Stephen, KB4YKC and Paul, KB4PMK will be active from St Lucia as J6/KB4YKC & J6/KB4PML during March 9-16, 2027. QRV holiday-style on HF bads, SSB. QSL via LoTW. This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
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Dayton Hamvention® 2026 Wrap-Up—What a Show!
Nearly 38,000 hams representing more than 40 countries and every U.S. state took the trip to slightly chilly, sometimes rainy, and occasionally sun-drenched southern Ohio for Dayton Hamvention® 2026, a gathering worthy of a Cecil B. DeMille epic (so let it be transmitted, so let it be done).
The total of 37,924 visitors set a new attendance record. Watch the video of Hamvention chairman Brian Markland, N8UDQ; spokesperson Michael Kalter, W8CI; and DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR, providing a recap of another great year in Xenia.
An enormous debt of gratitude goes to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and the more than 600 volunteers who worked tirelessly to make an event of this scope and complexity possible. The sheer number of hams traversing the buildings and grounds of the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center once again give us pause to reflect on the ongoing impact amateur radio has on our communities and world.
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(Image/DX Engineering) The OnAllBands team talked with a long list of manufacturers and amateur radio’s movers and shakers. We’ll be getting to those interviews in future posts. While our attention has shifted to helping hams prepare for ARRL Field Day (June 27-28), OnAllBands thought a wrap-up of Hamvention 2026 was in order.
Here are a few quick impressions about this year’s mega-celebration of everything amateur radio.
DX Engineering Booth Fills Up Quickly
It didn’t take long for the DX Engineering booth to become “ham radio central” after gates opened at 9:00 on Friday, May 15. Operators flooded in to check out the latest gear, make eyeball QSOs with the DX Engineering team, get their technical questions answered, and purchase upgrades for their stations.
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Friday morning before crowds arrived—the DX Engineering team was ready to go! (Image/DX Engineering) DX Engineering Goes Portable
Extending the “Adventure on the Air” theme highlighted in the 2026 DX Engineering Amateur Radio Products Catalog, DX Engineering devoted an entire section of its booth area to portable operating.
Taken before crowds arrived Friday, this photo highlights some of the portable telescopic masts available at DX Engineering, including 19- and 23-foot DX Engineering Nomad masts (red and black in the center) and masts from WiMo. (Image/DX Engineering) 
Portable ops specialist Bobby Debevec, W6IWN, helped customers in the DX Engineering POTA area, which included a range of new DX Engineering equipment designed for successful outdoor operating. Check out the Tactical Protective Armor (TPA) Modular Radio Mounting Frames from Armoloq on the table. (Image/DX Engineering) FlexRadio/DX Engineering Aurora Transceiver Announcement
Shortly after the opening bell, FlexRadio announced that DX Engineering would be selling the company’s new Aurora transceivers.
DX Engineering is an exclusive distributor of Aurora 500-Watt HF/6-Meter SDR Transceivers in the U.S., extending its role within FlexRadio’s network of international distribution partners. In 2025, DX Engineering joined that network as an exclusive U.S. distributor of FlexRadio’s FLEX-8000 Series Transceivers, Maestro
Control Console, and accessories.Read more about the valued relationship between FlexRadio and DX Engineering here. And check out the availability of the Aurora’s four models at DXEngineering.com.
FlexRadio’s Andy Mitchell, VA3CW, and DX Engineering’s Scott Jones, N3RA, shake hands before the big announcement. (Image/DX Engineering) 
(Image/DX Engineering) Watch this video featuring FlexRadio’s Michael Walker, VA3MW, explaining why the all-in-one Aurora is a true game changer for hams:
Manufacturer’s Galore
Here are just a few of the amateur radio manufacturers who helped to make Dayton Hamvention® 2026 memorable:
REZ Antenna Systems founder Mike Giannaccio, W5REZ, discussed several of the company’s latest offerings on display, including a 17-foot carbon fiber whip and upgraded Ranger 80 II antenna system with integrated radial ports. DX Engineering is the world’s exclusive retailer of REZ amateur radio products.
Above, W5REZ displays a Founders Edition of its Recon 40 II with exclusive engraving and commemorative details in honor of America’s 250th birthday. Five individual serialized units have been produced and will be auctioned online with a portion of the proceeds going to Daughters of the American Revolution to help the organization’s veterans support programs. Get all the details at REZ’s website. (Image/DX Engineering) The team from Carlson Roof Towers (below) launched their new Carlson Tower Lift at Hamvention. The device is designed to provide a safer and faster solution for servicing equipment on light-duty sectional lattice towers. The mechanical elevator system eliminates the need to repeatedly climb towers that require service. The initial release (Model 25) works with ROHN 25G and Amerite 25 towers up to 60-feet tall. It can be installed together with new tower installations or retrofitted onto existing towers. Read more about it at the Carlson website and find the tower lift at DX Engineering.
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DX Engineering’s Michael Murphy, KI8R, handled duties at the Sierra Radio Systems display, which showcased the company’s station control modules available at DX Engineering. (Image/DX Engineering) 
Sierra Radio System station control modules. (Image/DX Engineering) 
A nice selection of Alpha Antenna portable models were on display. (Image/DX Engineering) 
Alpha Antenna founder Steven Deines, N0TES, discusses the company’s HexTenna model with Hamvention attendees. (Image/DX Engineering) 
The Rocket Machine Worx booth featured new color versions of their popular bulkhead coaxial connector panels. Look for availability of color models at DX Engineering. (Image/DX Engineering) 
A variety of Chelegance products were on display in the DX Engineering outdoor ops section, including these keys and (not pictured here) the MC-599 40-6M Portable Rigid V Dipole Antenna. We’ll have much more about our conversation with company founder and CEO, Jesse Chen, BD7LLY, in the days ahead. (Image/DX Engineering) 
We finally caught up with Spooltenna founder Rob Bowser, KO4HUI, (his booth was crowded every time we stopped by!) to talk about the origins of the Cary, North Carolina, company, and their two versions of versatile and easy-to-deploy antennas: the Parks EFHW4010 End-Fed Half-Wave Portable Wire Antenna and the smaller Ultra version, which boasts the same features but is perfect for putting in your pocket and hiking up a summit. Look for the full interview coming soon. (Image/DX Engineering) 
Based in Sicily, Italy, Momobeam had a prominent spot in the DX Engineering booth. Available from DX Engineering, three of its antennas were featured: PENTA10 Five-Band HF Yagi, DUO7 6/10M Dual-Band HF Yagi, and Mono3-6P 6 Meter Yagi. (Image/DX Engineering) 
OnAllBands will be featuring Momobeam antenna’s advantageous mechanical features, like its use of square booms, in a future post. (Image/DX Engineering) POTA Pavilion
This spot was once again a hub of activity for the growing contingency of outdoor operating enthusiasts:
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(Image/DX Engineering) Icom Announcement
OnAllBands fought through the crowds to get a first look at the Icom X-026, a car radio “concept project” billed by the company as a “significant step in amateur radio design.” (Image/DX Engineering) Focus on DXing
Bob Schenck, N2OO, vice president of INDEXA (International DX Association) and Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA, prominent DXpeditioner who recently operated from Bouvet Island, both spent time talking about the future of DXing with OnAllBands. More from them soon. (Image/DX Engineering) 
It was a pleasure talking with Max Freedman, N4ML, who was a member of the 2026 3Y0K Bouvet Island team. N4ML is the youngest operator (21 at the time) to join a top-ten DXpedition and likely the youngest person ever to set foot on Bouvet Island. (Image/DX Engineering) WRTC UK 2026
We were thrilled to spend a few minutes with Mark Haynes, M0DXR, chairman of the organizing committee of the 2026 UK World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) to be held July 8-14 in England. (Image/DX Engineering) 
DX Engineering is a proud sponsor of WRTC 2026. (Image/DX Engineering) Four Days in May
Once again, Four Days in May Vendor Night was met with a frenzy of activity. DX Engineering was on hand, displaying its new gear for portable QRP ops and other equipment.
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(Image/DX Engineering) Contest University
A packed house of contesters once again took home valuable insights at Contest University held May 14 at the Hope Hotel near Dayton. If you missed it, you can watch a livestream of the event from DX Engineering’s YouTube channel. Then make sure CTU is on your calendar for the next edition, Thursday, May 20, 2027. You can get a head start by making early reservations for rooms at the Hope Hotel starting June 15, 2026. Also, view slide decks of all 2026 Contest University presentations here.
Randy Thompson, K5ZD, from his presentation on “Design Approach & Lessons Learned in Building My New Contest Station.” (Image/CTU) We’ll have much more about Dayton Hamvention® 2026 in the months to come, so stay tuned!
The post Dayton Hamvention® 2026 Wrap-Up—What a Show! appeared first on OnAllBands.
OnAllBands
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‘Football on the Air’ Comes to North America
As the FIFA World Cup Tournament begins its matches in North American cities starting Thursday, June 11th, hams in the stadiums’ 16 host cities — in Canada, the United States and Mexico – will be calling CQ for Football/Futbol on the Air.
They will be using 1×1 callsigns and operating CW, SSB and the digital modes on the HF bands. Teams in each host city will be active on the days the matches are played there. Listen for callsigns, such as W1C, W2C, K0C, K4C, among others – for US call areas – and VC3F and VB7F for Canada. The three stations in Mexico are 4A1MTY, 4A1GDL and 4A1CMX.
The tournament kicks off with the first match in Mexico City on June 11. The final match will take place in the New York/New Jersey host stadium on July 19th. Find additional details on the website http://www.wc2026ses.org or email info@wc2026ses.org
The amateur radio event is not affiliated with the World Cup but has been organised in support of the tournament, which has 48 teams, the largest number of teams in the tournament’s history.
Source: 2026 World Soccer Tournament
Amateur Radio Daily
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How to Advocate for Youth in Amateur Radio as a Young Person
I’ve heard plenty of comments from longtime amateur radio operators who are concerned about the lack of young people in the hobby. Those concerns are very much justified.
However, while the youth population in the hobby is small, it’s continually growing. Within this community that young people have formed for themselves, we are helping our peers have the best experience possible and constantly advocating for each other.
How can young hams advocate for each in amateur radio? It can be as simple as helping someone set up their station, make their first contact in a new mode, share opportunities in the hobby, or give tips and advice when needed. It also means helping new hams make connections and find their footing in the community.
In effect, the best way to advocate for young people in amateur radio—regardless of your age—is to make these new operators feel seen and heard, and to ensure that they feel like they have a place in the hobby. While I enjoyed amateur radio even before I knew many other young hams, meeting youth operators and forming real friendships with them made a difference in how much I wanted to pursue the hobby.
One of the biggest reasons young people don’t stay involved with amateur radio is that they feel like they don’t fit in with the typical demographic, and they believe there’s no way to overcome that. It’s certainly possible with a little persistence, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Even though the younger generation has the hobby in common with the older generation, there are still many other differences to learn how to navigate—for both parties.
A big part of advocating for your peers as a young person in amateur radio is simply showing up and staying active in the hobby yourself. It may not feel like you’re directly helping another young ham, but the visibility of other young people genuinely enjoying the hobby can be immensely encouraging for those who feel like there are no other youths around. Imagine attending a club meeting as a teenager and being three decades younger than the next youngest person there. This is the reality for many young operators. It can feel isolating at first, especially before you’ve gotten to know anyone. Now imagine the alternative: You walk into that same meeting and, instead of being the only teenager, there are a few others. It feels significantly less isolating, and you don’t feel quite as out of place.
Another direct way to advocate for your peers is to start a youth-focused club or strengthen one that already exists. Not only does it give already-licensed young people a place where they feel like they belong, but it introduces others to the hobby who may never have heard of it otherwise. That can lead to more young people getting licensed, which adds to the visibility of youth in the hobby—and the cycle continues.
Finally, one of the most important parts of advocating for your peers comes down to how you present yourself and represent the hobby. The generational gaps in amateur radio can be significant at times, and they occasionally create tension as well. I’ve met many older hams who genuinely believe in and support the younger generation of operators, but there can still be an occasional air of skepticism—and understandably so. The youth of amateur radio have big shoes to fill, but with some encouragement and guidance, I’m confident we’ll be able to help the hobby continue to flourish.
Editor’s Note: Watch this short ARRL video to see some of the youth participation at Dayton Hamvention® 2026:
The post How to Advocate for Youth in Amateur Radio as a Young Person appeared first on OnAllBands.
OnAllBands
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T33TT – Banaba
In November 2022, the Rebel DX Group were QRV from Banaba as T33T. Later this year, they plan to return there and be active this time as T33TT. Full details to follow, but you can expect plenty of FT8 on HF bands plus some CW & SSB. QSL via Club Log OQRS / LoTW. This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
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Colorado 14er Event 2026
Colorado Summits On the Air will be active August 1st and 2nd for the Colorado 14er Event. Two bonus days will take place July 30 and 31.
During the Colorado 14er & Mountaintop Event, amateur radio operators from around Colorado will be activating Summits On The Air (SOTA) peaks and communicating with other radio amateurs across the state and around the world.
A 14er Groups.io list is also available.
Source: 14er
Amateur Radio Daily
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T22TT – Tuvalu
Previously active from Tuvalu in September 2023, the Rebel DX Group plan to return later this year and QRV as T22TT. Full details to follow. Meanwhile, you can see all info, pictures and audio recordings regarding the Rebel’s T22T activity here. This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
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ZC4MK – Cyprus SBA
[NEWS] – Adrian, G0KOM lets us know that he will again be returning to SBA Cyprus in late November (QTH: Melanda Beach) and will participate in the CQWW CW contest while there. Pre-contest activity also expected the week before. Previous ZC4MK activities detailed below including video of portable set-up. QSL via G0KOM. On the scene […] This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
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7M1KJW/JD1 – Ogasawara Islands
Aki, 7M1KJW announces that he will be active from Chichi-jima, Ogasawara Islands as 7M1KJW/JD1 during June 13-16, 2026. This will be a holiday-style activity on HF bands + 6m using mainly FT8 and vertical antenna. QSL via LoTW, eQSL. This post appeared first on: DX-World Want to know more about it? Read More
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SafecomLink Live AI Weather Over HF Radio
The following is a message from SafecomLink:
SafecomLink has published a new case study documenting live AI-based weather routing over HF radio north of the Arctic Circle. Sailor Harley Soltes (LA/KN7H) used SafecomLink with a Pactor 4 link to access the Safie AI assistant from his vessel off the Norwegian coast — establishing a connection to a land station in Austria (OE3FQU) on 14.120 MHz, then reaching the open internet, with no cellular coverage, no satellite service, and no shore-side infrastructure.
The real-time two-way AI conversation provided wind forecasts and a day-by-day crossing comparison for the passage to Lofoten, Norway. After completing the passage, Soltes reported the AI forecast was more accurate than his usual weather apps and far faster than the WinLink email method he previously used.
This is pretty game-changing — to have fast Pactor 4 communication from sea to a real-time internet AI connection. — Harley Soltes, LA/KN7H
Full case study: https://www.safecomlink.com/post/safecomlink-case-study-maritime
Source: SafecomLink
Amateur Radio Daily