ARRL Letter | Issue 96

Date: October 15, 2026
Editor: Richard Moseson, W2VU

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📰 In This Edition

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🌪️ Florida Hams Provide Communications Support During Hurricane Isaias

Amateur radio operators across several Florida counties—specifically Leon, Pinellas, Lake, Nassau, and Santa Rosa—were instrumental in maintaining emergency communications during the onslaught and aftermath of Hurricane Isaias. Their efforts ensured that vital communication channels remained open.

Localized Efforts in Santa Rosa County

In Santa Rosa County, volunteers focused their efforts on two primary locations:

1. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
2. The Milton Community Center (serving as an evacuation shelter).

These operators established a critical link between the shelter and the EOC, providing real-time situational reports and acting as a fail-safe should primary systems collapse.

State-Wide Resiliency

Beyond local efforts, hams supported auxiliary communications to maintain a connection with the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, providing a backup if conventional networks failed.

"While traditional communications systems have become significantly more reliable over the years, amateur radio continues to serve as a dependable auxiliary communications resource," stated Arc Thames, W4CPD. "When disaster strikes, our volunteers are trained, prepared, and ready to step in wherever we're needed. It's another layer of resiliency that helps protect our communities."

Thames, who serves as the ARRL Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and the Amateur Radio Liaison to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, added:

"During tropical weather events impacting Florida, our Auxiliary Communications team provides volunteer operators to monitor amateur radio communications at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee... We always hope we're not needed, but we're glad to be there just in case when all else fails."

The Santa Rosa County EOC served as a central hub during Hurricane Isaias. (Photo: Arc Thames, W4CPD)

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📻 eBay Restricts Listings of Radio Equipment, but Exempts Ham-Band-Only Gear

The online marketplace eBay has implemented new constraints on the listing of radio transmitting hardware. This move comes in response to recently enacted FCC regulations. However, eBay has clarified to the ARRL that these rules do not will not apply to equipment designed to operate exclusively on amateur radio frequencies.

The Regulatory Driver

The FCC is utilizing its equipment authorization program to mitigate $\text{National Security Threats}$ regarding the communications supply chain. According to the Third Report and Order (issued July 23, 2026), online marketplaces now share legal liability for ensuring that unauthorized RF devices are not sold on their platforms.

Requirements for Sellers

For equipment requiring FCC authorization, the following must occur:

• The FCC ID number must be submitted to eBay.
• The FCC ID must be clearly posted within the public listing.

Summary of Policy Application

Technical Logic of Exemption

The exemption can be viewed as a logical set: $\text{If } \text{Device} \in \{ \text{Amateur Radio Bands Only} \} \implies \text{Policy} = \text{Exempt}$

To illustrate how a listing might be flagged in the backend:

{
  "item_id": "123456789",
  "category": "Radio Equipment",
  "fcc_id_present": false,
  "is_ham_exclusive": true,
  "action": "ALLOW_LISTING"
}

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