RadioClubs UK Club news, broadcast nostalgia & radio chat

RadioClubs UK

Club news, broadcast nostalgia & radio chat

Latest Articles

Rally Season 2026: A Boot-Sale Boot Camp for Britain's Radio Clubs
Club Life & Events

Rally Season 2026: A Boot-Sale Boot Camp for Britain's Radio Clubs

From spring table-top sales to summer field days, the 2026 rally season is a patchwork of village halls, rugby clubs and damp picnic tables. Here is how to enjoy it, host it and come home with something better than another box of mystery coax.

The Invisible Dipole: How Clubs Are Making Aerials Disappear (Politely)
Equipment & Workshops

The Invisible Dipole: How Clubs Are Making Aerials Disappear (Politely)

Planning quirks, neighbourly nerves and conservation-area rules are turning stealth aerials into a proper club skill. Here is how UK workshops are helping members stay on air without turning the garden into a battleground.

Crackle, Hiss and 'I'm Only Listening': A Field Guide to Radio Club Speak
Broadcast Nostalgia

Crackle, Hiss and 'I'm Only Listening': A Field Guide to Radio Club Speak

From the magic smoke to 'I'm only listening', British radio clubs have a language all of their own. This affectionate decoder explains what the phrases really mean — and why they are part of the social glue that keeps club nights going.

The Folding Chair Problem: Why Village Hall Radio Clubs Are Turning People Away
Club Life & Events

The Folding Chair Problem: Why Village Hall Radio Clubs Are Turning People Away

Village halls across the UK are filling up as radio clubs enjoy a revival, but packed rooms bring waiting lists, volunteer strain and wobbly tables. A practical look at how organisers are coping — and what secretaries can do before the chairs run out.

Your Club's Newsletter Is a Transmitter, Not a Filing Cabinet
Broadcast Nostalgia

Your Club's Newsletter Is a Transmitter, Not a Filing Cabinet

WhatsApp has eaten club conversation and left nothing behind. An argument for treating the monthly newsletter as a proper production — with a deadline, a running order, an audio edition and an archive that outlives the group chat.

Salt in the Coax: Why Britain's Seaside Clubs Come Alive When the Nights Draw In
Equipment & Workshops

Salt in the Coax: Why Britain's Seaside Clubs Come Alive When the Nights Draw In

Every autumn, a few hundred UK hobbyists point their cars at the coast, string wire between fence posts and wait for darkness. We look at the practical realities of seaside listening — corroded connectors, seawater ground planes and the small club events that make a winter DX season worth the drive.

Saving the Sound of AM: UK Clubs Build a Listening Archive Before the Band Falls Silent
Broadcast Nostalgia

Saving the Sound of AM: UK Clubs Build a Listening Archive Before the Band Falls Silent

As more local services drift away from medium wave, radio clubs are turning listening nights into proper archiving sessions. We look at how members are capturing jingles, travel bulletins and late-night dedications, and how you can help without filling your spare room with dusty cassettes.

Equipment & Workshops

Twenty-Five Quid, One Evening, and a Hall Full of Aerials: Inside a Club Build Night

A damp Friday in November 2026, a village hall, a tea urn and a table full of soldering irons. We follow a UK radio club’s budget receiver challenge, from first joints to SDR comparisons, and ask why build nights are bringing younger members through the door.