This is The Ham Radio Insider for September twenty-second, twenty twenty-six. This week, we have several live DX opportunities, a major contest weekend, an amateur-radio space-communications deadline, and regional hamfests across the country. Here is what operators can act on now.
In this episode:
• RI1FJZ active from Franz Josef Land through September 29
• 9T0MD Democratic Republic of the Congo operation begins September 30
• KH8WW American Samoa operation ends September 24
• Four contests fill the September 26–27 weekend
• ARISS accepting U.S. proposals for 2027 space-station contacts
• Red River hamfest hosts the ARRL Minnesota State Convention
• Elmira Hamfest returns to Horseheads, New York
• Cleveland Hamfest and Computer Show set for September 27
• ARRL presents SDR-based handheld-radio testing session
Sources & further reading:
• RI1FJZ DXPedition: https://ri1fjz.ru/en/
• 9T0MD – Democratic Republic of Congo: https://www.dx-world.net/9t0md-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/
• KH8WW 2026 – News and information: https://www.lral.lv/kh8ww/index.html
• CQ WW RTTY – Home: https://cqwwrtty.com/
• ARISS News Release No. 26-45 Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity: https://www.ariss.org/press-releases/ariss-news-release-no-26-45-message-to-us-educators-amateur-radio-on-the-international-space-station-contact-opportunity
• The ARRL Letter for September 17, 2026: https://www.arrl.org/arrlletterissue?issue=2026-09-17
• 2026 HAMFEST Flyer: https://www.arasth3.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Hamfest-Flyer.pdf
• Cleveland Hamfest: https://www.hac.org/
• On The Air Live: Analyze Your Radio with an SDR and Audio Editing Software: https://learn.arrl.org/events
