ARRL Partnership Added to RFinder

The ARRL has established an agreement with RFinder, the creator of a web and app-based directory of Amateur Radio repeaters worldwide, to be its preferred online resource of repeater frequencies.

RFinder is a steadily growing worldwide repeater directory with over 50,000 repeater listings in over 170 countries. An annual $9.99 subscription to RFinder provides access to repeater data through its collection of apps for Android and Apple devices, and from nearly any web browser.

The RFinder team is honored to be ARRL’s partner, providing the very latest online repeater information and directory technology for radio amateurs in the United States. We look forward to working with ARRL to make RFinder even better for US hams.
— Bob Greenberg, W2CYK, creator of RFinder — The Worldwide Repeater Directory.

With one subscription, users have access to repeater data worldwide from computing devices on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Apple iOS, and popular GPS systems. A growing list of third-party memory programming applications support radio programming. RFinder provides integrated support for EchoLink on Android and iPhone, allowing users a one-click connection to repeaters worldwide from the directory.

ARRL will receive a portion of each annual subscription to RFinder. 

US radio amateurs who subscribe to RFinder will have online access to its entire worldwide directory while supporting ARRL.

ARRL will discontinue its own products that had supported digital listings of repeater data including the TravelPlus for Repeaters™ software and its own apps. ARRL is working with RFinder on a plan to migrate existing ARRL app users to RFinder, in order to support remaining subscription terms.

“Rest assured that the printed ARRL Repeater Directory, updated and published each year, will continue to be produced,” said ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. Inderbitzen explained that The ARRL Repeater Directory, available in pocket-sized and spiral bound desktop editions, is especially popular with new radio amateurs, mobile and portable operators, and public service volunteers who rely on the printed copies when they are offline and on the go.

ARRL’s source of repeater data for The ARRL Repeater Directory is voluntarily contributed information from repeater owners and frequency coordinators in the US and Canada. RFinder, on the other hand, assembles its data from worldwide sources, including repeater owners, national and regional coordinating bodies, and carefully reviewed crowd-sourced contributions. RFinder uses dynamic data, allowing users to access listings that regularly reflect new, updated, revised, and deleted information.

RFinder - http://www.rfinder.net

Alex Discovers Amateur Radio

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started

Booklet Download - http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

Find an amateur radio training course near you - https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Amateur Ham Radio on BBC Radio Norfolk

UK Amateur, Steve Nichols G0KYA has gained the hobby some good publicity for amateur radio letting his local media outlets know he had received a signal from Tim Peake on the ISS 

If you do hear and record Tim do contact your local media as they are fascinated by the whole business and it brings good PR for amateur radio in general
— Steve Nichols G0KYA

He was lucky enough to hear astronaut Tim Peake's ISS contact with another UK school on Thursday 11th February 2016. Not only did he record it, but he sent out a press release and ended up being interviewed about it by BBC Radio Norfolk on Friday.

Read Steve's blog post and listen to a recording of his interview -http://g0kya.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/radio-norfolk-interview-about-tim-peake.html