were
reunited about 4 hours later.
The Trilogy Amateur Radio Club in Bonney Lake, Washington, has a new
repeater in service that is dedicated to use by the Amateur Radio Emergency
Serviceｩ (ARESｩ) during exercises and emergencies. At other times, it is
open for general amateur use. The repeater was funded largely by a grant
from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and installed in
cooperation with the Bonney Lake Fire Department. It is located inside a
fire station and its antenna is on the station roof at a height of roughly
800 feet above sea level, providing broad coverage of the East Pierce County
area.
Open Positions at ARRL
Come join the headquarters staff of ARRL The National Association for
Amateur Radioｩ! We are currently seeking qualified applicants for the
following positions:
Technical Editor
RFI Lab Engineer
Public Relations and Outreach Manager
Advertising Sales Manager
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 likely to continue at low levels with isolated to
occasional C-class flare activity, along with a slight chance for R1-R2
(Minor-Moderate) M-class flare events, through September 25, according to
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. The SWPC reports that nine sunspot
regions are on the visible disk, including a new Region 4541. There were
three solar flares observed in the past week, none of which was directed
toward Earth.
A disturbed solar wind environment was expected to arrive late yesterday,
followed by positive polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (+CH HSS)
influences continuing through September 25.
Unsettled to active geomagnetic field conditions levels are expected as of
today under early +CH HSS effects, including isolated periods of G1 (Minor)
geomagnetic storming today and tomorrow.
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre's global HF propagation
forecast for middle latitudes is for mild degradation today due to forecast
geomagnetic activity, followed by normal propagation in the days that
follow. We are currently in a period of equinoctial propagation, during
which conditions are relatively uniform around the world.
Predicted 10.7-centimeter radio flux from the SWPC: Sep 24, 100; Sep 25-26,
105; Sep 27, 100; Sep 28, 105; Sep 29, 110; Sep 30-Oct 1, 115.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to w2vu@xxxx.xxx.
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.
Share your reports and observations.
Solar image on September 24, 2026 [Photo
courtesy NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center]
Just Ahead in Radiosport
------------------------
September 26 - 27 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, RTTY (digital)
September 26 - 27 -- YU DX Contest (CW, phone)
September 26 - 27 -- Maine QSO Party (CW, phone)
September 26 - 27 -- AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party (phone)
October 1 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest - NA (digital)
October 1 - 2 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
October 2 -- URC DX RTTY Contest (digital)
October 3 -- German Telegraphy Contest (CW)
October 3 -- 50 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
October 3 - 4 -- Collegiate QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
October 3 - 4 -- Russian WW Digital Contest (digital)
October 3 - 4 -- International HELL Contest (digital)
October 3 - 4 -- California QSO Party (CW, phone)
October 4 -- UBA ON Contest, SSB (phone)
October 4 -- Peanut Power QRP Sprint (CW, phone)
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.
September 26 | Red River Radio Amateurs Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Minnesota
State Convention, Moorhead, Minnesota
October 3 | Third Annual Micro Expo, hosting the ARRL Santa Barbara Section
Convention, Camarillo, California
October 3 | Wichita Area Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Kansas Section
Convention, Wichita, Kansas
October 3 | Rock Hill Hamfest, hosting the ARRL South Carolina Section
Convention, Rock Hill, South Carolina
October 9 - 10 | SPARK-CON 2026, hosting the ARRL Midwest Division
Convention, Sedalia, Missouri
October 10 | North Star Radio Convention, hosting the ARRL Dakota Division
Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
October 11 | Nutmeg Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention,
Meriden, Connecticut
October 11 | HamFest, hosting the ARRL Southern New Jersey Section
Convention, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
October 16 - 18 | Pacificon, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention,
San Ramon, California
October 24 | ARRL Day in the Park, hosting the ARRL Mississippi Section
Convention, Ridgeland, Mississippi.
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
Have News for ARRL?
Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@xxxx.xxx.
-- Richard Moseson, W2VU, ARRL News Editor
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
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Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
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projects with step-by-step instructions - all in language that's easy to
understand.
NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprints, and QSO
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QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly,
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of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
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****************************************
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