Amateur Radio News and Notes 5/1/2026

In the log this week* Icom Teases X-026 Radio Ahead of Dayton Hamvention* Hamlib Wins 2026 Amateur Radio Software Award * The FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Limited Use of 70 cm Amateur Band* MVARC Nets on the Air* What’s happening with DX? * Solar Activity Update* Upcoming Contests* Interesting Online Radio Content As always, links to all referenced content can be found in the show notes, or at our Substack at mvarc.substack.com. Thanks for reading Amateur Radio News and Notes. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Icom Teases X-026 Radio Ahead of Dayton HamventionImages Courtesy IcomIcom’s Japanese Facebook page teased a prototype radio to be shown at this month’s Dayton Hamvention called the X-026 in a short video. In the video a radio with what appears to be a detachable head and separate base unit is shown along with a car having two different antennas. As you can imagine, speculation online abounds, but one of the leading theories is that we may be looking at a mobile HF/VHF/UHF rig being shown in Dayton as a potential successor to the Icom 7100. The 7100 is still in production and was originally shown at the Tokyo Ham Fair in 2012 and released generally in 2013, so it may be ready for a refresh. That said, details are few, so we’ll have to stay tuned to see what develops. Amateur Radio News and Notes will be at Dayton Hamvention again this year, so we’ll make sure to give you all the details as they become available. To see the teaser reel from Icom visit https://www.facebook.com/reel/1740855356941241.Hamlib Wins 2026 Amateur Radio Software Award Image Courtesy Amateur Radio Software AwardThe Amateur Radio Software Award committee announced that the 2026 recipient of the Amateur Radio Software Award will be the Hamlib project. The Hamlib project allows for other software applications to access and control a wide array of amateur radio rigs and devices. The project allows for the abstraction of the control logic so other applications don’t need to know the details of each individual rig interface. Hamlib has existed for over a quarter century, but is still actively maintained by its core development team. Congratulations to the Hamlib team for this well deserved award. For more information about the award visit https://arsaward.com/ and to check out Hamlib visit https://hamlib.github.io/.The FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Limited Use of 70 cm Amateur BandThe Federal Communications Commission published its Authorization and Order DA 26-391 on April 21, 2026 authorizing AST & Science, LLC’s AST SpaceMobile service to utilize frequencies in the amateur radio 70 cm band on an emergency basis. The application to use those frequencies had brought significant pushback from the amateur radio community as the AST SpaceMobile constellation seeks to launch 248 satellites in non-geostationary orbit for the purpose of providing space-based mobile phone services with the authority to deploy 223 additional satellites. While the primary frequencies in use are the bands used by cell phones and in the SHF bands for backhaul, they requested and were given the right to utilize the frequencies of 430.5, 432.3, 434.1, 435.9, and 439.5 MHz with a bandwidth of 50 kHz in the 70 cm bands for what are termed “Emergency Operations Only” outside the U.S. only. The FCC noted significant opposition to the operation in the bands but said “AST has shown that harmful interference from AST’s transmissions to other authorized operations, including to amateur operations, in the 430-440 MHz band is extremely unlikely, and, if such interference, should occur, AST is capable of ceasing such transmissions.” The Authorization and Order continues “Regarding objections and concerns raised by members of the amateur radio community, see AST Modification Grant n.15, we have continued to not receive any complaints of harmful interference for AST’s already-authorized operations in the 430-440 MHz band. In addition, we will continue to limit AST operations in the band to emergency operations when no other bands are available for the 223 additional satellites authorized herein for a period not to exceed 24 hours. We find that this will further mitigate any possibility of harmful interference”. The full Authorization and Order can be found at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-391A1.pdf.MVARC Nets on the Air* 2 Meter FM Net: Tuesdays at 7 PM [146.655/- MHz (141.3 Hz PL Tone) ] * 2 Meter Digital Net: Immediately Follows 2 Meter FM Net [146.655/- MHz C4FM] * MVARC Slow Speed CW Roundtable: Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM [3.565 MHz CW]* MVARC Cherry Tree Net: Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 AM [3.920 MHz LSB]What’s Happening with DXThere will be a lot of DX on the air this week. Stations on the air include Rodrigues Island (3B9G), Bonaire (PJ4TB), Kenya (54Z/MM0ZBH), Ogasawara (JD1BMH), Azores (CU2/HB9BIN), South Cook Islands (E51TLM), Burkina Faso (XT2AW), French Polynesia (FO/F6CBW), Gambia (C5B, C5C), Comoros (D60DX), Central Kiribati (T31TTT), Minami Torishima (JG8NQJ/JD1), Colombia (HK3JCL), and South Orkney Islands (LU1ZA).A calendar of DXpeditions can be found at https://dxnews.com/calendar/ and at NG3K’s Announced DX Operations List at https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html.Solar Activity UpdateAs we go to press the Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 143 and the estimated sunspot number was 142 with 6 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has increased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 5 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 530 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a chance of M-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to unsettled levels today and Sunday and at quiet levels on Saturday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 10% today through Saturday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely today with a predicted probability of 65% today through Saturday. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 10% chance predicted today through Saturday. It remains a fantastic time for amateurs to get on the air and work the world. Good sources of real-time solar information include https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/ and https://solarham.com/. A good overview of conditions can be found at https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/. To see D-layer absorption data and associated radio blackouts, visit https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-region-absorption-predictions-d-rap. To see real-time Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Critical Frequency (foF2) information from radiosonde data, visit https://prop.kc2g.com/. Upcoming ContestsThis weekend brings the RCC Cup, the SBMS 2.3 GHz and Up Contest and Club Challenge, the Microwave Spring Sprint, the ARI International DX Contest, the F9AA Cup on PSK, the 7th Call Area QSO Party, the Indiana QSO Party, the Delaware QSO Party, the New England QSO Party, and the WAB 7 MHz Phone Contest. As always the K1USN SSTs, the MSTs, and the CWTs will also be on the air. The full contest calendar with events and exchanges can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.phpInteresting Online Radio ContentKevin W1DED talks with Mark K1RX about how POTA skills can translate into contesting - George VK2AOE builds an inexpensive 70 cm beacon for a Fox Hunt - Stuart VE9CF talks to Molly W3NY and Julius AK9IT about their POTA expedition to the Dry Tortugas - Josh KI6NAZ takes a look at the 25th Anniversary Baofeng with disappointing spectral purity - Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW takes a look at solar flares and recent space weather - Andreas HB9BLA builds a programmable signal generator for receiver testing - Mike K8MRD shows how to use a slicer to get your call sign on 3D prints - Shortwave Investigations takes a look at mystery signals on the shortwave bands - Stuart VE9CF talks about ways to protect your privacy in amateur radio - Michael KB9VBR talks about POTA interactions with Nets and shows how he deals with conflict - Josh KI6NAZ speculates about the Icom X-026 - Ara N6ARA does a speed-build of the Pebble HF kit radio - Lewis M3HHY talks about places where radio scanners are illegal - Josh KI6NAZ tries out a 3D printed antenna launcher - Walt K4OGO talks about getting the most performance out of your end fed half wave antenna - That’s it for this week.Best 73,EdN2EC This is a public episode. 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