New ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Manager 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announced the appointment of Tony Dowler, K6BV, of Pacifica, California, as the ARRL Santa Clara Valley (SCV) Section Manager as of July 1, 2026. Dowler succeeds James Armstrong, NV6W, of San Jose, who concluded his third term as Section Manager on June 30 after serving since 2020. 

Dowler has been the SCV Affiliated Club Coordinator. He has been ...

The ARRL Solar Update 

Solar activity reached moderate levels with an M1.5/1N flare on July 8 from Region 4482.

There are currently five numbered regions on the visible disk. Region 4482 demonstrated continued growth and developed a delta spot within its trailing spot group. Region 4485 displayed new flux emergence. Regions 4486 and 4487 were newly numbered during the period. Region 4481 was stable and remained an unr...

16-Year-Old ARRL Member Wins 2026 Student Coding Competition 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is pleased to announce that member Ben Leovy, KC3ZPQ, of Ellicott City, Maryland, has been named the winner of the 2026 ARRL Student Coding Competition. Leovy, 16, recently completed his sophomore year at Howard High School. He designed a mobile application to help users prepare for their amateur radio license examinations.

Leovy will receive a $5...

New ARRL Atlantic Division Vice Director 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced the appointment of Ray Sokola, K9RS, of Wilmington, Delaware, as Vice Director for the ARRL Atlantic Division. The appointment, made by ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, fills the vacancy created in January when former Vice Director Marty Newingham, AG3I, assumed the office of Atlantic Division Director. Sokola will serve the rema...

Call for Nominations for ARRL Director and Vice Director 

Attention: Full ARRL members in the ATLANTIC, DAKOTA, DELTA, GREAT LAKES, and MIDWEST Divisions. You have the opportunity to choose a Director and Vice Director to represent you for 3-year terms beginning January 1, 2027.

ARRL is governed by its Board of Directors. A voting Director is chosen by ballot by the full (licensed) ARRL members in each of its 15 divisions. Vice Directors who serve in t...

Section Manager Elections; New Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has reported that the nomination period for the 2026 summer season election cycle concluded on Friday, June 5.

There will be one balloted election this summer in Southern Florida. ARRL members in the Southern Florida Section will receive ballots and candidate information via postal mail in July. Daniel Fisher, AI4GK, and incumbent Barry Porter, KB...

New ARRL Central Division Vice Director 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has announced the appointment of Robert Ronk, W9AP, of Winneconne, Wisconsin, as Vice Director for the ARRL Central Division. The appointment, made by ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, fills the vacancy created in April when former Vice Director Joshua Long, W9HT, assumed the office of Central Division Director. Ronk will complete a term that e...

New Technician Question Pool Takes Effect July 1 

On July 1, 2026, a new Element 2 Technician class question pool will take effect for license examinations. VECs and VEs must have new test designs available for use at exam sessions effective that date. 

The newly revised pool, released in December 2025 (updated and re-released on February 19, 2026) by the Question Pool Committee (QPC) of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinator...