Resources

The largest amateur radio event in North America, held the fourth weekend of June. Combines contesting with emergency preparedness using portable stations.

One of the biggest international contests. SSB in October, CW in November. Contact as many countries and CQ zones as possible.

The most comprehensive contest calendar in amateur radio. Lists contests from around the world with dates, rules, and exchange information.

Set up portable stations in parks. One of the fastest-growing activities. Great for getting outdoors while operating.

Hike to mountain summits and make radio contacts. Earn points as an activator or chaser. Combines hiking with ham radio.

Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Builds and operates amateur radio satellites. Provides satellite status, tracking tools, and educational resources.

Amateur Radio on the ISS. Enables communication with astronauts via ham radio. Also hosts SSTV events from the space station.

Free satellite tracking software. Predicts passes, shows real-time positions, and can control rotators and radios for automatic tracking.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service. ARRL-sponsored network of trained operators providing emergency communications at local and state levels.

National Weather Service severe weather spotter program. Many spotters are ham radio operators reporting conditions to the NWS.

Global radio email system. Send email when the internet is down using HF and VHF radio. Critical for disaster communications.

Weak-signal text messaging over radio. Real-time keyboard-to-keyboard chat using minimal power. Useful for emergency messaging.

Real-time DX cluster showing spotted stations worldwide. Find rare DX contacts as they happen.

Modern DX cluster with clean interface, band activity maps, and propagation information.

Real-time solar and geomagnetic data for HF propagation. Solar flux, K-index, aurora, and solar imagery.

HF propagation prediction tool. Predict best frequencies based on solar conditions, time, and locations.