While our usual author takes a well-deserved break, I’ll be stepping in to bring you this week’s contest news. Out of interest, I thought I would enlist the help of Chat GPT to assist with the News Letter. This is what it came up with.
Though a bit shorter than usual, we still have plenty to report from the world of radio contesting!
UKAC Series: Battling for Position
The latest results for the 70MHz UKAC were released on March 21, covering the round from February 20. NARC remains in 5th place with 4,638 points, but the gap to 4th-placed Wirral & DARC is growing. Some standout individual performances from Norfolk include:
Phil G4LPP – Holding strong at 4th in the Open section
John G4PFZ – Rising to 13th in the Restricted section
Mike G4KQY – 22nd in the All-Mode Restricted (AR)
John G8VPE – 48th in AR
Mike G4DYC – 50th in AR
Full results can be found at https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin//vhfresults.pl?Contest=70MHz%20UKAC&year=2025
In exciting news, NARC has made it onto the SHF UKAC results table, thanks to the efforts of Graham G3SGC! Despite missing the first round, his strong performance in Round 2 (February 25) placed him:
19th overall in the 2.3GHz SAR section
14th overall in the 10GHz SAR section
Full results: https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin//vhfresults.pl?Contestid=shfukac&year=2025
Meanwhile, results for Round 3 of the 432MHz UKAC (March 11) were published on March 24. Six logs were submitted from NARC, with Stewart G4AFF leading the charge once again. A special mention goes to Roger G3LDI, who—despite being more at home in HF contests—made a welcome appearance in the UHF results.
With these three rounds completed, NARC holds steady in 5th place overall in the UKAC standings, but closing the gap on Wirral & DARC remains a challenge.
Want to Try Contesting? Start with FMAC!
If you’re interested in contesting but feel you lack the equipment, the FMAC (Fixed Mode Activity Contests) could be the perfect starting point! These contests, held on 2m and 70cm FM, favor vertical polarization—making them ideal for stations with colinear (“white stick”) antennas. With 10W and 50W sections, there’s no need for high power.
Find out more: https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?year=2024&contest=2mfmac
March 144/432MHz Contest Results
The March 144/432MHz contest results, released on March 21, saw great performances from NARC members:
Phil G4LPP – 3rd place in the 144MHz 6hr Fixed section, 6th place in the 432MHz 6hr Fixed section
Steve M5BFL – 6th place in the 144MHz Single Operator Fixed section
Trimingham CG M6R – Supported by NARC operators, securing 3rd place in the 144MHz Open section
These results contribute to the VHF Trophy standings, where NARC sits at a respectable 12th place overall in the AFS section. Individually, Phil G4LPP is ranked 5th, with Steve M5BFL in 33rd in the SF section.
HF Contesting: NARC Leads the Way in 80m CC
In HF news, the latest round of the 80m CC contest (March 12, CW round) has extended NARC’s commanding lead with 47,193 points—far ahead of Bristol CG (22,792 points) and Echelford ARS (17,047 points).
Top scorers for NARC:
Phil G4LPP – 911 points
Malcolm G3PDH – 893 points
Stewart G4AFF – 864 points
Meanwhile, in the latest RSGB FT4 contest (March 17), several NARC members made their mark:
Ted G4OZG – Holding 6th place overall
Kevin M0KKM – 16th place overall
Alan G8OO – Moving up to 26th place overall
(all in the 100W Restricted section)
Upcoming Contests – Mark Your Calendars!
Here’s what’s coming up in the next few days:
April 1 – 144MHz FMAC & 144MHz UKAC
April 2 – 144MHz FT8
March 29-30 – Feld Hell Sprint & CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
Good luck to everyone taking part, and as always—happy contesting
Thats all for now folks – 73 Wilson – G6WQN and ChatGPT