NAQCC November Sprint: Two Hours of Low-Power CW

A five-watt rig and a simple wire antenna are a good starting point for the North American QRP CW Club’s November Sprint. Use the two-hour event to practice copying callsigns, making short exchanges, and listening for weak signals.

The club lists the sprint for November 19, 2026, from 0130 to 0330 UTC. That’s Wednesday, November 18, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. EST. Check the club’s sprint page for the rules and logging details before operating.

https://naqcc.info/contests.html

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Listen for Homebuilt CW at the Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party

What can a simple tube transmitter do on the air? The Antique Wireless Association’s Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party is a chance to hear early designs such as Hartley, TNT, and Colpitts oscillators in action.

The event runs November 14–16 and 21–23, 2026 (UTC), on 160, 80, 40, and 20 meters. You can listen with a modern receiver. If you plan to enter, check the AWA rules for transmitter requirements, operating times, and suggested frequencies.

https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/bk-qso-party-details/

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QMX Firmware: Two Checks Before Your Next POTA Activation

If you take a QRP Labs QMX into the field, check your CW presets and SWR Tune before you leave. QRP Labs’ September firmware notes describe two beta fixes worth knowing about: 1_04_014 fixed keying during CW preset entry, and 1_04_015 fixed an SWR Tune display that could show a reading without RF output.

Check your installed version, then see the QRP Labs firmware history for the full list of fixes and the distinction between beta and stable builds.

https://www.qrp-labs.com/qmx.html

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What’s New in the 102nd ARRL Handbook?

Trying to fit an antenna into a small yard? The latest ARRL Handbook expands its coverage of compact and stealth antennas and using a NanoVNA for measurements. Those are useful topics for QRP operators who want to make the most of a modest station.

ARRL says the new edition is now shipping and also expands its coverage of software-defined radio and FreeDV. See the full announcement for details on what’s new and the available editions:
https://www.arrl.org/news/a-century-plus-of-radio-innovation-the-102nd-arrl-handbook-is-now-available

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Receive SSTV Pictures From the ISS November 9–16

ARISS has announced “Space Memories,” an International Space Station slow-scan television (SSTV) event planned for November 9–16, 2026. The pictures will be sent on 437.550 MHz FM, in the 70-centimeter band.

A UHF receiver, an antenna, and SSTV decoding software are enough to try receiving a picture during a pass. Be ready to adjust the receive frequency as the ISS moves overhead. Check the official ARISS announcement for exact times and decoder settings before you listen.

Official ARISS event page:
https://www.ariss.org/upcoming-sstv-events.html

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Could Region 1 Gain More Room on 40 Meters?

A wider 40-meter band is among the spectrum priorities discussed at IARU Region 1’s 2026 conference, according to a November 4 report from Croatia’s national amateur-radio association, HRS.

Member societies are being encouraged to discuss extending the band to 7300 kHz with their national regulators. This does not change operating privileges; national approval would still be required.

The conference also addressed protecting amateur operations on 23 centimeters alongside satellite-navigation services and broader HF spectrum concerns.

Read the HRS conference report:
https://www.hamradio.hr/iaru-r1-konferencija/

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