Alexa Seleno
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2025 Contesting Related Events Dayton Hamvention

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May 14th – Wednesday night
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Dayton Contest University 2025 Registration at the Hope Hotel
7:00 PM Contest Super Suite at the Hope Hotel opens hosted by the Mad River Radio Club (MRRC), Frankford Radio Club (FRC)  North Coast Contesters (NCC), and Kansas City DX Club (KCDXC).
10:00 PM Pizza Party at the Hope Hotel sponsored by Dayton Contest University 2025.   http://www.contestsupersuite.com.

May 15th – Thursday daytime
7:00 AM Dayton Contest University 2025 Registration opens at the Hope Hotel.  Must sign up in advance – http://www.contestuniversity.com.
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Dayton Contest University 2025 at the Hope Hotel.

May 15th – Thursday night
6:00 pm Digital Contest Dinner – at the Hope Hotel in the Mustang Room.  Speaker is Roger Hoffman, N4RR – RTTY Contesting as PJ4R.  Tickets from W0YK
7:00 PM Contest Super Suite at the Hope Hotel hosted by the Mad River Radio Club (MRRC), Frankford Radio Club (FRC) North Coast Contesters (NCC), and Kansas City DX Club (KCDXC).
10:00 PM Pizza Party at the Hope Hotel sponsored by the Society of Midwest Contesters (SMC). http://www.contestsupersuite.com

May 16th – Friday daytime
7:00 AM – First Bus Pickup from the Hope Hotel to the Fairgrounds.  (Bus runs on a continuous loop between the hotel and the fairgrounds).  Friday and Saturday only.
9:15 – 10:35 AM Digital Contest Forum at Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio, Room 4 Moderator:  Ed Muns, W0YK
“ RTTY and FT8 Contest Insights,, Tim Shoppa, N3QE
“Recent Advances in RigSelect Pro, Courtney Krehbiel, KD6X
“The New FT Challenge Contest, Ed Muns, W0YK
“Understanding Log Checking, Ed Muns, W0YK
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Antenna Forum at Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio, Room 1 Moderator:  Tim Duffy, K3LR.
“Comparison of Short Vertical Arrays for Low Band Receiving” Joel Harrison, W5ZN
“Wideband Wire Antennas” Fred Lass, K2TR
“All Choked up! Feedline Choking Without Suffocating” Greg Ordy, W8WWV
“Solar Cycle 25 Lessons Learned for Amateur Radio” Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW
5:30 PM – Final Bus Pickup from the Fairgrounds to the Hope Hotel.

May 16th – Friday night
7:00 PM Contest Super Suite at the Hope Hotel hosted by the Mad River Radio Club (MRRC), Frankford Radio Club (FRC) North Coast Contesters (NCC), and Kansas City DX Club (KCDXC).
7:00 PM 34th Annual Top Band Dinner at the Hope Hotel.  Speaker John Crovelli, W2GD.  Tickets in advance from http://www.topbanddinner.com.
9:30 PM-11:00 PM – Spurious Emissions Band performing live at the Hope Hotel
11:00 PM Pizza Party at the Hope Hotel sponsored by the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC).  http://www.contestsupersuite.com

May 17th – Saturday daytime
7:00 AM – First Bus Pickup from the Hope Hotel to the Fairgrounds.  (Bus runs on a continuous loop between the hotel and the fairgrounds).  Friday and Saturday only.
1:35 PM – 3:50 PM Contest Forum at Hamvention in Xenia, OH, Room 1 Moderator:  Doug Grant, K1DG.
“Great Montana Sweepstakes Shootout of 2024” – Chris Hurlbut, KL9A/KM7W and Pat Barkey, N9RV
“Youth Contesting in Europe” – Jules Benkemoun, F4IEY
“QSO Party Roving in Style” – Chris Knox, KI1P
“Introducing Tina – the N3QE AI op” – Tim Shoppa, N3QE
“Real Time Contesting – HAMSCORE.com” – Victor Androsov, VA2WA and Craig Thompson, K9CT
5:30 PM – Final Bus Pickup from the Fairgrounds to the Hope Hotel.

May 17th – Saturday evening
6:30 PM 31st Annual Dayton Contest Dinner hosted by North Coast Contesters at the Hope Hotel.  Dinner speaker Chris Hurlbut, KL9A.  Space is limited.  Details and tickets in advance are available at http://www.contestdinner.com.
7:00 PM Contest Super Suite at the Hope Hotel hosted by The Mad River Radio Club (MRRC), Frankford Radio Club (FRC) North Coast Contesters (NCC), and Kansas City DX Club (KCDXC).
8:00 PM to 12:00 AM Kansas City DX Club CW Pileup Competition at the Hope Hotel.
10:30 PM Pizza Party at the Hope Hotel sponsored by the Yankee Clipper Contest Club (YCCC).  http://www.contestsupersuite.com

North American SSB Sprint

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The North American SSB Sprint Contest, begins March 23 at 0000 UTC, and concludes at 0359 UTC. The 4-hour contest, on the 80-, 40-, and 20-meter bands, are short, intense competitions which challenge the best operators, while allowing others to sharpen their contesting skills. Operators who have never participated in the sprints before should take a look at the Tips & Tricks section of the website.

For complete rules, visit ssbsprint.com/rules.

Bus Trip to Hamvention!!

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The ARROW Communications Association and the Toledo Mobile Radio Association (TMRA) are proud to sponsor a motor coach trip to the Hamvention 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. This one-day trip leaves early in the morning on May 17, 2025, and returns the same day after Hamvention closes for the day at 5:00 p.m. The bus has two pickup spots, in Ann Arbor and in Toledo (Rossford). Please join us!

Tickets are $70 per person. Please note that this does not include the Hamvention ticket, which you need to purchase separately. To Register and see full Details visit: w8rp.org/daytonbus2025

There are two pickup/drop off locations on May 17th, 2025

Ann Arbor – 601 W Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI – Departing 4:30 am

Toledo – 727 Lime City Rd. Rossford, OH – Departing 5:30 am

On board, you can stretch out, relax, take a nap, chat with other hams, and enjoy a light breakfast with coffee as the coach takes you directly to the country’s largest amateur radio event!

Thanks

ARROW & TMRA

Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act Re-Introduced

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02/07/2025

Legislation Will Increase Communication Options During Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., and Representatives August Pfluger, R-Tex., and Joe Courtney, D-Conn. announced their joint re-introduction of legislation in the Senate and House to restore the right to Amateur Radio operators to install the antennas necessary to serve their communities.

Homeowner association rules often prevent Amateur Radio operators from installing antennas at their homes even though Amateur Radio has proven to be essential in emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes when other means of communication fail.

“Mississippians should have access to every possible means of warning for natural disasters, including amateur radio operators. In an emergency, those warnings can mean the difference between life and death,” Senator Wicker said. “The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act would remove unnecessary roadblocks that could help keep communities safe during emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires.”

“When disaster strikes, amateur radio operators provide vital, often life-saving information, which shouldn’t be hindered by prohibitive rules or confusing approval processes. The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act eliminates obstacles for ham radio enthusiasts, allowing them to continue their communications and serve their communities in the face of emergencies,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“Natural disasters and other emergency situations that hinder our regular lines of communication are unfortunately unavoidable, which is why we must bolster our emergency preparedness by removing the barriers amateur radio operators often run into when installing antennas. Amateur radio plays a vital role in public safety by delivering critical information to people at all times. My district is home to dozens of amateur radio operators ready to volunteer in the event of an emergency, and I am proud to lead this legislation,” said Congressman August Pfluger.

“As we know from recent natural disasters, amateur radio operators in Connecticut can be a critical component of disaster response and emergency management. It is in our communities’ best interest that we give them the capabilities to operate at the highest level, and with the re-introduction of this bill, we’ve taken a strong step in that direction,” said Congressman Courtney.

Background:

The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 (H.R. 1094 and S. 459) would require homeowner associations to accommodate the needs of FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operators by prohibiting the enforcement of private land use restrictions that ban, prevent, or require the approval of the installation or use of Amateur Radio station antennas. Homeowner associations have often prevented installation and use of such antennas through private land use restrictions. This has hindered voluntary training for emergency situations and blocked access to necessary communications when disaster strikes.

Among other provisions, this legislation would:

  • Prohibit homeowner association rules that would prevent or ban Amateur Radio antennas;
  • Specify an approval process for installing Amateur Radio antennas;
  • Provide a Federal private right of action to Amateur Radio operators in disputed cases.

On behalf of America’s Amateur Radio licensees, Rick Roderick, the President of The American Radio Relay League, re-confirmed the ARRL’s full support for the passage of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 and extended his thanks and appreciation to Senators Wicker and Blumenthal and Congressmen Pfluger and Courtney for their unflagging leadership of the bi-partisan effort to support and protect the rights of all Amateur Radio Operators.

The text of the House version can be found at this link: H.R. 1094

Source: ARRL

2025 ARRL Foundation Scholarships – Final Weeks to Apply

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The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program continues to accept applications for the 2025 scholarship cycle. The application period is open until 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 6, 2025. The scholarships are available to eligible amateur radio operators pursuing higher education. There are more than 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $25,000.

The scholarships have been established by generous donors and can help fund a portion of a ham’s education. Descriptions of the scholarships may be found at https://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions

In 2024, 135 scholarships totaling more than $715,000 were awarded. Young Hams throughout the country benefitted from scholarships ranging from $500 to $25,000 to assist them with college or university expenses. Funded entirely through the generous contributions of individuals, Clubs, and friends, the Scholarship Program is one of two areas of focus (the other being grants) for the Foundation, which is a separate organization that works closely in partnership with ARRL.

ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, is encouraged by the program. “Hams are always learning, and being able to honor that dedication to education through generously funded scholarship programs helps relieve some of the financial burden that students can experience,” he said.

All applicants must submit a completed online application. Transcripts and any additional required documents must be submitted with the application and not emailed separately. A number of scholarships require additional documents, such as a letter of recommendation from a sitting Officer of an ARRL-affiliated club. Applications without accompanying transcripts and additional required documents (if applicable) will not be considered. Scholarship recipients will be notified by early June 2025. Awards are mailed directly to recipients’ schools and will be awarded in July 2025.

ARRL’s mission is to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs. Through programs like the free youth membership and the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, ARRL is enabling futures in STEM-field careers through amateur radio.