Bill's Weekend Update for 10/09/2026

By: Bill (KC3FOX)

Drum Roll, Please!!It is time for all the news that is the news for your Weekend Update, on everything that will keep your radio humming, and your antennas tuned.

Weather

The weekend weather should be somewhat great for Radio Activities, and with fall approaching make sure that you check your antennas (if they are outside) and think about weather sealing them again. However, today should be beautiful, partly cloudy with high in the mid 70s, and low around 51°F (noticed that this morning!!). Saturday should be about the same, with a small chance of rain in the evening forecast. Sunday, you might need to build a boat, cause it is going to be a downpour, and temps in the mid to low 60s.

The solar conditions show:

• SFI of 119 and a huge jump from 92 last week (solar flux index (SFI) is the intensity of solar radio emissions. Higher the better up to about 300, so not great)
• A index of 6, a rise from 4 last week (daily numerical average of the K Index of Earth’s geomagnetic field and activity. The lower the better from 0-400)
• K index of 4 (lower is better, 4= unsettled or active Earths magnetic field, a rise from 0 last week)
• The 10m-12m bands are poor, with the rest of the bands being fair.

Events

• October 10th 2026 - 8am to Noon – Antietam Amateur Radio Club is hosting the Hagerstown TailgateFest
• 17904 Binkley Ave. Maugansville, MD 21767 (1 hr 15 mins from APL)
• October 11th 2026 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
• 235 Bridgeton Pike (Route 77) Mullica Hill, New Jersey 08062 (the Gloucester County 4-H Fairgrounds) (about 2 hours from APL).

Special Events Stations

• ARRL America250 Worked All States
  • A Year-Long Worked-All-States Operating Event Celebrating the 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Ongoing.
• Oct 8th-Oct 16th - 0000Z-2359Z - Continental Army Encampment at Towamencin PA (W3T)
  • Harleysville, PA
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 7.030 7.240 14.030 14.240
  • QSL via Frank Gallo WV2M, 106 Tweed Way, Harleysville, PA 19438
• Oct 8th-Oct 12th - 1200Z-2359Z - Sapelo Island Expedition Speical Event (N4N)
  • Sapelo Island, GA.
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.290 28.375 7.195 21.325
  • QSL via LoTW/QRZ/ClubLog during the expedition as Internet allows or within 10 days of expedition completion.
  • The Sapelo Island Expedition Team is activating Sapelo Island, GA, as N4N to commemorate 16 years since the initial activation of this rare Georgia barrier island. Question? Ricky Deluco, K4JTT ([email protected]) or Ian Kahn, NV4C ([email protected]).
• Oct 9th-Oct 18th - 1200Z-2359Z - Radio Society of Tucson CACTUS (K7RST) Event
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.287
  • Certificate & QSL via Attn: CACTUS Certificate Request Manager, PO Box 13603, Tucson, AZ 85732-3603

NOTE: Just CACTUS???Nothing else in the name??

• Oct 10th - 1300Z-2300Z - 5th Annual Scratching Post QSL Party in the Lucedale (K5K)
  • George County ARES-Lucedale, Mississippi
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 7.074 7.265 14.325 28.390
  • QSL via Brent Albrecht, 2088 Will Pet Rd., Lucedale, MS 39452
• Oct 10th-Oct 12th - 0000Z-2359Z - Columbus Day Special Event Station (NJ2KC, KC2US)
  • New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club, Bridgeton, NJ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands: 7.234 MHz, 14.234 MHz, 21.234 MHz, 29.234 MHz
  • QSL C/O Thomas M Perrotti, 785 Vineland Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302-4822
• Oct 10th - 1330Z-2100Z - Ike Eisenhower’s Birthday (K3S)
  • Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC, Port of Baltimore, MD
  • Target Freuencies/Bands - 7, 14, 18, 21, 28 MHz
  • QSL via Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113
• Oct 10th - 1400Z-2000Z - New York State Pathways Through History (W2RME)
  • Chenango Valley Amateur Radio Association/Chenango County Historical Society, Norwich, NY
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 3.815 MHz, 7.215 MHz, 14.205 MHz, 28.360 MHz
  • QSL via Chenango Valley Amateur Radio Association, PO Box 1324, Norwich, NY 13815
• Oct 10th - 0900Z-1600Z - VLA Open House (K5J)
  • Socorro Amateur Radio Association, Socorro, NM
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.240
  • QSL via Tess Anderson, PO Box 81, Socorro, NM 87801
• Oct 11th - 1700Z-2100Z - TUBAC, Arizona’s 274th Anniversary (WE7GV)
  • Green Valley Amateur Radio Club, Sahuarita, AZ
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.242, 14.246, 14.248
  • Certificate & QSL via Tom Lang K7VOA, 1085 W El Toro Rd, Sahuarita, AZ 85629
• Oct 11th - 1700Z-2359Z - United States Navy Birthday (10-13-1775) (NI6IW)
  • USS Midway Museum Ship CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, San Diego, CA
  • Target Frequencies - 7.250, 14.320, 14.070, PSK31, DStar on PAPA System Repeaters
  • QSL via USS Midway Ship Museum CV-41 COMEDTRA NI6IW, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
• Oct 12th-Oct 21st - 0001Z-2359Z - 3rd Annual National Sasquatch Awareness Day (W7DK)
  • Radio Club Of Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
  • Target Frequencies/Bands - 14.255 - ALL Bands Modes: CW, SSB, FT-8/4, RTTY
  • Certificate & QSL via Radio Club of Tacoma c/o Bigfoot, PO Box 1188, Tacoma, WA 98411
  • Callsigns W7B, W7I, W7G, W7F, W7O, W7T, W4S (Bonus Station)

Contests

State Qso Contests

Other Contest

No ARRL sponsored contests, but other contests are:

More information can be found at https://www.contestcalendar.com/fivewkcal.php

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