The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club (HFDXARC), based in Patrington, successfully completed another fantastic activation for the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW).

Over the weekend of Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th August 2026, our team operated near the iconic Spurn Point Lighthouse using the special event callsign GB2SL.

GB2SL On The Air

We had a fantastic couple of days on the bands, running SSB on the Yaesu FTDX10 and FT8 on the Yaesu FT-710.

Using our setup of four 1/4-wave vertical antennas, the stations performed brilliantly across 20m, 40m and 17m, with some excellent DX conditions throughout the weekend.

The pile-ups were thick at times, and we were delighted to work stations right across the world, including Japan, America, Australia and Indonesia, to name just a few.

Both the voice and digital stations stayed incredibly busy, and the vertical antennas did a superb job of pulling in long-distance contacts from our exposed coastal location at Spurn Point.

There is always something special about operating from this part of the Yorkshire coast. With the North Sea on one side, the Humber on the other and the lighthouse dominating the skyline, Spurn Point provides a truly memorable location for amateur radio.

Stationmaster Pro And Automated QSL

All of our contacts throughout the event were logged using Stationmaster Pro, which handled the logging across the stations and helped keep everything organised throughout a very busy weekend.

Our QSL process is also automated through QSL Master. The club no longer sends traditional paper QSL cards, so the follow-up process for contacts made during the activation is now handled electronically and automatically.

This made the whole operation much easier for the team and meant we could concentrate on what mattered most — keeping GB2SL on the air, working the pile-ups and making as many contacts as possible.

More Than Just Radio

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend is, of course, about getting lighthouse stations on the air, but for us the weekend is also about spending time together as a club and enjoying the remarkable surroundings at Spurn Point.

There were plenty of opportunities for walks around the point, time to enjoy the scenery, and most of the members also made the trip up to the top of the famous Spurn Point Lighthouse.

Once the tide comes in, Spurn takes on a completely different atmosphere and it really does feel as though you are out there on your own.

Between operating shifts there was plenty of time for conversation, laughter and enjoying the location, making the weekend as much a social event as a radio activation.

A Weekend To Remember

There were also a couple of particularly meaningful moments during this year’s GB2SL activation.

The weekend happened to coincide with Andy G7LRR’s 60th birthday, and the lads surprised him during the event with a birthday card and some gifts.

It was completely unexpected and very much appreciated, adding another happy memory to what was already a fantastic weekend at Spurn Point.

The activation also had a more reflective side.

This year’s GB2SL International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend activation was dedicated to the memory of our friend and fellow club member Steve Beedham M9NSQ, who sadly passed away only a few weeks before we travelled to Spurn Point.

Steve was very much part of the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club, and he was never far from our thoughts during the weekend.

It seemed fitting that an event centred around amateur radio, friendship and spending time together as a club should also give us the opportunity to remember him.

73 Steve, M9NSQ — remembered by us all.

Special Thanks

An event like this does not just happen.

A huge thank you goes to everyone who helped organise the activation, transported equipment, prepared the station, set up and dismantled the antennas, operated throughout the weekend and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make everything possible.

Events such as GB2SL depend on a real team effort, and everyone who contributed played a part in making the weekend such a success.

We would also like to extend a very special thank you to our hosts, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, for their fantastic support and for allowing us to operate from such a spectacular and unique location.

Their support enables us to bring amateur radio to Spurn Point and take part in International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend from one of Britain’s most distinctive lighthouse locations.

And, of course, a massive thank you goes to everyone around the world who hunted us down, braved the pile-ups and worked GB2SL during the weekend.

Whether you worked us locally, elsewhere in the UK or from thousands of miles away, every contact helped make the activation what it was.

Your support is what makes events like this worthwhile.

Watch Our Weekend At Spurn Point

We also captured some of the weekend on video, giving a flavour of what it was like operating GB2SL from this remarkable location.

From setting up the stations and working the bands to enjoying Spurn Point itself, the video brings together some of the moments that made the weekend so memorable.

We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed being there.

Another Successful GB2SL Weekend

All in all, it was another fantastic and very successful GB2SL activation for the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club.

There was great radio, some excellent DX, busy pile-ups, fantastic surroundings and, above all, the opportunity for club members to spend a memorable weekend together at Spurn Point.

A huge amount of work goes into making an activation like this happen, but weekends such as these remind us exactly why we do it.

We greatly appreciate the support of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, everyone who helped with the organisation and operation of the station, and every amateur radio operator around the world who took the time to call and work GB2SL.

Thank you for being part of GB2SL and International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend 2026.

We are already looking forward to returning to Spurn Point and doing it all again next year.

73 from everyone at the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club.

GB2SL — Spurn Point — ILLW 2026