Today in amateur radio
What happened in the last 72 hours, from manufacturers, IARU societies, DX and contest news, and satellite groups. Short summaries; every story links to its source.
Band conditions
NOAA SWPC · 04:01 UTC- WatchGeomagnetic Storm Category G1 Predicted (17:24 UTC)
- WatchGeomagnetic Storm Category G1 Predicted (20:14 UTC)
15–10 m / 80–40 m: rule of thumb from SFI and Kp, not a forecast.
Showing EMCOMM (emergency communications) stories from the last 72 hours. All EMCOMM news →
Nothing matches that filter in the last 72 hours.
DX & contests 1
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V73KW – Marshall Islands
Don KW7R operates from Kwajalein Atoll (OC-028) in the Marshall Islands as V73KW, using CW and FT8 on various bands when time allows. He is stationed there on and off over the coming years.
Community & news 1
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21 Years of AmateurLogic.TV
Episode 221 of AmateurLogic.TV marks the show's 21st anniversary. Topics include a balloon launch in Huntsville, GMRS station setup, low-power mesh devices, lunar and Mars milestones, and whether RADE could replace SSB.
Societies & IARU 9
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Preparing for the amateur radio exam? NMHH has published study aids and sample questions
Rádióamatőr-vizsgára készülsz? Az NMHH segédleteket és néhány mintafeladatot tett közzé!
Hungary's regulator NMHH has published study aids for amateur radio exam candidates, including guides on how the exam works and its subject areas, plus sample papers for HAREC and Novice levels, downloadable as PDFs or one ZIP.
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Skeljanes meeting on Thursday 22 October
SKELJANESI Á FIMMTUDAG 22. OKTÓBER
ÍRA's winter lecture series continues on Thursday 22 October at Skeljanes, where TF1OL presents his summer trip through Europe and beyond. He describes operating abroad, including as ZC4OL from the UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus, plus several other Mediterranean locations.
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HA5MK – HA7A Péter Gyenes, Silent Key
HA5MK – HA7A Gyenes Péter Sk.
Hungarian CW specialist Péter Gyenes, HA5MK and contest callsign HA7A, died on 27 September 2026 at age 71. A multiple national and world champion in telegraphy events, he is remembered by his club; the funeral is on 4 November in Budapest.
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QSL card ready for TF8ØIRA
QSL KORT TILBÚIÐ FYRIR TF8ØIRA.
The Icelandic society ÍRA has finished designing a QSL card for its special event callsign TF8ØIRA, which marks the club's 80th anniversary. About 8,000 contacts have been made since August 20 on HF and via QO-100.
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Closing of JOTA-JOTI 2026 in Banten: ORARI Strengthens Amateur Radio Education for Scouts
Penutupan JOTA-JOTI 2026 Kwarda Banten, ORARI Perkuat Edukasi Radio Amatir bagi Pramuka*
JOTA-JOTI 2026 for the Banten Scout region closed on October 18 in Serang after three days with thousands of Scouts. ORARI Banten provided instruction on amateur radio, communication and the use of radio frequencies for social and disaster-related work.
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18-Oct-2026 IRTS President Attends 2026 RSGB Convention — HAREC Online Training Class Commencing October 29th — Shannon Basin Radio Club Hosting the IRTS AGM Weekend 2027 — HF…
The Irish Radio Transmitters Society's weekly news roundup mentions its president attending the 2026 RSGB Convention, an online HAREC training class starting October 29th, and Shannon Basin Radio Club hosting the 2027 AGM weekend.
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CQ WW DX SSB Contest 2026
CQ WW DX SSB KEPPNIN 2026.
The Icelandic Radio Amateurs society notes that the SSB leg of the CQ World-Wide DX Contest runs from 24 to 25 October on 160 to 10 metres. The club station TF3W will be active, and partial participation is allowed.
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Aceh Tamiang Regent Attends Amateur Radio Exam for 116 Candidates, Hears Guidance from ORARI Aceh Chair
Dihadiri Bupati Aceh Tamiang, 116 Calon Amatir Radio Ikuti UNAR dan Dengar Arahan Ketua ORARI Daerah Aceh
In Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia, 116 candidates sat a computer-based national amateur radio exam on October 17, organised by the Banda Aceh spectrum monitoring office with ORARI Aceh. The regent backed forming a local ORARI chapter, citing disaster communications.
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Propagation News – Week 43 2026
Propagatienieuws – week 43 2026
The weekly VERON propagation report for week 43 covers stable HF conditions, moderate tropo over the North Sea and Baltic, an Orionid meteor scatter peak on October 21–22, possible early-evening aurora, and EME path conditions.
DX & contests 2
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OX3LX – Greenland
Bo, OX3LX plans another operation from Christian IV Island, NA-151, in Greenland between 24 and 29 October 2026. Helicopter transport and weather could shift the dates without warning.
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5H3MB – Tanzania
IK2GZU plans another stay in Tanzania from October 19 to November 19, working as a volunteer at a hospital in the South Highlands. He expects to operate as 5H3MB on HF in SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8 during spare time.
Space & satellites 1
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ANS-291 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
The weekly AMSAT News Service bulletin covers the AMSAT symposium, the AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium, 65 years of amateur satellites, student CubeSats, new ambassadors, MSK144 meteor scatter on 6 meters, CubeSatSim updates, TLE distribution changes and ARISS news.
Community & news 2
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WAG contest 2026
A ham shares an account of operating in this year's Worked All Germany contest, noting that band conditions were reasonable given how low the solar numbers had recently been.
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HAARP to be Active for INFUSE-II and DUST-III Rocket Sounding Missions
HAARP at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will run a research campaign on October 20-24 UTC, transmitting between 2.8 and 10 MHz. The transmissions support two sounding rocket launches from Poker Flat, and exact times depend on ionospheric conditions.
Societies & IARU 6
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CQ SLAVONIA – Meeting of Slavonian Radio Clubs with the HRS President
CQ SLAVONIA – sastanak predstavnika slavonskih radioklubova s predsjednikom HRS-a
On 17 October 2026 in Karanac, about thirty representatives of Slavonian radio clubs met HRS president Mato Botica, 9A4M, who chairs the WRTC 2030 organising committee. They discussed local involvement in the July 2030 championship in Croatia.
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Autumn Awards Gathering at Skeljanes
UPPSKERUHÁTÍÐ Í SKELJANESI.
The Icelandic Radio Amateur Society held its autumn gathering at its Skeljanes clubhouse on 15 October, presenting awards for the 2026 spring, summer and field-day operating events. A proposal to move the field-day event to mid-summer was also discussed.
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NNV: participation at Science Day 2026
The UBA's NNV section plans to take part in Science Day 2026 on 15 November, described as the largest yearly science event in Flanders and Brussels.
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SAQ Grimeton on the air for UN Day
SAQ Grimeton QRV på FN-dagen.
On United Nations Day, 24 October 2026, the Grimeton station SAQ plans a CW peace message on 17.2 kHz from its Alexanderson alternator, with transmission around 13:00 UTC and a YouTube livestream. SK6SAQ will also be active.
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Short amateur radio news – week 42, 2026
Kort radioamateurnieuws – week 42, 2026
VERON's weekly Dutch news roundup covers 2027 group magazine subscriptions, three German PocketQubes now in orbit, an APRS Connect app for iPhone, a September monitoring report, Ham Radio Ireland magazine, a radio market and a piece on clean power supplies versus noise sources.
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500 Scouts Join JOTA-JOTI 2026 in Banten, Learning Radio Communication for Disaster Preparedness
500 Pramuka Ikuti JOTA-JOTI 2026 di Banten, Belajar Komunikasi Radio untuk Kesiapsiagaan Bencana
About 500 Scouts in Banten, Indonesia, take part in JOTA-JOTI 2026 from 16 to 18 October, working with ORARI. They learn radio basics, Morse code and 2 m and 40 m band operation, and how amateur radio supports disaster communication.
DX & contests 4
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7P8EA – Lesotho
Wolfgang, HB9CCS plans occasional operation from Lesotho as 7P8EA from late October to late November 2026, from Thaba Tseka. He will focus on 15m CW and SSB, possibly also 17, 12 and 10m, with an end-fed wire. QSL via LoTW.
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W9HT/VP9 – Bermuda
Josh, W9HT is active from Bermuda as W9HT/VP9 from October 17 to 20, 2026, on HF and 6m using SSB, CW and FT8. QSL via his home call direct. He operated from Bermuda before, in 2019 and 2024.
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XX9TXN – Macau
Alberto VR2XAN (IV3TAN) plans to operate from Macau as XX9TXN from 23 to 29 October 2026 on SSB, CW and FT8, 160m to 6m, favouring the low bands. He will also take part in CQWW SSB. QSL via IV3SKB and LoTW.
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YJ0CA – Vanuatu
Chris VK2YUS returns to Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu, as YJ0CA from October 18 to 30, 2026. Operation is SSB only, mostly between 2100z and 1000z, using a vertical on 40m and dipoles and verticals elsewhere.
Community & news 2
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ICQPodcast Episode 495 – Antennas for QRP and POTA
Episode 495 of the ICQ Podcast covers ham radio news, including AMSAT satellites on Transporter-18, Chile's first direct ARISS school contact, RaDAR Rally 2026 and APRS Connect for iPhone. The featured topic is antennas for QRP and POTA.
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Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 443
This weekly roundup of amateur radio news leads with eBay tightening its rules on listings of radio transmitting equipment after new FCC rules took effect, with an exemption for ham gear. It also points to ARRL's Hams.com community hub.
Societies & IARU 23
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eBay Restricts Listings of Radio Equipment, but Exempts Ham-Band-Only Gear
eBay is limiting listings of radio transmitting equipment following new FCC equipment authorization rules. The company told ARRL that gear operating only on amateur radio frequencies falls outside the new policy.
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Florida Hams Provide Communications Support During Hurricane Isaias
Amateur radio operators in several Florida counties, including Santa Rosa, Nassau, Lake, Pinellas and Leon, supported emergency communications during and after Hurricane Isaias. In Santa Rosa County, volunteers staffed the Emergency Operations Center.
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Leap Second to Be Abolished
Schaltsekunde wird abgeschafft
The international metrology conference has decided that UTC will run without leap seconds from 20 May 2027. The DARC item notes that FT8, WSJT-X and similar modes need only roughly tenth-of-a-second timing, which PTB or NTP servers easily meet.
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KH8A: American Samoa
KH8A : American Samoa
A group of German operators plans to activate American Samoa (IOTA OC-045) as KH8A from 30 October to 12 November 2026. Operation covers 160 to 6 metres on CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL goes via DL4SVA.
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ADRASEC 02 – Resilience Day (13.10.26)
ADRASEC 02 – Journée de la résilience (13.10.26)
ADRASEC volunteers joined the army, gendarmerie, firefighters and medical services at a public safety fair in Aisne, held for France's national resilience day. Each organisation presented its role and equipment at stands.
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Invitation to the Worked All Germany (WAG) Contest
Einladung zum Worked All Germany (WAG) Contest
DARC invites operators to the Worked All Germany Contest, running from 17 October 15:00 UTC to 18 October 14:59 UTC. Stations outside Germany work only German stations. Logs are due 25 October 2026.
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JOTA-JOTI 2026 Banyumas On the Air: Scouting Worldwide, ORARI Prepares a Capable Generation
JOTA-JOTI 2026 Banyumas Mengudara! Pramuka Mendunia, ORARI Siapkan Generasi Unggul
Scouts in Banyumas, Indonesia, run Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet from 16 to 18 October 2026 with ORARI's local chapter. Three special station permits with callsigns YH2ACJA, YH2ACJB and YH2ACJC support the activity.
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GB2RS News Script for 18 October 2026
RSGB publishes the GB2RS news script for the week of 18 October 2026 as a downloadable Word document.
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When Rain Radar Detects Moths: The Great Bogong Migration and the Mystery of Radar Echoes
The Wireless Institute of Australia looks at how weather radar picks up echoes from Bogong moths during their mass seasonal migration, and why such non-weather returns puzzle observers.
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Rallies and Events News – 18 October 2026
The RSGB lists upcoming UK rallies, including a Galashiels rally and open day on 25 October with a bring-and-buy sale, traders and refreshments. Entry costs £3, and doors open at 11.15am.
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Special Events News – 18 October 2026
Special event stations include GB80CV, run by Cray Valley Radio Society for its 80th anniversary until 28 October, with an award and LoTW QSLs. The Araucaria DX Group is using ZW50B through October.
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DX News – 18 October 2026
Current DX activity includes AE5X as ZA/AE5X from Albania on CW until 30 October, and a C5R team in The Gambia until 4 November, including the CQ WW DX SSB Contest. H44MS is also active from the Solomon Islands.
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Contest News – 18 October 2026
Upcoming contests include the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest on 20 October and the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest on 21 October, with times and exchanges listed.
- Societies 🇬🇧 RSGB GB2RS News ·
What were your RSGB 2026 Convention highlights?
The RSGB thanks the attendees who joined its 2026 Convention in person and the many more who watched the livestream. It is collecting feedback and highlights from participants.
- Societies 🇬🇧 RSGB GB2RS News ·
New RSGB Youth newsletter launched
The RSGB Youth Committee starts a newsletter for members aged 25 and under. It covers school and university club news, young operators' achievements, and what a licence makes possible.
- Societies 🇬🇧 RSGB GB2RS News ·
JOTA stations on the RSGB website
Jamboree on the Air takes place this weekend, linking Scouts worldwide by amateur radio. The RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts has put together a list of participating Scout groups and published it on the society's website.
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3D print models for amateur radio at 3DSearch
Druckmodelle für Amateurfunk bei 3DSearch
The 3D-printing search engine 3DSearch.net now has a dedicated amateur radio section covering items such as Morse keys, antenna parts and callsign signs. Users can also share collections, including one for DARC.
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JOTA-JOTI 2026 – Peace and Inclusivity
JOTA-JOTI 2026 – Pace e inclusività
Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet bring together over a million Scouts and Guides worldwide for radio and online contact. The 2026 theme is peace and inclusivity.
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Finnish Amateur Radio League office bulletin 40/2026, 17 October 2026
Suomen Radioamatööriliiton toimiston tiedote 40/2026, 17.10.2026
The Finnish amateur radio society's bulletin covers its autumn meeting in Tampere on 21 November, board election nominations, continued exam sessions, JOTA-JOTI weekend, and contest and DX news.
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Amateur radio taster day at BG/BRG Wieselburg
Amateurfunk-Schnuppertag am BG/BRG Wieselburg
Members of the Austrian society ÖVSV ran a radio taster day at the BG/BRG Wieselburg school on 16 October 2026. Students tried CW, SSB, 2m FM and QO-100, and the organisers report that coordinating with physics teachers mattered most.
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S9R: Sao Tome & Principe
S9R : Sao Tome & Principe
A team of operators plans to be active from São Tomé and Príncipe (IOTA AF-023) as S9R between 17 and 31 October 2026. They will work 160 to 6 m on CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8, plus QO-100, with direct, bureau and LoTW QSLs.
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FunkWX – partly good DX conditions
FunkWX - teils gute DX-Bedingungen
The solar wind is easing but still slightly elevated, and geomagnetic conditions should mostly stay quiet with occasional unsettled spells. Three active regions face Earth, and flare risk remains low.
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AMSAT Space Symposium 2026 in Jacksonville (USA)
AMSAT Space Symposium 2026 in Jacksonville (VS)
The 44th AMSAT Space Symposium and annual members' meeting took place in Jacksonville, Florida, on 8 to 11 October 2026. Amateur satellite operators and builders met to discuss satellite communications and space technology.
DX & contests 5
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V26JJ – Antigua
A group of five Japanese operators plans an HF DXpedition from Antigua under the callsign V26JJ, running from October 30 to November 6, 2026. Logs will be handled through Club Log's OQRS system.
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FK/KD6XU – New Caledonia
Barry KD6XU, fresh from Vanuatu, is now in New Caledonia until mid-November. He was on 20m CW as FK/KD6XU from POTA site NC-0042 and may activate more parks.
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T88CZ, T88DK, T88ED & T88MB – Palau
Four Japanese operators plan to operate from the VIP Guest Hotel in Koror, Palau, between 21 and 29 October as T88CZ, T88DK, T88ED and T88MB. The stay overlaps with the CQWW SSB contest weekend.
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9N7XT – Nepal
Jan DL4XT reports that the licence for the planned Nepal DXpedition has been confirmed, a key step for the project. He credits Nabin 9N2NK for helping secure it.
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JD1BQP – Ogasawara
Koutarou, JP1IHD returns to Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands as JD1BQP from 17 October to 2 November 2026. He will operate 160 to 6 m, with QSL requests going direct.
Community & news 3
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Keysight White Papers: Make better DMM measurements, choosing a benchtop power supply
The blog points to Keysight white papers on test and measurement. Topics include avoiding digital multimeter errors in DC measurements, interpreting AC RMS readings, and choosing a benchtop power supply.
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A Quick-Deploy Guying System for My Hustler 4BTV
An operator describes a guying setup for a Hustler 4BTV vertical that can be put up quickly. It aims at keeping the antenna standing when high winds or freezing rain are forecast.
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The Remote Ham Radio Youth Program—Operating a Station Over the Internet at No Cost
Remote Ham Radio offers licensed operators under 21 free access to its network of remote HF stations. The program aims to lower the cost barrier that keeps many young hams on VHF/UHF handhelds.
Coming up this week
Calendar →- SAT24 CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB SSB HF World
DX operations
- MON19 Samoa: Oct 19-29, 2026 -- 5W0ZP -- QSL via: ? On now · NG3K Announced DX Operations (ADXO)
- MON19 Tanzania: Oct 19-Nov 19, 2026 -- 5H3MB -- QSL via: IK2GZU On now · NG3K Announced DX Operations (ADXO)
- THU22 Micronesia: Oct 22-26, 2026 -- V63SC -- QSL via: LoTW NG3K Announced DX Operations (ADXO)
- THU22 Mali: Oct 22-Dec 2, 2026 -- TZ4AM -- QSL via: LoTW NG3K Announced DX Operations (ADXO)
Live DX spots
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