January 2026 NYC-LI Section Newsletter
This is the January 2026 edition of the New York City-Long Island
Section e-Happenings newsletter. This newsletter is here to serve the Amateur Radio community in our area. We welcome and encourage all submissions. Help make this your
newsletter. We especially encourage NLI radio clubs and organizations
to submit their meeting announcements, guest speakers and any special
events. Please submit any information for the February 2026 issue prior to
the end of the first week in February.
Section News is available only on the world-wide-web. See the NLI site
at: http://nli.arrl.org
INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE:
* From Jim Mezey, W2KFV – Section Manager
* Silent Keys
* Hamfests:
* Events
* VE Sessions
* From the ARRL
* National Traffic System
* Club Info
Hello Everyone,
I would like to congratulate all the newly elected officers and club officials and wish you all the best in the coming year. Remember, 2026 is the “Year of The Clubs”, There are many special events your club can get involved with. If your club needs some help consider working with another club, exchanging ideas and maybe join forces with something both clubs can’t do individually. Clubs should always be willing to help each other out. Is your club operating on Winter Field Day? If not, why not visit a club who is.
Another Ham Radio University has passed and from my perspective, it was one of the best. If you were not there, you missed an exciting day. Thank you to the Suffolk County Radio Club as this year’s sponsor and VE Session lead. Congratulations to the committee for putting together another great day of education and camaraderie for all. Planning for 2027 starts next month.
Remember, webinars and training are available at:
The ARRL Learning Network
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-learning-network
ARRL You Tube,
https://www.youtube.com/user/ARRLHQ/videos?app=desktop
RATPAC presentations:
Ham Radio University You Tube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/HamRadioUniversityNLI/videos
LIMARC, You Tube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@limarc-longislandmobileama3620
LICW, You Tube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@longislandcwclub
My Zoom account is available for clubs or group meetings. Please contact me at w2kfv@arrl.org for more information.
That’s all for now but don’t forget to get on the air, have fun, and enjoy our great hobby and by all means…. keep those batteries charged …….. <ar>
73, Jim Mezey, W2KFV
w2kfv@arrl.org
Section Manager – NYC/ Long Island
ARRL ~ the national association for Amateur Radio™
C: 516-315-8608
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Silent Keys
The LIDX Club reports that Peggy Arciero, WB2OHD, has become a silent key. A long-time members will remember Peggy as our club’s Secretary for a number of consecutive years during the 1980s.
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Hamfests:
LIMARC Virtual Hamfest Jan 25, 2026, Virtual Hamfest Jan 25 2026
LIMARC’S WORLD FAMOUS
VIRTUAL HAMFEST!
SUNDAY JANUARY 25, 2026
Starting at 9 AM Eastern to 12 Noon’ish
This is an ONLINE ONLY Hamfest
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED! CLICK HERE!
LIMARC Indoor Hamfest February 22, 2026, Levittown Hall More info to follow
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Events:
Year of the Club
Calling all W1AW/portable activators
New York will be activating W1AW/2 portable stations from January 7th thru January 13th. This is your chance to operate with a W1AW call sign. We are looking for people to commit and sign up for 1 hour time slots by mode and band. The procedure is a little different than the normal operating procedure. The QSOs to the W1AW/2 station are not loaded to LoTW but rather an ADIF file is emailed to a consolidator who will upload to LoTW and other systems involved in the W1AW portable sub-event. It is a simple email where you will attach the ADIF files and send it to the consolidator email address – logs@nnyarrl.org. Being a W1AW portable station is easy. You would be portable, not mobile. You could say something like “this is W1AW portable 2 NY” or “W1AW port”. You would make a log just for that operation with the call W1AW/2 and when you were done, you would export it as an ADIF and email it to the person designated to take care of it. You can operate on various modes and various bands. No specific exchange is required but a signal report is a good idea. You are encouraged to self-spot. Sign-up for the opportunity is now available at Time Slots – Guest (nnyarrl.org). Once on the site click “Request Login”. Answer the questions and you will receive further instructions by email. Once you are logged in you will be able to select times and modes for activation. For more information see the ARRL webpage at Year of the Club (arrl.org) For questions you can contact w1aw@nnyarrl.org I hope you will give it a try and I believe you and your contacts will have some fun on the radio
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ARRL NEWS: WAS250+W1AW/2+YOTC
Who: The ARRL and ARRL Affiliated Clubs
What: Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary and the Year of the Club by offering a special WAS in 2026 along with its endorsements to include (1) contacting 50 ARRL Affiliated Club callsigns in all 50 states, (2) contacting W1AW/p in all 50 states.
Where: All amateur bands (even WARC) except 60 meters
When: 0000z January 1, 2026 through 2359z December 31, 2026
How: (as a pursuer of a WAS250 award): Make contacts throughout 2026, logging all to the ARRL’s LoTW where you can apply for the base WAS award along with all possible endorsements based on what your uploaded log shows.
How: (as a W1AW/2 activator): Register to activate W1AW/2 by clicking >> Year of the Club | NNY ARRL<< (the NNY section is leading the effort for all of NY). You will receive further instructions after that. Then, you can sign up for a date, time, and mode.
Activate and log all contacts with a logger that can generate an ADIF file (ADIF is a requirement). When activating, say something like, “CQ ARRL WAS250, W1AW portable 2, New York”. The W1AW/2 activation in NY will be available for only 2 weeks; once in January and again in August. Sign up early and don’t miss activating during your slot(s). You will be popular!
How: (as an ARRL affiliated club callsign activator): Get club’s permission to activate the club’s callsign, and do so on Voice, CW, and Digital. When calling CQ on voice, periodically say something like, “CQ Yacht-See (YOTC) from ARRL affiliated club [Call Sign] in New York”. On CW, “CQ YOTC de [Call Sign]”. Activate throughout the year and upload your club callsign’s log to LoTC (paper-logs are not accepted).
Happy 250th Anniversary, America! Happy “Year of the Club”! Get prepared now, for a lot of fun in 2026!
For more information see the ARRL webpage at Year of the Club
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Winter Field Day January 24 -25, 2026 Home – WFDA
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Upcoming VE Sessions:
(Note if you have a VE Session you want to list, please send it to w2kfv@arrl.org
LIMARC
All test sessions are held at Levittown Hall, 201 Levittown Parkway, Hicksville, NY 11801
2026 Schedule
Feb 22, Hamfest; 10 AM ; Mar 14, May 9, July 11, Sept 19, Nov 14
Sessions begin promptly at 8 AM (unless otherwise indicated)
For further information Contact: VE@limarc.org
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Larkfield ARC
Where: Halesite Fire Department
1 North New York Ave, Halesite, NY 11743
Time: During club meetings or TBD
Contact: larkfieldarc@gmail.com
VOIP: (516) 415-2406
Tests will be conducted during monthly club meetings or on an as-needed basis by appointment only.
NO WALK-INS ALLOWED
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Suffolk County Radio Club:
VE Sessions are the 1st Thursday of the month at 7 PM on the FIRST Thursday of each month at the:
Longwood Youth / LYSA Sports Complex
210 Meadows Blvd E
Yaphank, NY 11980-9999
Walk-in’s allowed.
Contact: VE@suffolkcountyradioclub.com
Prior to arriving for your exam, please have $15 in EXACT CASH.
Checks ARE NOT accepted, and change is NOT available.
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Suffolk VHF/UHF Association:
OUR TEST 2025 SCHEDULE WILL BE EVERY SECOND SATURDAY AT 10 AM.
Location: Smithtown Elks Lodge
124 Edgewood Ave
just off Landing Ave
Walk-ins okay.
Smithtown NY 11787-2737
You can pre-register or walk ins are always welcome.
To get info please contact Scott NQ2F
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Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club
Jan31, Feb 28, March 28, April 25, May 30, June 20, July 25, Aug 29, Sept 26, Oct 31, Nov 28 Dec 29. All sessions are at the Town of Babylon EOC at 10 a.m., located in the basement in the rear of town hall. Please bring photo ID, a copy and your original amateur radio license (if you have one) and any CSCEs you may have. Nonprogrammable calculators are allowed. The exam fee is $15 payable by cash or a check made out to “ARRL VEC.”
Candidates are required to have an FRN number.
All VE Sessions are in the basement of:
Babylon Town Hall
200 Sunrise Hwy.
- Lindenhurst, NY
(between Rt. 109 and Wellwood Ave.)
In the Emergency Operations Center which is located in the basement. Access to Town Hall after hours (Evening and Weekends) is only via the rear of the building, inside of the courtyard and down the stairs.
It starts at 10 AM.
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From the ARRL:
New 60-Meter Frequencies Available as of February 13
01/15/2026
The new 60-meter frequencies approved by the FCC in December will become available to amateurs as of February 13, 2026, along with new power restrictions on those frequencies. It’s a bit confusing, as different rules apply to different segments of the band. The changes result from the FCC’s action to approve a worldwide 60-meter amateur allocation made by the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015 (WRC-15). See https://tinyurl.com/mt8p8jpa.
As of February 13, FCC-licensed amateur operators holding General Class or higher licenses may operate on a secondary basis anywhere between 5351.5 and 5366.5 kHz, subject to a maximum bandwidth of 2.8 kHz and maximum transmit power of 9.15 watts ERP (effective radiated power). For the purpose of computing ERP, the transmitter PEP (peak envelope power) is multiplied by the antenna gain relative to a half-wave dipole antenna. A half-wave dipole is presumed to have a gain of 1 (0 dBd). Amateurs using other antennas must maintain in their station records either the antenna manufacturer’s data on the antenna gain or calculations of the antenna gain.
Here’s the confusing part: 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.
For all 60-meter transmissions, emission bandwidth is limited to 2.8 kHz or less and amateurs must not cause harmful interference to, and must accept interference from, stations authorized by the United States (NTIA and FCC) and other nations in the fixed service; and all other nations in the mobile service (except aeronautical mobile). Data or RTTY emissions in particular must be limited in transmission length so as not to cause harmful interference. Digital mode operators must be familiar with offsets in order to stay within the authorized frequencies.
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Bob Jones, VE7RWJ, Silent Key — Former ITU Official and IARU Expert
01/15/2026
Robert W. “Bob” Jones, VE7RWJ, a former top official of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Canadian telecommunications regulator, passed away on January 7, 2026, at age 82. His early fascination with amateur radio led to a career in telecommunications and engineering, according to his obituary.
Jones was Director General of the Canadian Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulatory Branch from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, and led the Canadian delegation to various ITU conferences between 1977 and 1994, when he was elected as Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (ITU-R). He served in that leadership post from 1995 to 2003. Jones continued his involvement with ITU as a member of the Radio Regulations Board from 2007 to 2010, and received an ITU Silver Medal at the end of his term.
Jones was an active amateur first licensed in 1959 as VE3CTM, and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Secretary Joel Harrison, W5ZN, noted that he “was VERY helpful to amateur radio” during his time as ITU-R director, adding that when he retired, Bob “became one of the IARU Technical Experts and worked with us for several years on WRC (World Radiocommunication Conference) matters.”
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, noted that Jones will be remembered during a moment of silence for Silent Keys at this week’s ARRL Board of Directors Annual Meeting.
A celebration of life for Jones will be held on Saturday, January 27, in Kelowna, British Columbia. The service will also be livestreamed. Details are the funeral home website.
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FCC Poised to Exempt Amateurs from Foreign Adversary Reporting Requirements
01/15/2026
At the urging of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to exempt radio amateurs from foreign adversary reporting requirements. These rules would have applied to citizens of the listed countries (see below), including those living in the United States, who hold or are applying for an FCC license.
On January 8, 2026, the FCC released a draft Report and Order (R&O) [GN Docket No. 25-166; PDF) expected to be adopted at its January 29 meeting that will, as requested by ARRL, exempt radio amateurs from requirements that would have applied reporting requirements to every FCC-authorized radio amateur “subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary.” This included “(a)ny individual, wherever located, who is a citizen of a foreign adversary or a country controlled by a foreign adversary, and is not a United States citizen or permanent resident of the United States.” Foreign adversaries as defined in the draft R&O are: (1) China, including Hong Kong and Macau; (2) Cuba; (3) Iran; (4) North Korea; (5) Russian Federation; and (6) “Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro.”
The draft liberally cites ARRL’s comments:
“35. We agree with the National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) that, while there is a need to protect national security where entities are ‘engaged in commerce by providing networks, services or equipment to the American public, where there is the possibility of sensitive information being surreptitiously accessed.’ [sic] … As ARRL notes, ‘[a]mateur radio licensees not only do not sell or provide any communications service, network, or equipment to the public, but in fact they are prohibited from doing so by both international and domestic law.’ … The risk to national security of Foreign Adversary Control over these licenses is minimal due to the lack of connection to any of the nation’s communications networks used by the public. We also agree with ARRL that this reasoning applies to similar services where licenses are held by individuals (e.g., GMRS, Commercial Radio Operators), as well as other licenses and authorizations that lack sufficient connection to commercial wireless communications networks in the United States. Furthermore, the Personal Radio Services—a category that encompasses over 1.6 million unique, mostly individual licensees—operate in shared spectrum bands for hobbyist and safety purposes, posing little threat to national security. Similarly, we include antenna structure owners that voluntarily register their towers in Schedule C because they are likely to be individuals or companies that lack sufficient connection to commercial communications networks. Given the sheer number of licensees and authorization holders in this group, the drain on Commission personnel and resources to process the collections and attestations for each individual licensee would far outweigh the little benefit to the public or the agency of doing so.”
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Richard Dean Straw, N6BV, ARRL “Antenna Expert,” Silent Key
01/08/2026
by Mark Derks, KC1RVQ, ARRL Headquarters Staff
Richard Dean Straw (“Dean”), N6BV, died on July 9, 2025. Amateur radio was one of his passions.
Dean retired from the staff of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® in 2008 following 15 years of service as the Senior Assistant Technical Editor.
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In 2006, the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) was held in Florianópolis, Brazil, a coastal city that straddles both Santa Catarina Island and the Brazilian mainland. Not far inland, snow-capped mountains climb into the clouds, and miles of glittering, sandy beaches ring the city. The climate is subtropical and supports a dizzying diversity of plant and animal life from swaying palms to visiting American tourists. Among those visiting tourists, in this case for the WRTC as part of the PT5J team, was Dean Straw, N6BV. Accompanying him was his beloved wife, Rayma.
Dean was born on another island, thousands of miles from Florianópolis, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1946. He lived there until he came to the mainland to study electrical engineering at Yale University. After graduating, he worked in radio design in Massachusetts at the National Radio Company, as well as in North Carolina, San Francisco, and on Cape Cod. “He had a great ability to pull calls out of the noise,” his counterpart in PT5J in WRTC, Mark Obermann, AG9A, recalled. “Must have had some extra processing gain inside his noggin.” While Dean and Mark wouldn’t win the contest that year, they posted an impressive score of 1,333,789. After the contest, while vacationing in Brazil, Obermann relayed an anecdote that involved another of Straw’s hobbies, competitive running. Dean and Rayma were in Rio de Janeiro, when “a kid stole Dean’s 35mm camera.” Being a long-distance runner, Dean chased after him for several miles before it occurred to him that catching the kid might be dangerous, and that possibly “getting killed was not worth getting the camera back.” Indeed, Dean would live many years beyond that trip to Brazil, passing away from complications of an extended battle with Parkinson’s disease. Rayma Mui, his wife of 38 years, survives him, as do sons Geoff and Rick.
Not only is Dean remembered among hams for his contesting prowess, but for his tenure in the Publications Department at ARRL Headquarters. He edited five editions of The ARRL Antenna Book (the most of any named editor), four volumes of The ARRL Antenna Compendium (4 – 7), and several editions of The ARRL Handbook. Former QST Editor and ARRL author Steve Ford, WB8IMY, recalled his time with Dean. He “became my ‘antenna mentor’ when I joined the Headquarters staff. Until I met Dean, I didn’t even know that ladder line existed” or about its “low-loss characteristics. He helped me incorporate it into my home station and then collaborated with me in writing a popular QST article about my experience.” The article was titled “The Lure of the Ladder Line” and appeared in the December 1993 issue.
Reflecting on Straw’s contributions to The ARRL Antenna Book, that volume’s most recent editor, H. Ward Silver, NØAX, says, Dean’s “were very big shoes to fill. Dean started with a small book of antenna fundamentals and basic designs, then brought it into the modern era with much more detail and a wider scope that was groundbreaking.”
Beyond his expansion and updating of The ARRL Antenna Book, Straw wrote modeling software that is still distributed with The Antenna Book, including Yagi for Windows, for which he “generated a whole family of HF and VHF designs,” according to Silver. He also wrote Transmission Lines for Windows (TLW), which “integrated several calculator-style tools into one comprehensive package.” And, arguably, his software masterpiece was High Frequency Terrain Analysis (HFTA), which “combined terrain data and antenna patterns so that hams could finally get a reasonably good idea of where their signal energy was actually going. His painstakingly prepared set of Angle of Arrival files that modeled propagation to and from many areas allowed top stations to optimize their antenna systems to a high degree. Combined with the wide availability of software tools like EZNEC, the effect on amateur radio antenna system design was Promethean,” again, according to Ward Silver.
Chris Tate, N6WM, the station coordinator for Radio Oakley N6RO – the contest station of Ken Keeler, N6RO – remembered Dean as “an instrumental antenna design engineer.” At the station, Straw contributed “massively to the antenna farm with many unique and effective designs that gives N6RO its signature ‘punch’ from W6. Dean was also an expert operator, particularly in SSB, whose recordings of his ARRL Sweepstakes operating trained and guided Northern California Contest Club members for years.”
Friend and fellow contester, Dave Patton, KW9A, who also worked at ARRL Headquarters with Dean, remembers him as “one of the smartest, kindest and most innovative hams I have known.” On another notable DXpedition, 4M7X on Coche Island in Venezuela, Dean’s switchable 10-element arrays for the high bands worked so well that his team “broke the world record despite the large antenna farm being slowly destroyed over the weekend by the remnants of a large hurricane passing by.” According to Patton, the DXpedition consisted of “43 antennas and 7 complete, 1500-watt stations.”
ARRL FCC Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ, shared this remembrance, “his contributions to ham radio and to ARRL will continue through his unmatched propagation and related terrain studies, software packages (including HFTA), articles, and other contributions to ARRL publications – many of which continue to be widely distributed, consulted, and used almost two decades after he retired from the ARRL.”
Dean Straw’s, N6BV, legacy lives on through his many contributions to ham radio at ARRL Headquarters and beyond, and in the countless lives he touched with his generosity, intelligence, and love. Dean shared this message when he retired from the ARRL staff: “The Lord has been good to me — how many people can truly say that their vocation has been their beloved avocation too? My wife has consistently maintained over the years: ‘You’re having entirely too much fun in this job!'”
Dean’s son Geoff Straw shared this tribute prepared by his family:
Richard Dean Straw (“Dean”) was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i to Richard Herbert and Mae Fuyuko Straw (nee, Sukehira) on March 1, 1946. Dean graduated a year early from the ‘Iolani School in 1963 to attend Yale University, majoring in Electrical Engineering. Dean met and married Terrianne Kreiger while studying in New Haven, where their two sons Richard John Straw and Geoffrey Dean Straw were born. After graduating in 1967, Dean took on increasingly more important professional roles in the marine electronics and communications industries, which resulted in the family’s many moves in Massachusetts, North Carolina and eventually California. Dean met his forever wife Rayma Mui in San Francisco, where they lived for almost four decades. They traveled the world together before Dean was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease shortly after he retired in 2010. Dean fought the disease valiantly, with Rayma always at his side. They continually looked to their Lord for guidance and peace. Dean passed away in July 2025, leaving behind his loving wife Rayma in San Francisco, and his two sons Geoff (Nancy) in San Luis Obispo, California and Rick (Christi) in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He is also survived by five grandkids (David, Kelsey, Katelyn, Erin, and Cassidy), four great-grandkids (Danika, Dominic, Ramona and Ophelia), and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother William Kirk Straw (“Kirk”).
Dean Straw SK
by Dave Leeson, W6NL
Another giant of ham radio is now a silent key. As reported to us by his wife Rayma, Dean Straw N6BV passed away July 9, 2025 due to complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was a Contest Hall of Fame winner, famous contester, author/editor of the ARRL Antenna Book, author of HFTA, TLW and other important software tools, engineer, mentor, and a key designer-builder of the N6RO contest station.[1]
Dean Straw, N6BV, was first licensed as WH6DKD in 1959. He studied to be an electronic engineer at Yale, then joined National Radio and designed SSB and VHF radios.[2] His career eventually led to his work at the ARRL, from which we all benefit greatly.
Dean was active in contesting, living in New England and then with the N6RO superstation in California: “I’ll admit it — my first love in Amateur Radio is HF contesting.”[3]
Dean was of course familiar with the chapter on antenna siting in my 1992 book, and when he was looking for another New England job around the same year, he contacted me, knowing that my company California Microwave, Inc., had just acquired Microwave Radio Corporation (Fred Collins, W1FC, president) in Massachusetts.[4]
That didn’t work out, but he followed the recommendations of many of us who were familiar with his ham radio interests to approach the ARRL. That clicked, and he was there for a decade and a half, writing articles, giving talks and editing the famous ARRL Antenna Handbook.
While at ARRL, Straw specialized in antennas, transmission lines and propagation. “I have been able to utilize my training as an electronics engineer in other areas where I could help out. I’ve enjoyed being associated with some remarkable people at ARRL — folks who are truly dedicated not only to preserving the legacy of Amateur Radio, but to taking Amateur Radio forward in the 21st century.”
In his 15 year tenure at ARRL, Straw served as Senior Assistant Technical Editor in the Publications Group. He was Editor of The ARRL Antenna Book for five Editions (17th-21st Editions), Editor of The ARRL Antenna Compendium series (Volumes 4-7), as well as several editions of The ARRL Handbook. He was co-author of Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams with Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH.
A frequent contributor to QST (he most recently served as the handling editor for “Hints & Kinks” column) and NCJ – The National Contest Journal, Straw has been Editor of numerous ARRL books: ON4UN’s Low-Band DXing (4th Edition), Low-Profile Amateur Radio, The ARRL DXCC Handbook, DXing on the Edge, Amateur Radio on the Move, Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur and the ARRL Continuing Education Antenna Modeling course.
Straw said, “The Lord has been good to me — how many people can truly say that their vocation has been their beloved avocation too? My wife has consistently maintained over the years: ‘You’re having entirely too much fun in this job!’”[5]
His software, including HFTA, is widely used and appreciated by those of us who maintain an interest in HF propagation, especially as it pertains to contesting. Some history on this subject is found in papers and talks by such experts as Breakall, WA3FET, Beezely, K6STI, and Lewallen, W7EL.[6]
After he retired in 2008, he moved to California, but continued his energetic devotion to the study of HF propagation and the impact of terrain. He was active in presenting at the Dayton Hamvention Antenna Forum, as well as other conventions, the Contest University and even at local ham radio meetings (including one at the Stanford Amateur Radio Club).[7] He continued to develop the sophistication of his modeling software and its interpretation, and was an active contributor to the design, construction and operation of the N6RO superstation.
Dean was widely respected as a technical wizard, but also as a great friend who offered his help and advice to anyone who needed it, competitors included. He’ll be greatly missed by those of us who knew him well and worked closely with him in his favorite radio interests.
References
[1] Dean Straw, N6BV – SK, https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/dean-straw-n6bv-sk.977147/
[2] R. D. Straw, “Don’t Blow Up Your Balun,” QST, June 2015, see pg. 36.
[3] R. D. Straw, “The Effect of Local Terrain on HF Launch Angles,” QEX, July 1995, pp. 3-15
[4] “California Microwave, Sunnyvale, California, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Microwave Radio Corporation’s stock,” Broadcast Engineering, June 1992, pg. 126.
[5] ARRL “Antenna Expert” to Retire, https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-quot-antenna-expert-quot-to-retire
[6] See for example, J. Breakall WA3FET, “Maximizing Performance of HF Antennas with Irregular Terrain,” https://www.contestuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Contest-University-HF-Propagation-in-Irregular-Terrain.pdf; D. Leeson, “Antenna Topics,” https://www.kkn.net/dayton2007/w6nl_ant.pdf
[7] See for example https://www.kkn.net/dayton2004/dayton-2004-antenna-forum.html, https://www.seapac.org/seminars/2014/sea-pac2014-n6bv-Terrain%20Assessment.pdf, https://www.contestuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Contest-University-HF-Propagation-in-Irregular-Terrain.pdf. More talks by Straw are listed at https://www.k3lr.com/Dayton/ See also, R. D. Straw and G. L. Hall, “Antenna Height and Communications Effectiveness, A Guide for City Planners and Amateur Radio Operators,” ARRL, 1998.
Memorial to Dean Straw, N6BV
from Prof. Jim Breakall WA3FET
January 6, 2026
I am very sorry to hear about my friend and colleague Dean Straw, N6BV, becoming a Silent Key. What I remember most about Dean is when I had a Navy project in the early 1990s to measure dipole and vertical antennas in front of a hill, on top of a hill, and behind a hill at HF in Utah. We used a helicopter that towed either a 3-axis receiver (RELEDOP) or a transmitter (XELODOP) that was developed by SRI International in Menlo Park, CA. This system was used for measuring and verifying antenna performance mainly for the military. It flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet and could get the elevation pattern by flying from almost horizon to horizon to get down to really low take-off angles. While these measurements were being performed, I also came up with a way to model the terrain with what is known as the Geometrical/Uniform Theory of Diffraction (GTD/UTD) [1] that used plates with lossy ground characteristics and computed all the ray reflections (Geometrical Optics – GO) and diffraction (GTD/UTD) from edges of the plates. This technique was normally used at much higher frequencies and never applied before at HF. After getting really good agreement between the measurements and modeling as reported in an IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society paper [2], I told Brian Beezley K6STI and Dean Straw N6BV about the great results. Brian wrote a code named Terrain Analyzer (TA) [3] that worked in DOS and Dean wrote the code HFTA [4] that worked in Windows. Brian’s code was more interactive and worked with horizontal and vertical polarization, and Dean’s code worked in Windows with many built in horizontal antennas including stacking and also had statistics of propagation that he also produced from VOACAP [5]. Dean’s HFTA code became very popular and was included with the ARRL Antenna Book [6]. More recently, Stu Phillips K6TU [7] provides a service of producing the terrain files for any location that can be used directly into HFTA. Since Dean was the editor of the ARRL Antenna Book, he had an extensive section on terrain analysis and how to use HFTA. The other incredible project that Dean worked on was the creation of a huge database of propagation statistics using VOACAP for various paths in the world for all sunspots, seasonal variation, time of day, etc. It is also included in the ARRL Antenna Book. This was just a voluminous amount of work that Dean did putting these results into something that was understandable to any Amateur interested in propagation. Dean was also an avid antenna designer and modeling expert and designed many excellent Yagi designs in the Antenna Book. He was the editor of the ARRL Antenna Book for many years and completely modernized the previous versions with more accuracy and technical understanding with antenna modeling. Dean also was quite a competitive contester and was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. He was much competition to my K3CR contest station in the day. One of the programs he also made was TLW [8] that I still use a lot that can model transmission lines, loss, and tuner design. He will be missed very much and my sincere condolences to his family and friends. All of his work will live on by many who have used it in the past and still use it presently. He was one of a kind for sure, and I am so honored to have known him as a friend, collaborator, and colleague. RIP Dean N6BV SK.
If one wants to read more about some of the history and some of the kind of results that can be produced from Dean’s HFTA, please look at the following link:
References
[1] Keller J., “Geometrical Theory of Diffraction,”Journal of Optical Society of America 1962
[2] Breakall J. et. al., “The Modeling and Measurement of HF Antenna Skywave Radiation Patterns in Irregular Terrain,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, VOL. 42. NO. 7, JULY 1994.
[3] Beezley B., Terrain Analyzer (TA), Copyright 1998.
[4] Straw D., High Frequency Terrain Assessment (HFTA) Program, ARRL Antenna Book.
[5] VOACAP, www.voacap.com.
[6] ARRL Antenna Book, 25th Edition, First Printing (2023), ISBN: 878-1-62595-183-0.
[7] K6TU Propagation Services, https://www.k6tu.net/
[8] TLW (Transmission Line for Windows), in ARRL Antenna Book software.
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ARRL Awards Colvin Grant to Bouvet DXpedition
01/05/2026
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has awarded a $5,000 Colvin Award grant to the Delta-Xray Group, organizers of the upcoming 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet Island, scheduled for February and March, 2026. Bouvet is a remote island in the Southern Ocean, populated only by seals and penguins, and known for treacherous weather and surf conditions. It is a territory of Norway and nearly all of it is covered by glaciers. The most recent amateur radio operation from Bouvet was the 3YØJ DXpedition in 2023, which moved the island from #2 on the Club Log most wanted list to #10.
Two camps are planned, according to team leaders, operating all HF bands, with one camp focusing on high band propagation to North America when conditions allow. Each camp will consist of three tents serving as operating, sleeping, and communal spaces. These tents have previously been used on Bouvet Island and team leaders say they have proven capable of withstanding the extreme conditions expected.
Plans call for the team to leave for Bouvet from Cape Town, South Africa, on February 1. Weather permitting, 3YØK plans to use helicopter airlifts to transport personnel and equipment between the vessel and the island. The group expects to spend three weeks on and around the island and will attempt to contact as many other ham radio operators around the world as they can, using up to 8 stations operating on CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and the QO-100 geostationary satellite.
The 3YØK DXpedition is perhaps the most expensive ham radio expedition ever mounted, with a budget of $1.7 million, most of which ($1.2 million) is for what the team refers to as a “reliable commercial Arctic / Antarctic vessel,” noting that “(s)afe and reliable ship transportation continues to be a challenge for such remote island expeditions, and the cost continues to rise.” Team leaders note that “the foremost priority of the 3YØK expedition is the safety of the operating team, support personnel, and the vessel and helicopter crews.”
The team consists of 24 operators from 14 countries. Two of the team members are young hams, 21-year-old Max Freedman, N4ML, an ARRL staff member; and 26-year-old Alex Schengber, DL2ALY, an aviation engineer currently working at a German research station in Antarctica.
The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment established by the legendary DX couple Lloyd Colvin, W6KG (SK), and Iris Colvin, W6QL (SK), both now deceased. The award is intended to support amateur radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX.
Other major financial support for the DXpedition has come from the Northern California DX Foundation, the International DX Association, and the German DX Foundation.
The complete 3YØK log will be uploaded to ARRL’s Logbook of The World® — LoTW® — within 12 months following the DXpedition. LoTW is used by radio amateurs to track their progress toward awards including ARRL’s DXCC Award — the DX Century Club Award — which is achieved by confirming on the air contacts with 100 geographic entities.
“We extend our sincere thanks to all equipment sponsors and financial supporters, and particularly the ARRL Colvin Award grant. Without this collective support, activating Bouvet Island and delivering an ATNO (All-Time New One) from the #10 Club Log DXCC most wanted entity would not be possible.” The team continues to seek financial support from the amateur radio community.
For more information, visit 3y0k.com.
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2026 is ARRL’s Year of the Club — A Celebration of Amateur Radio Clubs
01/02/2026
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is launching a year-long celebration that puts the spotlight squarely where it belongs — on radio clubs. Beginning January 1, 2026, ARRL officially recognizes the Year of the Club, an initiative designated by the ARRL Board of Directors to honor the vital role clubs play in sustaining, growing, and energizing amateur radio.
Radio clubs are the backbone of ARRL and of the Amateur Radio Service itself. For countless hams, a club is the first welcoming doorway into the hobby — a place to learn, to operate, to build, and to belong. Clubs create opportunities for mentoring, public service, technical exploration, and lifelong friendships. Simply put, when clubs thrive, amateur radio thrives.
Throughout 2026, all ARRL Affiliated Clubs are invited to participate in special programs, operating events, and recognition opportunities designed to celebrate club accomplishments and inspire new ideas. ARRL will be rolling out initiatives focused on supporting club growth, strengthening activities, and recognizing clubs that help expand ARRL membership or reach significant milestones, including 100 years of ARRL Affiliation.
New Ways to Celebrate and Compete
Two exciting contests are already under way to kick off the Year of the Club, highlighting how clubs connect with members and the broader community. Details for entering the ARRL Club Newsletter Contest and ARRL Club Website Contest are available now, with a shared submission deadline of January 30, 2026, at 4 PM Eastern Time.
The ARRL Club Newsletter Contest recognizes that newsletters are often the heartbeat of a club — sharing news, and keeping members connected and involved.
Does your radio club have a great website that supports club members but also attracts attention for your club? Consider entering the ARRL Club Website Contest. Club websites play an increasingly important role in outreach, public service visibility, and attracting new members to amateur radio.
Winners will be notified in May 2026, honored at the ARRL National Convention being hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest in August, and featured in QST.
A New Home for Clubs Online
In preparation for the Year of the Club, ARRL has launched a new Clubs website, offering a modernized, accessible hub for Affiliated Clubs, prospective clubs, and individual hams looking to get involved with a club. The site brings together information about club benefits, locations, resources, and ARRL Affiliation — all in one place.
A standout new feature is the Club Map search tool, which lets users locate radio clubs by ZIP code and displays both an interactive map and a list of nearby clubs. Try it at clubs.arrl.org/map.
A new, streamlined, online application also simplifies the process for becoming a new ARRL Affiliated Club. And all clubs can use the new Member Verification tool as they set a club goal to increase ARRL membership among club members. The result is faster service, easier updates, and better support for the Affiliated Clubs. Everyone is encouraged to explore the new site and pages at clubs.arrl.org and affiliatedclubs.arrl.org.
Be Radio Active in 2026
The message for 2026 is clear: Celebrate what your radio club already does well, try something new, and be radio active. Whether your club is small or large, new or nearing a century as an ARRL Affiliated Club, the Year of the Club is an invitation to connect, innovate, and share your story.
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New ARRL Section Managers Take Office in January
01/02/2026
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® annouces four new Section Managers taking on the top volunteer leadership role in the ARRL Field Organization on January 1, 2026.
Bret Stemen, KD8SCL, has been appointed as the Ohio Section Manager to finish the term that will end September 30, 2026. Stemen, of Pataskala, has recently served as the Section Emergency Coordinator. He is taking the reins from Tom Sly, WB8LCD, who has decided to step down following his tenure as Ohio SM since 2021.
Mike Corey, KI1U, has been appointed to be the ARRL Rhode Island Section Manager, completing the term that will end June 30, 2027. Corey, of Coventry, has been serving as the Assistant Section Manager and Public Information Coordinator. Rhode Island SM Nancy Austin, KC1NEK, is stepping down early following her service in the position since 2023.
Ralph Katz, AA8RK, will become the ARRL Section Manager of Michigan, with a term ending June 30, 2028. Katz, of Ann Arbor, was the only nominee for the position during the most recent election cycle. He succeeds Larry Camp, WB8R, who has served as the Michigan SM since 2023, and from 2012 through 2017.
Keith Elliott, W6KME, of Newbury Park, California, will be the Santa Barbara Section Manager through June 30, 2028. He was the sole nominee during the most recent election cycle. Elliott takes on the role of SM after John Kitchens, NS6X, completes his term of office as Section Manager. Kitchens served as SM since 2018, and was elected to the ARRL Board of Directors last month to become the Vice Director of the Southwestern Division starting January 1.
The ARRL Field Organization is divided into 71 Sections and is comprised of more than 60,000 volunteers among ARRL’s membership.
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The WS0LAR High School Amateur Radio Club Needs Your Help!
Dear Fellow Ham Operator,
We are excited to introduce you to a student-led collaboration between the WS1THS amateur radio club and the Seagull Solar Racing Team (WS0LAR), based on Staten Island, NY. Our mission is to promote and grow the amateur radio hobby to students nationwide, where we have licensed over 500 students, and counting. In addition to DX exploration, foxhunting, antenna design, satellite contacts, and a variety of fun projects, our students are designing and building a street-legal, solar-powered electric car to race across the country in the annual Solar Car Challenge — an event that inspires young engineers from across the country.
What makes our team especially unique is that every student on the racing team is a licensed and active amateur radio operator. The car itself doubles as a mobile ham radio station (callsign WS0LAR), equipped to operate on VHF, UHF, and HF bands. Students are gaining hands-on experience in radio communications by fabricating DIY antennas, installing mobile rigs, and designing the car’s electrical and RF systems from the ground up.
This project provides authentic STEM experiences while showcasing how amateur radio skills can power real-world engineering challenges. We invite you to learn more about the team at www.statenislandsolarcar.com and follow our journey as we bring this solar-powered mobile station to life. Also check out our QRZ page and that of our affiliate club, WS1THS! Any financial support, equipment recommendations, or assistance in spreading awareness of our team is greatly appreciated! Ask us how to get your call sign displayed on the solar car!
Thank you for supporting the next generation of hams and engineers!
73,
Nathuli, KE2EQT
Partnerships Manager
The Seagull Solar Racing Team, WS0LAR
www.statenislandsolarcar.com
Visit WS0LAR and WS1THS on QRZ!
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The latest ARRL Letter is at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2026-01-15
The latest ARES-Letter is at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2025-12-17
The latest NTS Letter is at:
http://www.arrl.org/nts-letter?issue=2026-01-06
The latest ARRL Contest Update Newsletter is at:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2026-01-07
The latest ARRL Club News is at:
http://www.arrl.org/club-news?issue=2025-12-17
ARRL Member Bulletin:
http://www.arrl.org/member-bulletin?issue=2025-10-10
ARRL Current:
http://arrl.org/arrl-magazines
Radio Waves:
To receive Radio Waves, register as an ARRL Instructor or Teacher, or simply edit your personal profile to select Radio Waves as one of your email subscriptions.
Radio Waves aims to showcase how educators and license class instructors are getting their students and local communities involved in ham radio. These efforts deserve to be documented and shared. The contributors are teachers and instructors who are currently bringing amateur radio into the classrooms and beyond, just like you!
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ARRL DX news bulletin:
|
|
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NLI ~ National Traffic System STATS:
| TRAFFIC NETS | DEC. | 2025 | |||||||
| Sessions | QNI | QTC | QSP | QTR | |||||
|
BA |
31 | 524 | 9 | 9 | 904 | ||||
| ESS | 31 | 300 | 53 | ||||||
| NCVHFTN | 26 | 99 | 0 | 0 | 322 | ||||
| NLISTN | NR | ||||||||
| NYS/E | 31 | 88 | 60 | 56 | 251 | ||||
|
|
|||||||||
| Station Activity | DEC. | 2025 | |||||||
| SAR | O | R | S | D | T | ||||
|
KD2TDG |
0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14 | ||||
|
1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11 | ||||
|
|
|||||||||
| PUBLIC SERVICE | DEC. | 2025 | |||||||
|
PSHR |
1/Nets | 2/Tffc | 3/Pos | 4/Pub | 5/Emg | 6/Dig | TOT | ||
| KD2TDG | 40 | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | ||
|
Digital Activity |
DEC. | 2025 | |||||||
| DTR | R | S | T | ||||||
| KD2MDV | 0 | 14 | 14 | ||||||
| 73, | |||||||||
| Eugene KD2MDV | |||||||||
| ASTM NLI
|
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NTS INFORMATION
NYS/M*/ 10am local time daily /*NYS/E*/ 7pm local time daily /*NYS/L*/
10pm local time daily –
As of now the frequency for all things NTS in NY is 3576. The alternate
freq. is usually 7042 kHz ± but 80 is starting to go long again, so if
you can get on top band, the alternate of 1807 kHz.
INDEPENDENT CW NETS which maintain close association with the NTS.
Empire Slow Speed Net (ESS) 6pm daily on 3566 kHz . Alt. 7044 kHz ±
Hit and Bounce Slow Speed Traffic Net (HBSN) 7112 kHz at 7:30 am daily.
Hit and Bounce Net (HBN) 8:30 am daily on 7112 kHz
NTS SECTION LEVEL HF/phone nets:
New York Public Operations Net (NYPON) 5pm daily on 3925 kHz ± QRM,
alternate freq. 3913 kHz
The NTS local nets are:
Big Apple Traffic Net now meets @ 8:00 PM on 446.675 – 114.8 PL
Nassau Co. VHF Net Tuesday thru Sunday at 7:30pm. Pri: 146.805/R (136.5pl)Alt.1:
147.135/R (136.5pl) Alt.2: 443.525/R (114.8)
NCVHFTN Website: : http://www.nassautraffic.net
NLI Student Skywarn / Traffic Net
Meetings
Off for summer
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Digital Traffic:
KD2MDV, KD2MEN, and W2ITT are now operational as a Digital Relay Stations on HF winlink representing the New York City/Long Island Section.
Club Meetings and Information:
The Club listing is always being updated. Please submit your meeting
information to w2kfv@arrl.org
NOTE: Always check with the club to verify the date, time and
location of the events/meetings listed here.
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ARCECS
Due to construction at The American Red Cross in Mineola, our meetings will be virtual via Zoom until further notice.
First Tuesday of every month (except August) our monthly local repeater Net will start at 7:30pm and finish by 7:50pm – Net will commence on: WB2QBP/r – 442.650MHz + 5Mhz/141.3 Tone access.
The Net will be followed by our Zoom virtual General Business Meeting at 8:00pm.
Here are the particulars for attending our TUESDAY meeting:
- Monthly ARC ECS Net on WB2QBP/r (442.650 MHz +5MHz/141.3Hz tone) at 7:30pm (EST) All Members and non-Members are invited to participate if they are within range of our analog system. The Net will close at 7:50pm, FOLLOWED BY:
Meeting is by invite from our President, Ms Deborah Kerr KC2GPV:
- ZOOM ARC ECS General Business Meeting, starting at 8:00pm (EST). The lag time will allow members and any invited guests time to virtually move over & login via their own PC, tablet, iPad or mobile device. After the Net, there will be “social” time before & after the meeting on Zoom as needed.
For more information go to their website: http://www.arcecs.org
Please contact Leonard Smith (PIO) at: n2ldv@arrl.net for information.
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BONAC Amateur Radio Club (BARC)
BARC meets the 4th Thursday of the month at 6:00 PM at the Amagansett
Library (except November, which is on the 3rd Thursday). For more
information please go to the club website at http://www.bonacarc.org
Or contact President Eddie Schnell, WZ2Y at wz2y@arrl.net
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Brookhaven National Labs Amateur Radio Club (BNLARC)
President ; Joe Levesque III – AC2ND ac2nd@arrl.net
For more information please go to the club website at http://www.arc.bnl.gov/BNLARC/Home.html
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Camp Pouch Amateur Radio Association (WA2CP) http://www.wa2cp.org
Meetings are held on the 2nd Saturday of each month. 1 PM. At the William H. Pouch Scout Camp, 1465 Manor Road, Staten Island. Club E Mail, info@wa2cp.org
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Grumman ARC (GARC) http://www.qsl.net/wa2lqo/
Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Haypath Road Park in Old Bethpage, starting at 5:30 PM.
GARC VE sessions are held on the second Tuesday of each month in the meeting rooms at the Bethpage Community Park in Bethpage, starting at 5:00 PM.
Contact: Ed Gellender at wb2eav@yahoo.com
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Great South Bay ARC
GSBARC Monthly meetings are the last Thursday of the month, 8PM.
Babylon Town Hall EOC, 200 East Sunrise Hwy, North Lindenhurst. GSBARC
Monthly VE are the 4th Saturday starting 10:00 am. For more
information, Contact AB2ZI Kevin Morgan at kmorgan6@optonline.net.
Please see the club website for directions http://www.gsbarc.org/
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HOSARC
The NY Hall of Science ARC has general membership meetings on the
second Tuesday of each month, 7:30 PM, with the exception of July and August.
The meetings are a time to take care of club business, listen to a
great speaker regarding an interesting topic related to ham radio, and
to make new friends and catch up with old friends. The club has its
meetings at the Fort Totten Coast Guard Auxiliary
611 Little Bay Road
Bayside, NY 11359
Outside Staircase is in the back to 2nd floor
Please check the clubs website at www.hosarc.org for more detailed
information.
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Kings County Radio Club (KC2RC)
Club Meeting Info:
Zoom Virtual Meeting Software
1st Wednesday of Each Month
7:00 PM – Pre-Meeting (informal discussion, questions, etc.)
8:00 PM – General Meeting (Club business, etc. The meeting can continue until 8:30 to 9:30)
Presently we have our meetings by Zoom virtual meeting software. Anyone can request a link to our next meeting by requesting one by email to Roy AC2GS (at AC2GS@AC2GS.com) and identifying themselves (anonymous email addresses are insufficient).
Our 2 Meter Nets Tuesdays at 9:00 PM, 146.730 Pl 88.5 -600hz Encode / Decode
Our 2 Meter Tech Net is Second and Fourth Wednesday of Every Month At 9:00 PM 146.730 Pl 88.5 – 600hz Encode / Decode
Our 10 Meter KCRC Net Sunday 10 Meter Net 28.380.0 USB Every Sunday 11:00 AM Eastern Time Zone
We now have Wire-X Room KCRC-RPT #85663.
To listen to Digital Side and 2 Meter Club Net Stream us when you are away from your radios
https://www.kingscountyradioclub.com/stream/
Kings County Radio Club Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kingscountyradioclub/
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Larkfield Amateur Radio Club
Club Meetings and Information:
Larkfield Amateur Radio Club
Club Meetings are in person/virtual
Larkfield Amateur Radio Club meetings take place at 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of every month, at the Halesite Fire Department, 1 North New York Ave, Halesite, NY 11743.
Utilize the Town Park parking lot to the rear of the building. Do NOT park in Firefighter parking spots. Use rear entrance and take elevator to 2nd floor meeting room.
ZOOM invitations are emailed to all members on the club roster. Guests are welcome to join. For more information contact: larkfieldarc@gmail.com
Club website http://www.larkfield.org/
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Long Island Amateur Radio Simplex Club
The LIARS Club meets on the first Tuesday of the month at Newfield High
School in Selden, NY at 7:30PM. All are welcome. Our web site is:
www.lisimplex.org Contact: Tim MoDavis, KA2VZX at ka2vzx@arrl.net
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Long Island CW Club:
LICW holds 75 classes and classes and forums weekly on Zoom covering CW instruction and many interesting topics on radio and related technology. The club has grown quickly to 3000 members in 50 states and 43 countries. LICW has local events such as portable outings and luncheons. More outings will be planned as Covid eventually eases. LICW has taught CW to over 350 kids with a number getting licenses. Programs for members with disabilities such as hearing impairments are available. LICW has a very unique website dedicated to all aspects of CW: Learn Morse Code – CW with The Long Island CW Club
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Long Island DX Association (LIDXA)
Zoom Virtual Meeting
For club details, see our Web site, or contact Jack
Phelan, NU2Q, LIDXA Secretary at jackp05@aol.com for further
information.
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Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC)
LIMARC meets the second Wednesday each month, 8PM at Levittown Hall,
201 Levittown Parkway, Hicksville, NY. All are welcome. Bring a
friend!
Webpage is: http://www.limarc.org
Club Contact: President, Richie Cetron, k2knb@limarc.org
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Long Island Transmitter Hunters (LITHARC)
Seeking new participants A group of Long Island transmitter hunting
enthusiasts has been conducting hunts on Friday nights with an
occasional Sunday event and we are seeking new participants to join in
the fun. Anyone interested in learning more about the activity of radio
direction finding and radio fox hunting is invited to come out as
a hunter or rider. A LITHARC discussion group (Long Island Transmitter
Hunters ARC) has been established on Groups IO as a central
information and communications site.
You are welcome to sign up to keep informed about upcoming events. If
you would like our group to conduct a hunt in your area that would
include members of your radio club, please let us know. For more
information, contact Larry, WA2SUH at wa2suh@aol.com
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Nassau Amateur Radio Club (NARC) http://www.k2vn.org/
Meetings every Monday night at 7:30 PM in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow
at the Lannin House, Field #6 / 6A. The General meeting is the last
Monday of the month at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Contact Mike Croce, N2PPI, President at n2ppi.mike@gmail.com
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New York City Repeater Association (NYCRA)
Meets the second Thursday of the month (except for July and August)
Meetings are held at the South Beach Psych Center, 777 Seaview Ave.
Off Father Cappodano Blvd., in Building 10. The meeting will start
promptly at 8 pm.
Staten Island ARES meets at the same location starting at 7pm.
Talk in frequency is 447.375 minus shift pl. 141.3
All are welcome, members and non-members.
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Peconic Amateur Radio Club (PARC)
PARC’s regular club meeting is held the first Sunday of each month (except in July) at the Custer Institute and Observatory 1115 Main Bayview Road Southold, New York 11971
See the PARC website at www.w2amc.org for our current club activities, meeting details and contact information
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Radio Central Amateur Radio Club
RCAC meets the last Wednesday
of most months from 6:30-9PM at the Middle Country Public Library;
101 Eastwood Blvd, Centereach, NY 11720
+40.8654, -73.0800
Each month, meeting details are on our web site: http://www.rcarc.org
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Radio Club of Junior High School 22 NYC
Joe Fairclough-WB2JKJ
President
PO Box 1052
New York NY 10002
Telephone 516-674-4072 Mobile/Text 516-658-6947
*** Meet us on THE CLASSROOM NET, 7.238 MHz, 7:00-8:30 am, Monday thru Friday.
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Staten Island Amateur Radio Association (SIARA)
From President Neal “Rich” Balas, W2RB:
Due to the current COVID pandemic, all meetings and VE Sessions have been
suspended until further notice
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Suffolk County Radio Club (SCRC)
Please be advised that the SCRC meeting dates will now be held on the last Monday of the month, Beginning on April 25,2002. The board meeting will begin at 7pm and the general meeting will start at 8:00 pm. Our new meeting will now be held at :
Longwood Youth / LYSA Sports Complex
210 Meadows Blvd E
Yaphank, NY 11980
Contact Richie Geraci, KD2NJA, at kd2nja@gmail.com
Or go to their NEW website, http://www.suffolkcountyradioclub.net
The Suffolk County Radio Club holds weekly nets on the W2DQ repeater.All are welcome to check-in. The repeater is in Yaphank, NY on 145.210 MHz / negative ( – ) 600 kHz shift / PL 162.2 . Their back up machine has a 136.5 PL
SCRC Information & Rag chew Net
Round table discussions, Club news and information, technical topics and for sale items. Wednesday 8:00 PM
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Symbol Technologies Amateur Radio Club
The Symbol Technologies Amateur Radio Club is dedicated to serving the
amateur radio community and the general public on Long Island, New
York. The club operates under the vanity call sign of W2SBL.. Email:
Jim Fuccello, AG2I at jim.fuccello@zebra.com for more details
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Wantagh Amateur Radio Club
Meetings are held on the second Friday of each month at 7:30 PM at the
Wantagh Public Library, 3285 Park Ave, Wantagh, NY 11793. Entrance to
the meeting room is at the rear of the library, adjacent to the
parking-lot. For more information, see the club’s website at
http://www.qsl.net/w2va
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Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
New York City:
DEC: Martin Grillo, W1EMR, w1emr@arrl.net
ADEC: Frank J. Racaniello, KE2ARA, ke2ara@arrl.net
EC: Kings / Queens: Simon Wurster, K2FH, k2fh@arrl.net
AEC: L. Sugai, N2UJG, n2ujg@arrl.net
Nassau County:
DEC : Ken Kobetitsch, KD2GXL, kd2gxl@ncaresmail.net
ADEC : Robert Jagde, KD2GRS, kd2grs@ncaresmail.net
Nassau County ARES meets monthly on the 4th Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Meetings are held at the American Red Cross 195 Willis Ave. Mineola , NY
For more information about local ARES groups, contact the
following Emergency Coordinators:
Suffolk County:
DEC: John Melfi, W2HCB suffolkcountydec@outlook.com
EC;s
Town of Smithtown: Rich Johnston, KC2TON, kc2ton@arrl.net
Smithtown meets on the 2nd Monday of every month at the Smithtown EOC – 7:30PM.
We also hold weekly Nets on Monday’s at 7:30 pm, (W2LRC/145.43, PL 136.5 Larkfield Repeater)
Town of Brookhaven: Joe Schierer, KC2BZB, kc2bzb@arrl.net
2nd Monday of the month at the Middle Country Library,
101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, NY at 7:30 pm
Town of Riverhead: Steve Casko, W2SFC, w2sfc@arrl.net
Monthly meeting TBD
Town of Southampton: Vacant
Town of Southold: Don Fisher, N2QHV, n2qhv@arrl.net
ARES announcements and business conducted during the Peconic ARC
meetings.
1st Friday of the month at 6:30 pm. Mattituck Public Library on the Main Road
(route 25) in Mattituck.
Town of East Hampton: Eddie Schnell,WZ2Y, wz2y@arrl.net
4th Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm during the BONAC ARC meeting
(except November which is on the 3rd Thursday). Amagansett
Library, Amagansett
Town of Shelter Island: Vacant
Town of Islip: Phil Jacobs, W2UV, w2uv@arrl.net
Other Stuff :
[DX]
John Reiser, W2GW is the section DXCC card checker and is available for
field checking of QSL cards for your DXCC Award. John is available by
appointment at his home in West Hempstead for card checking, and at all
LIDXA meetings. If some lives far from him, John is willing to meet them
half way at a diner or someplace. Contact John at w2gw@arrl.net
Aaron Broges, WC2C and Tom Carrubba, KA2D are also DXCC card checkers. Aaron and Tom are also members of the LIDXA and is usually available for DXCC QSL checking at the monthly LIDXA meetings (along with W2GW).
Approved DXCC card checkers can also check cards for WAS and VUCC
awards as well.
NLI DX Spotting Clusters:
AA2MF Staten Island-NY, dxc.aa2mf.net
K2LS Greensboro- NC. dxc.k2ls.com
K2LS is still a popular spot for many NLI DXers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++-
ARRL Additional :
Finding ham radio classes a mouse click away! A new user-friendly
feature on the ARRL Web site-the ARRL Amateur Licensing Class Search
Page-lets prospective hams search for a licensing class in their area.
It also allows ARRL registered instructors to list their classes on the
Web. Visitors can search for classes by ZIP code, ARRL Section or
state.
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/courses/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARES E-Letter, sign up now!
The ARES E-Letter is an e-mail digest of news and information of
interest to active members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) and to hams concerned with public service and emergency
communications. ARRL members may subscribe to The ARES E-Letter by
going to the Member Data Page at:
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html?modify=1
Check the box for ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news) and you’re all set. Past issues of
The ARES E-Letter are available at: http://www.arrl.org/ares-el/ Issues
are posted to this page after publication.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Repeaters:
MetroCor is coordinating body for the New York metro area. MetroCor is
the established coordinating body for the New York Metro area,
inclusive of New York City, Long Island, Westchester County and the
majority of Northern New Jersey. You must apply for coordination
through MetroCor if you wish to establish a new system on Amateur Radio
Spectrum above 29.5 MHz. These and any other matters related to repeater
systems coordination are welcomed by MetroCor. They invite you to
visit their website at: http://www.metrocor.net. You can also direct
questions to their e-mail at metrocor@metrocor.net.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NLI Staff :
DEC New York City: Martin Grillo, W1EMR, w1emr@arrl.net
DEC Nassau County: Ken Kobetitsch, KD2GXL, kd2gxl@ncaresmail.net
DEC Suffolk County : John Melfi, W2HCB, w2hcb@arrl.net
Affiliated Club Coordinator : Richie Cetron, K2KNB, k2knb@arrl.net
Technical Coordinator: Steve Barreres K2CX, k2cx@arrl.net
Public Information Coordinator : Mel Granick, KS2G, ks2g@arrl.net
State Government Liaison: George Tranos N2GA, n2ga@arrl.net
Section Traffic Manager: Todd Walerstein, KD2CBV
Assistant Section Traffic Manager: Eugene Boychenko, KD2MDV, kd2mdv@arrl.net
Assistant Section Managers:
Webmaster: Mitch Cohen N2RGA, n2rga@arrl.net
Skywarn: John Hale, KD2LPM, kd2lpm@arrl.net
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January 2026 NYC-LI Section Newsletter — No Comments
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