Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will mark two major milestones this month with a special Slow Scan Television (SSTV) event aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Beginning November 12 through November 20, the station will transmit a series of 12 commemorative SSTV images, pausing only for a scheduled educational contact.

The “SSTV Spacetacular” will highlight both the recent World Scouting movement’s Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) and the 25th anniversary of ARISS ham radio operations on the ISS.

ARISS first went on the air on November 13, 2000, when the ISS Expedition 1 crew made the inaugural ham radio contact using an Ericsson VHF radio. That same year, the first scheduled school contact linked ISS Commander Bill Shepherd, who had call sign KD5GSL, with students at Luther Burbank School in Burbank, Illinois. Since then, ARISS has connected an estimated 200,000 students, educators, and enthusiasts each year with astronauts living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory.

For this month’s event, scouts, educators, students, and amateur radio operators worldwide are invited to receive and decode the transmitted images. Participants can upload their received pictures to the ARISS SSTV gallery to earn a commemorative electronic award certificate.

In ARISS’s most recent SSTV campaign — held in early October to celebrate World Space Week — nearly 9,000 images were submitted by more than 3,600 participants on all continents, including three from Antarctica.

For the latest SSTV schedules, frequencies, and event details, follow ARISS on ARISS Facebook, X and Instagram.

Thanks to ARISS for the information in this news release.

Posted 10/23/2025

As part of a much larger overhaul focused on deleting almost 400 obsolete wireless regulations, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to delete or modify four minor provisions of Part 97. 

ARRL’s Washington Counsel has reviewed the proposal and agrees that the deletions are to obsolete rules and will have no impact on today’s modern Amateur Radio Service. One of the deletions was suggested by ARRL as part of an earlier FCC request for public input on rules ripe for deletion. 

The proposed regulatory changes are to:

1. Delete § 97.27. This provision relates to the FCC’s right to modify station licenses. The Commission rationale for deletion is that it duplicates Section 316 of the Communications Act. Its deletion will result in no substantive change to the right of the FCC to modify a station license. 

2. Delete § 97.29. This provision specified the procedure to replace paper licenses. The FCC stopped producing paper licenses at the end of 2020, having implemented a system that allows any licensee to download license originals using the password-protected area of the FCC’s ULS computer database system that is web-accessible. The ARRL proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year. 

3. Delete § 97.315 (b)(2). This provision grandfathered HF amplifiers purchased before April 28, 1978 by an amateur radio operator for use at that operator's station and also grandfathered those manufactured before April 28, 1978 for which a marketing waiver was issued. The applicability of this rule has long passed.

4. Delete § 97.521(b) and Appendix 2. This rule and appendix relate to VEC regions, which were based on the traditional amateur call sign areas. The FCC no longer limits VECs to regions and there is no reason for doing so given the nature of remote exams.

“Direct Final Rule” proceedings such as this are limited to rules that are no longer applicable because they have sunset by operation of law; govern an expired event; regulate an obsolete technology; regulate virtually a null set of FCC licensees; regulate an outdated market structure; or otherwise are no longer used in practice or otherwise in the public interest. The deletions will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register unless the Commission finds that adverse comments filed within 20 days of publication raise significant issues that merit additional consideration.

ARRL will continue to engage with the FCC in the regulatory and rulemaking process as part of our mission to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs. 

We are pleased to announce that we will launch the new HF/50/144/430MHz All Mode Wide-Coverage SDR Transceiver –FTX-1 series : “FTX-1 Field” and “FTX-1 optima” 

The FTX-1 provides continuous wide-range receiver coverage from 30kHz through 174MHz and from 400MHz through 470MHz including SWL, FM broadcast, and Air-band.

FTX-1 Field and FTX-1 optima shares the “Field Head” - a field compact transceiver (W8.4’’ H3.5’’ D2.2’’).

FTX-1 Field is supplied with a 6400mAh large capacity Li-ion Battery - SBR-52LI for field operation. FTX-1 optima is supplied with a detachable 100W RF power amplifier - SPA-1 for a Base Station in addition to the SBR-52LI Li-ion battery for field operation.  

By attaching the SBR-52LI to the rear of the Field Head, the FTX-1 provides 6W (5W for QRP) stand-alone operation on HF through V/UHF bands in all modes – SSB, CW, AM, FM and C4FM digital.  9-hour stand-alone operating time with 6W on HF bands (SSB), and 8-hour operating time with 6W on V/UHF bands (FM) are available (6-6-48 duty cycle).  The SBR-52LI is rechargeable separately with a third-party’s USB Type-C PD cable (45W or greater/ 15V 2A). 

When using an external 13.8V DC power supply, up to 10W of power output is available, and the Field Head charges the SBR-52LI automatically.

By connecting the SPA-1 to the rear of the Field Head, the FTX-1 operates as a 100W Base Station.  No tools are necessary for connection.

·6W (5W for QRP) Field Operation with the supplied Li-ion Battery ·10W Field Operation with external DC power supply

Included items:
Field Head
SBR-52LI - 6400mAh Li-ion Battery
DC Power Cable with 2p-round plug for Field Head SSM-75E Hand Microphone

·100W Base Station Operation with external DC power supply ·6W (5W for QRP) Field Operation with the supplied Li-ion Battery ·10W Field Operation with external DC power supply.

Included items:
Field Head
SPA-1 - 100W RF Power Amplifier
Heavy-Duty DC Power Cable for SPA-1 (25A) DC Power Cable with 2p-round plug for Field Head SBR-52LI - 6400mAh Li-ion Battery
SSM-75E Hand Microphone

Posted 4/29/2025

Over 280 amateur radio operators volunteered during the 129th running of the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025. 

Operators were working at virtually every location connected with the race, including the starting line, the entire course, the finish line, transportation, and various operations centers including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the State EOC Unified Command Center (UCC), and the BAA Race Operations Center (ROC) in Boston. Combined, they performed communications duties that included logistics support as a primary function and backup support for medical and other public safety requests for the race as needed.

“This is one of the largest public service events amateur radio supports in the United States and planning started over 6 months in advance,” said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, of the Boston Athletic Association Communications Committee.

Posted 4/7/2025

Rabea Rogge, LB9NJ/KD3AID, a private astronaut on the crew of the Fram2 mission, has conducted the first amateur radio contacts from aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The Fram2 flight sets many firsts, including being the first crewed mission to do polar orbits of the Earth, and Rogge became the first German woman in space.

The mission is funded and commanded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about the first day of the mission, “Rabea spent some time on the ham radio, making contact with Berlin.”

Rogge is using a battery powered Icom IC-705 aboard the flight. She’s transmitting SSTV images on 437.550 MHz for a youth amateur radio competition called Fram2Ham. Rogge will send images from polar regions that have been broken into digital puzzle pieces, which students must assemble.

More information can be found on www.fram2ham.com. 

  02/07/2025 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., and Representatives August Pfluger, R-Tex., and Joe Courtney, D-Conn. announced their joint re-introduction of legislation in the Senate and House to restore the right to Amateur Radio operators to install the antennas necessary to serve their communities.

Homeowner association rules often prevent Amateur Radio operators from installing antennas at their homes even though Amateur Radio has proven to be essential in emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes when other means of communication fail.

“Mississippians should have access to every possible means of warning for natural disasters, including amateur radio operators. In an emergency, those warnings can mean the difference between life and death,” Senator Wicker said. “The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act would remove unnecessary roadblocks that could help keep communities safe during emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires.”

“When disaster strikes, amateur radio operators provide vital, often life-saving information, which shouldn’t be hindered by prohibitive rules or confusing approval processes. The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act eliminates obstacles for ham radio enthusiasts, allowing them to continue their communications and serve their communities in the face of emergencies,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“Natural disasters and other emergency situations that hinder our regular lines of communication are unfortunately unavoidable, which is why we must bolster our emergency preparedness by removing the barriers amateur radio operators often run into when installing antennas. Amateur radio plays a vital role in public safety by delivering critical information to people at all times. My district is home to dozens of amateur radio operators ready to volunteer in the event of an emergency, and I am proud to lead this legislation,” said Congressman August Pfluger.

“As we know from recent natural disasters, amateur radio operators in Connecticut can be a critical component of disaster response and emergency management. It is in our communities’ best interest that we give them the capabilities to operate at the highest level, and with the re-introduction of this bill, we’ve taken a strong step in that direction,” said Congressman Courtney.

Background:

The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 (H.R. 1094 and S. 459) would require homeowner associations to accommodate the needs of FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operators by prohibiting the enforcement of private land use restrictions that ban, prevent, or require the approval of the installation or use of Amateur Radio station antennas. Homeowner associations have often prevented installation and use of such antennas through private land use restrictions. This has hindered voluntary training for emergency situations and blocked access to necessary communications when disaster strikes.

Among other provisions, this legislation would:

• Prohibit homeowner association rules that would prevent or ban Amateur Radio antennas;
• Specify an approval process for installing Amateur Radio antennas;
• Provide a Federal private right of action to Amateur Radio operators in disputed cases.

On behalf of America’s Amateur Radio licensees, Rick Roderick, the President of The American Radio Relay League, re-confirmed the ARRL’s full support for the passage of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 and extended his thanks and appreciation to Senators Wicker and Blumenthal and Congressmen Pfluger and Courtney for their unflagging leadership of the bi-partisan effort to support and protect the rights of all Amateur Radio Operators.

The text of the House version can be found at this link: H.R. 1094

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 To help promote amateur radio science and technology, and to honor the 100th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), ARRL is inviting radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in April, built around World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) on April 18.

The event is intended to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands-on pathway into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for the next generation.

In April, amateur radio clubs, school stations, and other groups will have the opportunity to advance public knowledge about ham radio by welcoming their communities into their stations for the Ham Radio Open House, as part of World Amateur Radio Day. The focus will be on scientific advancement and demonstrating cutting-edge technology. This is a chance to not only shape the conversation about modern ham radio but also to show how it serves as a steppingstone and testbed for many young people pursing STEM education and future high-tech careers.

ARRL has teamed up with HamSCI -- Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation -- and the science community organization SciStarter to invite the public to participate in One Million Acts of Science during April, which is Citizen Science Month. By hosting a Ham Radio Open House at your group’s station on April 18, you'll introduce individuals who might never otherwise find out about today’s amateur radio, where science and technology intersect with fun and learning. 

ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop, W5DX, said ARRL is excited to work with HamSCI and SciStarter on this project. “This is an exciting opportunity to really reclaim the public’s image of ham radio and show them the modern, cutting-edge technology that’s in use by many amateurs,” she said.

Clubs are encouraged to showcase the latest weak-signal modes, such as FT8 using WSJT-X, or other digital modes. This could be a great opportunity to explore new areas of amateur radio and demonstrate how the service is at the cutting edge of electrical engineering.

Look for resources to help organize and promote the event soon. Find details at www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day. .