Section Newsletter — ARRL Santa Clara Valley — January 1, 2026
Happy New Year 2026, with a QST from W6TST –
To Bay Area Amateur Radio Operators,
The 2026 Lifetime Sea Otter Classic will be held on April 16-19, 2026. Help from amateur radio operators has been a vital resource for communication in the Fort Ord National Monument backcountry and the Gran Fondo (“Great Endurance”) Carmel Valley Route and now will extend into Toro Park.
The Sea Otter Classic attracts thousands of athletes and spectators and is regarded as the world’s premiere cycling festival. The areas where we assist have little or no cellular or repeater coverage. It is an excellent opportunity for demonstration and practice of emergency communications, and to help build readiness for a real disaster.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested in volunteering at w6tst@arrl.net and visit https://sbcares.org/otter for more information.
Happy New Year & 73,
– Timothy S. Takeuchi – sbcares.org
Sea Otter Classic Volunteer Communications Leader
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| 2026 is ARRL’s Year of the Club — A Celebration of Amateur Radio Clubs |
| As we turn the calendar to a new year, ARRL is launching a year-long celebration that puts the spotlight squarely where it belongs — on radio clubs. Beginning January 1, 2026, ARRL officially recognizes the Year of the Club, an initiative designated by the ARRL Board of Directors to honor the vital role clubs play in sustaining, growing, and energizing amateur radio. Radio clubs are the backbone of ARRL and of the Amateur Radio Service itself. For countless hams, a club is the first welcoming doorway into the hobby — a place to learn, to operate, to build, and to belong. Clubs create opportunities for mentoring, public service, technical exploration, and lifelong friendships. Simply put, when clubs thrive, amateur radio thrives. Throughout 2026, all ARRL Affiliated Clubs are invited to participate in special programs, operating events, and recognition opportunities designed to celebrate club accomplishments and inspire new ideas. ARRL will be rolling out initiatives focused on supporting club growth, strengthening activities, and recognizing clubs that help expand ARRL membership or reach significant milestones, including 100 years of ARRL Affiliation. |
| New Ways to Celebrate and Compete Two exciting contests are already under way to kick off the Year of the Club, highlighting how clubs connect with members and the broader community. Details for entering the ARRL Club Newsletter Contest and ARRL Club Website Contest are available now, with a shared submission deadline of January 30, 2026, at 4 PM Eastern Time. The ARRL Club Newsletter Contest recognizes that newsletters are often the heartbeat of a club — sharing news, and keeping members connected and involved. Does your radio club have a great website that supports club members but also attracts attention for your club? Consider entering the ARRL Club Website Contest. Club websites play an increasingly important role in outreach, public service visibility, and attracting new members to amateur radio. Winners will be notified in May 2026, honored at the ARRL National Convention being hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest in August, and featured in QST. |
| A New Home for Clubs Online In preparation for the Year of the Club, ARRL has launched a new Clubs website, offering a modernized, accessible hub for Affiliated Clubs, prospective clubs, and individual hams looking to get involved with a club. The site brings together information about club benefits, locations, resources, and ARRL Affiliation — all in one place. A standout new feature is the Club Map search tool, which lets users locate radio clubs by ZIP code and displays both an interactive map and a list of nearby clubs. Try it at clubs.arrl.org/map. A new, streamlined, online application also simplifies the process for becoming a new ARRL Affiliated Club. And all clubs can use the new Member Verification tool as they set a club goal to increase ARRL membership among club members. The result is faster service, easier updates, and better support for the Affiliated Clubs. Everyone is encouraged to explore the new site and pages at clubs.arrl.org and affiliatedclubs.arrl.org. See Your Radio Club in QST During 2026, every issue of QST will include club photos, showcasing the people behind amateur radio’s local success stories. Clubs are encouraged to gather members for photos, wear club or ARRL apparel, pose with banners or signs, and submit high-resolution photos along with names, call signs, and club information. It’s a simple way to highlight your club’s pride and presence on the national stage. See the photo submission guidelines at www.arrl.org/club-photos. Inspiration, Innovation, and the Year Ahead In his editorial in the January 2026 issue of QST, ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Minster, NA2AA, noted that clubs have shaped his amateur radio journey — from school clubs and Field Days to lifelong friendships built through shared activities. During the Year of the Club, he encourages members to recognize and thank the volunteer leaders who make these experiences possible, while also looking ahead to new opportunities. ARRL will promote innovative ideas and best practices throughout the year, including content inspired by the MARCONI program — Motivating Amateur Radio Clubs to Open New Initiatives. Clubs are also encouraged to explore creative projects — from kit-building nights and technical workshops to hilltopping, antenna expeditions, and new operating challenges. The Year of the Club also coincides with our nation’s commemoration and celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. ARRL will mark the semiquincentennial with special America250 Worked All States awards, including WAS and WAS Triple Play, and clubs will have opportunities to participate through W1AW/portable activations across the country — echoing the excitement of ARRL’s Centennial in 2014. The first state activations begin on January 7. See details at www.arrl.org/america250-was. |
| Be Radio Active in 2026 The message for 2026 is clear: Celebrate what your radio club already does well, try something new, and be radio active. Whether your club is small or large, new or nearing a century as an ARRL Affiliated Club, the Year of the Club is an invitation to connect, innovate, and share your story. Follow all Year of the Club programming at clubs.arrl.org/year-of-the-club and make 2026 a year to remember — for your club, for ARRL, and for amateur radio. |
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FCC Allocates 60-Meter World-Wide Amateur Band Approved at WRC-15; Continues Amateur Use of Four Additional 60-Meter Channels, and Updates 420 MHz Coordination Information
12/11/2025
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 9, 2025, released a long-awaited Report and Order adopting a new amateur radio spectrum allocation in the 60-meter band that was approved for world-wide use on a secondary basis in the WRC-15 (World Radiocommunication Conference 2015) Final Acts. The Commission also agreed with a petition from ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® to continue to allow amateur operations on four existing 60-meter channels outside the international allocation with a full 100 watts. The new rules will go into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, when amateurs may then begin using the allocation.
Specifically, the Commission allocated 5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz (60 meters) to the amateur service on a secondary basis with a permitted power of 9.15 watts ERP. The Commission also authorized amateurs to continue using four existing channels outside of the 5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz band centered on 5332, 5348, 5373, and 5405 kHz on a secondary basis with a permitted power of 100 watts ERP. There are no antenna restrictions but antenna gain must be used to calculate ERP.
The 60-meter allocation is available to amateurs holding a General Class or above license. The maximum permissible signal bandwidth is 2.8 kHz.
Amateurs are cautioned that this allocation is strictly on a secondary basis, and amateurs must avoid interfering with non-amateur stations using this spectrum. This obligation includes the responsibility to monitor for such stations using appropriate receiver bandwidths. The FCC emphasized that “allowing amateur operations in this band while fully protecting incumbent primary Federal operations is our priority, and even intermittent interference in this band could jeopardize important Federal operations.”
The Commission left open ARRL’s 2017 Petition for Rulemaking to implement this WRC allocation (RM-11785), stating that “we expect the Commission may address any necessary power adjustments for the new 15 kilohertz international allocation in that proceeding.” ARRL will be observing operations in the new band to evaluate the effect of the 9.15-watt limit and already has been monitoring the regulations and experiences of amateurs in other countries.
Finally, in the same Report and Order, the FCC updated 420 – 450 MHz coordination and contact information for geographic areas where the peak envelope power (PEP) of amateur stations operating is generally limited to 50 watts. There was no substantive change to the areas covered by the power limitation.
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Obsolete Part 97 Rules to be Deleted February 10, 2026
12/19/2025
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:
- § 97.27. This provision is duplicative of a statutory provision related to the FCC’s right to modify station licenses.
- § 97.29. This provision specified an obsolete procedure to replace paper licenses. ARRL proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year.
- § 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.
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73 until next month.
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