Member Resources

ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator November 2025 Newsletter 

“Get the most from your ARRL membership by distributing this newsletter to all your fellow club members. And as always, I'm here to help you with all your ARRL needs!” 73,  

Dudley KM4IYQ – ARRL E. TN. ACC 

“Helping to preserve the future of Amateur Radio.” 

ARRL TN Section/Division/National/International News 

ARRL November Audio News 

Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the  week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and  other features. More info | Listen on Blubrry | Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.  

ARRL November On-The-Air Podcasts 

The On the Air podcast is a companion to the bimonthly On the Air magazine (an  ARRL membership benefit) and takes a deeper dive into select features and projects. Each  month, host and On the Air Editorial Director Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, will offer additional  resources, techniques, and hints to help you get the most from the magazine’s content. Go to  https://www.arrl.org/on-the-air-podcast 

ARRL Digital Magazine Issues This Month 

QST Link: November 2025 Issue 

On The Air Link: November 2025 Issue 

QEX Link: November / December 2025 Issue 

National Contest Journal Link: November 2025 Issue

2026 ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program is Now Accepting Applications The scholarships were established by generous donors and are managed by the ARRL  Foundation as a means to inspire youth to explore amateur radio and to pursue higher  education and related career paths -- and especially in wireless communications. 

In 2025, the ARRL Foundation awarded 170 awards totaling $800,000. More information and  the online application are available at https://www.arrl.org/scholarship-program. 

The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program has opened the application window for 2026  scholarships. Applications will be accepted through December 30, 2025, at 12 PM EST.  Students are encouraged to apply for more than 170 scholarships ranging from $500 to  $25,000. All applicants must be active, FCC-licensed amateur radio operators. 

Get Your 2026 ARRL Calendars – “Year of the Towers” Now available! The 2026 ARRL Calendar reaches new heights with a curated selection of tower  photography from around the world. These impressive structures stand as symbols of the  technical mastery, innovation, and passion that define amateur radio. 

Calendar Features: 

ARRL contests and other major ham radio contests 

National event dates: ARRL Field Day, Kids Day, JOTA, and more! 

Phases of the moon and meteor showers 

Holidays and other important dates 

Bonus month — January 2027 

2027 monthly planner 

Display in your home, office, or ham radio workshop all year long. To get yours go to ARRL  2026 Calendar 

Tis The Season To Be Contesting! 

Winter is upon us with snow and cold rains. Let's face it, the weather has turned and the  temperatures and conditions are less than desirable for outside activities. What to do?  

Contest! Grab a warm cup of coffee or cocoa, put on your most comfortable sweats or other  lounging apparel, throw another log on the fire, power up the radios, point those beams and  switch over to your favorite bands. It's time to CONTEST! 

But what contests are going on? The ARRL contests for the next 12 months are listed below.  Here are the links to the contest calendar pdf and Contest section at the ARRL: 

2025 - 2026 Contest Calendar PDF 

https://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) cancels SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) 2025. 

The necessary time and resources required to plan a comprehensive national event for  SKYWARN™ Recognition Day 2025 are not available this year. Thus, the difficult decision  was made to cancel this year's event by the NWS. 

The NWS will work with ARRL and SKYWARN™ spotters to brainstorm ideas to redevelop a  spotter appreciation event in 2026. 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®, which has a Memorandum of  Understanding with NWS, emphasized the strength of the long-standing partnership behind  the event. “ARRL is proud of the continued partnership with the National Weather Service to  promote and recognize SKYWARN and the volunteers around the country. We look forward  to working together to revitalize and promote SKYWARN Recognition Day again next year,”  said Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, ARRL Director of Emergency Management. 

Established in 1999 by the National Weather Service and ARRL, SKYWARN Recognition Day celebrates the critical contributions SKYWARN volunteers make in supporting the NWS  mission to protect life and property. Amateur radio operators constitute a significant portion of  these volunteers, providing essential communication links between NWS and emergency  management agencies when traditional communications fail. 

The NWS-ARRL SRD National Committee extends its appreciation to all SKYWARN  volunteers for their dedication and service to their communities, and offers best wishes for a  safe and happy holiday season. 

ARRL VEC Ready to File 2,500+ Ham Radio License Applications; FCC Extends Renewal Filing Deadline 

Updated 11/20/2025 (FCC System Issues Affecting Application Processing) 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that the FCC has extended the  filing deadline to March 5, 2026, for amateur radio licenses that otherwise were due to expire  from October 1, 2025, to March 5, 2026. The announcement is included in an FCC Public  Notice (DA-25-943) released on Monday, November 17, 2025. 

The news follows the recent reopening of the federal government on November 13, following  a lengthy 43-day shutdown. Since reopening, many federal agencies, including the FCC,  have resumed activities, though reducing backlogs and rebounding to full operations may  take some time. This includes significant delays in filing amateur radio license applications.

The FCC Public Notice includes: 

For personal radio licensees (i.e., Amateur, Ship, Aircraft, GMRS, and Commercial Operator  Licenses), renewal filings originally due on October 1, 2025, through and including March 5,  2026, are now due on March 5, 2026. Further, we confirm that licensees whose licenses have expired and whose renewal filing deadlines have been extended above may rely on their  timely renewal filing (by the extended deadline) to support continued operation pursuant  to section 1.62 of the Commission’s rules. 

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM,  explained that the announcement means that amateurs whose license expired, or will expire,  between October 1, 2025, and March 5, 2026, may continue to operate upon completing a  license renewal filing by March 5, 2026. 

Somma added the FCC ULS systems are intermittently available again, which include the  license manger system, FCC license search, and application search databases, as well as  the CORES system. 

FCC System Issues Affecting Application Processing: 

The FCC had also briefly resumed accepting application filings via its Electronic Batch Filing  (EBF) system on late Wednesday afternoon, November 19. “The EBF system is used by  ARRL VEC and all VEC organizations to file exam sessions, new and upgraded licenses, as  well as individual and club license filings, none of which are not being processed at this time,”  said Somma. 

On Thursday morning, an official alert was posted to the FCC website about FCC systems  experiencing significant performance degradation. While some applications were successfully processed yesterday afternoon, it appears that currently the EBF system is no longer  accepting applications. 

According to the FCC’s website there will be: 

• Substantial delays in retrieving search results (searches may take several minutes or time  out entirely) 

• Slow or delayed processing of new applications, modifications, renewals,  assignments/transfers, and other filings 

• Intermittent timeouts during submission of applications or attachments • General sluggishness when navigating pages, viewing license/registration details, or  uploading documents 

• Inability to complete application fee payments (reported by customers) 

FCC technical staff and contractors are actively investigating the cause and are working to  restore normal system performance as quickly as possible. This issue is being treated with  the highest priority. The Commission will post additional notices when system performance  has been fully restored or if additional information becomes available.

During the shutdown, the ARRL VEC urged its Volunteer Examiners to continue giving ham  radio exam sessions (see important information below For ARRL VEC exam candidates). “We have over 2,500 license applications queued up,” said Somma. She noted that ARRL VEC  has already started to file the backlog of applications. “At least for now, when the FCC again  resumes processing, they are limiting each EBF user, like ARRL VEC, to upload no more than 75 applications per hour, to ensure the system is stable,” said Somma. Somma asks  applicants to be patient as the FCC processes the backlog. 

For ARRL VEC exam candidates who were unable to get an FCC Registration Number (FRN) while the FCC CORES system was unavailable, please follow these steps to ensure your  license application is ready to be processed promptly once the EBF system becomes  operational: 

1, Register for a CORES account at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do, using your email address as your username. 

2. Verify your account, then log in and obtain your FCC Registration Number (FRN). 

– Be sure to register as an Individual. 

– Enter your personal information exactly as it appears on your photo ID. – Once you receive your FRN, save it carefully -- this will be your permanent FCC  identifier. 

3. Send your Name, Test Date, and new FRN to the ARRL VEC. Email: VEC@arrl.org 

See previous ARRL News: Amateur Radio Licensing Update During US Government  Shutdown 10/1/2025 https://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-licensing-update-during-us government-shutdown 

Did You Know ARRL Has A YouTube Channel? 

Yes, ARRL has a YouTube channel with a vast library of videos that you can show at your  next club meeting or just view for your own personal entertainment and education. The  subject variety is broad covering all aspects of amateur radio. The channel was first started in  2009 and since then has had more than 3.6M views.  

I encourage you to take a look and browse the channel. There are equipment reviews and lab reports, training videos on various subjects, educational videos, and so much more than I can list here. Need a link? 

Go to https://www.youtube.com/@ARRLHQ/videos

ARRL Year of the Club Website Contest — Call for Submissions! 

See Your Club in QST! 

ARRL has made 2026 the Year of the Club, a year-long celebration of ham radio clubs and  everything they do for amateur radio. As just one way of honoring various clubs, QST will  feature club photos in every 2026 issue. If your club wants a shot at being highlighted in the  pages of QST, here’s what to do: 

• Get your club members together, looking their best — if you have a club t-shirt or ARRL shirts, this is a perfect occasion for wearing them. 

• Consider posing with your club’s sign/banner. 

• Take high-resolution images. If you’re taking photos with a phone camera, please make sure it’s set for “highest quality.” 

• Take photos in horizontal and vertical orientations, and please do not crop or otherwise edit the photos. 

• Type up the names and call signs of any hams pictured, the name (and call sign, if  applicable) of the person who took the photos, and the full name and call sign of the  club. 

• Send the information, along with one vertical and one horizontal photo, to qst@arrl.org. • Read QST each month in 2026 to see if your club has been featured! 

Submission Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026, 4 p.m. Eastern time. 

NOTE: Once you send your Submission Form, you may update content (text, images, data)  on your website as needed, per your club’s normal operation, but you may not make 

ARRL Introduces New LIVE Online Course for Ham Radio Licensing 

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has introduced a new, fully-interactive  two-day online course for ham radio licensing. The ARRL Technician Class LIVE Video  Course includes everything needed to prepare for the FCC Technician Class amateur radio  license exam. Enrollment is open now for the inaugural course, which will take place  December 20 - 21, 2025. 

Join ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, for this interactive online class.  “We’re going to have fun!,” said Greene. “I’ll guide you through operating your first ham radio  to how to communicate through amateur radio satellites. We are going to get fully immersed  in every question and answer with the info you need to pass the test!” 

In addition to live instruction, course participants will receive the popular Technician  Class prep book authored by ARRL National Instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA, which has  helped thousands of new hams get licensed with fast results. One-year of ARRL Membership  is also included, ensuring these new hams will have quick access to all ARRL benefits,  services, and programs. 

Course Includes: 

• Two days of LIVE instruction with expert ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene,  KB4DSF 

• Technician Class prep book by Gordon West, WB6NOA 

• One-year of ARRL Membership 

Those who remember ARRL’s recorded video courses of the past will recall how valuable it is  to see and hear lively video instruction. This new course will ensure students have an even  more personal, interactive experience. Greene will present the material in bite-sized sections,  demonstrating just how much fun amateur radio is. 

Visit the ARRL Shop to complete the paid enrollment for a special introductory price of $99.  Registrants will receive a follow-up email with instructions for registering for the live video  course after completing your order. If you have any questions regarding the course, please  contact the ARRL Education and Learning Department at 860-594-0285 or  email ead@arrl.org. 

“HAM” – Is It Bad, Is It Good, and Why? 

Ham radio and amateur radio are one in the same as we know it today. We all know the  origins of radio but why are amateurs referred to as “hams” and where did that term come  from? This question has been debated for years but, does anyone really know where it came  from? My curiosity got the best of me so I had to take a deep dive into the term “ham”. Here's  what I discovered. 

Just about every dictionary source has a definition of a “ham” (not speaking about the pork  kind), as being defined as a radio operator licensed to designated amateur radio frequencies  for non-commercial, non-monetary, experimental, and recreational purposes including  emergency communications. But that still doesn't tell us much and even why. 

Now, historically it has been stated that it refers to it's use as a derogatory reference toward  amateur radio operators by telegraph and commercial radio operators. Also, it happened to  have been the station call sign of the Harvard Radio Club which used the first letter of the  operators, Hyman, Almy, and Murray. There's also a reference of “ham” going back to 1908  referring to the first names of the radio pioneers, Hertz, Armstrong, and Marconi. There's also  a story that says amateurs were referred to by commercial telegraph operators as “ham fisted”, hence the term, “ham”. You see, back then voice communication was only a concept  and amateurs only used Morse code to communicate. All of these etymologies are just old  folklore that has been handed down through the years with surprisingly little evidence to  confirm any of them as the true origin... except for one. And actually, this one has quite a bit of evidence. 

Now, back in the 19th century, amateur stations and commercial and telegraph stations shared the same spectrum and in many cases the amateur stations were more powerful than the  commercial stations. They both used Morse code and the two actually competed for signal  space on the same spectrum of frequencies and this only fanned the flames of negativity by  the commercial operators toward the amateurs due to ongoing interference. Thus the  derogatory term of “ham” was created meaning less than professional and maybe even “ham fisted” in the quality of their code. So, it seems to actually go back to the 19th century by  commercial operators using it as a derogatory reference toward amateur operators.  

However, fast forward to today and we find the term used as a positive reference and actually  a “badge of pride” by amateurs worldwide. The derogatory use of the term “ham” faded away  in the 20th century when amateur radio (excuse me, ham radio) had it's fastest growth around  

the world. During that growth period the term “ham” began to be commonly used in news  articles and periodicals, thus becoming a common positive reference to amateur radio  operators world wide. And the positive use of the term proudly lives on today! 

I know, it's not really an exciting discovery but the etymologies of the term “ham” are colorful  and interesting to say the least. It was once a bad thing, but became a good thing and  continues on today. I have to say, I'm proud to be a “ham” radio operator and embrace the  term even more knowing it's long and colorful history. How about you? Aren't you proud to be  called a “Ham”, too? Our predecessors went through a lot to get us where we are today. But,  look at us now! 

Dudley Pitts KM4IYQ 

ARRL E. TN. ACC 

“Ham Radio Operator”

Planning a Hamfest or Convention?  

If your club is wanting to host a convention, hamfest, tailgate, or swapfest, please consider  applying for it to be an ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL  sanctioned event, and to get some ideas on how to plan for and conduct a hamfest or  convention, visit https://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events for a planner and all the rules.  

To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at www.arrl.org/hamfest  convention-application. The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online  at https://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar. In addition, the Convention and  Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also presents information about upcoming  events.  

TN Hamfests/Conventions  

The Ham fest season has pretty much wound down. It was a really good season and next  year is already shaping up to be a good year.  

To search for all other ham fests go to: https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/search 

Handy ARRL Links 

• ARRL Home: www.arrl.org 

• ARRL Property/Liability Club and Personal Insurance: https://www.arrlinsurance.com/ • Find help with RF assessments: http://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure 

• Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs 

• Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections 

• Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class 

• Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam 

• Find a hamfest or convention: Hamfests Calendar 

• ARRL Teachers Institute: Teachers Institute 

• ARRL Learning Center: Learning Center

East Tennessee Affiliated Club Links 

The following is a list of all the affiliated amateur radio clubs in the eastern half (my  area) of TN.: 

American Legion Amateur Radio Club – Sevierville, TN. http://tnpost104.org/al4us/ Andrew Johnson Amateur Radio Club – Greenville, TN. https://ajarc.org/ 

Amateur Radio Club of the University of TN – Knoxville, TN.  

https://www.utarc.org/p/home.html 

Big South Fork Amateur Radio Club – Huntsville, TN. https://bsfarc.org/ Bristol Amateur Radio Club – Bristol, TN. www.facebook.com/groups/w4udbarc/ Campbell County Amateur Radio Club – Jonesboro, TN. www.CCARClub.org Carter County Amateur Radio Association – Elizabethan, TN. http://www.wr4cc.org Chattanooga Amateur Radio Club – Hixon, TN. https://www.w4am.net/ Cleveland Amateur Radio Club – Cleveland, TN. http://www.carc.cc/ 

Cumberland Plateau Amateur Radio Club – Crossville, TN. http://CPARC.net Dekalb-Cannon County Amateur Radio Club – Smithville, TN. http://www.dccarc.org East Tennessee DX Association – Knoxville, TN. http://www.etdxa.net 

Hawkins Hancock Amateur Radio Team, Inc. – Rogersville, TN.  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/536078334756112/ 

Johnson City Radio Association, Inc. - Jonesborough, TN. https://jcara.org/wp/ Johnson County Amateur Radio Club – Mountain City, TN. https://www.w4mct.com/ Kingsport Amateur Radio Club – Kingsport, TN. http://w4trc.org 

Bays Mountian Radio Club – Kingsport, TN. http://w4trc.org 

Lakeway Amateur Radio Club – Talbott, TN. https://www.facebook.com/lakewayamateurradio/ Macon Area Amateur Radio Society – Lafayette, TN. http://MaconHamRadio.com Middle East Tennessee Emergency Radio SE – Knoxville, TN. http://www.metersinc.org Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club, Inc. - Oak Ridge, TN. http://www.orarc.net

Off-Grid AuxComm Radio Club – Knoxville, TN. https://off-gridauxcommradioclub.com/ Plateau Amateur Radio Club – Monroe, TN. http://parcltn.com/ 

Radio Amateur Radio Club of Knoxville – Knoxville, TN. https://www.w4bbb.org/ Rhea County Amateur Radio Club – Dayton, TN. https://www.rheacountyarc.org/home Roane County Amateur Radio Club – Kingston, TN. http://www.ke4rx.org Sevier County Amateur Radio Society – Sevierville, TN. https://seviercountyars.com/ Smoky Mountain Amateur Radio Club – Maryville, TN. https://w4olb.org/about Tellico Lake Amateur Radio Club – Lenoir City, TN. https://tlarc.org/ Unicoi County Amateur Radio Association – Unicoi, TN. http://www.ucara.org University of Tennessee Amateur Radio Club – Knoxville, TN. utarc@utk.edu University Amateur Radio Club – Johnson City, TN. info@etsu.edu Wilson Amateur Radio Club – Lebanon, TN. https://wilsonarc.org/