John Cadwallader Kanode, N4MM (SK), of Boyce, Virginia, passed away on January 13, 2026. He was 88 years old. First licensed in 1952, Kanode served on the Board of Directors of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio for 21 years, first as Roanoke Division Vice Director, then Director, and Vice President. He was a member of the ARRL Maxim Society (President Class), a Life Member, and wa...

Solar activity reached moderate levels due to an M1.6 flare on
January 14 from new region AR4341. Spot classification of this
region is complicated by limb proximity and foreshortening effects.
New Region AR4342 rotated around the NE limb and was also numbered.
No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed. Solar
activity is expected to be low with a 25-30% chance for M-class
flares (...

The new 60-meter frequencies approved by the FCC in December will become available to amateurs as of February 13, 2026, along with new power restrictions on those frequencies. It’s a bit confusing, as different rules apply to different segments of the band. The changes result from the FCC’s action to approve a worldwide 60-meter amateur allocation made by the World Radiocommunication Conference...

Robert W. “Bob” Jones, VE7RWJ, a former top official of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Canadian telecommunications regulator, passed away on January 7, 2026, at age 82. His early fascination with amateur radio led to a career in telecommunications and engineering, according to his obituary.

Jones was Director General of the Canadian Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regul...