Drum Roll, Please!!It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

The weekend weather should be somewhat great for Radio Activities, and with fall approaching make sure that you check your antennas (if they are outside) and think about weather sealing them again. However, today should be beautiful, partly cloudy with high in the mid 70s, and low around 51°F (noticed that this morning!!). Saturday should be about the same, with a small chance of rain in the evening forecast. Sunday, you might need to build a boat, cause it is going to be a downpour, and temps in the mid to low 60s.

The solar conditions show:

• SFI of 119 and a huge jump from 92 last week (solar flux index (SFI) is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great)
• A index of 6, a rise from 4 last week (daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400)
• K index of 4 (lower is better, 4= unsettled or active Earths magnetic field, a rise from 0 last week)
• The 10m-12m bands are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair.

Events

• October 10th 2026 - 8am to Noon – Antietam Amateur Radio Club is hosting the Hagerstown TailgateFest
• 17904 Binkley Ave. Maugansville, MD 21767 (1 hr 15 mins from APL)
• October 11th 2026 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
• 235 Bridgeton Pike (Route 77) Mullica Hill, New Jersey 08062 (the Gloucester County 4-H Fairgrounds) (about 2 hours from APL).

Special Events Stations

• ARRL America250 Worked All States
  • A Year-Long Worked-All-States Operating Event Celebrating the 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Ongoing.
• Oct 8th-Oct 16th - 0000Z-2359Z - Continental Army Encampment at Towamencin PA (W3T)
  • Harleysville, PA
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 7.030 7.240 14.030 14.240
  • QSL via Frank Gallo WV2M, 106 Tweed Way, Harleysville, PA 19438
• Oct 8th-Oct 12th - 1200Z-2359Z - Sapelo Island Expedition Speical Event (N4N)
  • Sapelo Island, GA.
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.290 28.375 7.195 21.325
  • QSL via LoTW/QRZ/ClubLog during the expedition as Internet allows or within 10 days of expedition completion.
  • The Sapelo Island Expedition Team is activating Sapelo Island, GA, as N4N to commemorate 16 years since the initial activation of this rare Georgia barrier island. Question? Ricky Deluco, K4JTT (k4jtt@yahoo.com) or Ian Kahn, NV4C (nv4c.ian@gmail.com).
• Oct 9th-Oct 18th - 1200Z-2359Z - Radio Society of Tucson CACTUS (K7RST) Event
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.287
  • Certificate & QSL via Attn: CACTUS Certificate Request Manager, PO Box 13603, Tucson, AZ 85732-3603

NOTE: Just CACTUS???Nothing else in the name??

• Oct 10th - 1300Z-2300Z - 5th Annual Scratching Post QSL Party in the Lucedale (K5K)
  • George County ARES-Lucedale, Mississippi
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 7.074 7.265 14.325 28.390
  • QSL via Brent Albrecht, 2088 Will Pet Rd., Lucedale, MS 39452
• Oct 10th-Oct 12th - 0000Z-2359Z - Columbus Day Special Event Station (NJ2KC, KC2US)
  • New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club, Bridgeton, NJ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands: 7.234 MHz, 14.234 MHz, 21.234 MHz, 29.234 MHz
  • QSL C/O Thomas M Perrotti, 785 Vineland Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302-4822
• Oct 10th - 1330Z-2100Z - Ike Eisenhower’s Birthday (K3S)
  • Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC, Port of Baltimore, MD
  • Target Freuencies/Bands - 7, 14, 18, 21, 28 MHz
  • QSL via Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113
• Oct 10th - 1400Z-2000Z - New York State Pathways Through History (W2RME)
  • Chenango Valley Amateur Radio Association/Chenango County Historical Society, Norwich, NY
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 3.815 MHz, 7.215 MHz, 14.205 MHz, 28.360 MHz
  • QSL via Chenango Valley Amateur Radio Association, PO Box 1324, Norwich, NY 13815
• Oct 10th - 0900Z-1600Z - VLA Open House (K5J)
  • Socorro Amateur Radio Association, Socorro, NM
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.240
  • QSL via Tess Anderson, PO Box 81, Socorro, NM 87801
• Oct 11th - 1700Z-2100Z - TUBAC, Arizona’s 274th Anniversary (WE7GV)
  • Green Valley Amateur Radio Club, Sahuarita, AZ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.242, 14.246, 14.248
  • Certificate & QSL via Tom Lang K7VOA, 1085 W El Toro Rd, Sahuarita, AZ 85629
• Oct 11th - 1700Z-2359Z - United States Navy Birthday (10-13-1775) (NI6IW)
  • USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, San Diego, CA
  • Target Frequencies - 7.250, 14.320, 14.070, PSK31, DStar on PAPA System Repeaters
  • QSL via USS Midway Ship Museum CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
• Oct 12th-Oct 21st - 0001Z-2359Z - 3rd Annual National Sasquatch Awareness Day (W7DK)
  • Radio Club Of Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.255 - ALL Bands Modes: CW, SSB, FT-8/4, RTTY
  • Certificate & QSL via Radio Club of Tacoma c/o Bigfoot, PO Box 1188, Tacoma, WA 98411
  • Callsigns W7B, W7I, W7G, W7F, W7O, W7T, W4S (Bonus Station)

Contests

State Qso Contests

Other Contest

No ARRL sponsored contests, but other contests are:

More information can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/fivewkcal.php

Drum Roll, Please!! It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

Wow… Fall is coming in with a vengeance. The weekend is looking somewhat cold and rainy. Today will have a high of 87°F with some apparent rain this evening, and cloudy Saturday with a high chance of rain on Sunday. Temps should drop into the 60s on Saturday and Sunday, with lows down into the mid 50’s. Again, Saturday looks like a great day for outdoor radio activities (you might want a jacket).

The solar conditions show an SFI of 92 (solar flux index, or SFI, is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great, and a drop from 112 last week), A index of 4 ( daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400, and a drop from 16 last week), and K index of 0 (lower is better, 0= no disturbances in the Earths magnetic field activity, a drop from 3 last week). 10-12m are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair to good. Get out and have fun!!

Events

• October 3rd 9am to ???? - The amazing and fatabulous Bacon and Baluns event!!!  Meet at Mikey and Mels for breakfast and then head to the shack for fun and adventure.  Mikey and Mels is located at 8191 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, MD 20759
• October 2nd through October 6th – International Space Station Amateur Radio (ARISS) 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 Slow Scan TV (SSTV) Series 33 and will be the first SSTV event from ISS Expedition 75. The image content is expected to highlight student education. Frequency 437.500 MHz +/- Doppler shift, Mode Robot 36. Received images may be submitted to the ARISS SSTV Gallery.
• October 3rd, starting at 8am – Red Rose Repeater Association (W3RRR) is hosting the Red Rose HamFest. 339 E. Main street, New Holland PA 17557 (about 2 hours from APL). https://w3rrr.org/
• October 4th 7am to Noon – Columbia Area Radio Association (CARA) is hosting CARAFest - 2210 Fairgrounds Road West Friendship, MD 21794 (30 minutes if you drive slowly from APL). W3APL members will be hosting a both with information about our club and activities. We hope to see you there. More information https://www.columbiaara.org/caraFest

Special Events Stations

• ARRL America250 Worked All States
  • A Year-Long Worked-All-States Operating Event Celebrating the 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Is still ongoing.
• Oct 4-Oct 10, 0000Z-0000Z, National Fire Prevention Week (N1F, N2F, N3F, N4F, N5F, N6F, N7F. N8F N9F N0F All out of Gainsville FL). If you get them all are you on fire? https://hamfire.com
• Oct 2-Oct 9, 0000Z-2359Z, 100 Years Of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (N4R), Daytona Beach, FL. Embry-Riddle Amateur Radio Club. 14.320 14.220 7.220. QSL. Embry-Riddle Amateur Radio Club, 1 Aerospace Blvd, SU 225, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. Contact: arc.ko4mim@gmail.com
• Oct 2-Oct 12, 0800Z-2000Z, Rail Road Days (K8H), Craigsville, WV. Bill Edele. 3.815 7.180 14.212. Certificate & QSL. Bill Edele, P O Box 1688, Craigsville, WV 26205. Contact: BillEdele@yahoo.com
• Oct 3, 1500Z-2300Z, 51st Lumberjack Day (W6WPT), West Point, CA. Northern Calaveras Emergency Radio Operators . 14.250 14.074 7.240 7.074. QSL. NCERO - C/O Sam Hernandez, PO Box 526, West Point, CA 95255. We will be operating during the 51th Lumberjack day from VFW Post 3322 in West Point, CA. Contact: wptCERT@gmail.com
• Oct 3, 1700Z-2200Z, Rocklin Maker Faire (K6C), Rocklin, CA. ARRL Sacramento Valley Section. 7.290 14.290 21.390 145.250. QSL. Carol F. Milazzo, PO BOX 665, Citrus Heights, CA 95611-0665.
• Oct 3, 1300Z-2000Z, The Big Duck Birthday Celebration (w2dq), Riverhead, NY. Suffolk County Radio Club . 14.220. QSL. Suffolk County Radio Club , PO Box 302, Medford, NY 11763. Help Celebrate the 95th Birthday of the big duck an iconic road side attraction of Long Island. QSL will be returned via club email address please include a SASE.
• Oct 3-Oct 4, 1900Z-0500Z, West Valley ARC 65th Anniversary (NY7S), Sun City, AZ. West Valley ARC. 147.300 14.275 AllStar 63916. QSL. WVARC-65, PO Box 1573, Sun City, AZ 85372.
• Oct 3, 1200Z-2359Z, World’s Largest Coffee Pot and USA 250th Anniversary (W3ZC), Bedford, PA. BCARS - Bedford County Amateur Radio Society. 7.215 14.255 21.225. QSL. Bedford County Amateur Radio Society, 120 W. Watson Street, Bedford, PA 15522. SASE QSL
• Oct 4, 1100Z-1700Z, Rutherford B Hayes President’s Birthday (W8H), Fremont, OH. Sandusk Valley Amateur Radio Club, W8NCK. 7.040 7.265 14.040 14.265. Certificate. David Dyke, KZ4CW, 2783 E. State St, Fremont, OH 43420.
• Oct 5, 1200Z-2300Z, RV Radio Network fall rally (N5IL), Milton, FL. RV Radio Network . 7.268 LSB 14.283 USB . Certificate. Harold Bell / N5IL, 26379 Cedar Crest Rd, Andalusia, AL 36421.

Contests

State QSO Parties

Other QSO Parties

• 3rd-4th October - Collegiate Amateur Radio Program – Collegiate QSO Party - The Collegiate QSO Party is an operating event focused on amateur radio clubs at colleges and universities around the world. Each fall, the Collegiate QSO Party provides an opportunity for clubs to demonstrate amateur radio to new members, engage with alumni, and promote activity throughout college and university communities.

Other Contests

• Other Contests via Contest Calendar

This Month In Amateur Radio History

• October 19th, 1924 – A ham station in England was able to work a station in New Zealand, a distance of almost 12,000 miles, one of the first recorded times that ham radio reached halfway around the world (still impressive in my book). It would take a few more years to discover the effect that the Ionosphere plays on Radio.
• October 4th, 1927 - After the creation of the Federal Radio Commission (precursor to the FCC) that same year, an International Radio Telegraph Conference was held in Washington, DC. While amateur radio was truly international, word was filtered out of Europe and the Far East that many governments were definitely ANTI amateur radio. A significant effect of the conference was the 745 nations attending started hammering out international treaties covering the known radio spectrum. The result was the now familiar 160m, 80m, 40m and 20m bands we know and love, and the specific frequencies allowed in each.
• October 1st, 1928 - Another decision by the conference was designation of callsigns (originally called “call signals”). The callsign prefixs for the United States became K, N and W. This made early number starting callsigns (1AW for example) change to K1AW. Of Note, Hiram Percy Maxim was allowed to keep his 1AW callsign until his death in 1936. The history of callsigns are pretty interesting if you have a minute to take a look.
• October 1948 - The October 1948 issue of QST magainze described a new “amplifying crystal”, what we now call a transistor. No one at the time fully realized the impact and potential they would have on electronics and radios.
• October 17th 1972 – The FCC issued an odd ruling in which the new Technician class could only use portions of the 2m band, only the 145-147mhz. So if a repeater was utilized and the output exceeded 147, early Technicians would be operating outside of band privileges. However, that changed on October 17th, when the FCC allowed them to use the 147-148mhz part of the band. They were still denied 10m, 144-145mhz and Novice privileges (which is what we would identify as a technician now).

Radio News

Amateur radio event connects Karahantepe to 1,000 global stations

Amateur radio operators broadcasting from Karahantepe—part of the Tas Tepeler Neolithic network in southeastern Turkey—connected with nearly 1,000 stations across 40 countries during a three-day initiative to promote the ancient site globally.

Tas Tepeler, or known as “Stone Mounds” in English, a network of prehistoric settlements centered around Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey, is developing into an internationally recognized archaeological destination as overseas exhibitions encourage visitors to look beyond Gobeklitepe and explore the wider region.

Members of the Turkish Radio Amateurs Association (TRAC) set up radio equipment and antennas at the Karahantepe Welcome Center in Sanliurfa to bring attention to these historic areas and preservation efforts.

Amateur Radio To The Rescue!

HONOLULU, HAWAII — September 16, 2026 — Michael Miller, KH6ML, began hiking the Diamond Head Summit Trail on Oahu to complete a combined POTA and SOTA activation 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. 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.

Honolulu Fire Department personnel reached the bunker and assumed care of the patient. Additional firefighters and rescue personnel followed with medical and rescue equipment.

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.

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

You Can Now Spend The Night 80 Feet Up In A West Virginia Fire Tower

COWEN, W.Va. — Travelers can now spend the night 80 feet above a remote West Virginia forest, sleeping in a restored fire lookout for as little as $100 a night.

The Red Oak Fire Lookout opened Tuesday for overnight stays in the Monongahela National Forest. Its 14-by-14-foot cab sits atop a steel tower at an elevation of 3,704 feet, and joins a growing number of former fire lookout towers that are being remodeled to AirBnB-type lodging. Reservations are available through https://recreation.gov, where overnight stays start at $100.

W3APL Last Month’s Events

• First, the new W3APL discord server is getting off the ground. If you haven’t joined, reach out to Brian (N3BMC) and ask for the link.
• Brian (N3BMC) successfully participated in the CQ WW RTTY Contest getting a total of 231 contacts. His results look like he hit 49 different countries on every single continent on the planet besides Antarctica and maybe Australia. Also 28 states in the US. Great Job!
• Jon (KD2YKT) activated the Susquehanna state park, and made contacts all the way out to France and Italy (very jealous).
• Bill (KC3FOX) completed a Kayaks on the Air/POTA adventure, and was able to activate some of the islands of the Potomac parks. It was a unique experience safely transporting the radio equipment and antenna to the islands.
• Through the hard work of Robert (KB3KTA) we have upgraded the Winlink setup used successfully for our Winlink Wednesday efforts, including upgrade to using VARA through the ICOM radio. Further, the clubs 500W amplifier is up and running, with successful contacts already.
• The club is currently working to upgrade the shack with Meshcore/Meshtastic radios to better connect the local area.
• The club is CURRENTLY assisting the labs annual 5K fun run by providing communicators along the route for safety and tracking. It is a heck of a time.
• Lastly, through the very generous donation from Jamie (KB3FYX), the club now has three new HF rigs (Kenwood TS-102S). We are working to figure out how best to use them. Thank you for your generosity Sir!!

Upcoming Events

• October 1st 5pm – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory 5k fun run. Members of the W3APL club will be supporting the run along the course with rapid communications. It is a lot of fun, with members of the lab dressing up in crazy outfits and then running in them.
• October 2nd through October 6th – International Space Station Amateur Radio (ARISS) 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. Frequency 437.500 MHz +/- Doppler shift, Mode Robot 36. Received images may be submitted to the ARISS SSTV Gallery.
• October 3rd 2026, starting at 8am – Red Rose Repeater Association (W3RRR) is hosting the Red Rose HamFest. 339 E. Main street, New Holland PA 17557 (about 2 hours from APL). More information https://w3rrr.org/
• October 4th 2026 7am to noon – Columbia Area Radio Association (CARA) is hosting CARAFEST - 2210 Fairgrounds Road West Friendship, MD 21794 (30 minutes if you drive slowly from APL). W3APL members will be hosting a both with information about our club and activities. We hope to see you there. More information https://www.columbiaara.org/caraFest
• October 10th 2026 – Antietam Amateur Radio Club is hosting the Hagerstown TailgateFest. 17904 Binkley Ave. Maugansville, MD 21767 (1 hr 15 mins from APL). More information https://antietamradio.org/posts/tailgatefest-2026
• October 16-18 2026, National Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts) (K2BSA) – Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) – the world’s largest Scouting event. The three-day event using amateur radio and the internet to connect Scouts worldwide for a full weekend of on-air and online activities that promote friendship and global citizenship. Many Scouting America Troops, Packs and Venturing crews from around the world, and specifically in Maryland will hold events at local parks and Scouting Reservations. https://www.scouting.org/international/jota-joti/jota/
• October 17th 2026 – St Mary’s County Amateur Radio Association is hosting its Annual Tailgate Festival. 24801 Three Notch Rd. Hollywood, MD 20636. (1hr 30 mins from APL). More information https://smcara.org/2026/09/12/tailgate-2026/
• October 24th – The 7th Annual SOTA Appalachia Workshop – Lake Arrowhead in Luray VA. Besides talks on Summit activations gear, mapping and logging, there will be a morning social and it is followed by SOTA activators transiting to summits to make activations. More information can be found on the SOTA Appalachia facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/294996811399188/
• October 24th 2026 Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club is hosting Oktoberfest (how could I not include this one?) - 8000 Derry Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 (1hr 45 mins from APL) – More information https://w3uu.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-HRAC-Oktoberfest.pdf
• October 24th 2026, SK6SAQ 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. https://daily.hamweekly.com/2026/09/saq-grimeton-united-nations-day-transmission/

Upcoming Contests / QSO Parties

QSO Parties

Contests

• 3rd-4th October - Collegiate Amateur Radio Program – Collegiate QSO Party -The Collegiate QSO Party is an operating event focused on amateur radio clubs at colleges and universities around the world. Each fall, the Collegiate QSO Party provides an opportunity for clubs to demonstrate amateur radio to new members, engage with alumni, and promote activity throughout college and university communities.
• 19th-23rd October - School Club Roundup – A contest for school clubs (Elementary through College/University) to make as many contacts as they are able during the allotted contest time. More information https://www.arrl.org/school-club-roundup
• 31st of Oct through 1st of Nov - EME - 50 to 1296 MHz - To work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz. More information https://www.arrl.org/eme-contest

For more contests check out the 5-week contest calendar at https://www.contestcalendar.com/fivewkcal.php

Drum Roll, Please!! It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

Some minor news about a Nor’easter hitting New Jersey and the surrounding states aside, the weather today will be nice at a high of 74°F to a low of 57°F, and the temperature dropping throughout the weekend to a high in the mid 60s. Weather should start getting distinctly wetter towards Saturday with showers expected from Saturday evening throughout Sunday. So if you are going to do some outdoors fun, do it tonight or early tomorrow.

The solar conditions show:

• An SFI of 112 (solar flux index (SFI) is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great, and a raise from 97 last week)
• A index of 16 ( daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400, and a rise from 9 last week)
• K index of 3 (lower is better, 3= unsettled and weak Earths magnetic field activity, a rise from 1 last week).
• 10-12m are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair to good, with the exception of 40m-80m during the day.

Events

• 26 Sep 0000 UTC through 27 Sept 2026 2359 UTC - CQ WW RTTY Contest

  • I will give RTTY a pass and say that it is a real digital mode, not like that FT4/FT8 thing…. :D However one of the largest RTTY contests is happening this weekend. I am POSITIVE that you will see Brian (N3BMC) on there. More information could be found on the CQ WW RTTY Site.

Special Events Stations

• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1400Z-1900Z Historic Soldiers Weekend Fort Mott State Park, W2M, Pennsville, NJ. Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club. 7 14 21 28. Certificate. Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 370, Pitman, NJ 08071. POTA US-1617. Certificate available via email on request to qsl-request@w2mmd.org. Multiple stations on SSB, CW, and FT8 to run through the event with primary bands 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz and specific frequencies listed on the POTA Spots web page during the event. Hours of operation may extend to 2100Z on Saturday.
• Sep 26, 0900Z-1600Z, Liberty Ship Remembrance Special Event Station K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club. 14.150 - 14.350 7.125 - 7.300 3.600 - 4.000. QSL. Scott Corsano, 108 Old Landing Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.
• Sep 26, 1400Z-2000Z, Steubenville-Weirton Amateur Radio Club America 250 Ft. Steuben Special Event K8F, Steubenville, OH. Steubenville-Weirton Amateur Radio Club. 20M, CW, FT8, SSB 40M, CW, FT8, SSB. Certificate. Polly Givens, 8890 County Road 53, Bergholz, OH 43908. Contacts may download a special event certificate once contact is confirmed.
• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1400Z-2350Z, Tri-states Special Event: Where SD, ND, MN meet W0JH, Stillwater, MN. Stillwater (MN) Amateur Radio Assoc. (SARA). 3.860 7.260 14.260 21.360. Certificate. Shel Mann - N0DRX, 1618 Pine St W, Stillwater, MN 55082. QSL Certificates will ONLY be sent via e-mail in PDF. Send QSO Contact Info ; W0JHwhiterock@outlook.comRequest Certificate at W0JH Stations will be operating from the corners of South Dakota, North Dakota & edge of Minnesota (Grid Square: EN15). Encampment: White Rock, SD.
• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1230Z-0300Z, Villa Rica Gold Rush Special Event W4G, Temple, GA. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society. 3.85 7.30 14.26 21.32. Certificate & QSL. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society, POB 102, Bowdon Junction, GA 30109.
• Sep 26, 1400Z-2000Z, Volcano Days W8PAR, Parkersburg, WV. Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub. 14.225 SSB 14.125 CW 7.200 SSB 7.100 CW FT* ON 20/40. Certificate & QSL. Jerry Wharton, 1722 20th. St., Parkersburg, WV 26101. Honoring the days when oil was a booming industry in Volcano, WV, before a destructive fire destroyed the town in 1879. First oil field in the US to employ the “endless cable pumping system” First regular gauge railroad built in the state of WV. First pipeline to be built in WV.
• Sep 26, 1700Z-2100Z, White Trail Grange Car Show W7TT, Ephrata, WA. Central Washington Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.250 21.350. Certificate. Steven A Adler W7STV, 12548 Dodson Rd NW, Ephrata, WA 98823-9568. cwarc.w7tt.98823@gmail.com
• Sep 27-Sep 29, 1200Z-0200Z, Bolton Mansion / Phineas Pemberton House W3B, Levittown, PA. PENN WIRELESS ASSOCIATION. 7.200 14.250 18.135 146.79 -0.6 131.8PL. Certificate. PENN WIRELESS ASSOCIATION, PO BOX 925, Levittown, PA 19058. The Phineas Pemberton House, also known as Bolton Mansion, built between 1687 and 1790 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1971. Pemberton was a Quaker and close associate of William Penn who served as Register of Wills, Recorder, and Clerk of the Court — integral to early colonial and county government. The house later served as the Sales and Engineering Headquarters for the construction of Levittown, making it a unique bridge between the area’s colonial roots and its 1950s reinvention.

Contests

STATE QSO CONTESTS

ARRL Contests

NO ARRL contests this weekend, but plenty of worldwide contests.

Other Contests

For a more complete listing of upcoming contests, check out the Contest Calendar.

• K1USN Slow Speed Test: 2000Z-2100Z, Sep 25 Rules
• CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY: 0000Z, Sep 26 to 2400Z, Sep 27 Rules
• Bill Windle QSO Party: 0000Z-2359Z, Sep 26 Rules
• YU DX Contest: 1200Z, Sep 26 to 1159Z, Sep 27 Rules
• Maine QSO Party: 1200Z, Sep 26 to 1200Z, Sep 27 Rules
• AGCW VHF/UHF Contest: 1400Z-1700Z, Sep 26 (144) and 1700Z-1800Z, Sep 26 (432) Rules
• Masonic Lodges on the Air: 1400Z-2200Z, Sep 26 Rules
• AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party: 2000Z, Sep 26 to 2400Z, Sep 27 Rules
• UBA ON Contest, 6m: 0700Z-1000Z, Sep 27 Rules

Drum Roll, Please!! It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

The weather for this weekend should be mostly nice, with cloudy to partly cloudy throughout the weekend, leading into showers on Sunday evening. Highs are in the low 80’s, and lows in the low 60’s. Man, this is great camping weather…IDEA!!!!

The solar conditions show an SFI of 97 (solar flux index (SFI) is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great, and a drop from 115 last week, and has been dropping steadily), A index of 9 ( daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400, and a the same from last week), and K index of 0 (lower is better, 0=  VERY quiet and stable Earths magnetic field, a drop from 2 last week). 10-12m are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair to good.

Events

• September 20th 2026 – Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Club – EPARA Hamfest 2026 - Moose Lodge 1336 705 Stokes Mill Rd. East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 (about 3 hrs from APL).

Special Events Stations

• ARRL America250 Worked All States - A Year-Long Worked-All-States Operating Event Celebrating the 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Ongoing.
• Sep 16-Sep 26, 0000Z-0000Z, PAARC Founders Week Special event Station K3ZMC, Pottstown, Pa. Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club . 14.325 7.225 3.980 28.415. Certificate & QSL. Walt Skavinsky KB3SBC, 1574 Layfield Road, Pennsburg, PA 18073-1702. Celebrating 50 Years of Friendship, Service, and Amateur Radio Join the Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club as we celebrate 50 years of organized amateur radio in the Pottstown area. Throughout the week, club members will operate K3ZMC from home, portable, and club stations to commemorate the club’s history, honor its founders, and share the excitement of amateur radio with operators around the world. The celebration begins with a kickoff picnic and continues with 10 days of on-the-air activity across multiple bands and modes. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the friendships, service, and spirit of amateur radio that have defined PAARC for more than five decades. Electronic certificates will be emailed to your QRZ address, and paper QSL cards are available; send SASE to KB3SBC.
• Sep 16-Sep 24, 0000Z-2359Z, The Saving of The Liberty Bell - W3L, Harleysville, PA. WV2M. 7.030 7.240 14.030 14.240. QSL. Frank Gallo , 106 Tweed Way, Harleysville, PA 19438.
• Sep 17-Sep 24, 0700Z-0700Z, Constitution Day/Week W3C, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Jeff Widen. 14.239 7.239 21.339 28.339. QSL. Jeff Widen, 7548 Ramona Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. Special Event celebrating the 239th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Come join us during this second year of this special event. There will be 4 stations on the air this year: W3C, W0C, W4C and W8C. A QSL card and a copy of our Constitution will be available. See our QRZ page at event time. Contact k6qcb@verizon.net
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2000Z, Fred Harvey House Museum on the Air - KSØLV, Leavenworth, KS. Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club. 14.046 14.304 7.240 21.362. QSL. Steve Rice, 6850 Deer Ridge Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226.
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2000Z, State Line Radio Club Annual Picnic W3A, Holtwood, PA. State Line Radio Club. 14.240 21.280. QSL. Edward Reichenbach, 108 PARK CIR, Elkton, MD 21921. State Line Radio Club’s Annual picnic at Muddy Run Park in Holtwood, Pa. Public is welcomed!
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2359Z, Wright Brothers’ First Complete Circular Flight near Dayton, Ohio W8DGN, Bellbrook, OH. Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club (BARC). 7.250 14.317 28.425. Certificate. Secretary, P.O. Box 73, Bellbrook, OH 45305. Contact secretary@bellbrookarc.org
• Sep 20, 1200Z-2000Z, Fort Herkimer Recognition - W2FHA, Ilion, NY. Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Association, Inc.. 7.262 14.262. Certificate. Donald Rankins N2ZWO, 1435 Elizabethtown Rd., Ilion, NY 13357. This special event celebrates Fort Herkimer and the colonists of German Flatts during the American Revolution on the New York frontier. Contact n2zwo@arrl.net

Contests

State QSO Contests

ARRL Contests

• 10 GHz & Up - Round 2 - 19-21 September - For North American amateurs to contact as many amateur stations in as many different locations as possible in North America on bands from 10-GHz through Light. Amateurs are encouraged to operate from more than one location during this event. See the detailed rules for restrictions.

Other Contests

International Contests not ARRL, more information can be found at the Weekly Contest Calendar.

It’s time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, keeping you up to date on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned for this weekend.

Weather

The weekend weather isn’t looking terrible at least. Mostly cloudy throughout the weekend with rising chances of rain in the forecast, and AM showers on Sunday. Highs are in the low 80’s with lows in the high 60’s. This is almost camping weather!! The solar conditions show an SFI of 115 (solar flux index (SFI) is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great, and a drop from 122 last week), A index of 9 ( daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400, and a rise from 4 last week), and K index of 2 (lower is better, 2= quiet and stable Earths magnetic field, a rise from 1 last week). 10-12m are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair to good.

Events

• September 12th, 2026, 9am-4pm -  2026 Hagerstown Wings & Wheels Expo! – A little out of norm for us, but showcased on the Antietam Radio Association. Featuring the Hagerstown Aviation Museum’s extensive collection of vintage aircraft built in Hagerstown. 14211 Basore Dr. and parking at 18450 Showalter Rd.
• September 12 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Baltimore Amateur Radio Club - POTA / FOXHUNT – Sept? Place Soldier’s Delight Natural Area US-6396 - The main Lot will be for the fox hunt start. It is important for visitors and their pets to stay on the trails. Pre-planned triangulation from the trails.
• September 13 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm - Clearfield County Amateur Radio Club, CCARC - 2026 Central Pennsylvania Hamfest at Clearfield PA (about 3 hours from APL)- Hamfest season has begun!! 8 AM Hamfest opens, 8 AM ARES® Meeting, 9 AM SKYWARN Spotter Training, 10 AM ARRL Atlantic Division Director & Section Manager, 11AM VE Testing, 11:30AM Prize Drawings, 12 PM Close. $5 Inside Vendor Table: $10 Tailgate Spaces: $5

Special Events Stations

• Aug 29-Sep 12, 1300Z-2300Z, Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival Special Event Station K9A, Auburn, IN. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. 7.180MHz 14.250MHz 28.350 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association, P.O. Box 145, Auburn, In 46706-0145. Contact w9ou@w9ou.org.
• Sep 9-Sep 16, 0000Z-2359Z, Handiham Radio Camp W0ZSW, Minneapolis, MN. Handiham Radio Club. 28.050 CW & 28.350 SSB 21.050 CW & 21.350 SSB 14.050 CW & 14.250 SSB 7.050 CW & 7.200 SSB. QSL. Handiham Program, 3915 Golden Valley Road, Mail Route 78446, Minneapolis, MN 55422. In honor of the Handiham Program’s 59th Anniversary, the Handiham Radio Club and the Handiham Radio Club of Minnesota are sponsoring a QSO party during the 2026 Radio Camp. The object is for Handiham members to work as many stations as possible during the week of camp. We also will use this opportunity to promote and give more details about the Handiham Program and the Handiham Radio Clubs for those who are interested. We will be active on all amateur bands and modes to make contacts including digital and VOIP modes. The exchange is simply name and state, province, or country. Stations may be using their own call signs in addition to the club and special event call signs, W0ZSW, W0EQO, and W0H. Please listen for stations calling CQ Radio Camp, and give us a contact! Sponsored by the Handiham Radio Club & Handiham Radio Club of Minnesota. Contact fred@wb4aej.com
• Sep 11-Sep 12, 1200Z-0100Z, Pentagon 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 - K4AF, Fairfax, VA. K4AF. 20 meters 40 Meters. QSL. K4AF, P. O . Box 2322, Arlington, VA 22202.
• Sep 11-Sep 13, 1300Z-1700Z, The RC Jamborie Weekend W2A, Red Hook, NY. OMARC. 7 14 21 28. QSL. Scott Miller, 141 Bruynswick Road, New Paltz, NY 12561.
• Sep 12, 1500Z-2100Z, 60th Anniversary Special Event Station - WA0CJU, Waseca, MN. Viking Amateur Radio Society. 14.074 14.250 7.074 7.225. Certificate & QSL. Kevin F Dirks, 1705 Clear Lake Drive, Waseca, MN 56093. QSL information is on our QRZ page. SASE will be required. Certificate will be folded to fit SASE provided. Contact wasecavars@yahoo.com.
• Sep 12, 1700Z-2359Z, 9/11 25th Anniversary - NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW. 7.250 14.320 14.070 PSK31 DStar on PAPA System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Sep 12, 1330Z-2100Z, Baltimore Defender’s Day - K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7,14,18,21,28 MHz. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113.
• Sep 12-Sep 20, 0000Z-2359Z, Route 66 On the Air - W6H, Rio Rancho, NM. Albuquerque DX Association. 7266 14074 14266 18080. QSL. Bill Mader W6H, 4701 Sombrerete Rd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124.
• Sep 12, 1500Z-2100Z, VARS 60th Anniversary Special Event Station - WA0CJU, Waseca, MN. Viking Amateur Radio Society. 14.275 MHz 7.250 MHz 14.074 MHz 7.074 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Kevin Dirks, 1705 Clear Lake Dr, Waseca, MN 56093. Certificate and QSL information, along with a brief history, may also be found on QRZ. Contact wa0jgt@arrl.net.
• Sep 13, 1000Z-1600Z, Blue Ridge Bonanza - W4CA, Roanoke, VA. Roanoke Valley ARC. 7.220 14.250. QSL. Roanoake Valley ARC, PO Box 2002 , Roanoke, VA 24009. Blue Ridge Bonanza is a yearly celebration of the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Members and others will be at different locations on the parkway with stations ex W4CA/Mile Marker.

State QSO Contests

Contests

ARRL Contests

• September VHF Contest - September 12-14 - For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada.

Other Contests

International Contests not ARRL but more information can be found at the Weekly Contest Calender site.

Last Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, was the 32nd Monthly Net since we restarted in Feb. 2024!

KD3BTQ (Brian C.) served as Net Control. 🎤

It was a beautiful warm evening, and we had two radios, the 2m Yaesu and the Icom IC-9100, tuned up to the CARA repeater. The Net opened promptly at 5:30PM, and KC3SPF (Collin) read the news prepared by KC3FOX (Bill). 🗞️

We reported on some historical events for September, including banning amateur radio activities during WW1, the first Hurricane Watch Net for Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and amateur radio support in 9/11 relief efforts.

Club activities last month included:

• The club’s ILLW activations
• POTA activations by KC3FOX (Bill), and by KC3SPF (Collin) and KC3YIP (Jessie)
• W3RJX (Will)’s camping trip and SOTA activation at Mill Mountain
• RTTY contesting
• CPOTA SSTV
• Club license exams organized by WA0CGZ (Helene) and our VECs last month
• And the club’s new Discord channel

We had some excitement when a circuit breaker tripped in the middle of reading the News, shutting off the radios, and KD3BTQ and KC3FOX hot-footed it to their vehicles to continue the Net from their mobile rigs. Way to hustle! 🐾 The show must go on!

The Question of the Month was, “What is your favorite or most memorable contact?” We had lots of fun stories, including many people talking about their first contact on the radio and thrilling DX contacts. The full Net report will be posted on the Wiki later.

73 KC3ZZW (Zoe)

This Month In Amateur Radio History

• September is National Preparedness Month.
• September 1915 – The first mention of amateur radio appeared in a local newspaper, the Asheville Citizen, which quoted President Taft about domestic security.
• September 1917 – Due to the Great War (World War 1), the US Government banned amateur radio activity. With no radio activity permitted and 80% of the amateurs at war, ARRL ceased publication of QST magazine.
• September 2, 1938 - The new Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, was dedicated at 225 Main Street in Newington, CT. The Station was in memory of Hiram Percy Maxim, the Founder and first President of the ARRL, who died in February 1936.
• September 13, 1938, Ross Hull, Editor of QST, died after being electrocuted in his home. He had been working on a homebrew TV receiver. So video did actually kill the radio star…
• September 11, 1958 - the FCC came to a decision: “our” 11 meter band would be removed from us and turned over to the new Class C and Class D Citizens Band
• September 1965, Hurricane Betsy hit Florida, the Bahamas, and the central US Gulf Cost. Gerald E. “Jerry” Murphy, K8YUW, then 28 years old, was stationed at the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island. “During his time off, he handled countless phone patches and messages to and from military-deployed personnel as a member of the Intercontinental Amateur Radio Net (IARN) on 14.320 MHz. The public was becoming concerned. In 1965, there wasn’t any access to 24-hour news and weather reports. Murphy suggested to the IARN net manager to move those interested in the storm up 5 kHz to get them off the net, and the net manager agreed. Marcy Rice, KZ5MM, located in the Canal Zone (Panama), followed Murphy, and together they established the first Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz.”
• September 11th, 2001 – Due to the Terrorist attacks, Ham radio operators mobilized to New York, and Pennsylvania to support disaster relief efforts.
• September 2005 and 2017 – Amateur radio operators deployed to Louisiana (Hurricane Katrina) and Puerto Rico (Hurricane Maria) to support the American Red Cross to help restore communications networks.

Radio News

Huge Grant For Next Generation Problem Solvers

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announced today a historic and transformational $1 million gift from Dr. James M. Galm, W8WTS. An entrepreneur and amateur radio operator who spent his career solving complex energy and engineering challenges, Galm is now investing in the next generation of problem solvers through his support of ARRL.

The gift will directly support ARRL programs and activities, including the ARRL STEM education initiative within the Education and Technology Program, and ARRL’s work defending access to amateur radio spectrum through the Spectrum Defense Fund. He didn’t stop there, however. Dr. Galm expressed how important ARRL is to the future of amateur radio by designating a significant portion of his gift as unrestricted support to the ARRL Diamond Club, which supports ARRL’s general fund, and the Second Century Fund, ARRL’s unrestricted endowment fund, which will be invested and support ARRL operations in perpetuity.

Green Bank Observatory / National Radio Quiet Zone Reviewing Rules For SOTA/POTA

AG4VA (a SOTA legend) has been coordinating with the Green Bank Observatory to work on future rules/regulations surrounding SOTA operation near the GBO.

One thing that makes the results a little difficult to interpret is that Green Bank doesn’t look at ham radio operations quite the same way we normally do. We normally think in terms of transmitter power — 5 watts, 10 watts, 100 watts, etc. Green Bank is concerned with how much RF energy from our transmitters ultimately reaches their radio astronomy equipment. We can’t have a conscientious activator follow the published instructions, contact Green Bank before an activation, and then be faced with a technical standard that may be impossible to meet or practically verify on the summit. We need the restrictions to be known before someone plans an activation. More information to follow.

W3APL Last Month’s Events

• W3APL held a Re-Inaugural VE testing on campus, mostly focusing at club members and the interns/students that had an interest in ham radio. We are licensed through the ARRL VEC, and was able to have a great success. We were able to re-test a Ham whose license was lapsed by over 5 years, as well as a club member upgrading their license to General. We had a few that were able to get a good head start for their eventual successful license/upgrades! We plan on having quarterly testing sessions, so look forward to more information in the near future.
• W3APL club members (Brian (N3BMC), Helene (WA0CGZ), Brian (KD3BTQ) Zoe (KC3ZZW) Robert (KB3KTA) AJ (KD3DMJ) and Johan (NI3C), in conjunction with Laurel Amateur Radio Club, participated in the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse activation in support of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. 6 club members setup at the lighthouse and made almost 50 contacts with 7 other lighthouses, not to mention some POTA activators and a state fair. Such a very cool location to operate out of!
• There were numerous participations in Parks on the Air (POTA) and digital mode contests (RTTY mostly), including a successful activation of the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378) by Bill (KC3FOX), and Collin (KC3SPF) and newly upgraded General Class Jessie (KC3YIP) activated Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge (US-0334), helping show portable HF to a new upgrade!
• Zoe (KC3ZZW) participated in Cat Pictures on the Air (CPOTA) on 8/8/26, and was able to successfully receive an SSTV picture of a cat from the Technical University of Hamburg Radio Club (DL0TUH). All the awesome technology in the world, and we use it to trade cat pictures.
• Will (W3RJX) activated Mill Mountain (W4V/HB-023), and then completed a hike of 12 miles and a camping trip combined. He is currently well on his way to a Mountain Goat award in SOTA with 696 points! Even typing that whole thing made me tired!
• From an administrative note, W3APL has been testing out a new Discord channel to better communicate with members, and including members without direct access to the lab (moved on, retired, etc).

Upcoming Events

• September 3 @ 6:30 pm – October 15 @ 9:30 pm Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM) Amateur Radio Technician Class Licensing (K3RA) - Free, weekly, live,— First Session Is 09/03 - A free, weekly, live, Amateur Radio Technician Class Licensing course on Zoom will begin on Thursday, Sept 3, and will run through Thursday, October 15 (7 sessions). The three-hour sessions will start at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. These are the classes that we have been holding for years sponsored by the National Electronics Museum. Please publicize this with anyone you know that you think would be interested. Email roland.anders@comcast.net.
• September 5 @ 8:00 am – September 6 @ 5:00 pm - Carroll County Amateur Radio Club (CCARC) - Technician 2 day course . All classes are at the Carroll County Public Safety Training Center, 50 Kate Wagner Rd, Westminster. Classes are free. We recommend the ARRL License Manual as a study aid. The License manual can be purchased from the ARRL or from Amazon. Email us at ccarc.k3pzn@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
• September 12 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Baltimore Amateur Radio Club - POTA / FOXHUNT – Sept? Place Soldier’s Delight Natural Area US-6396 - The main Lot will be for the fox hunt start. It is important for visitors and their pets to stay on the trails. Pre-planned triangulation from the trails.
• September 13 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm - Clearfield County Amateur Radio Club, CCARC - 2026 Central Pennsylvania Hamfest at Clearfield PA (about 3 hours from APL)- Hamfest season has begun!! 8 AM Hamfest opens, 8 AM ARES® Meeting, 9 AM SKYWARN Spotter Training, 10 AM ARRL Atlantic Division Director & Section Manager, 11AM VE Testing, 11:30AM Prize Drawings, 12 PM Close. $5 Inside Vendor Table: $10 Tailgate Spaces: $5
• September 20th 2026 – Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association – EPARA Hamfest 2026 - Moose Lodge 1336 705 Stokes Mill Rd. East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 (about 3 hrs from APL).
• October 3rd 2026 – Red Rose Repeater Hamfest - Garden Spot Fire & Rescue Sta 1 331 East Main Street New Holland, PA 17557. A Hamfest in New Holland PA (approx. 2.5 hrs from APL)
• October 4th 2026 – 7am to Noon – Columbia Area Radio Association (CARA) – CARAFEST - Howard County Fairgrounds West Friendship, MD 2210 Fairgrounds Rd, West Friendship, MD 21794 CARA Fest is an annual event hosted by the Columbia Amateur Radio Association (CARA, K3CUJ). It brings together amateur radio operators (“hams”) and those interested in other electronics-related activities to exchange ideas, expertise, enthusiasm, and equipment. CARA Fest provides a variety of educational and sales opportunities. W3APL is planning on having a booth at the event! Come out and visit with us.

Upcoming Contests / QSO Parties

QSO Parties

Contests

• EME - 2.3 GHz & Up - 5-6 September - To work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency above 50 MHz.
• September VHF - 12-14 September -= For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada.

• 10 GHz & Up - Round 2 - 19-21 September - For North American amateurs to contact as many amateur stations in as many different locations as possible in North America on bands from 10-GHz through Light. Amateurs are encouraged to operate from more than one location during this event. See the detailed rules for restrictions.

• More contests from the 5 Week Contest Calendar

Special Events Stations

So many Special Events stations through the month, but I will highlight the upcoming ones.

• ARRL America250 Worked All States - A Year-Long Worked-All-States Operating Event Celebrating the 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Is still ongoing.
• Sep 5-Sep 6, 1700Z-2100Z, Route 66 100th Anniversary - W9SPI, Springfield, IL. Sanagmon Valley Radio Club. 7180 khz 14250 khz 21325 khz 28400 khz. QSL. Sangamon Valley Radio Club, PO Box 9162, Springfield, IL 62791-9162. SASE to: Sangamon Valley Radio Club Box 9162, Springfield IL 62791-9162. Primary operating hours from 1700 UTC to 21utc both days.
• Sep 11-Sep 12, 1200Z-0100Z, Pentagon 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 - K4AF, Fairfax, VA. K4AF. 20 meters 40 Meters. QSL. K4AF, P. O . Box 2322, Arlington, VA 22202.
• Sep 13, 1000Z-1600Z, Blue Ridge Bonanza - W4CA, Roanoke, VA. Roanoke Valley ARC. 7.220 14.250. QSL. Roanoake Valley ARC, PO Box 2002 , Roanoke, VA 24009. Blue Ridge Bonanza is a yearly celebration of the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Members and others will be at different locations on the parkway with stations ex W4CA/Mile Marker.
• Aug 29-Sep 12, 1300Z-2300Z, Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival Special Event Station K9A, Auburn, IN. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. 7.180MHz 14.250MHz 28.350 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association, P.O. Box 145, Auburn, In 46706-0145.
• Aug 29-Sep 7, 0000Z-2359Z, Buhl Farm Park Celebration W3LIF, Hermitage, PA. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club. 7.185 7.074. QSL. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 996, Sharon, PA 16146. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club is celebrating BUHL DAY, the 111th Anniversary of Buhl Farm Park, which covers 300 acres donated to the Shenango Valley community by Frank Buhl a local industrialist, for the use and recreation purposes. Check the webpage for scheduled times of W3B operation or the QRZ website for W3B for more information. As conditions permit you will find operators at various times on from August 29 to all day on September 7, 2026.
• Sep 3-Sep 6, 1400Z-1800Z, Midwest Old Threshers Reunion Special Event W0ARC THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!, Washington, IA. Washington Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc. 28.400 21.300 14.300 7.200. QSL. Mark Lukins-AB0DX, 802 N. Second Ave, Washington, IA 52353.
• Sep 5-Sep 7, 1600Z-1600Z, Return to Paradise #48 - K7RDG, Sierra Vista, AZ. Cochise Amateur Radio Asoc.. 3890 7.225 14.070 14.285. Certificate. Cochise ARA, PO Box 1855, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636-1855. Return to Paradise 48th Anniversary, Voice, FT8/FT4/JS8.
• Sep 5, 1200Z-2000Z, W2GSB POTA Activation W2GSB, Babylon, NY. Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. 14.245, 28.500, 21.325, 7.275. QSL GSBARC POTA Station, 200 East Sunrise Hwy, Lindenhurst, NY 11757.
• Sep 5, 1300Z-2100Z, W8OG Special Event 250th Birthday Celebration, Springfield, Oh. Clark County Armature Radio Association. 3.900, 7.280, 14.280, 28.600. QSL W8OG Special Event, , Springfield, OH 45501-2911. When requesting a QSL card please enclose a self addressed postage paid envelope.
• Sep 9-Sep 11, 0000Z-2359Z, FRVA-ARC Fall Rally WE4RV, Pleasant Hill, TN. FRVA Amateur Radio Chapter. 14.074, 14.3075, 21.074, 21.277. QSL Doug Borko, PO BOX 368 , Pleasant Hill, TN 38578. PO BOX 368 Pleasant Hill, TN 38578 USA
• Sep 9-Sep 16, 0000Z-2359Z, Handiham Radio Camp W0ZSW, Minneapolis, MN. Handiham Radio Club. 28.050 CW, 28.350 SSB, 21.050 CW, 21.350 SSB, 14.050 CW, 14.250 SSB, 7.050 CW, & 7.200 SSB. QSL Handiham Program, 3915 Golden Valley Road, Mail Route 78446, Minneapolis, MN 55422. In honor of the Handiham Program’s 59th Anniversary, the Handiham Radio Club and the Handiham Radio Club of Minnesota are sponsoring a QSO party during the 2026 Radio Camp. The object is for Handiham members to work as many stations as possible during the week of camp. We also will use this opportunity to promote and give more details about the Handiham Program and the Handiham Radio Clubs for those who are interested. We will be active on all amateur bands and modes to make contacts including digital and VOIP modes. The exchange is simply name and state, province, or country. Stations may be using their own call signs in addition to the club and special event call signs, W0ZSW, W0EQO, and W0H. Please listen for stations calling CQ Radio Camp, and give us a contact! Sponsored by the Handiham Radio Club & Handiham Radio Club of Minnesota.
• Sep 11-Sep 13, 1300Z-1700Z, The RC Jamborie Weekend W2A, Red Hook, NY. OMARC. 7 14 21 28. QSL. Scott Miller, 141 Bruynswick Road, New Paltz, NY 12561.
• Sep 12, 1500Z-2100Z, 60th Anniversary Special Event Station - WA0CJU, Waseca, MN. Viking Amateur Radio Society. 14.074 14.250 7.074 7.225. Certificate & QSL. Kevin F Dirks, 1705 Clear Lake Drive, Waseca, MN 56093. QSL information is on our QRZ page. SASE will be required. Certificate will be folded to fit SASE provided. Contact wasecavars@yahoo.com.
• Sep 12, 1700Z-2359Z, 9/11 25th Anniversary - NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW. 7.250 14.320 14.070 PSK31 DStar on PAPA System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Sep 12, 1330Z-2100Z, Baltimore Defender’s Day - K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7,14,18,21,28 MHz. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113.
• Sep 12-Sep 20, 0000Z-2359Z, Route 66 On the Air - W6H, Rio Rancho, NM. Albuquerque DX Association. 7,266, 14.074, 14.266, 18.080. QSL. Bill Mader W6H, 4701 Sombrerete Rd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124.
• Sep 12, 1500Z-2100Z, VARS 60th Anniversary Special Event Station - WA0CJU, Waseca, MN. Viking Amateur Radio Society. 14.275 MHz 7.250 MHz 14.074 MHz 7.074 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Kevin Dirks, 1705 Clear Lake Dr, Waseca, MN 56093. Certificate and QSL information, along with a brief history, may also be found on QRZ. Contact: wa0jgt@arrl.net
• Sep 13, 1000Z-1600Z, Blue Ridge Bonanza - W4CA, Roanoke, VA. Roanoke Valley ARC. 7.220 & 14.250. QSL. Roanoake Valley ARC, PO Box 2002 , Roanoke, VA 24009. Blue Ridge Bonanza is a yearly celebration of the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Members and others will be at different locations on the parkway with stations ex W4CA/Mile Marker.
• Sep 16-Sep 26, 0000Z-0000Z, PAARC Founders Week Special event Station K3ZMC, Pottstown, Pa. Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club. 14.325, 7.225, 3.980, & 28.415. Certificate & QSL. Walt Skavinsky KB3SBC, 1574 Layfield Road, Pennsburg, PA 18073-1702. Celebrating 50 Years of Friendship, Service, and Amateur Radio Join the Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club as we celebrate 50 years of organized amateur radio in the Pottstown area. Throughout the week, club members will operate K3ZMC from home, portable, and club stations to commemorate the club’s history, honor its founders, and share the excitement of amateur radio with operators around the world. The celebration begins with a kickoff picnic and continues with 10 days of on-the-air activity across multiple bands and modes. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the friendships, service, and spirit of amateur radio that have defined PAARC for more than five decades. Electronic certificates will be emailed to your QRZ address, and paper QSL cards are available; send SASE to KB3SBC.
• Sep 16-Sep 24, 0000Z-2359Z, The Saving of The Liberty Bell - W3L, Harleysville, PA. WV2M. 7.030, 7.240, 14.030, & 14.240. QSL. Frank Gallo , 106 Tweed Way, Harleysville, PA 19438.
• Sep 17-Sep 24, 0700Z-0700Z, Constitution Day/Week W3C, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Jeff Widen. 14.239, 7.239, 21.339, 28.339. QSL. Jeff Widen, 7548 Ramona Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. Special Event celebrating the 239th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Come join us during this second year of this special event. There will be 4 stations on the air this year: W3C, W0C, W4C and W8C. A QSL card and a copy of our Constitution will be available. See our QRZ page at event time. Contact: K6qcb@verizon.net
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2000Z, Fred Harvey House Museum on the Air - KSØLV, Leavenworth, KS. Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club. 14.046, 14.304, 7.240, & 21.362. QSL. Steve Rice, 6850 Deer Ridge Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226.
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2000Z, State Line Radio Club Annual Picnic W3A, Holtwood, PA. State Line Radio Club. 14.240 & 21.280. QSL. Edward Reichenbach, 108 PARK CIR, Elkton, MD 21921. State Line Radio Club’s Annual picnic at Muddy Run Park in Holtwood, Pa. Public is welcomed!
• Sep 19, 1400Z-2359Z, Wright Brothers’ First Complete Circular Flight near Dayton, Ohio W8DGN, Bellbrook, OH. Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club (BARC). 7.250, 14.317, & 28.425. Certificate. Secretary, P.O. Box 73, Bellbrook, OH 45305. Contact: secretary@bellbrookarc.org
• Sep 20, 1200Z-2000Z, Fort Herkimer Recognition - W2FHA, Ilion, NY. Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Association, Inc.. 7.262 14.262. Certificate. Donald Rankins N2ZWO, 1435 Elizabethtown Rd., Ilion, NY 13357. This special event celebrates Fort Herkimer and the colonists of German Flatts during the American Revolution on the New York frontier. Contact: n2zwo@arrl.net
• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1400Z-1900Z Historic Soldiers Weekend Fort Mott State Park, W2M, Pennsville, NJ. Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club. 7 14 21 28. Certificate. Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 370, Pitman, NJ 08071. POTA US-1617. Certificate available via email on request to qsl-request@w2mmd.org. Multiple stations on SSB, CW, and FT8 to run through the event with primary bands 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz and specific frequencies listed on the POTA Spots web page during the event. Hours of operation may extend to 2100Z on Saturday.
• Sep 26, 0900Z-1600Z, Liberty Ship Remembrance Special Event Station K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club. 14.150 - 14.350 7.125 - 7.300 3.600 - 4.000. QSL. Scott Corsano, 108 Old Landing Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.
• Sep 26, 1400Z-2000Z, Steubenville-Weirton Amateur Radio Club America 250 Ft. Steuben Special Event K8F, Steubenville, OH. Steubenville-Weirton Amateur Radio Club. 20M, CW, FT8, SSB 40M, CW, FT8, SSB. Certificate. Polly Givens, 8890 County Road 53, Bergholz, OH 43908. Contacts may download a special event certificate once contact is confirmed. The website is .
• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1400Z-2350Z, Tri-states Special Event: Where SD, ND, MN meet W0JH, Stillwater, MN. Stillwater (MN) Amateur Radio Assoc. (SARA). 3.860 7.260 14.260 21.360. Certificate. Shel Mann - N0DRX, 1618 Pine St W, Stillwater, MN 55082. QSL Certificates will ONLY be sent via e-mail in PDF. Send QSO Contact Info ; W0JHwhiterock@outlook.com Request Certificate at W0JH Stations will be operating from the corners of South Dakota, North Dakota & edge of Minnesota (Grid Square: EN15). Encampment: White Rock, SD
• Sep 26-Sep 27, 1230Z-0300Z, Villa Rica Gold Rush Special Event W4G, Temple, GA. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society. 3.85 7.30 14.26 21.32. Certificate & QSL. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society, POB 102, Bowdon Junction, GA 30109.
• Sep 26, 1400Z-2000Z, Volcano Days W8PAR, Parkersburg, WV. Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub. 14.225 SSB 14.125 CW 7.200 SSB 7.100 CW FT* ON 20/40. Certificate & QSL. Jerry Wharton, 1722 20th. St., Parkersburg, WV 26101. Honoring the days when oil was a booming industry in Volcano, WV, before a destructive fire destroyed the town in 1879. First oil field in the US to employ the “endless cable pumping system” First regular gauge railroad built in the state of WV. First pipeline to be built in WV.
• Sep 26, 1700Z-2100Z, White Trail Grange Car Show W7TT, Ephrata, WA. Central Washington Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.250 21.350. Certificate. Steven A Adler W7STV, 12548 Dodson Rd NW, Ephrata, WA 98823-9568. cwarc.w7tt.98823@gmail.com
• Sep 27-Sep 29, 1200Z-0200Z, Bolton Mansion / Phineas Pemberton House W3B, Levittown, PA. Penn Wireless Association. 7.200 14.250 18.135 146.79 -0.6 131.8PL. Certificate. Penn Wireless Association, PO BOX 925, Levittown, PA 19058. The Phineas Pemberton House, also known as Bolton Mansion, built between 1687 and 1790 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1971. Pemberton was a Quaker and close associate of William Penn who served as Register of Wills, Recorder, and Clerk of the Court — integral to early colonial and county government. The house later served as the Sales and Engineering Headquarters for the construction of Levittown, making it a unique bridge between the area’s colonial roots and its 1950s reinvention.

Wow!! I am actually starting to get this Weekend Brief out in a more reasonable hour…. Since I have my warm cup of socially acceptable caffeine addiction, I am ready to charge into the day!!! It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

Mostly sunny (as opposed to partly cloudy?) with a 65% chance of Rain on Saturday. Highs in the high 70s to low 80s throughout the weekend and lows in the mid 60s. The solar conditions show an SFI of 125 (Higher the better up to about 300, so not great, and a raise from 108 last week), A index of 11 (lower is better from 0-400, and a raise from 7 last week), and K index of 1 (lower better, 1 = quiet Earths magnetic field, down from 2 last week). 10 and 12m are fair to poor, with 15m through 80m should be pretty good.

Events

Brian (N3BMC) is setting up an external Discord channel for W3APL, and has a number of people supporting the beta test. Get on it, and try it out!

There are two Hamfests… maybe not in the area, but still… The National ARRL Huntsville (AL) Hamfest and the TARCFest out of Tampa Florida.

Y’all feel like a bit of a drive, right!?!

Special Event Stations

• Aug 22, 1330Z-2100Z, NS Savannah Maiden Voyage Anniversary (K3S), Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7,14,18,21,28 MHz. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Road, Odenton, MD 21113.
• Aug 23, 1700Z-2100Z, Green Valley Amateur Radio Club 47th Anniversary (WE7GV), Sahuarita, AZ. Green Valley Amateur Radio Club. 14.242 14.246 14.248. Certificate & QSL. Tom Lang K7VOA, 1085 W EL TORO RD, 1085 W EL TORO RD, Sahuarita, AZ 85629.

State QSO Parties

• Hawaii QSO Party – 1600Z, Aug 22 to 0400Z, Aug 24, 2026
• Ohio QSO Party – 1600Z, Aug 22 to 0400Z, Aug 23, 2026

Contests

• 2000Z-2100Z, Aug 21 -  K1USN Slow Speed Test – Worldwide CW slow speed practice.
• 0600Z, Aug 22 to 0600Z, Aug 23 - Turkiye HF Contest – Worldwide CW and SSB contest, obviously out of Turkey.
• 1200Z, Aug 22 to 1200Z, Aug 23 - YO DX HF Contest – Worldwide CW and SSB contest out of Romania.
• 1200Z, Aug 22 to 1200Z, Aug 23 - ARSI VU DX Contest – Worldwide CW and SSB contest focusing on India.
• 1800Z, Aug 22 to 2100Z, Aug 23 - CVA DX Contest, SSB – Worldwide SSB contest out of Brazil.

• July 1914 The Amateur Radio Relay League was founded by Hiram Percy Maxim.

• July 2nd, 1921 Amateur Radio Broadcasters started setting up their own little broadcast stations, and by the end of 1921, it was estimated that 1200 amateurs had made at least one broadcast. Some had regular programs and schedules and would become the first commercial stations. However in July 1921, over 400,000 people listened into commentators on the Dempsey-Carpentier boxing match. Radio sales approached 100,000 per near, not counting crystal sets which were selling at 20,000 a month! This might become a problem for the fledging amateurs…

• July 24, 1924 The Department of Commerce authorized new amateur frequency bands. They were 150 to 200 meters (1.500 to 2.000 Mhz), 75 to 80 meters (3.500 to 4.000 Mhz), 40 to 43 meters (7.000 to 7.500 Mhz), 20 to 22 meters (13.600 to 15.000 Mhz), and 4 to 5 meters (60.000 to 75.000 Mhz). Obviously these have shifted a hair… Except for a portion of the 150 to 200 meter band, spark was prohibited. A spark station on 200 meters actually generated a signal from 150 to 250 meters. Since CW took only a fraction of the bandwidth that spark did, over 50 CW stations in the same area could occupy the 150 to 250 meter range vs one spark station. Spark would survive in the hands of a few rebels until 1927 when it was banned altogether. CW was here to stay.

• July 1954 The first amateur two way contact with the Moon was achieved on 1296 Mhz via Moon Bounce by the Rhododendron Swamp VHF Society in Massachusetts. It was noticed in 1954 that 2 m signals were reflected by the moon. In 1954, the Naval Research Laboratory was able to accomplish a moon bounce.

• July 1970 During protests against the Vietnam war on many college campuses, a ham radio net appeared on 7.260 and 14.294 MHz used to gather and exchange information on what was happening on campuses nationwide. The net was so good at this they began to feed news to wire services and major networks. However, as talks became heated on the merits of the war, that it started coordinating funds, strike activities (including shipping draft cards to DC for a massive bonfire) and boycott activities. Then deliberate jamming and name calling started. The controversy led to an article in the July 1970 issue of QST (page 9) on the use of Amateur bands for heated political discussion, and the capability of broadcasts going international could have negative political consequences. ARRL condemned both the Jammers calling them “frontier justice vigilantes”, and the use of the air waves for political discussions including arguing about the Vietnam War. Letters poured into QST with a 2:1 ratio against using Ham Radio for political discussion.

Radio News

Wow… so many articles about clubs participating in Field Day…

However, there is an interesting discussion on the two climbers who (illegally) scaled to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, and may have been exposed to MASSIVE amounts of RF energy. One report showed up to 19 local FM stations and television broadcasts they would have had to have almost physical contact with as they made their climb. Good news, nothing was more than 7KW… Broadcasters tried to shut down their signals as soon as they were notified, but…

W3APL Last Month’s Events

The most obvious event from last month is most definitely the ARRL Field Day gathering. While the weather was touch and go, with expected downpours and the time frame was very flexible, we had about 10 club members show up and invited outside groups including Cub Scouts to show up and showcase Amateur Radio. We even had Steve (W3MEG) show up and introduce himself to everyone! Thank you to Robert (KB3KTA) on his outstanding job of herding cats, and planning the evolution. It was outstanding!

And our own club President, Brian (KB3BMC) was able to successfully complete the 13 Colonies Event this last weekend by making contact with special events stations located in the original 13 colonies (NY, VA, RI, CT, DE, MD, GA, MA, NJ, NC, NH, SC, PA). Some of them both by SSB voice and digital means. Congrats!!

We had five of our members who tested for either initial or upgraded licenses, a HUGE congratulations!

And of course our well received Monthly Net…

Upcoming Events

I think the radio world takes July off from events… but not Will (W3RJX)

• July 9th, 2026 @5:30pm, the W3APL Monthly Net (of course!)
• July 11th 2026 9am to Noon-ish – Bacon and Baluns. The well received W3APL meet up starting as breakfast at Mikey and Mels (8191 Maple Lawn BLVD, Fulton MD), followed by fun and exciting activities at the Ham Shack, until we have to go home.
• July 11th (Rain date August 1st)– Sugarloaf Mountain Summits on the Air (SOTA) excursion – This excursion is directly following the Bacon and Baluns event, so you don’t have to make a choice between the two. Located about an hour drive from APL, Sugarloaf Mountain has beautiful vistas, and not a difficult hike up. There is a small (optional) request for park entrance in cash. Afterwards, Will (W3RJX) is coordinating a 5-7mile group hike, and a get together. Flyer has been released on Slack with more information, or contact Will (W3RJX)
• July 17th-19th – Spruce Knob Summits on the Air (SOTA) excursion – A bit of a longer excursion, but a chance for some outstanding views and skywatching at night on Spruce Knob West Virginia. Located about 4 hours from APL, with actually a very short hike up to the top of the mountain, the event should be an outstanding excursion to take your radio for a walk. This “camping” event combines both Amateur Radio and Amateur Astronomy clubs at APL. Participants are free to come and go, and local lodging is available for those who do not wish to camp. Flyer has been released on Slack with more information, or contact Will (W3RJX) Aug 6th, 2026 @5:30pm, the next W3APL Monthly Net

Upcoming Contests / QSO Parties

QSO Parties

Alabama - Alabama QSO Party - 1500Z, Jul 25 to 0300Z, Jul 26, 2026

Contests

• July 11-12, 2026 - 1200 UTC Saturday - 1159 UTC Sunday - IARU HF World Championship - To support amateur self-training in radiocommunications including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and intercommunicating with other amateurs around the world, especially IARU member society headquarters stations, using the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands.

SPECIAL EVENTS STATIONS

SOOOOOO Many, I am not going to read them on air, but pay attention to the Slack Channel, and Weekend updates. Here are three to highlight:

• Jun 11-Jul 19, 0000Z-2359Z, Football/Futbol On The Air - the 2026 World Soccer Tournament - W1C, W2C, K0C, K4C, W5C, VC3F and VB7F, W5C is on 14.074. Certificate & QSL. Ron Franklin , 120 PR 22223, Whitney, TX 76692. info@wc2026ses.org
• Jun 12-Jul 19, 0000Z-2300Z, World Soccer Tournament - WM3PEN, Philadelphia, PA. Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club. 14.276 7.276. QSL. Bob Josuweit, 3341 Sheffield Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19136.
• Jul 4-Jul 10, 1400Z-2359Z, Annual Convention of the National Speleological Society - K9V, Corydon, IN. K7NSS. 7.195 14.285 7.050 14.050. QSL. John DeRoo K4VER, 2029 Silvastone Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30345. We plan to work through the day on 4th and 5th; Holiday style thereafter.
• Jul 11, 1400Z-2000Z, Colonial Williamsburg Special Event - K4RC, Williamsburg, VA. Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club. 7.265 14.265. Certificate. Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 1470, Williamsburg, VA 23187.
• Jul 11, 1700Z-2359Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW. 7.250 14.320 14.070 PSK31 DStar on PAPA System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Ship Museum CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.
• Jul 12-Jul 13, 1400Z-2000Z, Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 K8R, Struthers, OH. Struthers Regional Operators of Amateur Radio - W8RAR. 14.270 7.240 14.074 7.074. QSL. Struthers ROAR, 9011 Market St. Suite G, North Lima, OH 44452. The Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 is expected to stop in Struthers approximately: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern Time The K8R Special Event Station will be located immediately adjacent to the train stop location, allowing visitors to experience both the historic locomotive and amateur radio operations.
• Jul 13-Jul 27, 0001Z-2359Z, SCOPES “MONKEY” TRIAL - W4B, Dayton, TN. K4DPD. 14.265 14.040 21.265 21.040. QSL. Rob Frailing, 920 Lone Mountain Dr., Dayton, TN 37321. Celebrating the 101st year of the legendary “Scope’s ‘Monkey’ Trial” held in Dayton, tn, in July 1925.
• Jul 13-Jul 19, 1800Z-0100Z, Warrick County 4H fair - W4H, Boonville, IN. Warrick Auxcomm. 14.320 SSB. QSL. Steve Connaughton, 7677 Jenner Rd, Chandler, IN 47610. Celebrating the Warrick County, Indiana, 4H fair. Additional frequencies and modes may be used depending on band and weather conditions. Operating times will be mostly in the late afternoons and evenings, Central Time.
• Jul 17-Jul 21, 1300Z-2200Z, W3A Commemoration of Apollo 11 Live TV From the Moon that Allowed the World to See Mankind’s First Steps on the Lunar Surface K3NEM, Middle River, MD. Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM). 14.269 14.069 7.269 7.069. Certificate & QSL. ARCNEM, c/o Fred Heath AI3Z, 202 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd., Severna Park, MD 21146-1368. WW-2.us
• Jul 18, 1000Z-1400Z, CEDAR POINT LIGHTHOUSE ON THE AIR K3HKI, Lexington Park, MD. St. Mary’s County Amateur Radio Association. 7.205 Mhz 14.230 Mhz 21.300 Mhz 28.335 Mhz. QSL. SMCARA, P.O. Box 364, California, MD 20619.
• Jul 18, 1330Z-2100Z, NS Savannah Launch Anniversary - K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7,14,18,21,28 MHz. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Road, Odenton, MD 21113.
• Jul 20-Jul 25, 1300Z-2000Z, EAA Airventure Worlds Largest Airshow - W9ZL, Oshkosh, WI. Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.275 50.150. Certificate. FCARC W9ZL special event station, PO Box 2346, Appleton, WI 54912. FCARC.club
• Jul 20-Jul 26, 0000Z-2359Z, The Brickyard 400 - Race Three - W9IMS, Indianapolis, IN. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway ARC. 3.840 7.245 14.245 18.140. Certificate & QSL. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club, P.O. BOX 30954, Indianapolis, IN 46230.
• Jul 30-Aug 9, 0000Z-2359Z, Carnation Festival Special Event - W8LKY, Alliance, OH. Alliance Amateur Radio Club. 7050 7220 14050 14250. Certificate. Alliance Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 94, Maximo, OH 44650.
• Aug 1, 1100Z-1700Z, 1813 Battle of Fort Stephenson - W8B, Fremont, OH. W8NCK. 7.040 7.265 14.040 14.265. Certificate. David Dyke, KZ4CW, 2783 E. State St, Fremont, OH 43420.
• Aug 5-Aug 9, 0000Z-2359Z, King Midget Micro-Car 80th Anniversary - K8M, Athens, OH. Athens Co. OH ARA. 7.245 14.245. QSL. K8M, 97 Columbia Ave, Athens, OH 45701. Celebrating the smallest street-legal motor car ever made in America.