Radio Rally 2026
HFDXARC Radio Rally Saturday 11th July
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Tag Archives: ham radio
Returning to our roots for one special day – Humber Fortress DX ARC at Fort Paull
Armed Forces Festival Activation
Saturday 13th June 2026
The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club returned to Fort Paull for the first time since 2019 to activate the special event callsign GB0FP during the Fort Paull Armed Forces Festival.
For many members, this was much more than a day of radio operation. It was a return to the place where the club first established its roots and where many of its earliest activities took place.
The club was based in a former military communications cabin situated within the historic fort. With the station established and antennas erected, GB0FP was soon on the air once again from a location that holds a special place in the club’s history.
Returning to Where It All Began
From 2010 until the fort’s closure in 2019, Fort Paull served as the original home of the Humber Fortress DX ARC. Numerous club nights, special event stations, contests, and social gatherings took place within its walls.
The return to the fort brought back many memories for long-standing members while giving newer members an opportunity to experience the location that helped shape the club we know today.
The activation was made even more meaningful by the attendance of founding members, whose commitment and enthusiasm helped establish the club during its earliest years.
GB0FP Back on the Air
Operating throughout the day under the GB0FP callsign, club members demonstrated amateur radio to festival visitors using HF and VHF equipment.
Visitors were able to watch live contacts being made and learn about the many aspects of amateur radio, including international communications, technical experimentation, contesting, emergency communications, and portable operation.
The station attracted a steady stream of visitors throughout the day, many of whom were fascinated by the equipment and keen to learn more about the hobby.
Antennas and Equipment
Despite the limited operating space available inside the cabin, the club successfully established a fully operational station for the event.
A portable HF antenna system was erected adjacent to the operating position, providing reliable coverage and allowing contacts to be made throughout the day.
Supporting the Armed Forces Festival
The Armed Forces Festival brought together military history displays, emergency services organisations, family attractions, veterans groups, and historical exhibits.
The amateur radio station provided an opportunity to demonstrate modern communications alongside the rich military history that Fort Paull represents.
The combination of radio, history, engineering, and public engagement created a successful day for both the club and the festival organisers.
Looking Back – And Forward
While the club now operates from its Millhouse HQ in Patrington, Fort Paull remains an important part of our history and identity.
The successful reactivation of GB0FP demonstrated that the connection between the Humber Fortress DX ARC and Fort Paull remains as strong as ever.
For one special day, the club returned home.
We would like to thank the Fort Paull team for their hospitality and support, together with all club members who helped set up, operate, and dismantle the station.
We hope that this will not be the last time that the callsign GB0FP is heard once again from Fort Paull.
Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club
Established 2010
Club Callsigns: MX0HFC M0HFC M6C
“Returning to our roots for one special day.”
MB5HF Repeater Back On Air!
MB5HF Repeater Back On Air!
The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club is pleased to announce that our UHF repeater MB5HF on the 70cm band (RB06) is now back on air and fully operational. After essential maintenance and upgrades carried out by Charles M7PNP, the system is performing well and ready for use by the amateur radio community .
Repeater Information
- Callsign: MB5HF
- Band: 70cm (RB06)
- Output Frequency: 433.1500 MHz
- RX Frequency: 434.7500 MHz
- Modes: Analogue Voice
- CTCSS: 82.5 Hz
- Locator: IO93XQ (Near Hull)
- Latitude/Longitude: 53.68 / -0.02
- TX Antenna Height: 5m AGL
- ERP: 10 dBW
Technical Setup
- Output Power: 10W PEP
- Controller: Powered by OpenRepeater, a versatile software platform designed for amateur radio repeaters. Running on a Raspberry Pi 4, OpenRepeater provides a modern, flexible, and reliable controller solution.
- Power System:
- 2.4kWh 24V battery bank
- 350W solar panel for renewable charging
This combination of renewable power and modern controller software gives MB5HF excellent reliability and ensures long-term sustainable service.
We’d like to thank everyone for their patience during the downtime and look forward to hearing you on MB5HF!
Spurn Point Lighthouse DXpedition 2025
? 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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