Ham Radio News
Major Topics and Links
in One Place

When things settled back to normal, after cell towers had gone down and the internet had shut down, ham radio news popped to the surface fast. Why? Because radio amateurs were often the only ones passing critical messages and it made a huge difference to the community during the ordeal caused by severe weather.

News is not always dramatic, of course. Instead it can be news of a new amateur satellite being launched or new technology being introduced or even just changes in the allocation of frequency bands and privileges. It can also be the announcement of a training program in emergency communications or training in severe weather spotting.

Below, you’ll see the main categories that generate these stories, plus reliable links to follow what’s happening right now.

Emergency Operations
Often the source of
Ham Radio News

When warnings of impending potential disaster are broadcast, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, landslides, major snowstorms and blizzards, you can be sure that ham radio operators are on alert and getting ready to lend a hand in emergency communications. With their equipment, knowledge of emergency power sources and operating skills, hams can establish channels of communication where landline telephone networks, cell towers and the internet are down.

ARES

A number of operators regularly train with civil and military authorities under the coordination of national organizations created for that very purpose. In the United States and Canada, the organization is known as ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Great Britain, and most European countries, as well as Australia, also have some form of similar organization to ensure that, when the time comes, they will be able to support communications, both within the emergency communication structures and within the population affected by the situation.

You can even listen to ARES emergency communications with a shortwave receiver, capable of demodulating single sideband (SSB), on the frequencies used by ARES members.
(https://www.rac.ca/national-hf-emergency-communications-frequencies/)

CANWARN & SKYWARN

Canadian Weather Amateur Radio Network - CANWARN (https://www.rac.ca/canwarn/) - is a weather spotting and reporting program. What its network of weather-trained ham radio operators do is called "ground truthing." They confirm and add information to the remote sensing observations of satellites and radar as well as provide information not observable by these technologies. In Canada, the network includes a team of other formally trained severe-weather spotters, from members of the Canadian Red Cross to government and provincial park staff.

In the United States, a similar organization is called SKYWARN. (https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/)

Technology Research & Development

Many amateur radio enthusiasts also continuously conduct experiments to find and develop new ways of improving communications equipment and technology. Thus, the following topics sometimes popup in the news.

AMSAT

Ham radio may also make the news when significant technology achievements occur within the amateur radio community. For example when a new amateur radio satellite - named OSCAR, for “Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio.” - is launched. Such satellites enable hams, across the world, to communicate with each other, which comes in handy when normal ionospheric propagation is not favorable for long-distance HF communications.

There are 125 OSCAR satellites in orbit around the globe. The first was launched on Dec 12, 1961, by Project OSCAR in the US. The last one - OSCAR 125 - was launched on March 15, 2025. AMSAT-EA, in Spain, is the organization responsible for it. More on AMSAT and OSCARs here. (https://www.amsat.org/)

SDR & Software

Software-defined radios (SDR) have become increasingly popular since about 2010 and the more technically inclined amateurs are contributing to the development of new, higher-performing SDRs. Their popularity is such that any significant new SDR rises quickly in the news. You can learn more about SDR technology here. 

Software is also a popular sector of technology in which hams with programming skills develop new software utilities - called apps or programs - to aid in the operation of a radio station. More on software here.

Antennas

By far, the most popular area of experimentation by ham radio operators is undeniably the development of new antennas for every portion of the radio spectrum. Tinkering with new ideas for an antenna is inexpensive and quite rewarding. Many spend an entire lifetime at it! More on ham antennas here.

Some of us share their knowledge of antennas by writing books. You will find typical examples here.

The Amateur Radio Spectrum

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has been the worldwide voice of radio amateurs, securing and safeguarding the amateur radio spectrum since 1925. Its avowed mission to protect and enhance the amateur privileges. The IARU is the worldwide federation of national amateur radio organizations. The membership of the IARU consists of more than 160 member-societies in as many countries and separate territories.(https://www.iaru.org/)

Whenever significant changes to the amateur radio frequency bands or privileges occur, they will usually be reported in the news.

In The News Now

In fact, the list of ham radio-related news is almost endless because amateur operators are very active in many fields of radio technology to such an extent that some people call us "Radio Active"!

Use the following links to obtain the latest news on ham radio and amateur radio.

The Story Behind
The Newsworthiness
Of Ham Radio

Why is ham radio (or amateur radio) making the news so regularly? Because amateur radio is much more than a hobby. It's a community service!

Amateur radio operators are trained in radio communications. All hams receive training in the use of radio communication technology and operating procedures.

A ham radio operator's special training is the reason why hams regularly take part in community events, sports events and, even emergencies of all kinds where competent and reliable radio communication services are required.

Competence alone does not make amateur radio expertise in demand. The demand might also have something to do with the fact that their services are free!

But "pricing" has no bearing on hams' availability when the time comes to answer the "call of duty". Amateur radio contribution to the safety of their fellow citizens in times of emergency is priceless and always readily available.

Events such as floods, severe weather, major accidents, environmental disasters ... the list of emergency situations is endless, and amateur radio operators' desire and ability to serve is boundless.

Incidentally, public service is the major reason behind a ham radio license immense privileges.

We readily serve, not only when called upon, but often before authorities get around to ask, we are already at work helping save lives and property.

That's why we make ham radio news regularly. Because we are very much part of life in our communities.

73 de VE2DPE
Claude Jollet
104-30 avenue des Berges,
Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Québec, Canada J6E 1M9

QTH Locator: FN36gb