Florida's amateur radio operators activated across five counties during Hurricane Isaias, staffing emergency operations centers and evacuation shelters in Santa Rosa, Nassau, Lake, Pinellas, and Leon Counties. Volunteers at the Milton Community Center maintained a direct communications link to the Santa Rosa County EOC, relaying situational updates and standing ready to replace conventional systems if they failed. Arc Thames, W4CPD, who serves as both the ARRL Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and the Amateur Radio Liaison to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, coordinated statewide auxiliary communications, including volunteer operators monitoring amateur radio at the State EOC in Tallahassee. eBay has imposed new restrictions on radio transmitting equipment listings in response to FCC rules that took effect October 13, 2026. The FCC's Third Report and Order, issued July 23, 2026, requires online marketplaces to ensure unauthorized RF devices are not sold on their platforms — equipment subject to FCC authorization must now have its FCC ID number submitted and posted with each listing. Initial eBay communications to sellers suggested all RF-transmitting equipment would need an FCC ID, but after ARRL intervened, eBay confirmed that devices operating exclusively on amateur radio frequencies are exempt, since amateur equipment (except commercial HF amplifiers) does not require FCC equipment authorization. The carve-out matters because it preserves the secondary market for ham gear while the FCC tightens control over the broader RF equipment supply chain. eBay's statement acknowledged that two-way VHF/UHF equipment capable of operating outside amateur bands cannot be imported, sold, or operated without FCC certification. The practical effect: dedicated ham-band gear trades freely, but cheap Baofeng-style radios that transmit on commercial frequencies face new friction. Sellers whose listings are incorrectly flagged can appeal. ARDC's 44Net Connect service, launched December 2025, has crossed 2,000 users and is doubling its global points of presence from three (Frankfurt, Toronto, Dallas) to six, adding Chicago, Los Angeles, and Sydney. The 44-prefix IP block was reserved for amateur radio in the early internet era, and ARDC manages it. The expansion shortens data travel distances and reduces latency for users experimenting with digital modes, repeater infrastructure, home labs, and emergency communications. Rebecca Key, KO4KVG, described it as giving licensed hams a simpler path to a static 44Net IP address without complex setup. The Radio Club of America announced its 2026 awards and Fellows, with heavy amateur radio representation. Honorees include Dr. Charles C. Counselman III, W1HIS, for high-accuracy GPS positioning; Jay Adrick, K8CJY, for digital television development and his role as Board President of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting; Charles Kirmuss, W0CBK, for digital recording systems for public safety; and Dr. Henry Richter, W6VZA (SK), who built the communications system for Explorer 1. New RCA Fellows include Rachel Jones, KO4HLC; Geoffrey Mendenhall, W8GNM; Nick Pennance, N1CKP; and Dominic Tusa, K5EF. Recognition takes place at the November 21 Technical Symposium in New York City. Mel Parkes, NM7P, resigned as Vice Director of the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division effective October 10, 2026, citing health and personal reasons. He had served as Utah Section Manager for 22 years before his 2025 election. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, appointed Ed James, KA8JMW, of Edgewood, New Mexico, to serve the remainder of the term through December 31, 2028. The through-line across these stories is the same: amateur radio operates as a distributed, volunteer-maintained infrastructure layer that no single entity owns or controls. It costs governments almost nothing, requires no commercial subscription, and activates precisely when centralized systems fail. The FCC's new marketplace rules and eBay's exemption recognize this implicitly — ham gear occupies a different regulatory category because ham operators occupy a different systemic role.
