It's been several months since we've heard movement regarding the futureGEO project, but events scheduled in 2026 appear to be keeping the geostationary satellite project top of mind among the amateur radio community.
A presentation by AMSAT President Drew Glasbrenner (KO4MA) at HamCation 2026 spoke to the value a project like futureGEO could bring to the Americas along with his desire to see such a project succeed. Glasbrenner touched on the financial requirements of a GEO satellite project while at the same time recognized organizations such as ARDC that have publicly expressed a desire to help fund a GEO satellite project. The roughly 6 minute segment can be viewed on YouTube.
At AMSAT-DL's Bochum Space Day in March, Frank Zeppenfeldt (PD0AP) of the European Space Agency (ESA) is scheduled to give a presentation focused on futureGEO. Details are unknown, but it could mirror similar lectures given by Zeppenfeldt in the past.
The same AMSAT-DL post about Bochum Space Day happened to communicate a futureGEO community workshop to be scheduled as part of HAM RADIO 2026. This workshop will be tapping into GEO satellite QO-100 users to help provide direction for futureGEO.
A futureGEO community workshop will take place at HAM RADIO 2026 in Friedrichshafen, to which all QO-100 users are cordially invited. This event offers ideal preparation for the QO100 user meeting on the same evening. At the same time, we want to use the expertise of all participants to successfully further develop the futureGEO project on behalf of ESA.
Source: Amateur Radio Daily
Ken, K4ZW will be active as ET3AA from Ethiopia, until 2 March 2026.
AMSAT-DL is hosting Bochum Space Day to coincide with Germany's Space Day and Day of Astronomy. The event will feature a series of events including lectures, futureGEO, and a live school contact with Neumayer Station III in Antarctica (DP0GVN).
At the same time, an ESERO family day will take place on this day from 11 am to 5 pm in and around the radome of Bochum Observatory under the motto “Adventure Space”: Fun & interesting facts for young and old await visitors; they can embark on a journey of discovery and immerse themselves in the world of astronomy and space travel.
Visit the AMSAT-DL website for a full schedule and overview.
Source: AMSAT-DL
Take, JA1UII will be active again as JD1BON from Chichi Jima Island, IOTA AS-031, 19 - 22 Marchl 2026.
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Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) announced the recipients of the Amateur of the Year Award for 2025. This year's honorees, Fred (VE1FA) and Helen (VA1YL) Archibald, are recognized for their years of dedication to the amateur radio community.
Fred and Helen Archibald have been pillars of Amateur Radio in Canada for decades. While the award traditionally reflects contributions within a given year, their sustained excellence in 2025 – combined with a lifetime of service – made them compelling joint recipients.
In addition to being avid organizers of many DXpeditions, VE1FA is an instructor and technological innovator and VA1YL has served as President of the Canadian Ladies Amateur Radio Association. Learn more about Fred and Helen's contributions to ham radio on the RAC website.
Source: Radio Amateurs of Canada
The first known community backend server for HamClock is now available for all HamClock users. The project, hamclock.com, is free for anyone to use and will keep existing HamClock installs running indefinitely.
Major work beyond OHB includes: rewriting the VOACAP propagation engine with cubic interpolation, building weather pressure maps in both millibar and inHg units at five resolutions, adding aurora map generation, real-time PSK Reporter spot data, Kp index from NOAA SWPC, overhauling satellite TLE tracking, and hardening the entire server for production use serving 1,600+ HamClocks.
With the passing of HamClock creator Elwood Downey (WB0OEW), HamClock will stop working in June unless users point their installations to a new backend service. Updating existing HamClock installations is a simple task. Users have two options, updating their hosts file, or updating the command used to start HamClock. Both require only simple text changes.
Hamclock.com is run by Bruce Edrich (W4BAE) and is built upon open-hamclock-backend.
Headlines from Amateur Radio Daily are made available to HamClock via open-hamclock-backed.
Source: HamClock.com
W5JON will be active again as V47JA from Saint Kitts Island, IOTA NA-104, 10 - 18 March 2026.
Take, JG8NQJ will be active again as JG8NQJ/JD1 from Marcus Island, IOTA OC - 073, Minami Torishima, starting 28 February - until Mid May 2026.
Registration is now open for the Southeastern VHF Society 2026 conference. The event will take place in Macon, Georgia, US April 17-19. The conference is focused on amateur radio operation on VHF frequencies and above.
The technical conference begins Friday morning and will include a Luncheon with a guest speaker and continue Technical Presentations in the afternoon, with dinner out on the town, and continue with an evening flea market and hospitality suite. Saturday morning the technical presentations continue and conclude early afternoon when the antenna range and Rover display opens.
Interested amateurs can register here.
Source: Southeastern VHF Society
The Titanic Memorial special event, EG1912T, takes place April 10th through April 15th honoring all on board the ship.
We particularly wish to honour those who participated in the rescue, especially the radio station managers and telegraph operators Jack Phillips, Harold Bride and Harold Cottam, who played a leading role in the telegraphic communications of the most shocking rescue in history: the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
The event will take place on all bands utilizing all modes with an emphasis on CW. QSL cards will be available via bureau. More information is available on the EG1912T QRZ page.
Source: EG1912T
February 20, 2026 — DXLook.com has released two new composite map views designed to help amateur radio operators compare actual on-air results with propagation expectations in one place. The update adds Reports + MUF and Reports + VOACAP, allowing operators to see where signals are being reported versus where models suggest they should propagate—without switching between separate tools or screens.
Reports + MUF
This view overlays real contact reports (solid arcs) on top of MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency) zones. The colored zones represent the highest usable band by direction, helping operators quickly confirm whether contacts align with expected openings and identify unusual paths such as grey-line effects, sporadic-E, or long-path propagation.
Reports + VOACAP
This view overlays real contact reports (solid lines) with VOACAP theoretical predictions (dashed, semi-transparent arcs). It provides a direct side-by-side visual comparison between model-based expectations and real-world activity, making it easier to spot agreement, gaps, and surprises.
How to Access
Operators can try the new views by visiting dxlook.com, selecting Reports + MUF or Reports + VOACAP from the View dropdown, then entering a callsign or grid square and clicking Go.
Update Details
DXLook.com is free to use, requires no login, and aggregates data from PSK Reporter, Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), WSPRnet, and DX Cluster, supporting bands from 160m through 2m.
About DXLook.com
DXLook.com is a web-based platform that combines reception reports and propagation-focused views to help amateur radio operators monitor activity, understand band conditions, and explore propagation patterns in real time.
Source: DXLook
CR2X Team will be active from Azores Islands, IOTA EU - 003, in ARRL DX CW Contest, 21 - 22 February 2026.
8R1WA Team will be active from Guyana, 19 - 27 February 2026.
Zero Retries Digital Conference (ZRDC) will return for a second year on Friday, October 16, 2026. This year's conference will take place in Sam Ramon, California, USA at the Roundhouse Conference Center. Pacificon 2026 will take place the same weekend in the same city, just down the street from ZRDC.
An informal visit to the Computer History Museum will take place the Thursday before ZRDC 2026. (Editor's note: A visit to CHM is worth arriving early!)
Keep an eye on the ZRDC 2026 website for more details.
Source: Zero Retries Digital Conference
The following is a message from Honolulu Department of Emergency Management:
When emergencies disrupt normal communications, RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services) provides trained, licensed ham radio volunteers to keep information moving between the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and field sites.
What you’ll do:
Minimum qualifications:
Apply here:
https://veoci.com/v/p/191705/workflow/7pgrj5u5q833
If you’re a licensed amateur radio operator on O?ahu and want your skills to matter when it counts, this is a direct way to serve your community.
Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested. I welcome any questions or feedback.
Michael C. Miller, KH6ML
Deputy Coordinator
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)
Department of Emergency Management - City and County of Honolulu
Assistant Section Manager, Pacific Section
ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio®
Source: Honolulu Department of Emergency Management
J51A Team will be active from Bijagos Archipelago, IOTA AF - 020, Guinea Bisau, February - March 2026.
S21WD Team will be active from Bangladesh, in March 2026.
The following is a message from the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management:
February 8–9, 2026 | Honolulu, Hawai?i
On February 8–9, 2026, severe weather brought high winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, power outages, and hazardous surf conditions across Honolulu and the State of Hawai?i. Both Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued emergency proclamations to mobilize resources and protect public safety.
Amateur radio operators were activated inside the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in support of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), City and County of Honolulu. Volunteer communicators reported in and stood ready to provide backup communications should cellular or internet systems fail.
Radio traffic remained light as outages were quickly addressed through coordinated efforts between city and state agencies and utility partners. Shelters and volunteers remained ready in case conditions worsened.
At the EOC: AH6WN, KH6LT, KH6ML, KH7HO, WH6HCV, WH6HEZ, WH7Y.
Field and statewide support: AH6CP, KH6C, KH6LY, KH7FV, KH7O, WH7GG, WH7PD, Kaneohe CERT, Kailua CERT, and ARES members statewide.
The Emergency Management Reserve Corps (EMRC) supports the community through trained volunteers who serve either in field operations across O?ahu or as amateur radio communicators under RACES. Most RACES members are also active in ARES, strengthening coordination between county and statewide response efforts. Interested operators on O?ahu can apply here: https://veoci.com/v/p/191705/workflow/7pgrj5u5q833
“It was encouraging to work alongside such engaged and supportive leadership from the Department. Dr. Randal Collins, Director, and Jennifer Walter, Deputy Director, along with Douglas Tom and Jeff Spencer, clearly understand how amateur radio strengthens resiliency and provides independent communications capability. Their awareness of our role in a larger grey or black sky event ensures RACES remains fully integrated into emergency operations.”
— Michael Miller, KH6ML Deputy Coordinator, RACES Program
Mark Kaku, KH6LT, coordinated amateur radio operations inside the EOC, ensuring continuous coverage throughout the activation.
“Our goal is simple—be ready before we’re needed. We focus on coverage, documentation, and coordination so that if primary systems fail, we can immediately step in.”
— Mark Kaku, KH6LT Coordinator, RACES Program
Systems were tested, nets were active, and documentation was completed. The activation reinforced the value of having trained, infrastructure-independent amateur radio communicators embedded within emergency management operations.
Mahalo to all who staffed the EOC and supported from across the islands.
Prepared by:
Michael C. Miller, KH6ML
Deputy Coordinator
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)
Department of Emergency Management – City and County of Honolulu
Assistant Section Manager, Pacific Section
ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio®
Source: Honolulu Department of Emergency Management
3Y0K Team will be active from Bouvet Island, IOTA AN - 002, in February - March 2026.
The following is a press release from SpottedHam.com:
Following its successful launch earlier this month, the spotting and alert platform SpottedHam.com has released a major feature update driven by community feedback.
In addition to its signature POTA and SOTA real-time email alerts, the platform now integrates a global DX Cluster feed. This allows operators to filter for rare DX alongside portable activations, all within the same lightweight, mobile-first interface. Users can still set custom watchlists for specific callsigns, ensuring they never miss a "need" on the bands.
Perhaps the most significant addition is the new SpottedHam Club Widget. Radio clubs can now generate a custom HTML snippet to embed a live member activity table on their own club websites. This feature aims to help local clubs stay connected by showing at-a-glance what club members are currently on the air.
Developed by Robert Campbell (KM6HBH), SpottedHam continues to focus on a "low-bandwidth, high-speed" philosophy, making it ideal for field use or slow shack connections. The service is free to use and is already running some DX clubs pages.
Operators can explore the new DX filters, set up their first email alert, or generate a widget for their club at: https://www.spottedham.com.
Source: SpottedHam.com
The FCC approved access to a new set of 60 meter frequencies to be more in line with the worldwide 60 meter amateur allocation made by the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015. US General and Extra class holders may now operate on a secondary basis between 5351.5 and 5366.5 kHz.
The existing 60-meter channels centered on 5332, 5348, 5373, and 5405 kHz remain as secondary amateur allocations with maximum power of 100 watts ERP. However, the old channel at 5358.5 kHz is eliminated as it is now part of the new 5351.5-5366.5 kHz subband and subject to the lower power limit.
Additional rules including a maximum bandwidth of 2.8 kHz and maximum transmit power of 9.15 watts ERP apply.
Source: ARRL
The following is a press release from the Alberta Digital Radio Communications Society (ADRCS):
The Society is pleased to announce that it is collaborating with the Terrestrial Amateur Radio Packet Network group (TARPN) to implement an audio band version of its OFDM technology in their Terminal Node Controller (TNC). “Adding the TNC rounds out the vision of the supernode that we presented at the Zero Retries Digital Conference last September and extends the functionality of the IP400 network to conventional radios on the 2M, 220 and 450 MHz bands, without any modifications”, says Martin Alcock, VE6VH, founder of the IP400 project. “Adding OFDM to our TNC gives us a higher speed mode than previously implemented and practical experience with OFDM”, says Nino Carrillo, KK4HEJ, creator of the TNC. Martin goes on to say “in addition it will give us access to proven KISS mode technology that will greatly enhance the utility of our existing nodes in delivering higher data rates for conventional packet radio applications on existing terrestrial networks”.
Source: ADRCS
Alex Huber, OE5AUH will be active as 8Q7AH from Maldive Islands, IOTA AS - 013.
Siso, HK3W will be active as 5K3W from Colombia in CQ WW WPX RTTY Contest, 14 - 15 February 2026/
TX5EU Team will be active from Raivavae Island, IOTA OC - 114, Austral Islands, French Polynesia, 12 - 25 March 2026.
AU7RS Team will be active from Agatti Island, Lakshadweep Islands, IOTA AS - 011, 8 - 14 February 2026.
The Amateur Radio Software Award is seeking nominations for outstanding software developed for ham radio. Nominations should promote innovative, free, and open source projects. Submissions are being accepted until February 28th.
The Amateur Radio Software Award is an annual international award for the recognition of software projects that enhance amateur radio. The award aims to promote amateur radio software development which adhere to the same spirit as amateur radio itself: innovative, free and open.
See previous award recipients, read the rules, and check out the FAQ.
Source: Amateur Radio Software Award
Members of the IDXT Team will be active as 9G5CC and 9G5RR from Ghana and as 9G5ZP from Abokwa Island, IOTA AF - 084, during March - April 2026.