arrl

What arrl does

ARRL — The American Radio Relay League, Inc. — is the national association for amateur radio in the United States, founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim and headquartered at 225 Main Street, Newington, Connecticut. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership association governed by member-elected directors and vice directors across US geographic divisions, with no parent company or institutional equity ownership. It serves licensed amateur radio operators ("hams"), affiliated clubs, students, and the emergency communications community through publications, licensing support, advocacy, and public-service programs.

ARRL's product portfolio spans five categories: (1) publications including the monthly membership journal QST, On the Air (OTA) for newcomers, QEX for communications experimenters, the National Contest Journal (NCJ), license manuals such as the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 6th Edition, and the canonical ARRL Handbook; (2) online services and programs including Logbook of The World (LoTW) for electronic QSO confirmation, the DXCC award program for confirming contacts with 100+ entities, the QSL bureau, and the W1AW headquarters station; (3) licensing and education services delivered through a national Volunteer Examiner network; (4) advocacy and special-event programs such as the Pass the Bill Grassroots Campaign and the America250 commemorative initiative; and (5) the ARRL Store e-commerce platform for publications and amateur radio equipment. Underlying technology is primarily amateur radio communications standards, an online logging/QSO-confirmation system, and the ARRL Lab for technical testing.

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring membership dues (annual, multi-year, student, and gift tiers), magazine subscriptions, retail sales via the ARRL Store, Volunteer Examiner licensing exam fees, and donations/grants including the Diamond Club and ARRL Foundation youth/scholarship programs. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven — members are acquired through local clubs, hamfests/conventions, licensing classes, and word-of-mouth, with Field Day events, the Volunteers on the Air initiative, and contest programs driving ongoing participation. Distribution is multi-channel: direct e-commerce, authorized publication dealers, the VE field network, monthly/bimonthly magazines, and active social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Name

arrl

Legal name

The American Radio Relay League, Inc.

Website

https://arrl.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ARRL, the American Radio Relay League, is the US national non-profit membership association for amateur radio operators, providing publications (QST, OTA, QEX, NCJ), licensing exam coordination, FCC advocacy, online services (Logbook of The World, DXCC), and emergency communications programs for hams, clubs, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and multi-year membership fees providing access to publications, member benefits, and ARRL services
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Subscriptions to QST, On the Air (OTA), QEX, and National Contest Journal (NCJ) magazines
3. Publication Sales: Sales of license manuals, handbook, books, and amateur radio equipment through the ARRL Store
4. Licensing Exams: Fees for amateur radio license examination sessions administered by Volunteer Examiners
5. Donations and Grants: Donations through Diamond Club and general donations, plus grants via ARRL Foundation for youth and scholarships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ARRL is the U.S. national membership association for amateur radio operators, providing annual and multi-year memberships that include subscriptions to QST magazine and access to member benefits. The organization publishes QST, On the Air, QEX, and National Contest Journal; sells licensing manuals, the ARRL Handbook, and related books through the ARRL Store; coordinates amateur radio license examinations through its Volunteer Examiner program; runs award and contest programs such as DXCC; operates Logbook of The World (LoTW) for electronic contact confirmation; and advocates for amateur radio spectrum and antenna rights at the federal level.

Product overview

ARRL (The American Radio Relay League) is a national amateur radio organization offering a portfolio of publications (QST, OTA, QEX, NCJ magazines, licensing manuals, and the ARRL Handbook), online services (Logbook of The World, W1AW station), award and contest programs (DXCC, ARRL Sweepstakes), licensing education and exam services, and an e-commerce store for amateur radio publications and equipment. The organization primarily serves as a membership association and resource hub for amateur radio operators rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QST: ARRL's official membership journal, published monthly
• On the Air
• QEX
• National Contest Journal (NCJ)

Products and services

• ARRL Membership Annual and multi-year membership program for U.S. amateur radio operators that includes QST magazine subscription and access to member services, advocacy, and program benefits.
• QST Magazine ARRL's official monthly membership journal covering amateur radio news, technical articles, and product reviews; available to members and by subscription.
• On the Air (OTA) Magazine Bimonthly magazine for newcomers to amateur radio, covering introductory operating and technical topics.
• QEX — Forum for Communications Experimenters Bimonthly technical publication covering advanced amateur radio and communications experimentation topics.
• National Contest Journal (NCJ) Bimonthly magazine providing news and information for amateur radio contesters.
• ARRL Handbook Comprehensive technical reference book for amateur radio operators covering theory, operating practices, and construction projects.
• ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (6th Edition) Official study guide published by ARRL for individuals preparing to take an amateur radio license examination.
• Salty Walt Book Book available through the ARRL Store covering amateur radio content.
• Logbook of The World (LoTW) Online amateur radio logging and contact-confirmation system that allows operators to submit QSOs electronically and earn award credit toward programs such as DXCC.
• DXCC Program Award program in which amateur radio operators earn recognition for confirming two-way contacts with 100 or more entities (countries) worldwide, supported through LoTW and QSL card verification.
• W1AW Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station ARRL's headquarters amateur radio station providing scheduled bulletins, code practice transmissions, and commemorative special-event operations.
• Licensing and Education Services (Volunteer Examiner Program) Amateur radio licensing classes, exam sessions administered by certified Volunteer Examiners, practice exams, and STEM-oriented learning resources, coordinated through ARRL.
• ARRL Contest and Radiosport Programs Contest programs (including ARRL Sweepstakes and international contests) and operating awards that allow members to compete and earn recognition for operating achievements.
• ARRL Store (E-commerce) ARRL's online retail storefront selling publications, license manuals, the ARRL Handbook, magazines, branded merchandise, and amateur radio equipment.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA): QCWA is a US-based amateur radio membership organization for licensed operators with 25+ years in the hobby, providing publications, networking, and recognition — directly comparable to ARRL's member-serving mission.
• Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB): RSGB is the UK national membership association for amateur radio, providing publications, training, licensing support, awards, and regulatory advocacy — a direct analog to ARRL in the UK geography.
• Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC): DARC is Germany's national amateur radio association, offering member publications, training, technical resources, and regulatory advocacy with a comparable structure to ARRL.
• Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL): JARL is the national amateur radio association in Japan, providing publications, training, contests, and awards in a similar role to ARRL for Japanese operators.
• Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC): RAC is the national voice of amateur radio in Canada, providing member services, publications, and advocacy similar to ARRL's mandate north of the US border.
• Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA): WIA is Australia's national amateur radio association, offering membership, publications, training, and regulatory advocacy parallel to ARRL's role in the US.
• International Amateur Radio Union (IARU): IARU is the worldwide federation of national amateur radio societies including ARRL, coordinating international representation and spectrum defense — a parent/umbrella peer organization to ARRL.
• Radio Club of America: Radio Club of America is a historic US professional society for radio communications practitioners, offering awards, publications, and networking — overlapping with ARRL's mission of advancing radio art and science.

Emerging players

• CQ Communications (CQ Amateur Radio Magazine): CQ Communications publishes CQ Amateur Radio magazine and amateur radio books, directly competing with ARRL's QST, OTA, and publication catalog in the amateur radio content market.
• AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation): AMSAT is a US amateur radio membership organization focused on satellite communications, providing education, publications, and technical resources — a niche peer within the broader amateur radio association ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arrl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ARRLHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ARRL.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-radio-relay-league
• Instagraminstagram.com/arrlhq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about arrl