GB2RS

GB2RS News Sunday, the 4th of October 2026 The news headlines Less than a week until the RSGB 2026 Convention RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair wins international award New RSGB Regional Forum Chair and Secretary announced You have less than 24 hours left to buy your advance ticket for the RSGB Convention, which takes place next weekend at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Online ticket sales will close at 9am tomorrow, Monday, the 5th of October, so book your tickets online to guarantee your place and save money compared to prices on the door. If you are coming to the Convention make sure you have your QR code ready to collect your badge at the conference centre. You can either bring this on your phone or printed out. This system was introduced last year and was extremely successful in speeding up access to the Convention. If it is your first time at the event, pop along to the ‘Welcome desk’ that will be in the bar on the Friday evening. You can view the most up-to-date version of the programme before…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 27th of October 2026 The news headlines: Entry to the RSGB 2027 Construction Competition is now open! RadCom from the 1990s is now available in the RSGB app One week left to buy your RSGB Convention ticket The Society is pleased to have launched the RSGB 2027 Construction Competition. This is a fantastic opportunity for RSGB members, wherever they are in the world, to get involved in designing and building. Whether you’re looking for an outlet for your creativity, wanting a fresh challenge to work on in your spare time or simply looking for the motivation to finish a homebrew project you have already started, the RSGB Construction Competition is the perfect excuse. Are you looking to inspire others to get involved in amateur radio? If so, our two more recent categories, Reimagination and Outreach, are the ideal way. Overall, there are seven different judging categories, so there really is something for everyone. Whether you’re a newcomer to amateur radio, a serial constructor, or want…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 20th of September 2026 The news headlines: Visit the RSGB village at Hamfest What does your RSGB Convention weekend look like? Get involved with World Space Week The RSGB will have a large presence at the National Hamfest at Newark Showground on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of September. In addition to a new-look bookstall and membership stand, the Society will have a great selection of displays and practical activities to enjoy. These include another opportunity to see 3D printing in action and to have your CW skills tested at a range of speeds. Across both days the RSGB Outreach team will be running a buildathon, with this year’s kit being the Kanga Morse Tutor – why not go along and hone your soldering skills? All activities are free of charge and there is no need to book in advance. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next construction project, you can hear from the overall winner of the RSGB 2026 Construction Competition and discover a whole host of projects from…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 13th of September 2026 The news headlines: Final RSGB Convention speakers announced RSGB experts contribute to IARU Region 1 general conference Could you be the next RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts? Advance ticket sales for the RSGB Convention close in three weeks – have you purchased your ticket yet? The not-to-be-missed Convention takes place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. This year’s speaker programme is crammed full of fascinating lectures including Paul Whiting, G4YQC who will be describing how the 21cm neutral hydrogen emission line can be used to map the Milky Way galaxy. He will explain how this can be done from your back garden using inexpensive equipment. You’ll also get to hear from Dave Robinson, G4FRE, who will be talking about GPS disciplined oscillators, both past and present. Several lectures on the programme have changed time slots, so make sure you keep up to date with the latest version by going to…

GB2RS News Sunday the 6th of September 2026 The news headlines: Learn about HF propagation studies at the RSGB Convention Which coding activities will you be trying? WRTC 2026 results have been rescored Are you aware of the GB0PSC Baldock space weather station? The RSGB Propagation Studies Committee recently installed a HamSCI HFRx at Ofcom’s spectrum monitoring site at Baldock. The station is part of HF propagation studies that will allow the Committee to learn more about space weather and its effects including radio blackouts, Doppler flashes and travelling ionospheric disturbances. You can find out how the Committee is progressing with its studies by joining Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL on Saturday the 10th of October at the RSGB Convention. If amateur radio construction is something you’d like to find out more about, then join RadCom Plus Editor Paul Marks, G8FVK on Sunday the 11th of October to learn about his approach to modular design of amateur radio equipment. In particular, he’ll be looking at QRP HF and…

GB2RS News Sunday the 30th of August 2026 RSGB Board Chair change as part of planned transition Tonight@8 is back! Last chance to buy your RSGB Convention ticket at early bird prices The RSGB Board is pleased to announce that, following its meeting on the 22nd of August 2026, Graham Smith, G4NMD has been appointed Chair of the Board. This appointment forms part of a planned and orderly leadership transition agreed by the Board. Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, who has served as Chair since 2023 with distinction, fully supports the change and will remain a Director until the 2027 AGM. He will continue to contribute his considerable experience to the Society and its activities. Licensed since 1974, Graham has been active in many areas of amateur radio, including service as an RSGB District Representative, RAYNET-UK Controller and member of the Emergency Communications and Resilience Group. Since joining the Board, he has led work on resilience, volunteer development, and governance improvement, as well as serving as…

GB2RS News Sunday the 23rd of August 2026 The news headlines: View the action-packed RSGB Convention programme Find out more about Experimenters’ Corner at Hamfest The RSGB continues to support young radio amateurs The RSGB has released the full draft programme for its Convention, which takes place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The programme includes details of the inspiring lectures that have been lined up for your enjoyment. They have been organised into three engaging streams: Learn, Connect and Inspire. You’ll also find three newly announced speakers. John Carter, N6YU will be talking about “The spec is the new schematic: Reproducible station software with spec-driven development” whilst Paul Marks, G8FVK will explain “A modular approach to construction”. Dr Tom Cheetham from Bletchley Park will give a fascinating historical presentation called “The Fox shall not escape: The RSGB and signals interception during WWII”. The Society has also…

GB2RS News Sunday the 16th of August 2026 The news headlines: Apply for the new RSGB Training and Development Lead Honorary Officer vacancy Get ready for National Coding Week 2026! Build a radio workshop at the RSGB National Radio Centre The RSGB is launching a new Training and Development Lead pilot. This is a 12-month volunteer Honorary Officer role for someone who cares deeply about how people learn, progress and stay active in amateur radio. The pilot will focus on listening, mapping, evidence gathering and supporting the training community. If you enjoy connecting people and want to build bridges across the training landscape, this role could be for you. To find out more about the role go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers To discuss the role informally, please contact Board Director Graham Smith, G4NMD via g4nmd@rsgb.org.uk Applications close on the 18th of September and interviews will take place during the week of the 28th of September 2026. National Coding Week returns between the 14th and…

GB2RS News Sunday the 9th of August 2026 The news headlines: RSGB announces updated Contest Entry Policy Take part in solar eclipse experiments with the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Improved RSGB Course and Exam finder is now available The RSGB Board has approved an updated Contest Entry Policy following a review, consultation and careful consideration. From the 1st of January 2027, eligibility to participate in RSGB contests will be open to all appropriately licensed radio amateurs, regardless of nationality or location. Entry will be subject only to the legal and regulatory obligations applicable to both the Society and the entrant, together with the relevant contest rules and any applicable RSGB membership requirements. The implementation date has been chosen to allow the Society's HF and VHF Contest Committees sufficient time to prepare contest administration and adjudication systems ahead of the 2027 contest season. The Board considers that this approach reflects the long-established principles of…

GB2RS News Sunday the 2nd of August 2026 The news headlines: Exciting opportunities within the RSGB Regional Team RSGB Examinations Standards Committee publishes annual report Changes to the Youth Committee An exciting volunteer opportunity has arisen to lead the RSGB Regional Team following the decision by George Crawford, GM1DSV to stand down as Regional Forum Chair once the right candidate is appointed. The RSGB would like to express its thanks to George who will be focusing his time on serving Region 1 as its Regional Representative. The role of Regional Forum Chair is ideal for someone who is passionate about amateur radio, teamwork and empowering volunteers. This is a standout volunteer opportunity for someone who wants to make a meaningful impact across all regions, support our dedicated Regional and District Representatives, and strengthen the connection between members, volunteers and the wider organisation. The RSGB is also looking for a Regional Forum Secretary to support the smooth running of…

GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of July 2026 The news headlines: Youth activity at the RSGB 2026 Convention Keep up to date with the YOTA camp in Austria RSGB Club Finder back online Are you a young radio amateur? Have you secured your RSGB Convention ticket yet? This year’s Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes will include a wider range of youth-specific activities. This is being arranged by the RSGB Youth Committee in tandem with the main Convention organising team. You’ll find a youth forum with ten-minute lightning talks on youth-focused topics, as well as an opportunity to share your practical projects. There will be a youth panel discussion on how the radio amateur community can encourage and support young people coming into amateur radio. To top that off there will be a chance to get involved with a POTA activation and join an informal youth dinner on the Saturday night. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to meet with like-minded people, develop your network and have lots of…

GB2RS News Sunday the 12th of July 2026 The news headlines: Upcoming IARU Region 1 Conference WRTC 2026 is supported by the RSGB Have you enabled RSGB app notifications on your mobile device? The IARU Region 1 Conference is held every three years. The next one will be in September 2026 and will be hosted by the Austrian member society ÖVSV, which is also celebrating its centenary. Reports and proposals on a wide range of amateur radio topics are available from the conference website at conf.iaru-r1.org/documents The scope includes the more regular topics such as band plans, spectrum matters, EMC and youth. This particular event will also consider updates for amateur radio development, operating and organisational matters. The RSGB has contributed several inputs. More about the event will be shared via the Society’s comms channels and a future edition of RadCom. This year’s World Radiosport Team Championship is taking place in East Anglia in the UK between the 8th and 13th of July. The RSGB is an official…

GB2RS News Sunday the 5th of July 2026 The news headlines: Don’t miss the WRTC award opportunities New EMC workshop added to the RSGB Convention programme The RSGB has announced a new Legacy Committee Chair The World Radiosport Team Championship is nearly here! Fifty teams from around the world will come to the UK to compete in the prestigious event, and you have an opportunity to work these special stations and apply for your award. The WRTC contest will be live on a dedicated online platform provided by World Radio League. This is a live scoreboard where you can track your favourite team in real time. Also, when you contact one of the special WRTC stations, you can see it on the WRL platform. If you’re an SSB operator, there are 250 possible QSOs across 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m. Similarly, there are 250 possible QSOs if you are a CW operator. Certificates will be downloadable after the contest, and these will display your total number of QSOs made with the special callsigns. There are different award tiers…

GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of June 2026 The news headlines: Join Tonight@8 in July to learn about this summer’s solar eclipse and how you can take part New speakers confirmed for the RSGB 2026 Convention Send your nominations for the RSGB G5RP Trophy Did you know that a solar eclipse will be visible in the UK this Summer? It will be a total eclipse for areas west of the UK and at its maximum there will be about 90% totality. This lends itself to unique opportunities for HF propagation experiments, and you can get involved! In a special Tonight@8 on Monday the 6th of July, RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair Steve Nichols, G0KYA will explain how the Committee has been drawing up plans for RSGB members to participate. These include experiments with monitoring medium wave stations in the UK, Morocco and Algeria. An 80m CW contest is also being arranged and other radio amateurs are being encouraged to run WSPR on 80m during the eclipse. During the webinar, Steve will outline what you can expect and why, as…

GB2RS News Sunday the 21st of June 2026 The news headlines: The RSGB QSL Bureau issues final notice on the use of the old address The RSGB Intruder Watch team is looking for volunteers Join the RSGB in commemorating the closure of BBC Radio 4’s Long Wave service on 198kHz The RSGB QSL Bureau has issued a final notice to those still using the old QSL Bureau address. A new system was introduced in January 2026 and users of the Bureau were advised that all outgoing QSL cards now need to be sent to RSGB QSL Bureau, PO Box 73, 20 St. Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1ZL. Anything sent to the old address from Wednesday the 1st of July 2026 will either be returned by Royal Mail, where the address is known, or otherwise is likely to be lost or destroyed. Details of the new RSGB QSL Service can be found at rsgb.org/qsl The RSGB would also like to remind amateurs with G7 callsigns that the new sub-manager is Anthony Holles, G4AAV. Anthony has many cards waiting to be sent but has received very few stamped addressed…

GB2RS News Sunday the 14th of June 2026 The news headlines: IARU President announced as the keynote speaker for the RSGB 2026 Convention The RSGB has updated its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy Make use of the RSGB Full question bank Four years ago, IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA shared his thoughts on the changes and challenges to the amateur service and what the future held for amateur radio. On Saturday the 10th of October 2026, Tim will return to the RSGB Convention and in his presentation he will touch on whether the future turned out as expected! Tim is currently serving his fourth term as IARU President and the RSGB is delighted to welcome him back as the keynote speaker. Buy your ticket for the RSGB Convention by going to rsgb.org/convention As well as the keynote, the Society has a speaker programme that will bring radio amateurs a wide-ranging selection of lectures. Whether you are keen to enhance your knowledge on propagation, FT8, or you want to learn more on VHF and above, there…

GB2RS News Sunday the 7th of June 2026 The news headlines: Discover how vibe coding can help radio amateurs RSGB Board Director attends ARISS International Conference Trio of RSGB experts added to the RSGB Convention programme RSGB Board Chair, Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, delivered a technical seminar called 'Vibe Coding for radio amateurs' at the Four Days In May Symposium. The event was organised by the QRP ARCI and held before the start of the Dayton Hamvention. You can now enjoy the presentation from the comfort of your own home by watching it online at tinyurl.com/fdim-vibecoding Stewart's presentation demonstrated additional things AI can do to aid radio amateurs. His talk was delivered to a packed audience and was based on the workshops he ran at last year's RSGB Convention and in Blackpool this April. If you are interested in finding out more about how radio amateurs can utilise AI, the RSGB is hosting workshops on the topic at its Convention in October. Find out more at rsgb.org/convention-workshops…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 31st of May 2026 The RSGB celebrates Volunteers’ Week 2026 The RSGB Youth Committee has announced the YOTA Austria team The closure of BBC Long Wave Volunteers’ Week 2026 begins tomorrow, Monday, the 1st of June. This national campaign is an opportunity for organisations like the RSGB to recognise the contribution and hard work of its volunteers. In celebration, the Society asked some of its volunteers why they chose to step forward. You’ll be able to see their answers and view more in-depth profiles from tomorrow via rsgb.org/volunteers-week. The answers, along with a short video, will also be shared on the RSGB’s social media channels throughout the week. If there is a volunteer you would like to thank, or you’d like to share your own volunteering story, please add a comment on the daily social media content that the RSGB will be posting. You can also see these profiles in the July edition of RadCom. Volunteers are at the heart of the work that the Society does, and on behalf of the…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 24th of May 2026 The news headlines: Volunteer at the RSGB National Radio Centre Buy your RSGB 2026 Convention ticket at 2025 prices Tonight@8 is back in June The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park welcomes thousands of people through its doors each month, and in 2025 it was recognised in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards. Much of this success can be attributed to the amazing team of volunteers. They share a strong sense of pride, enthusiasm and have a wonderful team spirit, all with the purpose of promoting amateur radio. If this sounds like something you would like to be part of, the NRC is now looking for extra volunteers to join its team. If you enjoy meeting people and are able to work a minimum of one or two days per month, get in touch with the NRC Coordinator, Martyn Baker, G0GMB, via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk. Find out more about volunteering at the NRC by watching a short video on the RSGB’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/thersgb and selecting the ‘Volunteering…

GB2RS News Sunday, the 17th of May 2026 The news headlines: The RSGB releases a new set of mock exam papers Which RSGB Convention workshop will you take part in? Listen to Milton Keynes Hospital radio for an interview with the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator The RSGB Exams Team is pleased to publish new mock exam papers for Foundation and Intermediate levels. There are three for each level, and you can find them on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/mock-exams. These take into account all the changes to the syllabus and exam question bank which have been made since the last sets of mock exam papers were published. The Exams Team will not be publishing new mock papers for the Full level as the entire Full licence question bank is now available online. Candidates and Trainers can create their own full-level mock papers using the questions at rsgb.org/exam-questions The RSGB is running a practical and thought-provoking workshop for radio amateurs, makers, and home constructors, who want to understand what AI…