ARRL News Letter 2026

ARRL East TN. Affiliated Club January 2026 Newsletter 

“Please distribute 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.” 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2026 – The Year Of The Club 

ARRL TN Section/Division/National/International News 

ARRL Audio News 

Listen to the latest audio news from ARRL at: January 2026 News 

ARRL Digital Magazine Issues This Month 

QST Link: January 2026 Issue 

On The Air Link: November 2025 Issue 

QEX Link: January / February 2026 Issue 

National Contest Journal Link: January 2026 Issue 

Happy Belated Birthday to Dick Van Dyke 

He celebrated his 100th birthday on December 13th. Van Dyke served as a narrator for the  ARRL film, "The World of Amateur Radio.” The film, shot in the mid-70's, presents a then-

contemporary introduction to amateur radio aimed at newcomers and the general public.  Commissioned by ARRL and produced by Dave Bell Productions, the film updated earlier  ARRL outreach material with then-modern production values and contemporary subject  matter. Also on the film were Roy Neal, K6DUE (SK), then a correspondent for NBC News;  then-U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA (SK); former Navy radio operator and TV/radio  host Arthur Godfrey, K4LIB (SK), and Hollywood Producer Dave Bell, W6AQ (SK). As an  outreach and educational resource, the film served ARRL's efforts to introduce a new  generation to amateur radio at a time of rapid technological change. To view the vintage film  on YouTube go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CVnzNNSsdU 

New Technician Class Question Pool Released -- Effective July 1, 2026 On December 18, 2025, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released the revised 2026-2030 Technician Class  (Element 2) question pool. It will be required for all exam sessions beginning July 1, 2026.  The new pool includes 409 questions (27 new, 30 removed, and about 155 modified),  compared to 412 in the prior pool. The pool also includes three diagrams used for some of the questions. 

This updated question pool incorporates significant changes compared to the prior pool. The  questions were checked for technical accuracy and relevance to current amateur radio  practices, as well as for grammar, syntax, format, clarity, and for redundancy within and  between the pools. 

VECs and Volunteer Examiners must use test designs based on the new pool starting on July 1, 2026. Current ARRL VEC Technician Class exam booklets (2022 series) and computer generated Technician Class exams created from the 2022 question pool are valid until June  30. After that, old versions should be destroyed. 

ARRL will have new editions of Technician Class study materials, including The ARRL Ham  Radio License Manual, Gordon West Technician Class License Prep book, and ARRL’s Tech  Q&A, by May 2026. View all question pools on the NCVEC website. https://www.ncvec.org/ 

ARRL has earned a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. 

Originally founded in 1994 and known by many as GuideStar, the organization became the  largest source for information about nonprofits. Candid was formed in 2019 following the  merger of GuideStar and Foundation Center, and helps donors to find ARRL and learn about  the organization’s impact. Members and prospective donors can visit ARRL’s profile on  Candid to see how donations help extend our reach in serving the amateur radio community  and developing the next generation of hams. Candid Seal ARRL Profile 

TN ARES District 7 Hosting A Multi-state Amateur Radio Conference Jan. 17th. TN ARES District 7 DEC, STEVE Weber, KA4ELN, is hosting a multi-state, amateur radio  conference in Cleveland, TN, 17JAN2026 from 8:30am – 2:00pm. This will be an excellent  opportunity to network with TN and surrounding State communications managers and ARRL  leaders. There are 7 guest speakers including TN DHS Dewey Woody of Homeland Security  and Greg Smith of Georgia Emergency Management. Contact Steve if you plan to attend at  ka4eln@gmail.com .

ARRL 2026 - Year of the Club Website Contest 

A club website can keep members informed of news and upcoming events, keep them  interested between meetings and activities, teach them about ham radio skills and  technology, or even make them laugh, remember, or set an operating goal — the sky’s the  limit! As part of ARRL’s Year of the Club celebration in 2026, ARRL wants to see your club’s  website. Enter the Club Website Contest for the chance to have your website honored in QST.  Here are the rules and requirements: https://www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club 

The Club Website Contest is open to ARRL Affiliated Clubs that maintain a club website. Submissions must include a completed Club Website Contest Submission Form, which asks  for information about your club and its website, as well as a 500-word statement on the  purpose or goals of your website, and how the features and configuration of the website fulfill  the purpose/goals. Part of the judging process will include a comparison of your statement  with the website itself. Winners will be notified in May 2026, with awards presented at  Huntsville Hamfest in August 2026. 

Winners will be announced in a 2026 issue of QST, as part of ARRL’s Year of the Club  celebration. The QST article may present material from the 500-word statements supplied in  the winners’ Club Website Contest Submission Form. Please note that winners may be asked to supply high-resolution files of specific website pages. 

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 significant changes to the site’s structure or functionality until April 1, 2026.

$25,000 of Awards For New ARRL Student Coding Competition 

Registration is now open for the Student Coding Competition, a new national challenge  sponsored by ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®. The project is designed to  engage young radio amateurs in shaping the future of amateur radio through software  development. Open to ARRL member amateur radio operators aged 21 and younger, the  competition will invite students to design a mobile app that supports ARRL and the amateur  radio community. Cash awards totaling up to $25,000 will be presented to one or more  winning entries. 

The competition officially begins on January 1, 2026, when complete rules and application specifications will be released at coding.arrl.org. Participants are reminded not to start coding  yet — entries must follow the published requirements. Project submissions will be due by  March 31, 2026. Entries will be judged on how well they meet the specifications, user  interface design and usability, code quality and stability, and the inclusion of extra features. Adult ARRL members are encouraged to help spread the word and support the next  generation of amateur radio innovators. ARRL Student Membership is free for full-time  students aged 21 and younger, removing a key barrier to participation. Young hams,  educators, and mentors are encouraged to preregister now at https://www.arrl.org/student coding-competition to receive updates as additional details become available and to prepare  for this exciting opportunity to contribute lasting tools to amateur radio. 

Obsolete Part 97 Rules Delete February 10, 2026 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in October 2025 adopted a Report and  Order to delete almost 400 obsolete rules pertaining to its wireless services. As previously  reported by ARRL, among the deletions were four in Part 97 that govern the Amateur Radio  Service. ARRL reports that the notice of the Report and Order has now been published in  the Federal Register. Unless an objection is raised by January 2 that the Commission finds to  deserve its consideration, the following four Part 97 provisions will be deleted as of February  10, 2026: 

1. § 97.27. This provision is duplicative of a statutory provision related to the FCC’s right to  modify station licenses. 

2. § 97.29. This provision specified an obsolete procedure to replace paper licenses. ARRL  proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year. 

3. § 97.315 (b)(2). This obsolete provision grandfathered HF amplifiers purchased before  April 28, 1978 by an amateur radio operator for use at that operator's station, and  grandfathered those manufactured before April 28, 1978, for which a marketing waiver  was issued. 

 4. § 97.521(b) and Appendix 2. This rule and appendix relate to obsolete VEC regions.

TN MTEARS – Have You Checked in Lately? 

What is MTEARS you ask?  

MTEARS stands for Middle Tennessee Emergency Amateur Repeater System. It is a network  of UHF repeaters that serves as a liaison during severe weather events, allowing storm  spotters to report weather conditions to the National Weather Service (NWS). The system is  designed to facilitate communication and provide warnings and updates on severe weather  events, ensuring that emergency responders and citizens can stay informed. 

There are dedicated MTEARS UHF-only linked repeaters across TN serving as a liaison  network during severe weather. Individual storm spotters continue to use their local  frequencies and report weather conditions to their local organization. When an organization  receives a report of a tornado, funnel cloud, or other severe weather criteria (such as hail 0.75 inches in diameter or larger, or winds greater than 57 mph), a liaison from the local spotter  organization relays the report to the National Weather Service (NWS). 

Amateur radio operators at the National Weather Service Office provide warnings, weather  summaries, and radar information to the liaisons, who then pass the information on to their  local networked spotters and citizens are encouraged to monitor these frequencies, but to  limit traffic on this network to criteria specific damage reports.  

A number of meteorologists at the National Weather Service Nashville office are amateur  radio operators and communicate with the spotters on the MTEARS Repeater Link System.  Routinely, when MTEARS goes active due to weather conditions, Net Control Operators will  monitor the network for damage reports and report NWS updates to counties being affected. 

For more information go to: https://mtears.org/ There you will find detailed information  concerning repeaters, maps, and updated status of the system. This is another great service  to our state residents involving amateur radio operators. Thanks to all the volunteers and  spotters in TN that help keep our residents informed and safe! 

TN 3.980 Mhz- National Traffic System Training in February 

Mark your calendars! On the four Tuesday evenings in February, 3rd,10th,17th, and 24th for about 45 minutes each night starting around 6:15 pm central time, WW3B – John Hickman will provide detailed instruction on creating, sending, and receiving traffic. Enrollment will be in a couple of weeks and announced on the 3980 Nets. Afterwards, all materials will be emailed  

to all enrolled participants by WD4LAR Harrell Davidson. Training will begin after the regular  Tuesday evening 3980 phone net is over so time may vary a few minutes depending on the  net lengths. All ARES members are encouraged to participate. This is a skill all amateur  radio operators should have! 

For more information contact our TN Section Traffic Manager, WD4LAR Harrell Davidson: WD4LAR@gmail.com

It's That Time Again – 2026 Affiliated Club Reports 

At the end of 2025 many clubs have elections for new officers and for various reasons,  website addresses change, officers change, and club contact information can change. We at  ARRL want to make sure all hams can find a club in their respective areas and contact that  club when needed. So, each year we need to get the most current information from each club. 

The club update area is active all year long and allows you to edit information in your club  record and also upload photos of your club activities as often as needed. When something  changes, please update your club record at ARRL. The club update is your required  Annual Report. Affiliated clubs must update their record at least once per year even if  nothing changes. The club update is how we know that the club is still in business and keeps  the contact information current for ARRL and prospective hams to get in touch with your club.  Please note should two years pass without an update your club will be listed as  inactive. 

Follow this link for a step by step instructional overview of how to use the editing system: How To Update Club Information 

NOTE: Only the members listed as Contact or Officers will be able to EDIT and You  must be logged into the ARRL web site to use the editing system. 

If you have trouble updating your club's information, please contact your ARRL Affiliated Club  Coordinator (me) for help at KM4IYQ@arrl.net. I'll be glad to help. 

Dudley Pitts 

ARRL E. TN. ACC 

 Winter Field Day January 24-25th. 

What is Winter Field Day and why? Winter Field Day is an event designed to help amateur  radio operators improve their preparedness for disasters and enhance their operational  abilities in adverse conditions, plan and simple. It presents an opportunity for amateurs to  communicate on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands using voice, CW, and digital transmission  modes, making contacts and testing equipment. With the Winter we're having this year  conditions could be very unknown! 

The event is designed with specific objectives to encourage diverse challenges such as non commercial power sources, setup and use of various types of antennas, satellite contacts,  and much more. It's exciting and offers a unique opportunity for radio operators to set up field  operations in remote locations and make contacts with other operators around the world.  ARES groups especially should use this opportunity to test their deployment and  communication skills and equipment. Also, you're not required to work in teams. (even  though it's more fund that way.) And yes, you can participate at home in the comfort of your  own shack so you don't have to end up taking turns heating up cold pizza over a propane  heater...... yeah I did that one year! 

Winter Field Day is organized by the Winter Field Day Association. The association strongly believes that ham radio operators should practice portable emergency communications in  winter environments. This is because freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards  pose unique operational concerns. I have to agree. Cold hands and heavy apparel does  present a unique challenges. So get out there and “test your metal”. We all say we like the  aspect of amateur radio for emergency preparedness.... Well now's your chance to prove just  that! For all the rules and details go to: https://winterfieldday.org/index.php#about And remember, it's not a contest. It's just fun and a way to challenge yourself. 

So, get planning and breakout the heavy Winter gear. Let's have some fun. I'll be listening for  you! 

73 and stay safe and warm as best you can, 

Dudley Pitts 

ARRL E. TN. ACC  

NOTE: “If your pizza freezes, about 1 ½ minutes over a propane heater or torch should heat it to a turn... depending on ambient temperatures your dealing with.” 

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 http://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 2026 Hamfest Calendar is populating fast and schedules being set. It's time to make your travel plans. So, here are the events planned for 2026 so far:  

03/13/2026 - 03/14/2026 - MTARS Hamfest - Tullahoma, TN.  

https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mtars-hamfest-tullahoma-tn 

04/18/2026 - Greeneville Hamfest – Greenville, TN. 

https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/greeneville-hamfest-6 

06/13/2026 - Knoxville Hamfest, ARRL Convention – Knoxville, TN.  https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/knoxville-hamfest-arrl-tennessee-state-convention-2 

09/19/2026 - W4DXCC by SEDCO – Pigeon Forge, TN. 

https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/w4dxcc-by-sedco-2 

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/