Ham Radio 2025 at Messe Friedrichshafen, Germany, will have plenty to offer international visitors when the three-day event opens on the 27th of June. One scheduled event in particular is likely to draw a crowd as it showcases the achievement of Ianis Scutaru, YO8YNS, who set the world record in callsign receiving in Morse Code last year.
In a demonstration sponsored by the Romanian Federation of Amateur Radio, Ianis will attempt to beat that record before a panel of judges from Guinness World Records and the IARU. It forms part of a larger exhibit by the Romanian amateur radio group which is demonstrating high-speed telegraphy as its centerpiece.
In case you were wondering, at the age of 13, Ianis won a gold medal at the 20th IARU High Speed Telegraphy World Championship with a record-setting maximum copy speed of 1,126 characters per minute - an equivalent just exceeding 225 words per minute.
ISLAND DXPEDITION WILL BE TRIBUTE TO SILENT KEY
For Eric Williams, KV1J, his planned trip to St. Pierre & Miquelon Island, IOTA Number NA-032, is for a solo activation-- but even as he calls CQ as FP/KV1J starting on the 28th of June, Eric will not be totally alone. He will carry the memory of a local amateur who was his friend, Jean-Pierre Carrere, FP5CJ. Jean-Pierre, who was known in the ham community as a welcoming, helpful and personable radio operator, especially to visitors, became a Silent Key last September.
Eric will remain on the air through to the 14th of July and will participate in the IARU HF World Championship on the 12th and 13th of July. It is his 17th trip to the island in the North Atlantic, not far from Newfoundland.
RADIO SIGNALS HAVE 'UPWARD PROPAGATION' THROUGH ICE, STONE
Radio signals picked up by a NASA high-altitude balloon have been leaving scientists baffled. The balloon, part of NASA's experiment known as Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna, or ANITA, was floating 40 kilometres above the continent, in search of neutrinos and other particles when its sensitive radio antennas unexpectedly picked up signals that were coming from someplace below - way below - the Antarctic's frozen surface. Physicists say that for that kind of reception to occur the radio waves would have had to have penetrated 6,000 to 7,000 kilometres, or 3,700 to 4,300 miles, of solid ice and stone.
Although the balloon project has since been retired, researchers continue to study these unexplained transmissions and recently published their findings in the journal, Physical Review Letters. The researchers say that by all models of physics, the signals should have been absorbed by the rock and gone undetected.
Scientists know that these are not neutrinos - the particles that they had expected - but are still trying to narrow down what kind of radio signals they're dealing with. Meanwhile, with the ANITA project retired, the next instruments to have a go at the mystery will be on board a work in progress: A Pennsylvania State University team is building something bigger and, they hope, better: The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observation mission.
COULD IT BE MAGIC? CHECK THE LOG
Mike N2MAK is one of those hams who believes in magic. It’s the kind of enchantment that brings possibilities to summertime in the Northern Hemisphere when sporadic E propagation is strong, breathing new life into 6 metres.
These moments aren’t summoned by a magic wand or an incantation. On the 25th of May, Mike and his friends Fred, N2RPG, Michael W2NVP, Brian W2BMT and many others who took up the challenge of this just-for-fun, 6 Meter FM Activity Day, found that just calling CQ will do the trick.
Activating a POTA park with Mike and the others, the magic happened first for Fred, who made his first 6-metre contact ever. Within two hours, the friends had worked 16 unique stations on 6 metres FM locally, logging 18 contacts in all because one was at a POTA 3-fer. Said Mike “We had an absolute blast.”
Others apparently found the magic too. Mike told Newsline “what meant the most to me was the positive response from hams across the US and in Canada who reached out to me.” Mike’s hope that hams would want to try something different - in the true spirit of amateur radio adventure - was no illusion.
All it took was the simple wave of a band - instead of a hand - to make it happen.
AMSAT DESIGNATES SO-125 with SDR FM, DIGITAL REPEATER PAYLOAD
AMSAT has given the designation of SO-125 to the HADES-ICM satellite that was launched on March 14th from California. The satellite, from AMSAT-EA, is SDR-based and supports FM Phone and FSK digital data through its repeater. The SDR-based platform is especially significant because it can transmit as much as 25 watts when the battery allows, giving access to stations who are using handheld antennas.The coordinated uplink frequency is 145.875 MHz, and the downlink is 436.666 MHz. The repeater operates with an open squelch and does not require a sub-tone.
RSGB SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR OCTOBER CONFERENCE
Attendees will be arriving at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes on the 10th of October for the three-day RSGB Convention. The RSGB is hoping that many of those in attendance will also help shape the content of the conference by bringing a project, a paper for presentation or plans for a practical session. If you want to get involved, share your ideas with the RSGB and let them know what you have planned. Send your proposals to convention at rsgb dot org dot uk (convention@rsgb.org.uk)
Meanwhile, satellite enthusiasts will be pleased to know that, as before, AMSAT-UK will hold its Colloquium during the Convention.
OREGON LATEST STATE TO PROCLAIM 'AMATEUR RADIO MONTH'
In the US, Oregon has become the latest state to proclaim June to be "Amateur Radio Month." Gov. Tina Kotek issued the proclamation in time for ARRL Field Day, which is taking place in the US and Canada on the 28th and 29th of June. The state is a busy place on the ham radio map, both for hosting the convention of the Northwest Division of the ARRL and its location on an earthquake fault line that keeps emergency responders alert. Governors in Hawaii and New Hampshire recently issued similar proclamations in their respective states.
DX FOUNDATION GIVES GRANTS TO 3 DXPEDITIONS
The 9-member team of German operators planning the V6D DXpedition to Micronesia in September has been named as one of the latest recipients of grant money to assist their activation. The team has scheduled operations from September 22nd through to October 6th. This is a group of seasoned DXpeditioners who have had a number of other successful radio adventures together.
The foundation is also supporting the 3C2MD DXpedition to Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea. The operators are from the Mediterraneo DX Club, which has planned their activation from October 9th through to November 10th.
Finally, Hannah Rosenfeld, W7HER, has received a grant for her role as an operator on the FW5K DXpedition to Wallis Island in the South Pacific. The participating DXpeditioners, including Hannah's father Scott N7JI, are part of the team known as DXObsessed. Hannah is a founder of W7DUX, the radio club at the University of Oregon where she is an alumna. The DXpedition is set for October 20 through to November 7th.
GET READY FOR YOTA CAMP IN COLORADO
A lot of activity will be packed into the Bob Heil K9EID Memorial YOTA Camp Amateur Radio Shack in Thornton, Colorado, between the 15th and 20th of June. Young operators from the Youth on the Air Americas Camp will be calling CQ remotely and in person from there with the callsign WØY. As well as a scheduled contact with the International Space Station, and making satellite contacts, they will be operating portable making SOTA and POTA activations and visiting the timekeeping radio station WWV and a Buc-ee's truck stop.
If you miss any chance to contact them - or just want to follow along with their activities - don’t miss the opening and closing ceremonies and the ISS contact, all of which will be streamed live on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel. The channel will also feature daily videos of some of the campers’ activities from the previous day. It’s almost as much fun as being a camper yourself -- we did say "almost."
For more details or to see the operating schedule, visit QRZ.com
WHIDBEY ISLAND BROADENS ITS RADIO SAFETY NET
As of the weekend ending on Sunday, June 8th, 8 new amateur radio operators have received their licenses on Whidbey Island. These newcomers are contributing to an important momentum on this island in Puget Sound, where ham radio operators from the Island County Amateur Radio Club have been giving top priority to emergency preparedness, following a recent conference on the subject held by the South Whidbey Fire/EMS.
Response from that conference inspired the hams to host the weekend test-preparation class which ended with the amateur radio exam itself. One of the instructors, Bob Keeton K7MHJ, told Newsline that with the new amateurs on board, the next step is to get island neighborhoods organized for improved radio response in a crisis. A neighborhood representative with a GMRS radio would be able to communicate with a ham who also holds a GMRS license and together they would gather damage-assessment data and pass that along to the county. Bob, a retired police officer, said that the hams have the ability to use Winlink Peer 2 Peer and VarAC FM to reach the emergency operations center.
As volunteer civilian coordinator between the hams and the Island County Department of Emergency Management, Bob knows that living near an earthquake-prone fault line such as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, requires this kind of readiness.
He said "Anytime we can add another link in our amateur network I am happy."
INDIANA EMCOMM GROUP SWITCHES FROM ANALOG FM TO DIGITAL
In April of this year the Dubois County Office of Emergency Management in Indiana made the decision to migrate from analog FM to C4FM digital for their 147.195 repeater during activations. The change was made to reduce noise during operation and increase the quality of copy. According to Gary Fritz, WB9LIB, operations officer for the EMA, “Our new Fusion repeater system was thoroughly tested to confirm its superior performance when using C4FM.”
When the announcement was made to the Patoka Valley Amateur Radio Club, not all the club members were enthusiastic. Since some of them did not own a Fusion compatible radio, this decision would exclude them from emergency operations with SKYWARN.
Fritz told AR Newsline that the change has brought about the desired results in message quality, as proven by recent SKYWARN activation during severe weather. “We found that by using C4FM,...our units are now able to check in crystal clear from locations that were previously impossible.”
A number of local amateurs remain unconvinced regarding the move to digital. Reuben Montgomery, KA9RCM, told Newsline that his main concern is centered primarily on the lack of access to the emergency communications by hams without Fusion radios and by visitors who are passing through the area. With the variety of digital platforms, he also sees great difficulty in picking one mode to the exclusion of all others. Regarding participation, Fritz reported that the public and all amateur radio operators can continue to monitor net communications through audio streaming over Broadcastify.
SPECIAL EVENT IN IRAN HIGHLIGHTS PERSIAN GULF HISTORY
It was a proud moment for 11 ham radio operators in Iran who got on the air on June 7th, calling CQ on SSB as special event station EP2PG. Using modest, home-based equipment with 100 watts of power or less, the operators faced less-than-ideal conditions on the HF bands during their 16-hour operation.
Still, it was a proud moment as the hams of Echo Papa two Persian Gulf celebrated the historical and cultural significance of the Persian Gulf itself and shared it with the world. One of the operators, Morteza EP5APP, told Newsline that the team's focus was on making as many DX contacts as possible in the interest of friendship and unity and, of course, to share the story of the gulf, which is one of the world's oldest maritime regions.
The team achieved that goal, logging more than 360 QSOs from, 60 DX countries across Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
Morteza told Newsline [quote]: "This activity was entirely self-funded and carried out by volunteers with a shared passion for radio and a strong desire to make the voice of Iran heard in a positive, non-political, and welcoming way." [endquote]
They're ready to do it again next year - hoping to exchange even more stories and of course QSL cards.
2 FCC COMMISSIONERS LEAVING AGENCY
As Newsline went to production, the FCC prepared for the departure of two commissioners. Commissioner Nathan Simington announced on Wednesday, June 4th, that he was leaving the post he has held since 2020 following his appointment by President Donald Trump. His announcement follows an earlier one from Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, a Democrat, that he would leave the FCC. Both departures were scheduled to happen by June 6th, meaning that with one other seat already left vacant, the president and US Senate must now fill three spots. Until then, the FCC will temporarily have one Republican and one Democratic commissioner each. Neither man's statement gave reasons for the departure.
STEPP-IR TO END AMATEUR ANTENNA PRODUCTION
SteppIR has announced that it is stopping production of all amateur radio and other consumer antennas starting in August. The company's statement, which appears on its website, said that it would continue to honor all product warranties and provide technical support as needed.
The company said: "Given our long history of impact and innovation we don't take this decision lightly but have decided that it is necessary for our ongoing operations and to make sure we can continue to efficiently provide our existing customers with product support services."
All antenna and spare-parts orders will be fulfilled by the company through to the end of August. After the 31st of the month, SteppIR will sell spare parts as long as the inventory permits.
Based in Washington state, the company has been well-known in the amateur radio community since 2001. SteppIR produces a variety of mechanically adjusted, remotely tuned, frequency optimized HF/VHF Yagi, Vertical and Dipole antenna systems which serve military, commercial, emergency communications and consumer markets.
WEATHER RADIO STATIONS GO OFF AIR FOR UPDATES
As some parts of the United States enter hurricane season, which officially began on June 1st, the National Weather Service is continuing with its nationwide update of their Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System. The system is used for weather data processing and communications, two functions that are especially critical during storms and other weather-related emergencies.
The upgrades will be taking more than 1,000 radio stations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration off the air, on a rolling basis, for 2 to 3 days in a scheduled roll-out for their 122 Weather Forecast Offices. Broadcasters and ham radio groups have expressed concern about not having access to these emergency stations during those periods.
NOAA Weather Radio, known as the “Voice of the National Weather Service,” is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest Weather Forecast office. These stations broadcast official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The NWS is using social media and other means to inform citizens in the affected areas when their stations will be out of service. They are also encouraging citizens to rely on alternate sources for weather warnings during the outage, including local TV and radio, weather apps, and NWS websites.
DXPEDITION TEAM RETURNS TO SABLE ISLAND
The CYØS team of DXpeditioners will be returning to Sable Island in 2026. The operators announced in a press release that Parks Canada - Sable Island has invited them to return next March and has approved their plans for a 10- to 12-day DXpedition. As they set up to operate on this remote island in Atlantic Canada, they'll have some welcome company: operators from the CY9C DXpedition team who had activated St. Paul Island in 2024. The CY9C operators knew that year that their successful activation on St. Paul was likely to be the last for a long time on that challenging, environmentally sensitive landscape. Like Sable Island, St. Paul Island is considered one of the more difficult DXpedition destinations in North America. Windswept Sable Island is perhaps best known for its population of wild horses.
Team leaders for Sable Island will be Murray WA4DAN and Glenn WØGJ. A website has already been set up at CYØS.com by webmaster Chaz W4GKF.
FCC PROPOSES $25,000 FINE AGAINST CB OPERATOR
An Illinois man faces a $25,000 penalty from the FCC for unauthorized operation of a Citizens Band radio. The agency announced its decision on May 30th, 2025, two years to the day after it issued a Notice of Apparent Liability against Jayme John Leon. The agency's Enforcement Bureau said that he repeatedly voided his operating authority by sending [quote] "nonverbal, indecipherable sound effects over long periods" [endquote], causing malicious interference and engaging in one-way transmissions. According to the FCC document, Leon did not file a response to the 2023 Notice of Liability.
Citizens Band radio is not a licensed service in the United States. Operators retain the privilege of using CB by agreeing to comply with relevant regulations stipulated in the Communications Act of 1934.
NASA's 'SPOT THE STATION' WEBSITE BEING DISCONTINUED
If you like to keep tabs on the International Space Station and you’ve been doing so via NASA's Spot the Station website, you will need to change your space-station viewing strategy starting the 12th of June. NASA will be discontinuing the website as of that date and will no longer display opportunities for sightings on their site. Subscribed users who have been receiving text and email notifications linking them to the website will no longer have this option either.
The announcement on the website now directs ISS watchers to instead download NASA’s official “Spot the Station” mobile app onto their Apple or Android smartphones. The “Spot the Station” app expands notification of viewing opportunities in the United States and across the globe, as well as providing additional capabilities to improve user experiences.
BROADCAST HONORS ARMSTRONG'S DEMO OF FM RADIO
The callsign W2XMN is etched in cement atop the doorway of the small brick transmitter building in New Jersey, not far from the radio tower where history's first FM broadcasts began in 1938. Those steady transmissions became a reality only three years after engineer and inventor Edwin Armstrong had given a public demonstration at an engineering conference, showing that frequency modulation radio could deliver static-free sound, graced with a remarkable fidelity that was previously unheard of.
FM broadcasting will return temporarily to W2XMN's original VHF low-band frequency, 42.8 MHz, beginning at noon on Thursday the 19th of June. The northern New Jersey tower once used by W2XMN will broadcast a repeat of programming first aired in 2005 to commemorate Armstrong's successful FM demonstration in 1935. The content includes interviews wth Armstrong's niece, Jeanne Hammond, and with Tom Lewis, author of the book, "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio."
According to a report on the RadioWorld.com website, a restored Phasitron transmitter will be running 250 watts of power into a vertical antenna.
The structure known as the Alpine Tower is still in use today. Radio station WFDU, the public radio station licensed to Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, is on the air at 89.1 -- FM, of course.
LEADERSHIP CHANGE FOR 13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT
One of the season's most popular HF operating events here in the US is honoring its founder as he steps away from 16 years at its helm. Mark Abramowicz NT3V has the details…
If you haven’t heard of the 13 Colonies Special Event or heard stations calling in the annual activity between July 1 and July 8, you have missed a unique opportunity to celebrate the history of the US and mark the American Revolution.
Ken Villone, KU2US, who conceived the idea of activating stations in the 13 original colonies, is going into semi-retirement.
Villone is passing on the responsibility for event coordination to Tony James N4ATJ, of McAdenville, North Carolina, long-time 13 Colonies coordinator for his home state's K2J station, Villone will remain involved as the New York state coordinator for K2A.
Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, who joined Villone more than a dozen years ago in his passion to promote American history via an amateur radio special event, is helping to ensure a smooth transition.
Josuweit is coordinator for WM3PEN, a bonus station that recognizes Philadelphia’s role as the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence.
Josuweit said that in its first year, the event recorded some 12,000 QSOs. That grew to a breathtaking 292,426 contacts in 2024. It also attracted operators who now run bonus stations in Great Britain GB13COL and France TM13COL, recognizing the role the two countries played in America's war for independence.
This year’s 13 Colonies certificate will recognize the work Villone has done to make the event so popular. Villone, however, shared a different perspective on why the event is such a success. In an email sent recently to all hams involved, he wrote: “I just only started this event and I tried to keep it going. But it was you folks who also through your participation and dedication managing your states and special bonus stations (Philadelphia, England and France) that made this whole thing work!”
