ARDC Launches 44Net Connect

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ARDC has launched 44Net Connect, a new portal designed to make it easier for ham radio operators to gain access to and experiment with subnets of the 44.0.0.0/8 IP address space. Through the portal, hams can apply for VPN access to 44Net, which comes with a dedicated 44Net IP address. Tunnel services are provided through WireGuard with options to add IP networks and autonomous system numbers. Proof of a ham radio license is required.

More Information - https://connect.44net.cloud/

International Reply Coupons (IRCs) to End

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Although International Reply Coupons, or IRCs, are still being used by some DX-chasing hams in their requests for QSL cards, that option is set to end by this time next year. Countries belonging to the Universal Postal Union have voted to discontinue their use effective 31 December 2026. The vote was taken in September at the 28th Universal Postal Congress held in Dubai. There are a number of IRCs already in circulation that bear the expiration date of 31 December 2025, and they are expected to be honoured for another year.

In an era marked by a migration toward confirmations on digital platforms and in digital QSOs, the move brings an already disappearing amateur radio practice to its conclusion. A statement from the Universal Postal Union said the sunset of the IRC, first put into practice in 1907, was “a natural progression within the broader transformation of international postal services in alignment with the digital practices and modern outlook of their customers.”

Four Buchanan Students Earn FCC License

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Buchanan Community Schools announced that four students in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) Electrical program earned their FCC Amateur Radio licenses on Monday.

The four passing students, Marley Hinds, Taryn Hartman, Kyle Kirk, and Sheldon Cornelius, are now authorised to use advanced wireless communications technology.

CTE students sat for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Technician Class Amateur Radio license exam, which asked students to display knowledge in electrical theory, wireless communications, radio infrastructure, and electrical safety.

Buchanan Community Schools also noted that students who did not pass the exam will have an opportunity to retest later in the school year.