Club News

TDARC Christmas Party & Trophy Presentation 2025

TDARC Christmas Party 2025: An Evening of Festive Cheer and Celebration

This year’s TDARC Christmas Party was a resounding success, with nearly half of the club’s membership coming together to enjoy a wonderful evening of festive cheer. Members were treated to a fantastic spread of delicious Christmas fare, a thrilling raffle, and an entertaining quiz hosted by Dave (G0GKH), who provided four challenging and enjoyable rounds.

The evening began with the much-anticipated Buffett, followed by the presentation of the club trophies:

The G2BQY Trophy for scratch-built projects.
The G4UNU Trophy for kit or commercial module projects.

A special thanks goes to Linda and Gerry (G4SPE) for their outstanding efforts in preparing and presenting the evening’s catering. Their hard work ensured a fine selection of food that were enjoyed by all.

With good food, great company, and festive activities, the evening proved to be a most enjoyable celebration of the season and another successful year for the club.

Here’s to more memorable moments in 2026—Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at TDARC!

M0VCW Wins the G2BQY Trophy

G4SPE wins the G4UNU Trophy

2E0BKU wins the G3GKC Trophy

2025 TDARC Constructors Competition – G2BQY and G4UNU Trophies

The 2025 TDARC Constructors Competition for the G2BQY and G4UNU trophies took place on Wednesday 5th November, with an excellent turnout from members. Almost all attendees brought along projects to be judged, hoping to take home one of the two trophies.

The competition consisted of two categories:

Scratch-Built (G2BQY Trophy) – Projects constructed largely from components on hand, salvaged items, or repurposed parts.
Kit-Built (G4UNU Trophy) – Projects constructed from a commercially supplied or complete kit of parts.

This year, the tables were filled with a wide range of interesting and innovative projects in both categories.

Scratch-Built Entries

1st Place – G2BQY Trophy: M0VCW – UNUN and 3D-printed weather-proof enclosures
2nd Place: M0GHZ – 2m Linear Amplifier
3rd Place: G0HFX – Valve Tester

Additional entries included:

G4SPE – “The G3RJV SCD QRP Transceiver Revisited”
G0VFS – Iambic Paddle Key
M1EZW – 472 kHz to 7 MHz Receiver and test equipment
G5BBL – Tilt-over mast

Kit-Built Entries

1st Place – G4UNU Trophy: G4SPE – Automatic Antenna Tuner
2nd Place: G4SPE – QRP Labs QMX Transceiver
3rd Place: G5BBL – Vector Network Analyzer
Additional entries included:
G0VFS – Toolkit for QSL card design and ADIF/QRZ data merge, plus utilities (developed using Xojo)
G0HFX – Crystal Calibrator

The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part or came to view the projects. Members spent time discussing construction techniques, sharing ideas, and celebrating the creativity and practical engineering involved in amateur radio construction.

First for the G2BQY Trophy was M0VCW

First for the G4UNU Trophy was G4SPE

RSGB Convention Presentation

of the G5BY Trophy

Club Members David - M0GHZ & Peter - 2E0NEY proudly collect the G5BY Trophy awarded to TDARC for winning the Mix & Match section of the VHF National Field Day contest this year - 2025.

See field day report further down this page

TDARC – HF SSB NFD 2025 at Maesbury Castle

On Friday 5th September, members of Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club once again gathered at their favourite operating location, Maesbury Castle.

The advance team of M0WYB, G0VFS, and G0BKU arrived to erect the operating tent and position the main antenna support, with the second support and doublet planned for Saturday morning. With the initial work completed, the team enjoyed fish and chips and a very pleasant evening in the porch of the tent, chatting over a beer.

Saturday Setup and Contest Start
Saturday morning saw the antennas erected and all equipment set up in readiness for the start of the HF National Field Day contest. This year we entered the Low Power Unassisted Portable section, which permits one transceiver (maximum 100W output) and a single antenna.

The weather was warm and dry, though a strong wind caused the tent flaps to thrash about—thankfully without incident. Russ (M0WYB) provided an excellent sausage and bacon bap breakfast, much appreciated by all.

At 2:00 pm the contest began, though with a slow start as conditions were very flat across the bands, making contacts hard-won. Nevertheless, contacts gradually built up, and optimism grew that we were on track for a respectable score. Day time operators were Shaun (G0BKU), Tracy (2E0BKU), John (G0JLF), and Mick (M0ALW), Adrian (G0HAS).

Operating Through the Night
As is tradition at Maesbury, Saturday evening’s meal was a Chinese takeaway, collected by Shaun (G0BKU). With food enjoyed, the night shift was organised into two-hour sessions: Mike (M0ALW) from 10–12, Roy (G0VFS) 12–2, Tracy (2E0BKU) 2–4, Shaun (G0BKU) 4–6, Mike again 6–8, and Roy (G0VFS) 8–10. Operations were, however, interrupted by lightning.

Stormy Sunday
Sunday morning began with drizzle, as expected, but this was soon followed by a sudden and dramatic thunderstorm. With thunder rolling around us and lightning approaching, the antenna was prudently disconnected and the radio powered down.

Heavy rain then arrived in stair rods—truly epic proportions—but the tent held out with only the odd drip here and there. Undeterred, Russ once again produced a wonderful cooked breakfast, delivered plate by plate under an umbrella by Roy to the operating tent, where everyone gathered to eat in relative dryness!

Thankfully, the rain eventually cleared and the afternoon improved. The contest concluded with a final QSO count of 428 contacts, a result the team was very pleased with all considered.

Packing Up and Reflections

Here is the totals for the bands worked over the weekend!

3.5 - 171 QSOs - DXCC's 14

7 - 78 QSO's - DXCC's 16

14 - 151 QSO's - DXCC's 25

21 - 8 QSO's -- DXCC's 8

28 - 1 QSO's - - DXCC's 1

Best DX Thailand on 15m!

With the sun drying the site, equipment and tents were packed away without difficulty, and by 3:00 pm the site was cleared—a record early departure for Maesbury!

Once again, our visit to Maesbury Castle proved memorable—not only for the dramatic lightning and torrential rain but also for the enjoyment of operating, sharing good food, and enjoying the fellowship and camaraderie of fellow club members.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event, making the 2025 HF SSB National Field Day another great success.

HF NFD 2025 -Aug.mp4

GB4BOA British Inland Waterways on the Air @ Bradford on Avon

British Inland Waterways on the Air – Barton Farm Country Park

On Saturday 23rd, members of Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club gathered at Barton Farm Country Park to take part in the British Inland Waterways on the Air event.

G0BKU, M0WYB, G0GKH, G0HAS, M0RLK, G4SPE, and myself (2E0BKU) made short work of the setup, and by around 10:00 am the first contact was in the log. From that point on, it was chaos—a huge pile-up right from the start! We were getting 59+ reports left and right, and at one point it was even said that we were the biggest station on the band.

Throughout the first day, we welcomed 14 visitors, including Mick & Caroline, Roy & Pauline, Mike (M0ALW), and Gary & Michelle. On Sunday, Linda—Gerry's wife—also dropped by.

By around 16:00 on Saturday, G0BKU and I were left running the station. Things had slowed down a bit by then, which gave us time to grab some supper and prepare for the night ahead. With the Bradford-on-Avon Music Festival in full swing nearby, we had quite a groovy night—although I’m not sure either of us heard the last song!

Morning came quickly, and by 06:00 we were up and sorting the site for the second day. At 08:00 we kicked off on 40m again, and after just a couple of calls—another pile-up! Pile-ups can feel daunting at first, but I’m definitely getting into the swing of it now. It’s starting to feel like a comfy armchair rather than a bike without a saddle!

Over the weekend, everyone worked hard, and the results speak for themselves: around 450 QSOs logged! Many were from all over the UK, along with plenty of Europeans. We’re not yet sure what the best DX was, but we’ll post the details once we’ve checked the log.

A big part of the weekend was also engaging with the public about our much-loved hobby. With the help of our display board, we attracted a lot of interest and had some great conversations.

All in all, it was a very successful and enjoyable weekend. Before leaving, we took a group photo to round things off perfectly.

We will be putting on this event again next year here at Barton Country Park, Bradford on Avon. Make sure you put it in your calendar for August bank holiday 2026.

GB4BOA Event 2025.mp4

Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club – Annual BBQ 2025

On Wednesday, 16th July 2025, members of the Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club gathered at the QTH in Southwick to enjoy this year’s annual club BBQ.

All 39 attendees—including members and their partners—enjoyed delicious barbecue food, drinks, and plenty of lively conversation. The weather was kind, staying dry throughout the evening, with just a few drops of rain as the final items were being packed away.

The event was, once again, a thoroughly enjoyable evening—thanks to everyone who sourced the food and drink, prepared, and cooked the meal.

Above all, it was the fantastic turnout and friendly atmosphere that made the evening such a resounding success.

Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club – VHF National Field Day 2025 Report

On Friday, July 5th, members of the Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club gathered at Maesbury Castle Iron Age hill fort. Although we couldn’t arrive as early as hoped due to the field being cut for silage, the work was completed earlier than expected, allowing preparations for the 2025 VHF National Field Day to begin shortly after midday.

It was a beautiful, dry afternoon, and the freshly cut grass made for ideal conditions. Eager club members quickly got to work setting up the station tent, while Dom’s awning became our mess room and kitchen—where Dom himself prepared an amazing breakfast for everyone on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Two antennas and masts were erected on Friday, with a third going up on Saturday morning. Tables, chairs, cables, and power supplies were all arranged, with radios connected and tested the following morning.

Friday concluded with a traditional fish and chip supper, plenty of tea, and everyone settling into warm sleeping bags for the night.

We awoke Saturday to light drizzle, which lingered for much of the day, but spirits remained high in anticipation of a fun weekend. The station went live at 1500 hours, with many contacts made throughout the afternoon. As usual, the evening ended with good food, camaraderie, and conversation before turning in.

Sunday began with more drizzle but fortunately dried up two hours before tear-down, allowing us to pack everything away while it was still dry.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 23 club members participated in the event. Some helped with setup, others operated the radios, and many came along to lend support, enjoy the atmosphere, or help with tear-down. Everyone played a part in making the weekend a great success and a thoroughly enjoyable club event.

Final results for the club's submitted scores:

We Won!!

Take a look at the Overall Results Mix and Match Section table -

TDARC-VHF-NFD-2025-s.mp4

Fox Hunt 2025

The Fox - Tracy & Shaun

Tracy and Shaun will be the fox again next year as none of the hound teams were able to locate them. Some came very close but all had to return home unsuccessful. Never mind, better luck next year.

TDARC Christmas Party & Trophy Presentation 2024

TDARC Christmas Party 2024: An Evening of Festive Cheer and Celebration

The evening began with the much-anticipated presentation of the club trophies:

The G2BQY Trophy for scratch-built projects.
The G4UNU Trophy for kit or commercial module projects.
The Fox Hunt Trophy, awarded for exceptional skill in the year’s fox-hunting activities.

With good food, great company, and festive activities, the evening proved to be a most enjoyable celebration of the season and another successful year for the club.

Here’s to more memorable moments in 2025—Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at TDARC!

G0VFS Wins the G2BQY Trophy

G0VFS wins the G4UNU Trophy

G0BKU & 2E0BKU win the Fox Hunt Trophy

TDARC Constructors Competition 2024

G2BQY Scratch build

G4UNU Kit Build

On Wednesday night, TDARC club members gathered for the 2024 Constructors Cup, an evening dedicated to showcasing members' projects developed over the past year. The meeting enjoyed a strong turnout, with various projects presented across two categories: scratch-built projects and kit/module-based projects.

The scratch-built category celebrated ingenuity, featuring creations made from scavenged parts, junk box items, and other on-hand materials. In the kit/module-based category, members displayed projects assembled from kits or pre-made modules sourced from online vendors and other suppliers.

After each participant gave a brief description of their project's construction methods and functions, attendees cast votes to select their favorite in each category.

Scratch-Built Projects (G2BQY Trophy)

Portable Vertical Antenna
Constructed by G0VFS in the style of the JPC-12, featuring screw-together sections and a sliding tap point loading coil.
Mains-Bound Noise Filter
Built by G4SPE, this device includes a socket outlet designed to reduce noise across shack equipment.
Receiving Active Loop Antenna
Designed by G4SPE, this HF antenna provides good reception for its small size.

Kit-Built Projects (G4UNU Trophy)

Antenna Noise-Canceling Filter
Built by G4BBL, this filter reduces unwanted noise for improved signal clarity.
Antenna Noise-Canceling Device
Constructed by G4SPE, another effective noise-canceling solution for enhanced reception.
Mast Head Microwave Transverter
built by M0GHZ, this transverter enables frequency conversion for microwave operations.
Exploration in the use of an ESP32 Microcontroller in antenna switching
by G0VFS, this project enables switching antenna relays remotely via the home wifi network.

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make the Constructors Cup a great success. We look forward to seeing more innovative projects next year!

The following project were awarded the G2BQY & G4UNU Trophies.

Portable Vertical Antenna - G2BQY Cup

ESP32 Antenna switching - G4UNU Trophy

VHF NFD Trophy Awarded at the RSGB Convention

"From near disaster—overturned tents and rain-soaked equipment—to triumph in the Mix & Match category! The Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club's VHF NFD team gathered at the RSGB Convention to proudly accept the trophy. This year's event will be unforgettable for the club members who braved the challenges of VHF NFD 2024. Congratulations to everyone involved!"

Read the full write up of the NFD Here.

SSB Field Day Success: A Memorable Weekend for the Club

The SSB Field Day this weekend ( September 7-8 ) was a great success, filled with camaraderie, smooth operations, and some impressive QSOs. Here’s a recap of the event:

Welcome to Our Newest Member!

We’re excited to welcome John, G0JLF, who officially joined the Club this weekend! His first event with us was packed with activity.

Saturday: Setting Up & Getting on Air

Saturday morning kicked off with G0JLF, 2E0BKU, and G0BKU arriving at the site. We quickly set up the operating and socialising tents, and of course, the essential toilet tent! The weather was on our side, with sunshine and warmth throughout the day.

For the aerial, we erected a 164ft doublet in an inverted V configuration, with the center at approximately 11 meters high.

Later in the day, M0MAT and his son, Oscar, joined us, followed by M0WYB, who took the opportunity to set up and operate on 4m. Despite a minor glitch with the Club ATU, we were fortunate to have a backup and soon got on the air, only a few minutes behind schedule.

The Station setup was an Icom 7300 at 100W across the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands, using an MFJ ATU. The aerial performed exceptionally well throughout the weekend.

More Visitors & Evening Fun

Later in the day, G0VFS joined us, and we were pleased to have visits from other Club members, including M7GCY and his XYL Michelle, followed by G0LTG and his son.

As evening approached, the group gathered in the big tent for a well-deserved Chinese takeaway, enjoying good food, great conversation, and plenty of laughs. After dinner, we resumed operating into the night.

Night Shift Operators & Rough Weather

At midnight, G3VMZ arrived to take the night shift along with 2E0BKU, G0BKU, and G0VFS. We endured heavy rain and mist throughout the night but continued operating, taking turns to get some rest.

Sunday: Wrapping Up

Sunday morning brought better weather, and G5BBL arrived to assist with operations. Later, M0RLK stopped by and helped take down the big tent. As 2pm approached, the weather turned threatening, prompting a quick teardown of the aerial, mast, and operating tent. We packed up just in time, narrowly avoiding the rain and leaving Maesbury only 45 minutes after the contest ended—much quicker than our VHF NFD teardown!

Contest Success

Our first attempt at the SSB Field Day as a Club was a success. A glance at the submitted logs shows a good number of QSOs, though we’ll have to wait for the final results to see how we performed against competitors. Regardless of the outcome, it was an excellent effort, and we all enjoyed the event—which is what matters most.

In terms of QSO breakdown:

80m: 93 QSOs, 10 DXCCs
40m: 237 QSOs, 17 DXCCs
20m: 200 QSOs, 25 DXCCs
15m: 8 QSOs, 4 DXCCs
10m: 9 QSOs, 8 DXCCs

Our best DX was likely South Africa on 10m, with plenty of contacts across Europe, the East Coast of the U.S., and Canada.

Team Effort & Thanks

As always, the success of the weekend was down to teamwork. A big thank you to everyone who attended and contributed, whether by operating, setting up, or helping with the teardown. It was also wonderful to see Club visitors throughout the weekend.

Special thanks to the following for providing equipment:

M0WYB: operating tent, toilet, generator, power cables
M0UAS: power cables, sockets, generator leads, toilet tent
G3VMZ: big tent
M0GHZ: lights, headphone splitter, and purchasing whiskey for the farmer
G0VFS XYL Pauline: bread pudding
G4YXS: tables
M0MAT: lightweight guy ropes for the aerial

We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!

HF SSB NFD 2024

TDARC BBQ 2024

For the first time in several years, the weather was kind to our club BBQ 2024. The sunshine and the free club BBQ enticed a good turnout of members to what was a very pleasant evening of food, conversation, and sunshine.

A special thank you to all who helped with food preparation, cooking, and clearing away, as well as to all who attended and made the evening such a success.

More sunshine next year, please!

Weather Presenters :-)

VHF NFD 2024

On the morning of Friday, July 5th, members of the Trowbridge & District Amateur Radio Club gathered at Maesbury Castle Iron Age hill fort, eagerly preparing for the 2024 VHF National Field Day.

Despite the gloomy skies, they quickly set up the station activity tent and two gazebos. As they began erecting the antenna masts, rain started to fall. They managed to raise the 2-meter beam, but the remaining pump-up masts were positioned for setup the following day.

The day concluded with an eagerly anticipated fish and chip supper, cups of tea, and warm sleeping bags. Throughout the night, heavy rain and strong winds persisted. However, the scene that greeted them the next morning was beyond anyone's expectations.

Complete devastation lay before them. The two gazebos were torn up from their locations and piled on top of the upturned operations tent, power strips and other equipment left exposed to the rain. Initially, it seemed the event might be over for this year. After a few cups of tea and some breakfast baps, they began to untangle the debris and re-erect the operations tent. By 3 o'clock, all but one station were operational and on air, with the final station up and running an hour later.

Submitted Results:

Who would have thought it? getting up Saturday morning and looking about the NFD camp, we could continue with the event let alone the prospect of winning. However, the impossible was achieved with everyone pulling together with a can-do spirit and teamwork.

Yes, We won the mix-and-match section of the VHF NFD 2024

Take a look at the pictures and video and marvel at are achievement!

VHF NFD 2024

VHF-NFD2024-Full-s.mp4

Fox Hunt 2024

First Hounds

The first team to find the fox was Tracy & Shaun (2E0BKU & M0BKU)

Second Hounds

The second team was Adrian & Gerry (G0HAS & G4SPE)

Only four teams ventured out in the fox hunt this year, with only two team finding the fox (Frank G4YXS).

Constructors Cup 2023

G2BQY Scratch Build Trophy Winner

G0VFS entry - A CW Contest Unokeyer

G4UNU Kit Build Trophy Winner

G0TOE entry - 1 Meter Tug Boat and Electronics

Runner Up for G2BQY

G0BBL - Microwave CW QRP

Runner up for G4UNU

G0VFS - Wifi Remote Capacitor

Scratch build entry

G4SPE - CW OpAmp Filter

Scratch build entry

M0GHZ - Retro GPS Shack Clock

Kit build entry

G4SPE - Pixie Kit

Scratch build entry

G0BKU - 2 Meter Linear amp

This years Constructors cup competition was once more a well supported and interesting evening, with a wide range of of both scratch build and Kit built projects. These built by our industrious and innovative members with the following results:

The G2BQY Trophy First place Roy - G0VFS (38)points

2nd Jan G4BBL (34) , 3rd Shaun G0BKU (18), 4th Gerry G4SPE (16), 5th David G6POW (11), 6th David M0GHZ (8)

The G4UNU First place Arthur - G0TOE (47) points

2nd Roy G0VFS (46), 3rd G4SPE (30).

Scratch build entry

G6POW - 2, 70cm portable antenna

Return to Activity / On Air-Natter / Night

Wednesday night 20 September saw a return of the clubs activity/on air/natter night with a good turnout of 15 club members. It is hoped that support for this evening will continue to grow so that this evening can once more be one of the clubs monthly events. Please come along to the next one on the 18th October and give it your support.

TDARC 40th Anniversary

On the 16th August at The Farm House Inn Southwick, members of the Trowbridge and District Amateur Radio Club gathered together to celebrate the clubs 40 years of association since its founding back in 1983 .

Members were able to enjoy a three course meal and drinks while in lively discussion with members both old and new. Amongst many topics of conversation of the clubs activities over the years was that of its resent success winning the mix & match section of the NFD this year.

The above picture showing surviving founding members of TDARC - Ian G0GRI, Gerry G4SPE, Dave G0GKH, David G6POW and inset right Dennis 2E0JWJ who was unable to attend on the night.

TDARC wins Mix n Match section in VHF NFD!!! 2023

In Summary:

50 MHz Open- 1st Place

70 MHz Open- 5th place

144 MHz Restricted- 6th place

432 MHz Low Power- 1st place

1.2 GHz Restricted-1st place

As always WELL DONE to EVERYONE involved.

As I always say.....this is all down to the team effort made by everyone which makes our score count!

Fox Hunt 2023

The Fox this year was David - M0GHZ

The fox was located at NGR 861647 on the road from the cross roads to Stonar School and Broughton Gifford, located under some power lines.

Registered teams before setting of were:-

G4SPE & M0PHI

G0BKU, M0RLK & G0HAS

M0RFX

First team to find the fox was Frank - G4YXS and Jerry G4JQN @ 20:43

Second team to find the fox was Mike M0ALW, Kyle 2E0EPV and Dave M0SXZ @ 20:48

click to see full report

Club Trophy Awards

Christmas 2022

2022 G2BQY Cup Winner

Gerry G4SPE collecting the cup for the scratch built constructors competition

2022 G4UNU Cup Winner

Yan G5BBL collecting the kit built constructors competition trophy

Fox Hunt Trophy Winner 2022

David M0GHZ collecting the fox hunt Trophy

VHF NFD 2022

The Club team arrived at Maesbury on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet (IO81RF) over the weekend of 2nd & 3rd July.

As in previous years VHF NFD was well supported, everyone joined in to build the station and get aerials up in the air whilst enjoying the scenery and great company of other members.

Here's how we did it:

50 MHz- 3rd place in open section

70 MHz- 4th place in open section

144 MHz- 4th place in restricted section

432 MHz- 2nd place in low power section

1296 MHz-2nd place in restricted section

Click here for full report

Fox Hunt 2022

This year there were 5 teams with a total of 8 participants: Ben, Frank (G4YXS) and Jerry (G4JQN) , Gerry (G4SPE), Ray (M0RFX)& Terry (XLY) and David (M0GHZ)& Carol (XYL).

First to find the Fox was David and Carol arriving at 8:26pm. They win the right to be the FOX next year!

Click here for full report

To read older articles click below

News Archive 2017 NFD - 2022 Fox Hunt

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