📡 Amateur Radio News: May 2026
A round-up of the latest amateur radio news making headlines around the world. In this issue: New York high school students discovering ham radio, a Michigan resident taking part in the historic 3Y0K expedition to Bouvet Island, and a successful open day for World Amateur Radio Day. Three stories that show our hobby is more alive than ever.
📖 Source: this article is adapted and expanded from a post published by Dan, KB6NU, on his blog. Original article: Amateur radio in the news - KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog
🎓 New York high school students discover amateur radio
At the Garden School, a school in the Queens district of New York, a group of Gen Z teenagers is discovering a way of communicating that existed long before smartphones: amateur radio. The school's amateur radio club, run by John Hale (the club's moderator), introduces young people to radio communication techniques, operating procedures and hands-on practice on the air.
Tenzin, 16, the club's president, says: “I didn't know anything about radio before. And I find it fascinating that people communicated like this, long before phones existed.”
Far from being just a retro pastime, the activity has real educational value. The students take part in the New York Long Island Student SKYWARN Training Net, a net where they pass on genuine weather reports used by the National Weather Service (the US weather service). An exercise that combines responsibility, scientific rigour and communication.
🎓 Academic value
The students learn wave physics, electronics, meteorology and communication protocols: skills that carry weight on US university applications.
💬 Social skills
As one student puts it: “This club taught me to speak properly and clearly.” The art of spoken communication remains at the heart of amateur radio.
⚠️ Role in emergencies
John Hale points out that during Hurricane Sandy, police stations were out of action and radio amateurs kept communications going. A lesson in resilience.
🚀 The principal's vision
Chris Herman, principal of the Garden School: “There's academic value, social skills, an asset for college applications. And above all, it's fun.”
🎥 CBS News video report
The full CBS News report, broadcast in April 2026, shows the students in action on the air. Proof that amateur radio appeals to the new generation too:
💡 And in Switzerland? The USKA also offers amateur radio exam preparation courses for young people. Several HB9 clubs, including ours, encourage young people to take up the hobby from an early age. Amateur radio is a wonderful gateway to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). An HB3 callsign is within reach from your teens!
🌍 The 3Y0K expedition: Bouvet Island reached from Michigan
Dennis Ward, KT8X, a resident of Saline, Michigan, has just returned from an extraordinary expedition. As co-leader of the 3Y0K expedition, he joined an international team of 24 amateur radio operators on Bouvet Island: a glacier-covered volcanic island lost in the South Atlantic, considered one of the most remote places on the planet.
For radio amateurs, Bouvet is much more than an inhospitable scrap of land: it is one of the rarest DXCC entities in the world. Setting up a radio station on the island gives tens of thousands of radio amateurs the chance to make a contact they have coveted for decades.
The expedition in figures
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Callsign | 3Y0K |
| Destination | Bouvet Island, South Atlantic (54°26'S, 3°24'E) |
| Team | 24 international operators |
| Time on the island | 28 February to 15 March 2026 |
| QSOs made | 102’000+ |
| Unique callsigns | ~25’000 |
| Bands | 10 m to 160 m (HF) |
| Modes | CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY |
| Co-leader | Dennis Ward, KT8X (Saline, Michigan) |
The expedition was not without its difficulties. Violent winds and extreme weather repeatedly damaged the tents and antennas. But thanks to the team's professionalism and perseverance, everything was restored each time. The helicopter evacuation went off without incident, and there were no medical problems.
Dennis Ward, who is also a two-time Ironman finisher, put his physical endurance to work on this extraordinary mission. Fewer people have set foot on Bouvet Island than have travelled into space, which says a lot about how rare this achievement is.
💡 What is DXCC? The DX Century Club is an ARRL programme that rewards radio amateurs who have contacted at least 100 different entities (countries or territories). Bouvet Island was one of the most wanted DXCC entities: the last successful expedition dated back to 3Y0J in 2023. The 3Y0K logs are available on Club Log and through the M0OXO OQRS system for QSL requests.
🎉 World Amateur Radio Day: a successful open day in West Virginia
On Saturday 18 April 2026, three regional amateur radio clubs got together at Fort Boreman Park in Parkersburg (West Virginia, USA) to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day (WARD). The event, open to the public from 10am to 3pm, was a great success.
Three clubs, one shared passion
The day was organised jointly by:
- Great Bend Radio Group (Meigs County, Ohio)
- Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub (PARK)
- Wood County Emergency Communications (WCEC)
This collaboration perfectly illustrates the ARRL's (American Radio Relay League) theme for 2026: the “Year of the Club”, which highlights the importance of cooperation between clubs in the amateur radio community.
The participants used several portable stations and antenna systems (including an 80 m dipole and a G5RV in an “inverted-vee” configuration) to contact radio amateurs in 22 countries. Modes included SSB, Morse code (CW) and digital modes.
| Operator | Callsign | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Beth Edwards | WB3TH | Great Bend Radio Group |
| Brian Taylor | KZ8U | Great Bend Radio Group |
| Kenny Harris | WA8LLM | WCEC |
| Larry Dale | KF8NW | PARK |
| Ron Kuhn | NQØD | PARK |
A notable highlight: Ron Kuhn, NQØD, gave a demonstration of remote operation, controlling his station in Fleming (Ohio) over the Internet and a mobile hotspot, straight from the park. A striking illustration of how modern technology and traditional radio complement each other.
💡 And here at home? In Switzerland, similar events are organised by USKA sections and regional clubs. Field Day, open days and presentations in schools introduce our hobby to the general public. The HB9V club takes an active part in these initiatives to promote amateur radio in French-speaking Switzerland.
💡 What this amateur radio news reminds us
These three stories, from different corners of the United States, show the diversity and vitality of amateur radio in 2026:
🎓 The next generation is here
The Garden School students prove that ham radio fascinates Gen Z too. When teenagers prefer the PTT to social media, there is hope.
🌍 The adventure goes on
The 3Y0K expedition shows that DXpeditions remain one of the most daring and technical adventures in the amateur radio world.
🤝 Clubs are the heart of the hobby
The Parkersburg open day shows that local clubs are essential for keeping our passion alive and passing it on.
📡 Radio is still indispensable
From Hurricane Sandy to SKYWARN weather reports, amateur radio proves its practical value when modern networks fail.
🇨🇭 A Swiss perspective
This amateur radio news also strikes a chord in Switzerland. Our HB9 clubs regularly organise similar activities: introductions in schools, SOTA activations on Alpine summits, taking part in international contests. The USKA and OFCOM encourage the hobby, and HB3 callsigns (novice licence) are within reach from your teens.
As for DXpeditions, several Swiss HB9 radio amateurs regularly take part in expeditions abroad, and thousands of Swiss OMs were able to work 3Y0K from Switzerland thanks to the good propagation of solar cycle 25.
🤝 Our partners
Phonicom.ch: amateur radio specialist in Switzerland
Want to equip yourself for your next amateur radio activities? Phonicom offers a wide range of HF and VHF/UHF transceivers, antennas and accessories. Personal advice and fast delivery in Switzerland.
Visit phonicom.ch →📖 Also on HB9V:
🔗 Radio Propagation Conditions: Complete Guide: understanding solar indices, ionospheric layers and cycle 25
🔗 EchoLink for Radio Amateurs: Complete Guide: connect to the whole world via the Internet and radio
🔗 SOTA Activations in Switzerland: Complete Guide: activate Alpine summits portable
🔗 Brandmeister: Complete Guide to the DMR Network: everything about the worldwide DMR network
