ANDOVER RADIO AMATEUR CLUB

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Events, Activities and Competitions

The clubs activities are detailed below, they can be subject to change or cancellation should circumstances prove necessary. Please find our list of activities for the forthcoming year.

Events and Activities for 2025
DateEvent or Activity
Thursday 2nd JanuaryCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 21st JanuaryClub Night
Thursday 6th FebruaryCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Saturday 8th February 2025Club Annual Dinner / Venue and Details TBC
Tuesday 18th FebruaryClub Night
Thursday 6th MarchCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 18th MarchPresentation on propergation by Frank
Thursday 3rd AprilCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 15th AprilClub Night
Sunday 27th AprilARAC Boot Sale Postponed until further notice
Thursday 8th MayCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Sat/Sun 10th-11th MayMills on the Air
Tuesday 20st MayClub Night
Tuesday 3rd JuneARAC AGM
Thursday 5th JuneCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 15th JuneClub Night
Thursday 4rd JulyCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Sat/Sun 5th-6th JulyVHF NFD Weekend
Tuesday 15th JulyClub Night
Thursday 7th AugustCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
TBCBBQ Held at Andover British Legion
Tuesday 19th AugustClub Night
Thursday 4th SeptemberCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 16th SeptemberClub Night / Presentation
Thursday 2nd OctoberCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 14th OctoberClub Night / Presentation
Thursday 6th NovemberCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 18th NovemberClub Night / Presentation
Thursday 4th DecemberCoffee Morning - Dobbies Cafe
Tuesday 16th DecemberClub Night / Christmas Event with games and nibbles
DF Fox Hunting
picture of a fox with antenna for ARAC Fox Hunt Events

Every year the members look forward to the Fox Hunting. ARAC orgnise around 5 events from June through to August, whilst the nights are light. They are arranged to fall on some of the Tuesday's where there is no club night. Full details of the rules and guidelines is detailed in the Fox Hunting Information SheetThis opens on a new page as a PDF.

Prior to the first hunt, to give everyone an equal chance of success, an antenna and equipment check/test evening is arranged for all participating members.


Christmas Event 2024
ARAC Xmas 2024 fun and games with Beetle Drive, image of prizes and instructions

Our 2024 Christmas event was a great success with many members enjoying the game of Beetle Drive along with some drinks and nibbles. Congratulations to all the winners of the night and a huge thank you to Mal G8FHI and Angie G6ABM for organising the event.

VHF NFD Weekend

VHF NFD picture of ARAC members enjoying the event

Once again ARAC are taking part in the NFD event. The station will be located at Wexcombe Down (IO9 1EH).

ARAC will be using a small selection of bands with licened club members operating and logging. Each station will have an operator and call logger with members rotating throughout the duration of the competition. The NFD rules for this year can be found on the RSGB website.(This will open another window)

There are PDF downloads available of the clubs competition results availalble in the Archive and Newsletter drop down list on our Links Page

Celebrating Our Success

VHF NFD Competition win showing the Arthur Watt's Trophy with ARAC members

After another great competition, ARAC members are proud to be holding the Arthur Watt's Trophy for 1st place in the Low Power section of the VHF NFD Competition for the second year running.


It goes without saying that the club members, our competitors, will be aiming to maintain these kind of results and hold on to the trophy in the coming years.

2M UKAC Competition
Cartoon Picture of a radio ham operator, dipicting ARAC members competing from home in the UKAC competitions

Some of the ARAC members take part in this competition which runs from January to December each year. The individual entries by a club's members to the UK&CD activity contests which take place on Tuesday and Thursday in every month, all count towards a society's overall score for the year for each UKAC.

These contests are timed to coincide with the last two hours of a number of European activity contests, with an extra half hour at the end to encourage intra UK&CD activity. They take place on Tuesdays from 2000-2230 local time with 144 MHz on the 1st Tuesday of the month, 432 MHz on the 2nd Tuesday, 1.3 GHz on the 3rd Tuesday, and 13cms to 3cms on the 4th Tuesday and on Thursdays from 2000-2230 with 50MHz on the 2nd Thursday and 70 MHz on the 3rd Thursday in the month.

More information about the 2M UKAC competition, rules and band plans can be found on the contesting sections of theRSGB Webiste

Mills On The Air
Image of a Mill that ARAC use for the Mills on the Air event

Mills on the Air is an annual special event which ARAC had been a part of for many years, alas have not been able to take part in more recent years. The event is held at the Crux Easton Wind Engine in north Hampshire not far from Highclere Castle (the home of the TV series Downton Abbey).

More information about Mills on the Air, can be found at DDARS.NET ... (This will open another window)