Author:Awaiting Allocation

Etape du dales 5th Jul 2026

Add event to calendar

      

Brian G0RHI and Mike G7HEN are looking for operators for the Etape du dales on the  2026. Please let them know if you are available.

We have a new and exciting route for 2026, taking in a whole host of new climbs and challenges in the Yorkshire Dale National Park. The route will be 177km and have almost 3,600m of ascent, so very much in keeping with the previous challenging routes.

If you’re interested in helping and would like to know more, please contact  Mike or Brian

 

Rombald Stride Feb 2027

Rombalds Stride Winter Challenge website

Organised by the 15th Airedale Scout Group, the Rombalds Stride Winter Challenge starts and finishes at 15th Airedale Scout Hut next to St. Oswald’s Junior School in Guiseley. The route takes in some of Yorkshire’s finest scenery, going up the Airedale Valley, over Rombalds Moor to Ilkley and across Otley Chevin.

The 23 mile route is to be completed within a 10 hour time limit. Checkpoints will close on a 2mph walking speed.

Scouts Six Dales Walk 27 September 2026

Add event to calendar

      

The Six Dales Walk takes place on the last Sunday in September and has been running for over 60 years. It is a challenge for members of The Scouts and Guides to travel 42 miles with their team through Yorkshire’s most beautiful country sides. It aims to showcase team spirit and camaraderie in a competition environment.

Islands On The Air Contest 26-27 July 2025

The RSGB IOTA Contest, using the Islands on the Air concept, was created in 1993. This is now a major international event, attracting thousands of participants from all over the world. Radio Amateurs will be travelling to islands around the globe, and putting them on the air, making contacts with other islands and with those who are chasing islands.

Contest bands are 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m, both CW and phone. The duration is 24 hours, starting at 12:00 UTC on Saturday (1 p.m. UK time). Stations send a signal report and serial number, with stations on islands sending their IOTA reference number, described below.

The next RSGB IOTA Contest is 26-27 July 2025, and a guide for newcomers to the contests is at www.rsgbcc.org/hf/information/iotahelp.shtml .

The IOTA Contest is based on the RSGB Islands on the Air awards programme which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The IOTA idea was conceived in 1964 by British short wave listener Geoff Watts (SK), who imagined that those of us who live in crowded cities would love to set up a station on a sunny beach among palm trees. This prospect is appealing to Radio Amateurs, even if the island in question might not be further away from the UK mainland than the Isle of Wight!

Geoff realised that there were too many islands in the world to enumerate, so he grouped together islands, particularly when they were small. In the IOTA programme numbers are allocated to each group using a continental prefix. The basic IOTA award requires contacts with 100 islands and groups including at least one from each continent. Entrants can obtain award credit for QSOs made in the RSGB IOTA Contest.

The IOTA Reference, sent by Island Stations in the IOTA Contest, consists of two letters indicating the continent, and a number indicating the allocated reference within that continent.

For example:

EU115 EU = Europe Ireland
AF032 AF = Africa Zanzibar
AN003 AN = Antarctica Heard Island
AS020 AS = Asia Taiwan
NA107 NA = North America Martinique
OC225 OC = Oceania Turtle Islands
SA004 SA = South America Galapagos

 

This contest brings together those who like to put islands on the air, those who enjoy contesting, as well as those chasing islands for awards. Please join us for a great weekend!

British Inland Waterways on the Air 23-25 August 2025

The event is open to all Amateurs who are boaters, cyclists, walkers and other users of the canals, rivers, towpaths, riverbanks for work or recreation. Many clubs and individual Amateurs on or near the UK inland waterways obtain Special Event Station (SES) callsigns. Others operate mobile or portable using their own callsigns. Many more like to contact the BiWota stations. It is also a good chance for WAB enthusiasts to get some rare WAB squares. The primary bands are 40m (7MHz) and 2m (144MHz SSB and FM) but all bands are be acceptable.

The aim of the event is to bring together Radio Amateurs who regularly use the waterways to celebrate their hobby and raise awareness of the UK waterways.
BiWota was instigated by John Rogers M0JAV when he was Secretary of H.A.R.E.S. The photo below is of John and his narrowboat Carnival.