The clocks have gone back, the evenings are dark by teatime, and that is exactly when the HF bands come alive. This weekend the RSGB news bulletin is packed with things to listen to, join in with and plan for, so I thought I would walk through what is on and how a Foundation licence…

Most of us come into amateur radio through a handset and a licence, but sooner or later a different itch appears: what if I built that myself? If you have felt it, this is a good week to scratch it. On Monday 5 October the RSGB’s Tonight@8 webinar series welcomes Tom Wardill (M9TWM), the Society’s…

If you’ve only just got your Foundation licence in your hands, the amateur radio calendar can feel like it’s suddenly speeding up. This week it certainly has: tickets for the RSGB Convention are down to their last few days, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium is gearing up alongside it, GB2RS’s Tonight@8 slot is back on the air,…

There is a particular kind of nervousness that comes with your first amateur radio rally. You have passed your Foundation licence, your callsign has landed in the Ofcom portal, and now you are standing in a field surrounded by several hundred people who all appear to know exactly what a roller coaster ATU is and…

There is a particular kind of moment that hooks people on this hobby for life. For some it is a first contact across the Atlantic. For others it is the day a bit of code they wrote made a radio do something on its own. National Coding Week runs from 14 to 20 September this…

Earlier this month, the RSGB quietly announced something that has got the contesting community talking. From 1 January 2027, eligibility to enter RSGB contests will be open to all appropriately licensed radio amateurs, regardless of nationality or location. It’s a significant moment for the hobby, and one that got me thinking: if you hold a…

September is just around the corner, and with it comes a welcome return for one of the most beginner-friendly initiatives in UK amateur radio. The RSGB Youth Committee’s DMR Youth Net is back after its summer break, meeting every first Tuesday of the month at 7pm BST — and if you’ve recently passed your Foundation…

If you’re a Foundation licence holder looking for a reason to get off the sofa this August Bank Holiday weekend, the British Inland Waterways on the Air event might be exactly what you need. Running from Saturday 29 August through to Monday 31 August 2026, BIWOTA is one of the UK’s most distinctive amateur radio…

If you’ve got your Foundation licence and you’re looking for a fun, low-pressure way to get on the air this August, I’ve got just the thing for you. The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW) is coming up on 15 and 16 August, and it’s one of my favourite events on the amateur radio calendar.…

With just over two months to go until the RSGB Convention 2026, tickets are on sale and the programme is taking shape — and if you hold a Foundation licence, this might be the best year to make your first trip to Milton Keynes. I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t the RSGB Convention for the…