Amateur Radio News and Notes 6/12/2026

In the log this week* Contest Spotlight: ARRL VHF Contest* MVARC Nets on the Air* What’s happening with DX?* Solar Activity Update* Upcoming Contests* Interesting Online Radio ContentAs 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.Contest Spotlight: ARRL VHF ContestThis weekend brings the June 2026 edition of the ARRL VHF Contest. The stated objective of the contest is to work as many amateur radio stations in as many 2 degree by 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US and Canada may only work stations in the US and Canada. The contest starts Saturday at 1800 UTC (2 PM Eastern Time Saturday) and goes until 0259 UTC on Monday (10:59 PM Eastern Time Sunday Night). Operators can work stations on any band above 50 MHz using any mode and each station can be worked once per band. Operating categories include Single Operator (High and Low Power), Single Operator Portable, Single Operator (3-Bands), Single Operator (FM-Only), Rover (Classic, Limited, and Unlimited), and Multioperator (Limited and Unlimited). Check out the rules for details on each category. The exchange is the 4-character Maidenhead grid-square locator (for me in VA, FM18). For scoring, each QSO counts for 1 point on 6 and 2 meters, 2 points on 1.25 meters and 70 centimeters, three points on 33 and 22 centimeters, and four points for 2.3 GHz contacts. No repeaters or digipeaters may be used. Logs must be submitted within 10 days of the contest at http://contest-log-submission.arrl.org/. Online certificates will be available to all participants and awards will be given to top operators in each category. This promises to be a fun and challenging contest, and with the 6 meter band having had some openings this past week, there may be some opportunities to experience some of the magic of the “magic band” this weekend. Full rules and information can be found at https://www.arrl.org/june-vhf. Good luck!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 Kenya (54Z/MM0ZBH, 5Z4A), French Polynesia (FO/F6CBW), Namibia (V5/N7XOB), Palau (T88RR), Lord Howe Island (VJ2L), Tanzania (5H1KB, 5H3DX), Rwanda (9X5KM), Maldives (8Q7ML), St. Martin (FS/K9EL), Cape Verde Island (D4OL, D44EC), and Curacao (PJ2/PH2M).A calendar of DXpeditions can be found 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 124 and the estimated sunspot number was 114 with 5 numbered sunspot regions visible from Earth. Over the last week the SFI has decreased. Solar activity has been at low levels in the last 24 hours. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to minor storm levels in the last 24 hours and the Kp index reached 5 yesterday. The solar wind peaked at 505 km/s. Solar activity is predicted to be at low levels with a chance of M-class flares and a slight chance of X-class flares today through Sunday. The geomagnetic field is forecast to be at quiet to minor storm levels today and at unsettled to major storm levels on Saturday and unsettled to minor storm levels on Sunday. The chance of solar radiation storms at the S1 or greater level is at 5% today through Sunday. R1 to R2 radio blackouts are likely with a predicted probability of 45% today through Sunday. R3 or greater blackouts are possible with a 10% chance predicted today through Sunday. 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 ARRL VHF Contest we spotlighted earlier as well as the PVRC Reunion, the YB ORARI DX Contest, the Asia-Pacific Sprint on SSB, the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, the Portugal Day Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the REF DDFM 6 meter Contest, the GACW WWSA CW DX Contest, and the 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint. 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.php.Interesting Online Radio ContentMark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA talk with Tim N7KOM about SOTA, the Brass Knuckle Gang, and more on Sofas on the Air - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn6xM2AUuLAJim WT1W shows the Open Source AetherSDR software for Flex Radios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUo4g1LUnjsChris KL9A gives an aerial tour of the KM7W Antenna Farm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsUpWIRspPoKevin KB9RLW looks at an electromagnetic radiation meter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0akzLYWArrYCallum M0MCX talks coax performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2_aSlKTZETelecom Training discusses 5/8-Wave antenna performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDMNhk71tNQWalt K4OGO advocates for more experimenters in radio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVCV-QaHxSUTim N7KOM does SOTA from South America - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd_nPx7pdw0The History Archive talks about Morse Code history - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN2Mg1tkBZ0Mike K8MRD shows a 3D printed weather resistant case for the Packtenna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBp2iAEr_PEGeorge VK2AOE builds an antenna for his school club - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6RZXhB6LABobby W6IWN uses the Mercury Lite 500 Watt Amplifier for POTA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VEwaDq-k0AWalt K4OGO takes us on the USS Wisconsin to learn about the ship and activate Museum Ships On The Air - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpjBl8mLUoKevan 2E0WMG takes us along for some kayak portable operation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfpJAkc1MB8Takeshi JS1QIZ takes us into the wilderness for camping and QRP in Japan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuSxmpxxS70Hayden VK7HH and Steve KM9G talk about a new board to work digital with the Xiegu G90 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGu0WX3DxMEVeritasium talks about the discovery of a satellite jamming GPS signals over Europe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz23G_UXCGAJosh KI6NAZ activates Pikes Peak on VHF for SOTA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_lwHxH5npUThat’s it for this week.Best 73,EdN2EC This is a public episode. 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