? Spurn Point Lighthouse DXpedition 2025
Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club – 16th–17th August
Ed’s FT8 Tent – By Ed, 2E0HKZ
What an incredible privilege it was to help activate Spurn Lighthouse this weekend. Club members, both new and old, ran three separate activations: 2m, SSB, and FT8.
Once the antenna was up — a sloping long wire — and the interference from the much higher-powered SSB station was cured with the correct band-pass filter, the FT8 station really got to work.
By the end of the weekend, we had logged 245 FT8 contacts. Band activity was quiet at times, and the odd foray into 17 m and 10 m didn’t add much to the log. Still, I’d like to think the constant whine of the FT8 pulse brought a strange kind of comfort to our cozy tent well into the small hours.
The Chairman’s Spurn Point Adventure – By Chris, G0URG
Our fearless Chairman had a grand idea: take the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club to the windswept end of the world — Spurn Point Lighthouse.
But great ideas need great diplomacy. Enter Kevin, M0KVK, who worked tirelessly with the new management of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to make sure the expedition could even happen. With his smooth talking, charm, and possibly the odd bribe of biscuits, permission was granted — and the 2025 DX adventure was officially on.
So, ten eager members packed radios, aerials, sausage rolls, and the all-important tea urn for a weekend of radio mischief.
By Saturday morning, Spurn Lighthouse had become a full-blown DX fortress. Antennas sprouted in all directions, radios chattered away, and logbooks filled with calls from Japan, Brazil, and even Doncaster. The bands were alive, the tea was strong, and morale was sky-high.
Saturday was glorious. Contacts rolled in, jokes flowed, and the group went to bed with the smug satisfaction of a job well done. Chris in particular was beaming.
But then came Sunday morning.
As the sun rose over the Humber, the group decided it needed one last big push to round off the weekend. Out came the faithful Challenger 3 linear amplifier — the club’s battle-scarred workhorse.
With a flourish, Chris keyed the mic. The Challenger roared to life like a lion that had just sniffed a sausage roll. Reports came flooding in:
“59 plus!” … “Huge signal!” … “What on earth are you running over there?”
Then — pfffft. A puff of smoke. A fizz. Silence.
The Challenger 3 had finally given its last ounce of power in one glorious, over-caffeinated CQ.
Chris’s face fell faster than the tide on Spurn. “Oh no,” he groaned. But before despair could set in, Kevin stepped up with his trademark grin:
“Don’t worry, Chris — I once blew up two amplifiers in one night. You’re still an amateur compared to me!”
The group howled with laughter. Suddenly, Chris wasn’t a villain — just the latest member of the unofficial “Amp Blowers Club.”
And then came the heroes: Andy, G7LRR, and Charles, M7PNP. With steely determination (and a hint of smugness), they declared:
“We can rebuild him. Better… stronger… louder.”
Just like Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man, the Challenger 3 would live again. Valves would glow, relays would clunk, and the amp would rise from the ashes to shake the ionosphere once more.
? Obituary: UK Challenger 3 Linear Amplifier ?
Faithful servant of the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club
1990–2025 (Approx.)
The Challenger 3 has been laid to rest — for now. Known for its warm glow, gentle hum, and occasional tendency to trip the lights, it brought countless DX contacts into our logs.
Its final act was a heroic CQ from Spurn Point, silenced only by smoke and toasted components. But thanks to the steady hands of Andy and Charles, it has already been promised a rebirth — better, stronger, louder.
Silent key (for now).
In Summary
The 2025 Spurn Point Expedition was a resounding success:
- Three stations (2m, SSB, FT8)
- Hundreds of contacts worldwide
- Ten members working together with tea, laughter, and Yorkshire stubbornness
- And one amplifier that died gloriously, doing exactly what it loved.
As Chairman Chris vowed on packing up:
“Next year, lads, we’ll be back — louder, prouder, and hopefully with less smoke.
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