Well it’s been a while since I posted anything. I just got fed up of how people are operating in pile ups for DXpeditions, how people treat others with regards their confirmations through QSL managers and how they EXPECT things immediately before these expeditions are over. The internet is good, but social media is a hive of keyboard warriors and entitled idiots who think rules don’t apply to them. Rant over, on to the positive stuff.
After my last post it has been a busy time at work and going to the RSARS station – G2EC – at Blandford for CQ WPX SSB Contest, I decided to hang back from the hobby. Concentrating on the East Kent Radio Society (EKRS), especially in my roll as secretary, and sorting out some events for the club. But I’m now back with my head back in the right place, and enjoying radio again.
So what can you look forward to from me. It’s going to be some fun in June with my annual trip to Ham Radio Friedrichshafen on the horizon, the WRTC 2026 event is also happening in the UK
at the start of July, sadly RIAT 2026 has been cancelled due to the situation in the Middle East, and RAF Fairford being fully operational. BUT RIAT 2027 is already promising to look like one of the best, especially as it has been announced as a NATO Tiger meeting – for those that are not airplane geeks like me it is where NATO allies all attend with aircraft painted in special liveries with a Tiger theme – so that will give some excellent photo opportunities. On the photography front I have bought myself a nice new Nikon Z6 III, and accompanying lenses, which is proving to be a lot more of a camera that is going to need time to learn to drive. I am happy with the images I have already taken, but will be taking it to Friedrichshafen for a proper try out and learn how it all works.
As I mentioned late last year I gained my US General amateur licence, call KM7DGK, well I am now booked on to take my Extra licence. I have been studying using the Ham Radio Prep course which I have found to be superb, so go and have a look and get your 3 licence levels taken.
With me working at Icom UK I have also been out visiting clubs and some rallies, the NARSA Blackpool was fun and my first time ever visiting that particular rally. I drove up from here in Herne Bay and picked up Ady – G6AD – who kept me sane and awake on half the drive. We also met up with some of the guys from Northern Ireland and had a fun evening on the Saturday night enjoying a meal and a few beers with them. Always good company and looking forward to something similar in FHN.
Earlier I mentioned attending the RSARS station, G2EC, at Blandford. This is turning into a twice yearly trip with CQ WW SSB and CQ WPX SSB contests. This last time we had a few new operators who it was good to meet and get to know. We ended up posting a club record score and coming #1 England in our category. Following the event we had a meeting on line and have set ourselves a new target to achieve in 2026 CQWW SSB. But I think in this one we may have a couple of the big guns competing in the same category, and I guess these guys will be watching us come up the ranks. Talking of ranks it was good to have a bed this time round, Richard the station manager at Blandford managed to book us in to the Officers
mess as guests for the weekend. A good breakfast and sleep was the top of the order and definitely helped with keeping the guys on the ball for the contest. Final results are out on the CQ WPX website if you wish to see where you finished.
EKRS have had some fun. We meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Herne Windmill where we held a special event station, GB6HWM, for the Mills On The Air weekend (MOTA). It was a fun event with many members attending and getting on the air. Some went into the mill itself to see how it worked, there is a motor in there that when switched on it was S9 +30db of noise across the band – luckily it was only on for no more than 90 seconds at various times through the day so didn’t completely kill the band for us. Some members also attended an event held by the Dover Amateur Radio Club for the Marconi day event. This was good fun over 2 sites, I was at the Maison Dieu station in the town centre, and others were at South Foreland Lighthouse. This is a gorgeous old building used as the town hall and for events. If you are ever in the area do visit this building, or come and 
say hello to us at EKRS – you will be made to feel welcome and get a free cup of tea or coffee.
So that’s about it. I will try and do a weekly blog going forward, and maybe a daily one at the events in June and July with a live post from them at some point.
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