The Third Annual ARRL On-Line Auction kicks off October 23, running until October 31 on the ARRL Web site. This is your chance to pick up one-of-a-kind Amateur Radio items. To see what the Auction will offer this year, be sure to check out the Auction preview that begins October 16. Last year, the Auction attracted more than 3000 registered bidders from more than 40 countries. While the majority of buyers were from the USA, Canada and the UK, there were buyers from Australia, Malaysia, Grenada, Vietnam and Tanzania.

According to ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, "Last year's on-line auction -- our second -- proved to be a successful and enjoyable event for both hams and ARRL staff members alike. When the bidding ended, we realized that we had sold 162 items and raised just over $50,000." Proceeds from the auction benefit ARRL education programs including activities to license new hams, strengthen Amateur Radio's emergency service training, offer continuing technical and operating education, as well as creating instructional materials.

ARRL Business Services Manager Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, encouraged everyone to come and peruse the wide variety of offerings: "Browse through the Web site frequently, as items will be added on a daily basis. We also encourage you to look through the 'Help' and 'About Us' sections. You'll find useful information about bidding, FAQs and a host of other facts. To ensure an enjoyable experience, please be sure to read all policies in the 'About Us' section."

This year's auction will again include many transceivers and other items that have appeared in the QST Product Review column and have thus been thoroughly tested by the ARRL Lab. There will be many vintage items offered, as well. Also, returning by popular demand will be four ARRL Lab unique "junque" boxes. These boxes have a starting bid of $50 and have almost anything you could ever possibly imagine in them. No one -- except the ARRL Lab staff -- knows what exactly is inside each box, but each is guaranteed to be full of things that the Lab staff consider valuable (but keep in mind that they collect just about anything).

Jahnke said that due to many requests last year, "all product review items in the On-Line Auction include a link to a PDF file of the actual Product Review, as well as a reference to the QST issue that the review appeared in."