NB: For future meetings please see details on the home page
We meet on a monthly basis. During the good weather months we have been meeting at the cabin. During the winter months we meet at an indoor venue (currently The Boot, Kimpton)
March 2026
Digi modes
February 2026
AGM & presentation, demonstration and discussion on Magnetic Loop Antennas by Greg M0YGL.
January 2026
Getting Started on HF – A discussion led by David G4HHJ.
December 2025
Social by Matt G7HMV
November 2025
MeshCore by Paul G0VDT
October 2025
Baldock Listening Station by David G4FKI
September 2025
Foxhunt. This took place in two parts; 2m in cars, and 70cm on foot to find the final fox location (near a pub!).
August 2025
August’s meeting was a portable operation at the cabin trying to work VARC member Greg on the Canary Islands!
July 2025
With a ‘Club visit to Sizewell B also on 21st, the July meeting was an informal at the Cabin.
June 2025
This was our summer BBQ at our cabin site where we hosted Freestar Networks GOTA (Gateways on the Air). This was to try and work as many Gateways as we could connected to the Freestar Network from our Cabin. It was a chance to learn a little about our Internet linked repeaters at the cabin and the area.
May 2025
Shack Tour! This was a very interesting talk given by Steve Dodd M0SNZ (A Triple Paraplegic). Steve gave an inspiring and insightful presentation from a most innovative amateur radio enthusiasts. We had a glimpse into the radio shack of Steve, a dedicated operator who hasn’t let having a disability stop him enjoying his hobby!
Through custom-built tools and adaptive interfaces of his own design, Steve has crafted a fully functional and active amateur radio station. In this talk, he walked us through his setup, shared how he overcame the challenges of accessibility, and demonstrated how passion and ingenuity can break through any barrier.
April 2025
We had a very interesting meeting which was presented by Matt G4IYT on FSTV. He showed us how easy it is in the modern digital world to put together an effective station.
March 2025
VARC’s Remote Radios; Introduction and Demonstration by Jeremy M1CVZ
February 2025
AGM
January 2025:
We had an excellent meeting where Matt G4IYT presented a talk on software antenna modelling. He showed how this is a cheap and powerful way of testing antenna designs without leaving the comfort of the shack, and is accessible to anyone with a computer.
He covered the basics of antenna modelling with MMANA-GAL, and showed us how to analyze common antenna types like dipoles, long wires, and verticals.