Amateur Radio Daily

Special Event Celebrates Efforts of Animal Shelters, Rescuers

2026-10-28T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from the Dog Day Amateur Radio Club:

The Dog Day Radio Amateur Radio Club KØDOG, is back on the air from the 1st through to the 7th of November. Operators will be calling CQ for one week in recognition of the selfless work of the volunteers, rescuers, veterinarians, shelter staffers and other supporters of animals in need of loving and responsible homes. The event coincides with National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week created by the Humane Society of the US.

Listen on the HF bands, where we will be using CQ and SSB. Share your own stories as adopters, foster caregivers and rescue workers. QSL cards are available for all confirmed contacts and SWLs who send an SASE.

Don't forget that your QSO with KØDOG is just the beginning: there are many ways to continue helping shelters and rescue workers do their best work. Visit KØDOG on QRZ.com and learn how you can donate your professional services, funds, clean towels and sheets or some toys and food. See you on the air!

Source: Dog Day Radio Amateur Radio Club

Bilingual CRAC Practice Question Bank

2026-10-27T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from bg7bag.com:

A bilingual practice question bank for the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club (CRAC) amateur radio operator certificate is now available free online at bg7bag.com.

The bank covers CRAC Class A (669 questions), Class B (1,110 questions), and Class C (1,229 questions), 3,008 questions in total, based on the 2025 pools. Each question is presented in English and Chinese, with a Chinese explanation, and timed mock exams are also available.

It was compiled by BG7BAG, a licensed amateur radio operator active since 1999, as a study reference for Chinese-speaking learners and for operators planning to operate in China. The same site also offers bilingual FCC practice banks.

This is an unofficial study reference only. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the CRAC, and the official publications prevail.

Link: https://bg7bag.com/study/

Source: BG7BAG Radio

1 out of 18 Hams Fail to Renew at the Payment Point

2026-10-23T00:00:00Z

By Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)

The FCC weekly archives include data on call sign renewal payments. Let’s analyze the October 10th archive to discover that 1 out of 18 hams filing for renewal failed in their attempt(s) to pay a $35 fee.

Call sign renewals fall into three major categories: (1) those who successfully renewed, (2) those who failed to pay after applying for renewal, and (3) those who never applied for renewal. A fourth minor category lumps a few renewals that got dismissed for administrative reasons. A snapshot for the last two years including clubs (but excluding the October 2025 gov’t shutdown) reveals on average:

3,901 hams per month successfully renewed their call sign. That’s 79.38% of the total.
227 hams per month failed the payment process after applying for renewal. That’s 4.63% of the total.
783 hams per month failed to apply for renewal. This attrition amounts to 15.93% of the total.

These payment failures exclude initial license grants, and they exclude operators who applied for renewal after the grace period expired. (They show up in the “failed to apply” category.) Doing the math, we see that almost exactly 1 out of 18 hams who applied for renewal failed in their attempt(s) to pay.

Some hams failed multiple times to pay, and KK6UPP holds the top spot with seven attempts to achieve success. W2ANN failed to make payment with three of his four renewal applications; in one other attempt he probably filed an incomplete application. Luckily, W2ANN has almost a year of grace period left to make a fifth try.

Others were … “not” so lucky. I’ve written the sad tale of KE6MIT whose call sign expired after multiple attempts to pay. Over the last two years, 431 call signs lapsed and 1,221 remained in grace period after those operators failed 1.1 times on average to pay a renewal fee.

That “1.1 times on average” reveals a bigger problem: 92% of hams who failed to make a payment the first time simply walked away.

Now, we might ask “did they not call the FCC help line?” Maybe yes, maybe no, but it’s a fact that U.S. gov’t payment systems suffer major disparities between the user experience and the user interface. Ask any military member who applied to DoD for any type of refund!

The FCC’s license renewal journey crosses two portals with two sets of login credentials — and more than nine out of ten folks who stumbled into the labyrinth decided not to map it out a second time. I saw these payment difficulties firsthand when KC9GSI and KI4RED asked for my help to retrieve their call signs from grace period.

In one sentence: “We need to focus on operators who fail the payment process.”

First things first. We need to discover people before they lose their call sign. That’s where I come in. I’m the driving force behind a series of free PDF call books, and you can download one listing operators within three months of losing their call sign sorted by city & state.

Second, ham radio clubs should contact local operators who may need help with renewal. Download the free PDF listed above to find vulnerable hams in nearby towns. Clubs can reduce the “1 out of 18” problem at the local level. I expect our club’s letter to these folks will start off with “Do you need help getting your call sign back? We missed you when Hurricane Isaias slammed our community!”

Third, ARRL should work with the FCC to reduce this problem at the national level. Can the FCC improve the payment labyrinth? Should they advise folks to check & update their email address prior to filing a renewal application? Does ARRL reach out to their (in)active membership when a call sign approaches the end of its grace period?

Now that we recognize the “1 out of 18” problem, we can seek to know why it happens and we can find other ways to tackle it. For example, I’m going to print this and mail it to my congressman. Let’s get QRL!

Source: K4HST

County Names & Lines Adds Spoken County-Line Announcements for Mobile County Hunters and QSO-Party Rovers

2026-10-22T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from County Names & Lines:

County Names & Lines, an iPhone and Android app, shows the U.S. county you are in, live, with its FIPS code. Its iPhone Driving Mode, new this October, keeps the county on screen and says, "Entering Butler County" at each line, which lets mobile operators and QSO-party rovers call the new county the moment they cross. Pro adds county boundary lines (stored on the phone, so they show without cell service) and the distance to the next line ahead. Every county driven through is logged automatically. The app is free to use; Pro unlocks the lines. U.S. only.

County Names & Lines is available for download for both iOS and Android.

Source: County Names & Lines

HOA Advocates Held Summit Opposing Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

2026-10-21T00:00:00Z

A lobbying group representing homeowners associations (HOAs) across the United States recently met on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to oppose H.R. 1094/S. 459, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act.

Community Associations Institute (CAI) announced a number of federal priorities that the organization is interested in. Among them is the opposition of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, stating the act "...would restrict the ability of community associations to require prior approval of amateur radio infrastructure."

CAI's press release outlines additional priorities including the Protect Our Homes Act and the Corporate Transparency Act.

Amateur radio operators are encouraged to contact their elected representatives in support of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. Additional information is available from the ARRL.

Source: EIN Presswire

Icom Receives Good Design Award

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

Icom has received a Good Design Award for its latest ID-5200 transceiver.

The Good Design Award judges outlined three reasons for choosing the ID-5200:

Equipped with independent dials for left and right, enabling intuitive operation when receiving two waves simultaneously.
A modern design centered on a color touchscreen, blending seamlessly with car interiors.
A separated main unit/controller structure and a variety of mounting options make it adaptable to any installation environment.

The Good Design award describes itself as:

[The] only comprehensive design evaluation and promotion mechanism in Japan. Together with G Mark, it has been recognized by a wide range of people for nearly 70 years, and has continued its activities to make people's lives and society better through design.

This is the second year in a row that Icom has won the award. Last year the Icom IC-7760 took home a Good Design Award.

Source: Good Design Award

Another ISS SSTV Event Begins This Week

2026-10-19T00:00:00Z

ARISS has announced an upcoming SSTV event transmitted from the International Space Station (ISS) beginning on October 22nd and continuing through October 25th. This is SSTV Series 34 and will feature images of ARISS hardware.

Dates
October 22 through October 25

Mode
Robot 36

Frequency
437.500 MHz +/- Doppler shift

Received images may be submitted to the ARISS SSTV Gallery.

Source: ARISS

HAARP to be Active for INFUSE-II and DUST-III Rocket Sounding Missions

2026-10-18T00:00:00Z

The following is a press release from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute:

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign October 20-24 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.8 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject to change.

These transmissions are being conducted in support of the INFUSE-II and DUST-III sounding rocket missions launching from Poker Flat Research Range, located north of Fairbanks, AK. INFUSE-II will test a new type of ultraviolet imager for use on future space telescopes, while DUST-III will carry a miniature laboratory into space to study how tiny grains of space dust form and grow.

For more information on both missions, consult the UAF Geophysical Institute's webpage for the upcoming launches: https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/stellar-insights. The rocket launches will be livestreamed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@pokerflatrr.

Note that due to the need to make real-time schedule adjustments based on ionospheric conditions and to coordinate with the rocket launch teams, no frequencies are specified in the table below. The included transmission notice supplement contains information on the frequencies HAARP is authorized to transmit. HAARP transmissions will only occur on our authorized frequencies. There are no specific data collection requests from funded investigators, but reception reports are appreciated and may be submitted to our online form at https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/form/reception-reports.

Oct. 20
0530-0930 UTC

Oct. 21
0530-0930 UTC

Oct. 22
0530-0930 UTC

Oct. 23
0530-0930 UTC

Oct. 24
0530-0930 UTC

For updates on ionospheric conditions in Gakona, please consult ionograms from the HAARP Diagnostic Suite: https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/diagnostic-suite2

Additional Resources for Reading Ionograms

Understanding HF Propagation and Reading Ionograms from Bootstrap Workbench: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFKNCo3Cl8
Reading Your Ionogram – Keeping It Simple from John (VE6EY): https://play.fallows.ca/wp/radio/shortwave-radio/reading-your-ionogram-keeping-it-simple/

Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks

The Radio Club of America Announces 2026 Award Recipients and Fellows

2026-10-08T00:00:00Z

The Radio Club of America (RCA) proudly announces its 2026 annual award recipients and its incoming class of 2026 Fellows. Since 1935, RCA has recognized through its awards program major contributors to wireless communications. This year, fourteen awards are being bestowed, and seven RCA members are being elevated to Fellow status.

The 2026 Awards and Fellows ceremonies will be held at the RCA Awards Banquet in Westin Times Square in New York City on November 21, 2026. For details, please see RCA's website.

RCA's Awards Program

Award recipients are announced each year. Nominations are accepted from anyone in the wireless industry. Two broad categories of awards include: (i) public awards for anyone involved in wireless, and (ii) member awards that are restricted to RCA members. RCA elevates members to Fellow status at the same event by invitation based on the individual's contributions to RCA and to the art and sciences of wireless or broadcast communications.

Past award recipients include dozens of legends who created the wireless industry, including Edwin Armstrong, Martin Cooper, Jay Kitchen, Fred Link, Ted Rappaport, Henry Richter, Ulrich Rohde, and Joseph Taylor.

2026 Award Recipients

(RCA Service Awards will be announced separately)

RCA's 2026 award recipients join a proud tradition of wireless legends. Each practitioner has dedicated significant time and talent toward the advancement or preservation of skills that advance the wireless industry. The 2026 awards are listed in award name alphabetic order.

Dr. Andrea Goldsmith, Armstrong Medal – first female recipient in history!
RCA's first award was presented to Major Edward H. Armstrong for his invention of circuits that made AM and FM radio possible and for Major Armstrong's lifetime of championing work that established the foundation for modern radio technology. The award, now known as the Armstrong Medal, is only bestowed when an individual has demonstrated excellence and made lasting contributions to the arts and sciences of radio.

Dr. Ajay Poddar, Dr. Arno Penzias Award for Contributions to Basic Research in the Radio Sciences
Established in 2023, this award recognizes significant contributions to basic research involving RF and related subjects to inspire future generations of scientific professionals.

Audrey McElroy, Carole Perry Young Professional Award
Established in 2023, the Carole Perry Young Professional Award was established to honor a Young Professional who was part of the RCA Youth Activities Program in their formative years and who has gone on to a career in wireless science.

Mal Gurian, Centenarian Award
Initiated in 1989, this award recognizes any living RCA member who is 100 years old.

Dr. Henry L. Richter, Centenarian Award (honorary)
Initiated in 1989, this award recognizes any living RCA member who is 100 years old.

Jack Winters, Lifetime Achievement Award
Established in 2015, RCA's Board of Directors recognizes very significant achievements, and a major body of work accomplished over a lifetime, that has advanced the art and science of wireless technology.

Charles Kirmuss, Henri Busignies Memorial Award
The award, established in 1981, primarily recognizes achievements in the field of communications equipment and is granted to any person who has contributed substantially to the advancement of electronics for the benefit of humanity.

Anthony Rizi, Frank Gunther Award
Established in 1996, this award recognizes an individual for their dedication to the field of military communications.

Jay Adrick, Ralph Batcher Memorial Award
Established in 1976, this award is presented to an RCA member for their significant work in preserving the history of radio and electronic communications.

Charles Counselman, Dr. Ulrich Rohde Award for Innovation in Applied Radio Science and Engineering
Established in 2023, this award recognizes significant contributions to innovation in applied radio science and engineering in the wireless industry to inspire future generations of wireless professionals.

Mike Wolf, Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award
This Award is to recognize an individual who exhibits the "Esprit de Corps" of sales, marketing and promoting in the Wireless Industry. The ideal candidate should have been in the wireless industry for a minimum of 10 years. The nominee should not be judged on sales volume, but on their dedication to the wireless industry. They should demonstrate a professional and ethical approach to their business relationships. They should display integrity when representing the wireless industry and they should work for the betterment of the Radio Club of America.

2026 RCA Fellows

Elevation to Fellow is made by invitation only to RCA members who are in good standing for at least five years, in recognition of their contributions to the art and science of radio communications, broadcast, or to RCA are deemed outstanding by RCA's Board of Directors. The following RCA members are elevated to Fellow status in 2025:

Steve Floyd
Rachel Jones
Douglas Kwiatkowski
Geoffrey Mendenhall
Nick Pennance
Nicholas Tusa
Jack Varnado

Further Information

A complete listing of RCA Awards and previous recipients can be found at this link.

Founded in 1909, the Radio Club of America is the oldest, most prestigious group of wireless communications professionals in the world. Members are dedicated to the wireless arts and sciences for the betterment of society. The Radio Club of America is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.radioclubofamerica.org.

Source: Radio Club of America

TX Factor Visits National Hamfest

2026-10-05T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from TX Factor:

The latest episode from TX Factor is now on the air!

In late September 2026 TX Factor visited the annual National Hamfest at Newark, Nottinghamshire, UK. Hamfest is the UK’s premier amateur radio rally and we’re able to bring you as much of the action from the two-day event as possible.

In this initial show Bob McCreadie G0FGX chats with Dominic M0BLF from the ubiquitous Camb-Hams whilst operating QO-100. Bob discovers more about the proposed new rig release from Icom and updates us on a future repeater upgrade from Yaesu.

Bob meets key personnel from the RSGB to learn more about the Society's membership strategies and some changes in the way the Society meets and greets folk at major shows and conventions such as Hamfest and Dayton. There will be much more coverage and news from Hamfest in future episodes of TX Factor following soon.

TX Factor is sponsored by The Radio Society of Great Britain.

Visit the website at txfactor.co.uk where you’ll be able to view all the episodes of TX Factor dating back to February 2014 and links to the TX Factor Youtube channel.

Source: TX Factor

APRS Connect is Now on iPhone

2026-10-04T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from APRS Connect:

APRS Connect, the messaging-first APRS client that launched on Android in August, is now on the App Store for iPhone (iOS 16.4 or later). It is free to install and use over APRS-IS. Connecting a radio and several advanced features are part of APRS Connect Pro, a subscription with a 7-day free trial.

APRS OTA, the on-the-air activity that runs entirely over APRS, has its own screens in the app, so you tap buttons instead of typing bot commands. Hosts go on the air in one tap. Each chaser's call arrives with their message, where they are and a Confirm button. A bar across the top shows QSOs, points and time left, with buttons to stay longer or message every chaser at once. A live map shows you and your chasers and adds up how far your contacts have reached. Chasers get the list of hosts on the air, tap one to call, and watch each step through to the host's QSL. Every op is saved with its map and scores and can be shared as a picture. Chasing works over APRS-IS, free. Hosting needs a radio, as APRS OTA's rules require.

The other services on APRS get the same treatment, a guided screen instead of a command to memorize: weather, the repeater finder, WHO-IS, the SMS, email and Winlink gateways, and APSPOT and APRS2SOTA self-spotting. #APRSThursday and other ANSRVR groups open as a single net room.

On iPhone the app connects to KISS TNCs over Bluetooth LE or TCP. It can also work through a radio's speaker and mic, using the built-in AFSK 1200 audio modem with VOX keying. Radios with a Bluetooth LE KISS TNC built in, such as the BTECH UV-Pro, connect directly.

Several things have been added since the app was first covered here:

The phone can be an IGate. It passes what your radio hears to APRS-IS and, if you choose, sends messages from the internet back out on the air for stations nearby. It can also be a digipeater that stays quiet when another digipeater has already repeated the packet.
A coverage map shows the places your beacons were picked up by a digipeater.
Pinned stations, a grid square screen, and the ISS on the map.
A setting chooses how messages go out: radio first, APRS-IS first, one link only, or every channel at once.
An optional account keeps messages, pinned stations and settings the same on every device. When two devices share a callsign and SSID, only one of them beacons, acks and digipeats at a time.
A "Rest of the world" map layer shows stations heard anywhere on APRS-IS, not only the ones your device heard.
The app is more accessible for operators who use VoiceOver and TalkBack. Every button has a spoken name, and an open conversation reads new messages aloud.

The newest of these are on iPhone now and reach Android with its next Play release.

More at https://aprsconnect.com, and on APRS OTA in the app at https://aprsconnect.com/ota. Download the App: https://aprsconnect.com/get/89x5bv.

Source: APRS Connect

Call sign grace period: A hard lesson learned

2026-10-01T00:00:00Z

By Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)

The FCC's two-year grace period is a safety net if we forget to put a reminder in our calendar app. One operator relied on it when he applied for a renewal in April, five months before the end of his grace period. But it requires more than just signing in. He needed to confirm the payment actually occurred.

This brings us to the sad tale of KE6MIT.

He attempted to renew it twice. His first application on April 9 placed his call sign in a temporary status that shielded him from losing it. His application was dismissed 19 days later, probably over a failure to pay. He did not petition the dismissal; the period for reconsideration closed; and his call sign returned to its normal grace period on June 9.

Did he not get the FCC emails? Did they go into his junk folder?

A second application on July 23 again placed his call sign in a temporary status, and the FCC again waited 19 days. Detailed records suggest the ULS checked the CORES database each workday to see if he paid $35. August 11 arrived and the FCC again dismissed his application.

KE6MIT reached the end of its grace period on September 14 — yet the window stayed open to petition the second dismissal for reconsideration… had he done so… which he didn’t.

That window shut on September 22 when the FCC closed the period for reconsideration and the ULS set KE6MIT to “expired.”

KE6MIT’s circumstances led me to analyze the ULS data to learn how many call signs expire for lack of payment. Over the last two years, roughly 20% failed to apply for renewal, while another 5% failed to pay their fee after applying:

Roughly 1 out of 16 operators who apply for renewal fail to pay for it. Did they not get the FCC emails? Did they go into a junk folder?

(The chart can only go back 24 months because the FCC apparently flushes payment data to control database bloat.)

All operators should consider doing four things: (1) put a note in your calendar app to update your email address before you pay a renewal fee; (2) update your FRN with a valid email address if needed; (3) submit a payment application; and (4) make sure the payment goes through.

Don’t learn this lesson the hard way. Your grace period offers zero protection if you fail to pay.

Source: Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)

Radio Club of America 2026 Technical Symposium & 117th Awards Banquet

2026-09-30T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from the Radio Club of America (RCA):

Join the Radio Club of America at the 2026 Banquet & Technical Symposium—where the brightest minds in wireless communications come together to share ideas, celebrate achievement, and build lasting connections.

Experience thought-provoking technical presentations, engage with industry leaders, explore emerging technologies, and conclude with RCA’s signature awards banquet honoring distinguished innovators.

The Radio Club of America Awards Program is an industry premier event. Every year, it is preceded by the day-long Technical Symposium. Both events showcase expertise and achievement in every segment of wireless.

The 2026 Technical Symposium & 117th Awards Banquet will take place Saturday, November 21st in New York City.

Registration is now open.

Source: Radio Club of America

SAQ Grimeton to Air United Nations Day Message

2026-09-29T00:00:00Z

The following is from an email received from SAQ Grimeton Radio Station:

UN-Day 2026 transmission
On October 24th 2026, SAQ is scheduled to air a message to the World, promoting Peace, Unity, and Global Partnerships.

The unique Alexanderson alternator is scheduled for one transmission over the antenna on VLF 17.2 kHz CW.

The Grimeton Radio Station welcomes all visitors to attend the transmission. To attend one of the transmissions in the transmitter hall, a ticket will be required. Please see grimeton.org for complete visitor's information.

SAQ transmission schedule

14:20 CEST (12:20 UTC) Live YouTube broadcast begins.
14:30 CEST (12:30 UTC) Start-up of the Alternator.
14:45 CEST (12:45 UTC) SAQ on the air “VVV VVV VVV de SAQ SAQ SAQ”
15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC) Transmission of peace message

Live Video from World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station
The transmission event can be seen live on our YouTube Channel.

E-QSL online QSL form

In 1924 the construction of Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden was completed and the two transmitters, invented by Ernst F.W. Alexanderson was put into commercial operation. The radio station call sign was SAQ.

SAQ is the only remaining pre-electronic radio transmitter that has been preserved and is still functional, event though only one of the original two transmitters remain.

Test Transmissions
There may be some test transmissions, preliminary on October 23rd between 13:00 - 16:00 CEST. During the tests, SAQ will be on air shorter periods of time, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements.

Amateur Radio Station SK6SAQ
The Amateur Radio Station with the call “SK6SAQ” will be QRV during the day on the following frequencies: – 3.517.2 kHz CW – 7.017.2 kHz CW – 14 017.2 KHz CW – 3.755 kHz SSB – 7.140 kHz SSB

Source: The Alexander association

Amateur Radio Daily will Attend Zero Retries Digital Conference and Pacificon

2026-09-28T00:00:00Z

Amateur Radio Daily (and Amateur Radio Weekly) will attend Zero Retries Digital Conference (ZRDC) and Pacificon October 16th through October 18th. My name is Cale (K4HCK) and I produce both publications. I'll be speaking at ZRDC about New Tech Hams, an emerging group of hams that are highly focused on digital communication and the software that powers it. Thanks to ZRDC for the invitation! I think this talk will be a lot of fun.

Tickets are still available for ZRDC both for in-person and Zoom based attendees. ZRDC focuses on technical innovation in amateur radio. The speaker line-up includes representatives from FreeDV, DigiPi, M17, and more. Learn more about ZRDC.

I will also be attending Pacificon and will share a booth with Zero Retries. Stop by booth 33 and say hello! I look forward to meeting you and hearing your feedback. Tickets for Pacificon are also still available.

73 and thanks for reading!

Source: Amateur Radio Daily

ISS SSTV Weekend Sprint

2026-09-27T00:00:00Z

ARISS has announced an upcoming SSTV event transmitted from the International Space Station (ISS) beginning this coming weekend on October 2nd and continuing through October 6th. This is SSTV Series 33 and will be the first SSTV event from ISS Expedition 75. The image content is expected to highlight student education.

Dates
October 2 through October 6

Mode
Robot 36

Frequency
437.500 MHz +/- Doppler shift

Received images may be submitted to the ARISS SSTV Gallery.

Source: ARISS

DXing at Galactic Scale

2026-09-22T00:00:00Z

By Bob Griffin (KC2JJM)

SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

Every ham's logbook tells the same story in expanding circles. Across town on 2 meters. Across the country on 20. Across an ocean on a gray-line opening. Moonbounce, if you're stubborn enough. Each ring is the same discipline -- weak signals, patience, knowing your noise floor -- applied to a longer path.

This is a story about chasing the outermost ring.

SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OF A DEAD BAND

First, the puzzle that drives the whole field. The Fermi paradox, in one line: a galaxy of hundreds of billions of stars, most of them billions of years older than the Sun, should be full of civilizations -- so where is everybody? Enrico Fermi asked it over lunch in 1950, and it has not been answered since.

Since 1960, SETI has worked one way: point a big dish at a star and scan for a carrier near 1420 MHz, the hydrogen line -- the natural calling frequency any radio-literate civilization could find. Project Ozma did it with one channel. SETI@home did it with millions of our PCs (I had that screensaver running in the shack for years; many of you did too). Breakthrough Listen does it today with billions of channels. Sixty-five years of better receivers have returned exactly one thing: silence. No confirmed carrier, ever.

Every ham knows what a dead band usually means. A band that sounds empty on a carrier scan can be carrying dozens of QSOs at 20 dB below the noise -- you hear nothing because you're listening for the wrong mode, not because nobody's on the air. FT8 taught a whole generation of operators that lesson.

So here's the question my project asks: what if the silence is a design feature? In the paper, we develop a new testable hypothesis, called Behavioral SETI, to explain the apparent radio silence.

THINKING LIKE THE SYSTEM DESIGNER

Suppose an advanced civilization wanted to reach emerging societies across the galaxy, over spans of millions of years. Design that system the way an engineer would and three decisions fall out. Build no transmitter -- stars already radiate more power than any machine ever could; the cheap way to signal is to modulate sources already on the air. Write in ratios -- a sender who shares no units with you can only use dimensionless relationships among measurements; the message isn't on any one channel, it's in how observables move together. Spend nothing on receivers who can't act -- gate the message behind a proof of capability.

If that's the design, nobody hears it with a carrier scan. You find it by looking for behavior in sources that already exist -- which means searching astrophysics archives, not the airwaves.

THE CRYPTOLOGICAL GATE

The strangest rule is the third one, and it deserves its own explanation. The framework predicts the message arrives locked: a short pointer tells you where to look, but the payload behind it is protected by what a cryptographer calls proof of work -- a puzzle that is cheap to set, expensive to solve, and trivial to verify once solved. Why would anyone bother, across interstellar distances? Three reasons an engineer would insist on it.

First, the gate is a license exam that grades itself. A sender cannot proctor anything from thirty light-years away. Solving the puzzle certifies the receiver's capability with no effort from the sender: if you opened it, you had the computers; if you had the computers, you have the industry and the science to act on what's inside. Nobody unqualified can even read the question.

Second, it sets the timing automatically. Our own computing grew eight-billion-fold in one working lifetime -- Cray-1 to Frontier, 1976 to 2022. A gate pitched at industrial-scale computing opens within a generation of a civilization first noticing it. The lock is a fuse, timed by the receiver's own growth -- no schedule, no appointments, nothing that can go stale over a million years.

Third, the unlock is authentication. When the receiver transmits the solved key back, that transmission proves the work was actually done -- no spoofing, no accidental triggers, no energy wasted answering noise. In ham terms: the gate is the ultimate CTCSS. Except this tone can't be looked up in a manual. It can only be earned.

WEAK-SIGNAL DISCIPLINE, APPLIED TO ARCHIVES

So that's what I did: 49 searches across public archives -- GOES X-ray satellites, neutron monitors, pulsar timing arrays, Voyager's magnetometers, solar neutrino detectors. And here's the part I'd defend at any club meeting: the methods are ham methods. Long integration to pull signals out of noise. Measuring the noise floor before claiming anything sits above it. And never trusting the rig without a test signal -- every detection limit is verified by injecting synthetic signals and confirming the pipeline recovers them. The whole campaign's positive control was recovering the Sun's known five-minute oscillations from satellite data -- the WWV of the project. If your system can't hear the known signal, your silence means nothing.

The score: 45 nulls with measured limits, and no contact. In this business a calibrated null is the product.

THE EMAIL TO JAPAN

My favorite result wasn't in any dataset. One channel needed solar-neutrino data from Super-Kamiokande, the great detector in a mine in Japan. The public link had been dead for years. So I wrote to the collaboration -- callsign in the signature, one ham asking about data. The spokesperson answered the next day, pointed me to a public 22-year dataset better than the one I'd asked about, and committed to fixing the dead link. We ran the search within 48 hours. Null, with limits -- and the first time anyone had asked that dataset an aperiodic question. QSL received, you might say.

HOW FAR DO OUR SIGNALS GET?

A 2025 SETI Institute study ran the honest numbers on Earth's own detectability, and hams will appreciate the EIRP ladder: Arecibo's planetary radar, at 20 terawatts EIRP, would stand out at 12,000 light-years. The Deep Space Network: 65. The combined mobile-phone leakage of the entire planet: 4. The loudest thing humanity ever put on the air was pinging asteroids. Everything we broadcast to each other barely leaves the neighborhood -- one more reason silence proves so little.

And one thought I can't shake, as an AM DX'er myself: the earliest thing any radio civilization transmits is its lowest bands. A designed listening post watching for emerging civilizations wouldn't need to decode a 1930s 500 kW AM flamethrower like WLW -- just detect the carrier, coherently integrated, far below any demodulator's threshold. Carrier detection at absurd SNR is a very ham idea. The paper takes it seriously.

GOING DEEPER

The write-up, a six-minute animated version, and the full paper with every method and limit are here:

https://dxtra.com/static/galactic-dx/summary.html?src=hamdaily

Source: KC2JJM

POTA/SOTA Activation at Diamond Head Turns Into Real-World Emergency Response

2026-09-21T00:00:00Z

The following is a press release from KH6ML:

HONOLULU, HAWAII — September 16, 2026 — What began as an early-morning Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air activation at one of Hawaii's most recognizable landmarks unexpectedly turned into an opportunity for an amateur radio operator to put years of emergency preparedness and communications training to practical use.

A short video documenting the Diamond Head activation and emergency response is available here: https://youtu.be/_GO4as2CSvc

Michael Miller, KH6ML, began hiking the Diamond Head Summit Trail on Oahu at approximately 7:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. His plan was to complete a combined POTA and SOTA activation before heading to his full-time job as a partner at Tiki's Grill & Bar in Waikiki.

Operating portable from the summit with an FX-4CR HF transceiver at approximately 20 watts, a small Bioenno battery, end-fed wire antenna and an AnyTone VHF/UHF handheld, Miller completed 11 contacts.

His activation included Diamond Head State Preserve, POTA US-6425; Diamond Head Summit State Trail, US-10913; and the Diamond Head SOTA summit, KH6/OH-025.

Moments after completing his 11th contact, a visitor approached Miller and asked if he could help. A woman had collapsed inside the observation bunker below the summit.

Miller immediately left his HF station behind, took his handheld radio and headed toward the patient while calling 911. Because of uncertainty about cellular coverage inside the reinforced structure, Miller also advised amateur radio operators with whom he had been communicating to stand by in case an alternate communications path became necessary.

The patient, a visitor from Japan, was traveling with her husband and adult daughter. Miller began gathering information from the family and relaying it to emergency dispatchers while Honolulu Fire Department personnel responded.

"The 911 dispatchers were extremely professional," Miller said. "They were calm, direct and focused on getting the information the responding crews needed. The communication between dispatch and the field response was impressive."

Honolulu Fire Department personnel reached the bunker and assumed care of the patient. Additional firefighters and rescue personnel followed with medical and rescue equipment. The difficult location required responders to develop a plan for moving the patient from the confined bunker and across the steep summit terrain.

A helicopter was subsequently brought into the response.

"The professionalism of the firefighters was remarkable," Miller said. "They climbed Diamond Head carrying their equipment, immediately assessed the situation and went to work.

Miller later accompanied the patient's daughter down the trail and helped her reconnect with her family and emergency personnel at the base of Diamond Head.

Later that afternoon, Miller received a message from the family thanking him for his assistance and reporting that the woman was doing well and the family had returned to their hotel.

For Miller, the incident also demonstrated how the skills developed through amateur radio can complement broader emergency-preparedness training.

"Did ham radio help? I think it was one piece of the puzzle," Miller said. "Amateur radio teaches us to communicate clearly, know our location, pass information accurately and think about what happens when normal communications aren't available. Add CERT training, Red Cross training, Scouting and other life experiences, and hopefully you're a little better prepared when somebody needs help."

Miller serves as a Deputy Coordinator for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) for the City and County of Honolulu. He is also an Assistant Section Manager and Government Liaison for the ARRL Hawaii Section. Outside amateur radio and emergency communications, Miller is a partner at Tiki's Grill & Bar in Waikiki.

The incident was a reminder that while POTA and SOTA provide amateur radio operators with opportunities to practice portable operations, antennas, low-power communications and field deployment, those same habits of preparedness can have applications far beyond making contacts.

"I went up Diamond Head looking for radio contacts," Miller said. "The most important contact I made that morning wasn't on the radio."

73 from KH6ML

Source: KH6ML

"Active" call sign probably isn’t what you think

2026-09-17T00:00:00Z

By Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)

Do this: visit the FCC call sign lookup and search for W0QUF. It says right there on the page: "Status: Active." Except it's not. Look farther right and you'll see its grace period started in January. Now search for it at the ARRL call sign lookup. They give you no hint it's in a grace period.

Do an FCC lookup on KD0NZJ. It's long expired, right? Except it's not. Look to the left and you'll see a "PA" icon, which means it remains active pursuant to FCC rule 1.62. If you look it up on ARRL, it'll say "(Administrative Update Applied)" below the expiration date. They give you no hint you can lawfully communicate with them.

Neither FCC nor ARRL offer visual cues on their search pages when you look up a call sign. You must inspect the data with your calibrated eyeballs to confirm its status.

So, let's go over what you need to know. We'll break it down into five categories:

A "live" call sign is marked active and can transmit. It has not reached its expiration date. Roughly 90% of all "active" call signs fall into this category.

A "dagger" call sign is marked active and can transmit regardless its expiration date. A "pending application" extends its life. Roughly 430 call signs fall into this category (a scant 0.05%) and the FCC often spends years resolving them.

A "grace" call sign is marked active yet cannot transmit. It exceeded its expiration date, lies within its two-year grace period, and has no pending application. Roughly 10% of all "active" call signs fall into this category.

A "zombie" call sign is marked active yet cannot transmit. It exceeded its grace period with no pending application, yet the ULS database failed to mark it expired. The most recent example is KI4FHE. (If you run an FCC lookup, do not have any liquids in your mouth! You've been warned.) Zombies might pop up for a day or two if the second anniversary of their expiration date falls on a holiday Monday.

A "dead" call sign is marked canceled, expired, or terminated. Enough said.

You might ask "where did these five terms come from?" The short answer: The interwebs apparently had no terms for them and I needed a taxonomy for the niche PDF amateur radio call books I produce. My searches of online amateur radio literature, developer repositories, and the FCC's ULS documentation revealed no similar published model ... so I offer this to the public domain:

Terminology	FCC Status	ULS LicenseStatus	Expiration Date	Additional Condition	Output / Action
Live	Active	A	Future	None	Standard black text
Dagger	Active	A	Past (Any length)	Pending application	Superscript dagger (†) e.g. WQXN317 since 2021-04-20
Grace	Inactive	A	Past (< 2 years)	No pending app	Dark red text e.g. WA4RHD
Zombie	Inactive	A	Past (>= 2 years)	No pending app	Triggers logging warning e.g. KI4FHE from 2026-04-26 to 2026-09-09
Dead	Inactive	Non-A	N/A	None	Excluded from output

Ta da! You now understand what "active" means when you look up a call sign on a search page. Calibrate your eyeballs for the FCC, shame the ARRL webmaster for me, and 73!

Source: Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)

brugtgrej.dk is Denmark's Premier Marketplace for Used Ham Radio Gear

2026-09-15T00:00:00Z

The following is a message from brugtgrej.dk:

Since the year 2000 I have been running a site for announcing used ham radio gear here in Denmark. It has since grown to be the one and only place for buying and selling used ham radio gear and has also become the biggest discussion forum here in Denmark.

Earlier this year, I released generation II of the platform to make it more contemporary, and I added a lot of features for daily ham use. The site is called brugtgrej.dk. The language can be switched between Danish and English. My latest added feature is a Shack display intended to run on a PC in the shack to show relevant live information on DX, aurora, satellites, weather, lightning etc.

The best value is provided if you create a user because that way we know your location to show more relevant information.

73 DE OZ1DW
Christiane

Source: brugtgrej.dk