ARRL — The National Association for Amateur Radio

ARRL — The National Association for Amateur Radio — is the principal membership organization for amateur (ham) radio in the United States. Founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim as The American Radio Relay League, it is a noncommercial organization whose ranks include the vast majority of active radio amateurs in the United States. Its stated mission is to promote and protect the art, science and enjoyment of amateur radio and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs; a bona fide interest in amateur radio is the only essential qualification for membership, although full voting membership is reserved for licensed US radio amateurs. The League operates across five self-described pillars — Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology and Membership. It is a major publisher and retailer of amateur radio literature and merchandise through the ARRL Store, with titles such as The ARRL Antenna Book, the ARRL Handbook, the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual and Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners, alongside maps, apparel and branded accessories. It publishes QST, its membership journal, as well as On the Air (OTA), QEX for communications experimenters, and the National Contest Journal (NCJ). ARRL is also the Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), giving it a global role in representing amateur radio interests. Domestically it engages in regulatory and advocacy work with US authorities, supports emergency communications through programs such as ARES, and administers operating award and activity programs including DXCC, Logbook of The World (LoTW), the ARRL Field Day tradition, contesting and special-event operations. Its headquarters station W1AW and the call sign W100AW are well known in the amateur community. The organization is headquartered in Newington, Connecticut, and is led by a CEO — David Minster, NA2AA, is identified in ARRL's own news as CEO. ARRL describes an ongoing digital transformation intended to make it globally recognized for content, training and licensing delivery, for protecting amateur radio through work with regulators and industry, and for investing in the future of the hobby by inspiring and educating America's youth in radio communications and technology.

ARRL was founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim as The American Radio Relay League. The name reflected its original purpose: to relay messages across the United States by linking amateur radio stations into a nationwide network, at a time when individual stations had limited range. Maxim, already a noted inventor and engineer, became the League's first president, and the organization quickly became the recognized voice of American amateur radio. In the decades that followed, ARRL grew into a multi-faceted institution. It became a publisher, launching QST as its membership journal and building a catalog of technical and operating literature — the ARRL Handbook, The ARRL Antenna Book, license manuals and contesting guides — that became standard references for radio amateurs. It became an advocate, representing amateur radio before US regulators on spectrum, licensing and RF-exposure matters. It became an educator, producing licensing study materials, practice exams and training resources, and supporting volunteer examiner and club-based instruction. And it became a public-service organization, coordinating amateur radio emergency communications through programs such as ARES. Internationally, ARRL serves as the Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), the global federation of national amateur radio societies. Domestically, it administers major operating programs and awards, including DXCC, Logbook of The World (LoTW), contesting and the National Contest Journal, and it operates the headquarters station W1AW in Newington, Connecticut, along with the commemorative call sign W100AW. ARRL describes itself as a noncommercial organization whose ranks include the vast majority of active radio amateurs in the United States, and as the standard-bearer in amateur affairs. Membership is open to anyone with a bona fide interest in amateur radio, though full voting membership is granted only to licensed radio amateurs in the US. The League organizes its work around five pillars — Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology and Membership — and has published a strategy for 2024–2027 centered on a digital transformation intended to strengthen its delivery of content, training and licensing, its regulatory and industry engagement, and its outreach to young people. In recent years ARRL's public communications have covered regulatory proceedings such as FCC and HHS actions on RF exposure, technical topics such as the potential of RADE as a successor to SSB, solar and propagation updates, contesting milestones such as a century of Yagi antennas, youth-oriented events such as Jamboree on the Air, and organizational news including video and podcast appearances by CEO David Minster, NA2AA.

• 2026

  Public communications include FCC/HHS RF-exposure proceedings, RADE as a possible SSB successor, and a video/podcast with CEO David Minster, NA2AA.

• 1914

  Founded by Hiram Percy Maxim as The American Radio Relay League.

• Becomes publisher of QST, its membership journal, and builds a catalog of amateur radio technical and operating literature.

• Serves as Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

• Administers major operating programs and awards including DXCC and Logbook of The World (LoTW).

• Publishes a 2024–2027 strategy centered on digital transformation.

Noncommercial membership association and standard-bearer for amateur radio in the United States; publisher, educator, regulator-facing advocate, emergency-communications supporter and IARU secretariat.

• QST

• On the Air (OTA)

• QEX — Forum for Communications Experimenters

• National Contest Journal (NCJ)

• The ARRL Antenna Book

• ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, 6th Edition

• Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners

• Antenna Compendium Volume 8

• ARRL maps (North America, World)

• ARES apparel and accessories

• DXCC award program

• Logbook of The World (LoTW)

• 2021-06-21

  ARRL and Maglite announce partnership[5]ARRL与Maglite宣布建立合作伙伴关系arrl.org

  ARRL and Maglite announced a partnership focused on emergency preparedness and community service. Mag Instrument is creating a specially engraved Maglite product for ARRL and offering members special pricing; purchases support ARRL’s mission.

1. 1ARRL - Homearrl.org
2. 2ARRL | American Radio Relay League | About the Leaguearrl.org
3. 3List all Productsarrl.org
4. 4The national association for Amateur Radio (Wikidata)wikidata.org
5. 5ARRL与Maglite宣布建立合作伙伴关系arrl.org