Strong solar activity continues, with worldwide propagation on 10
and 12 meters quite commonplace.

Predicted solar flux is 255, 250, 210, 200, and 195 on December 30,
2024 through January 3, 2025, 190 on January 4-5, 170 on January 6,
160 on January 7-8, then 165, 170 and 165 on January 9-11, 170 on
January 12-13, 175 on January 14-15, 180 on January 16, 185 on
January 17-18, 200 on January 19-23, 18...

These are periodic updates to an original story published on May 16, 2024.

Updated 12/27/2024

The following is an update on DXCC® application processing:

In October, we reported that the ARRL DXCC® System had been returned to service. Since then, over 3,000 DXCC applications have been logged into the DXCC System for processing. It is important to understand that the queue of submitted applications...

The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program continues to accept applications for the 2025 scholarship cycle. The application period is open until 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 6, 2025. The scholarships are available to eligible amateur radio operators pursuing higher education. There are more than 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $25,000.

The scholarships have been established by ge...

ARRL Straight Key Night is January 1, 2025, from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC. This 24-hour event is not a contest but rather a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage -- radio communications by Morse code.

Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW QSOs (radio contacts). The use of straight keys or bugs to send CW is preferred. There are no poin...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® Kids Day runs January 4, 2025 from 1800 UTC - 2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.

The event is designed to give on-the-air experience to young people, to foster interest in getting a license of their own, and give older hams a chance to share their stations and love for amateur radio with their children. You can share the excitemen...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® seeks nominations for awards.

It probably isn’t hard to think of someone you know in the hobby who goes above and beyond in service to amateur radio, their club, their fellow hams, or their community. Volunteers are the very core of the Amateur Radio Service, and that dedication is what carries the ARRL Field Organization. Excellence in on-air ope...

Brian Justin, Jr., WA1ZMS, of Forest, Virginia, will operate experimental station WI2XLQ on 486-kHz AM for the Reginald Fessenden commemorative transmission starting approximately at 22:00 UTC on December 24, 2024.

Transmissions will last for at least 24 hours. A repeat transmission will take place on December 31, also starting approximately 22:00 UTC and running for 24 hours. All transmissions ...

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® will close our headquarters early at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time (1700 UTC) on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, and will be closed all day on Wednesday, December 25 for Christmas.

The ARRL Headquarters lobby and store, as well as W1AW, will be open to visitors from 8 AM to 12 PM EST on Tuesday, December 24. There will be no W1AW bulletins, code practi...

Excellent HF conditions greeted hams in the ARRL 10-Meter contest
last weekend. Recent indicators show a sudden shift to two digit
daily sunspot numbers from three, and although there is nothing
significant about 100, it makes one notice.

All daily sunspot numbers this week were 97 or less.

Perhaps this indicates a move off of solar maximum, or to a future
with a second maximum.

Solar activity was way...

Average daily sunspot number plummeted to 104.4.

Weekly Commentary on the Sun, the Magnetosphere, and the Earth's Ionosphere for December 12, 2024 from OK1HH:

"The high solar activity in October this year suggests that this may have been the peak of an 11-year cycle.  This is not to say that solar activity will not continue to rise.  On the contrary, it may well be that the first maximum of the...

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) continues to grow. Fresh off a highly successful YouTube telethon that raised more than $41,000 for the program, some of next year’s dates have been announced. Applications are now open.

The program is growing, and educators will have the opportunity to attend sessions around the country. “We love having the teachers here at ARRL Headquarte...

We are at the peak of Solar Cycle 25, and the 10-meter amateur radio band has been providing impressive propagation lately. Recent reports of “wide open” band conditions make this weekend’s ARRL 10-Meter Contest a great opportunity to take advantage of the best conditions of a generation. “I’ve been leaving the mobile radio on 10-meters for the drive into work each day,” said ARRL Regulatory an...

Solar activity seems to have dropped dramatically from a recent peak.  Are we over the cycle peak and headed down again?  Too early to say.

Daily average sunspot numbers this week sank to 120.1.

Predicted solar flux is 175 on December 6 to 8, 170 on December 9 and 10, 175 on December 11 and 12, and 205 on December 13 to 17.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on December 6 and 7, 5 on December to ...

Applications are now being accepted for campers interested in attending the 2025 Youth on the Air Camp. Licensed amateur radio operators, ages 15 through 25, who want to attend are encouraged to apply online at YouthOnTheAir.org. The camp is scheduled to take place June 15 - 20, 2025, in Thornton (Denver), Colorado and the Denver Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club, is the local host.

The curren...

December brings two ARRL-sponsored single-band contests. The ARRL 160-Meter Contest begins Friday, December 6 at 2200 UTC and concludes on Sunday, December 8 at 1559 UTC. Stations in the US (including Alaska, Hawaii, and US possessions) and Canada can contact any station; stations located overseas can only contact US and Canadian stations. Contacts may be made using the CW mode only. See the co...

• Radios: Icom IC-7610, Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark-V, Icom IC-9100, Icom 756 Pro III, Icom 706 MKIIG, Yaesu FT-891
• Amplifiers: Ameritron AL-1500, Ameritron AL-811H, Alpha 76A, Heathkit SB-200 Converted to 6-Meters
• Antennas: Force 12 XR-5; Tennadyne T8 ; Inverted-V's; Double-L; K4KIO Hexbeam
•                  Cushcraft R-6000 Vertical; ZEROFIVE 43 Foot Vertical; 160-6m Carolina Windom
• Rotator: Hy-Gain Tailtwister; Yaesu G-450A
• Tuners: Ameritron ATR-30, MFJ-998 IntelliTuner, MFJ-939Y Auto Tuner
• Remote Coax Switch: Ameritron RCS-10L
• Headset: Heil Pro-Set Plus!; Heil Pro 7 Boomset
• Microphone: Yaesu MD-200A8X, Heil PR-781G Microphone
• Computers: Dell XPS 8300 64-Bit i5-2320 processor 3.00 GHz, 8 GB Memory, 1 TB Disk; HP ProBook 4540s 64-Bit i5-3340M CPU @ 2.70GHz, 8 GB Memory, 1TB SSD; RCA Model W101SA29 Widows 10 Tablet, 64-Bit Atom x5-Z8350 CPU @ 1.44 GHz, 2 GB Memory, 300GB SSD; Apple iPad; Apple iPhone
• Weather Station Computers (2): ASUS EeeBox PC Model EB1007P, Atom CPU D425 @ 1.81 GHz, 2GB Memory; 256GB Disk
• Operating System: Windows 10 64-Bit Professional
• Logging Software: DX4WIN; N3FJP; HAMRS
• Contesting Software: Win-Test, WriteLog, N1MM
• Computer Interface: RigBlaster Pro; SignalLink USB; microHAM USB III
• CW Interface: K1EL WKUSB WinKeyer
• CW Paddles: Vibroplex Iambic Deluxe Key, Bencher BY-1 Iambic Key
• VHF Radios: Yaesu FT-625RD (6 Meters); Yaesu FT-1500M; Kenwood TM-G707; Yaesu FTM-400XDR; AnyTone D-878UV Plus; AnyTone D-878UV II Plus; Yaesu FT-70DR;
• Power Supply: Astron RS-35A