Peter King

Up this weekend is the CQ WW SSB contest. Here at VARC we are inviting anyone from the club who would like to try an SSB contest for the first time to come along over the 48 hours of the 26th and 27th to try their hand. We will be holding an introductory day on … Read more

grid.radio is a web application born out of the frustration that Rose, 2E0RXO and many others experienced during spontaneous, often unplanned, Parks on the Air activations. During busy moments, someone would inevitably ask for a Worked All Britain square or another reference that she wasn’t prepared for. There wasn’t a single, simple resource to quickly … Read more

Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA, is taking place between the 18th and 20th of October. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the groups within the Scout Association. Some groups have already shared details of activities that will be taking place over the … Read more

1940s Weekend! 21st / 22nd Sept’ Fun for all the family, this two-day event in September is a chance to step back in time and enjoy a marvellous weekend of vintage entertainment. Why not dress to impress and visit us in 1940s attire? Enjoy live music throughout the weekend and visit the market stalls and … Read more

Ofcom has released a new step-by-step video on its YouTube channel to assist radio amateurs in the process of revalidating a UK amateur radio licence using the online licensing portal. Ofcom does note that whilst it is a requirement to revalidate your licence every five years, it is recommended to do it annually. Make sure … Read more

The RSGB Youngsters on the Air representative Rhys Williams, M0WGY, arrived in Prague, Czechia on Friday the 16th of August for this year’s YOTA summer camp. The camp is organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club and finishes on Friday the 23rd of August. These camps offer … Read more

Don’t forget to listen out for all the stations that will be on the air during International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th of August. This is one of the most popular amateur radio events in the calendar and in past years there have been more than 500 entries … Read more

From the 27th of July to the 3rd of August, the Essex International Jamboree is welcoming around 10,000 scouts and guides, including 2,000 supporting volunteers from around the world, to Boyton Cross near Chelmsford. As part of the programme, amateur radio station GB24EIJ will be running a wide range of communications and electronics activities. The … Read more

There are vacancies for licensed radio amateurs to volunteer for the RSGB at the National Radio centre at Bletchley Park. Expenses paid. Interested? Please email Martyn Baker G0GMB at martyn.baker@rsgb.org.uk

Don’t forget you can get involved in the new GR2HQ Challenge next weekend, the 13th and 14th of July, as part of the IARU HF World Championship contest. You can take part as individuals but also benefit your club, so why not encourage your club members to take part whether they are regular contesters or … Read more

TX Factor is marking its ten-year anniversary by launching its 30th episode. It looks at how radio technology has advanced since Marconi conducted some of his early transmissions. The episode includes the first of a two-part feature on operating via the QO-100 geostationary satellite with a look at the hardware and software needed to achieve … Read more

The RSGB’s National Radio Centre will be operating special event callsign GB2DAY to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War Two. The station will be active between the 6th and 9th of June. In addition, volunteers will be hosting the special demonstration station GB1SOE on Saturday the 15th of June. Don’t … Read more

Guisborough and District Amateur Radio Club is organising a mini DXpedition to Scotland, on the Isle of Lewis from the 22nd to the 29th of September. The team has a couple of spaces left and is welcoming amateurs from other clubs who would like to join in. For more information email m.dutton@virginmedia.com

A reminder now that International Museums Weekend will be taking place on the third and fourth weekends in June. This year, those weekends are the 15th and 16th, and the 22nd and 23rd of June. Special event stations will be operating from a wide variety of museums from many different countries. To read more about … Read more

The activity is open to all amateur radio operators worldwide and membership of the Group is not required.The objective is to work as many four-digit grid squares as possible between the 4th of May and the 4th of August on the 6m band.Logs can be submitted until the 18th of August 2024. You can find out more at … Read more

The next in the series of the popular 145 Alive events, to promote the use of 145MHz FM, is coming up on Saturday the 11th of May, from 1pm to 3pm. The event and the supporting Facebook Group was started by Tim, G5TM and from the start of 2024 has been organised by Mark, M0XICand John, M0XJA. The last successful … Read more

The RAF Air Cadets are pleased to announce that they are running the ever-popular Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise in June on the 60m band. The exercise will take place between the 17th and 21st of June. Subject to your licence conditions, the Blue Ham team hopes that you can put some time aside to … Read more

Mills on the Air Weekend 2024 is coming up on Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of May. The event takes place across the UK every May with more than 300 windmills and watermills usually taking part. For more information, to register, and to view a list of registered stations, visit ddars.net/mills.html

SOS Radio Week is an annual event that takes place throughout the month of May to celebrate the work of the volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Independent Lifeboats and National Coastwatch Stations around the British Isles. Members of these organisations save many people between them who are in danger along and around the … Read more

International Marconi Day will take place on Saturday the 27th of April. Once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection with. For more information, and to view a list of the … Read more

A small group of Amateur Radio YouTubers have come up with idea of a 10m FM activity period, following in the footsteps of the 145Alive events that have been successful in promoting activity on 2m. Assuming this follows the format of the #145Alive events it is likely that a number of people in various parts … Read more

Special event station GB0WYT [GOLF-BRAVO-ZERO-WHISKEY-YANKEE-TANGO] will be active from RAF Wyton during the Airfields on the Air event on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of April. This is the 12th year that a special event station has marked the event. The callsign will again be operated by RAF Air Cadet Communication Staff and … Read more

NEW DATE – SAME VENUE Due to the Radio 1′ Big Weekend being held on the bank holiday weekend on the Stockwood Park site at the end of May, the Dustable Downs group have had to move their event to the 30th June. At the time of writing the RSGB rally calendar was clear but … Read more

Early in February the RSGB announced that the fees for Foundation, Intermediate and Full level examinations would increase from the 1st of May 2024. You can now use the online booking system to book an exam prior to the 1st of May at the current price or select exam dates from the 1st of May … Read more

Following Ofcom’s consultation on the amateur radio licence last year, it released a statement in December 2023. The statement outlined its decision to update the amateur radio licensing framework to ensure the policies and licences meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s radio amateurs, while streamlining the licensing process. It also published a General Notice, … Read more

Ofcom has released its final decisions following its consultation on the amateur radio licensing framework last year. Revised licence conditions became effective on Wednesday the 21st of February 2024. The changes to licence conditions include the optional use of Regional Secondary Locators, increased transmitter power levels and provide greater opportunity to bring newcomers into amateur … Read more

Registration is now open for Maritime Radio Day 2024 which takes place annually on the 14th and 15th of April. The event is held to commemorate the almost 100 years of wireless telegraphy service for seafarers which ended with the closure in the UK of Portishead Radio on the 30th of April 2000. Commencing at … Read more

Chris, WA7RAR will be active as 8P9CB from Barbados, NA-021, until the 25th of January. Most of his operations will be portable at various locations, especially Parks on the Air sites. He will be QRV on the 20 to 10m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to WA7RAR. … Read more

The Canvey Rally will be held on Sunday the 4th of February at Cornelius Vermuyden [VER-MOW-DEN] School, Dinant Avenue, Canvey, Essex, SS8 9QS. The Rally is expected to be the usual hive of activity with plenty of traders on site. For more information contact Richard Stanley on 07725 551 263 or email g7oed@icloud.com 

Two RSGB Convention presentations have been published on YouTube over the Christmas holidays. In the first, Nobby Styles, G0VJG describes the challenging and hazardous DXpedition to Europe’s rarest IOTA location, Rockall Island. The second presentation, by David Lauder, G0SNO, outlines the RSGB EMC Committee investigations into sources of RF electrical interference from recent developments in … Read more