Ask Ratchybumpo
Harry Budgie — 78 years young, Pendle Hill — rag chewer extraordinaire
CB, Ham, Shortwave, Mesh, PMR — it's all communication
No radio snobbery here. Ask anything. 73
The Old Spark's Shack
Welcome home, breaker. I'm The Old Spark — been keying up since Convoy was on at the pictures and the summer of '76 melted the tarmac. CB in the 80s, ham licence in the 90s, shortwave listener since I could reach the dial. If it transmits, receives, or makes that beautiful crackling noise, I know what it is.
Whether you've got a vintage Midland gathering dust in the garage, a Baofeng that's seen better days, or granddad's old valve receiver — you belong here. No licence? No problem. No experience? Even better. The bands are for everyone.
The Bands
Pick a frequency and dive in. Every band has its community.
Identify Any Radio
AI-powered — snap and knowPhotograph any radio, antenna, microphone, or piece of kit. The Old Spark identifies it, values it, and tells you its story.
Roast My Rig
Brutal honesty from a veteranShow The Old Spark your shack and prepare for judgement. He's been a ham since valves were the only option and he's got zero patience for cheap gear.
CB Radio
No licence neededThe original social network. UK channels, community groups, MeshCB (digital mesh networking), and how to get started for under £50.
Ham Radio
Get licensed — free courseFoundation licence in 3 weeks, 100% free. Essex Ham course, RSGB exams, 800+ clubs, and a hobby that literally reaches the moon.
Shortwave Listening
No licence neededListen to the world. Live propagation maps, band conditions, reception tips, and the magic of pulling in a signal from 5,000 miles away with a bit of wire.
SOTA — Summits On The Air
Activate summits worldwideTake your radio to the mountains. Activate summits, chase activators, earn points. No licence needed to be a chaser — just a receiver and enthusiasm.
POTA — Parks On The Air
Radio from nature reserves & parksSet up in a park, make contacts, earn points. Hundreds of UK parks qualified. Easier terrain than SOTA — perfect first portable operation.
The Old Spark's Gear
Honest recommendationsWhat you actually need, what's a waste of money, and what The Old Spark uses himself. Antennas, meters, coax, power supplies.
📷 Identify Any Radio
Snap a photo. The Old Spark identifies it, values it, tells its story.
Camera
Gallery
Don't know what it is? Ask The Old Spark. If he's wrong, Roast HIM!
Did You Know?
- — CB radio peaked in 1977 with over 11 million licensed operators in the US alone
- — The first transatlantic amateur radio contact was made in 1921
- — "73" meaning "best regards" dates back to 1857 telegraph code
- — A ham radio licence in the UK can be earned in 3 weeks, 100% free
- — The Midland 7001 is considered one of the most beautiful CB radios ever made
🔥 Roast My Rig
The Old Spark has been a ham since valves were the only option. Show him your setup and prepare for brutal honesty.
He's seen every rat's nest cable setup, every dusty shack queen, and every Baofeng "hand-warmer" in existence. He'll mock your SWR, question your antenna placement, and wonder aloud why you spent money on THAT. But secretly... if it's proper kit, he'll say so.
Camera
Gallery
Show off your shack or get roasted! 73
Tuning in...
The Old Spark is scanning the frequencies...
"All good things come to those who wait"
This can take up to 30 seconds for an accurate result
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📡 CB Radio
"The original social network. No login required."
UK CB Key Channels
9
Emergency
Monitored 24/7
14
Calling
27.73125 MHz FM
19
Highway
Trucker channel
Getting Started with CB
No licence needed in the UK. CB is licence-free on UK FM frequencies (27.60125 - 27.99125 MHz, 40 channels, 4W max).
What you need: A CB radio (new from ~£30, secondhand from £15), an antenna, and a bit of coax cable. Mobile or base station — your choice.
Etiquette: Listen first. Use Channel 14 to make contact, then move to a clear channel. Give your handle (nickname), not your real name. Say "breaker" to join a conversation. "73" means goodbye/best wishes.
Range: 5-15 miles typical. With good antenna placement and conditions, 30+ miles. When the band opens (solar activity), you can talk across continents on 27MHz.
UK CB Community
Active Groups
Regular Nets
Charlie Tango SE Net: Mondays 20:00, PMR446 Ch 8
Regional nets: Check Transmission1 net map
Got a local net? Let us know — we'll list it here for free. Community eyeballs for community events.
MeshCB — The Digital CB
Meshtastic: Text messaging without mobile signal, WiFi, or subscription.
Open-source LoRa mesh network. AES256 encrypted. Decentralised. The spiritual successor to CB for the digital age — licence-free, community-driven, no infrastructure required.
UK Legal: 868MHz ISM band. No amateur licence required.
How it works: Each device is a node. Messages hop between nodes automatically. More nodes = more coverage. A few friends with devices in a town creates a mesh that covers the whole area. Works when the internet doesn't.
UK 868MHz Hardware (ALWAYS 868MHz for UK!)
PMR446 — The Other Licence-Free Option
No licence needed. Anywhere in Europe. PMR446 operates on 446 MHz UHF — 8 analogue channels (16 with digital), 0.5W max power. Buy a pair, turn them on, talk. That's it.
Great for: Families, outdoor groups, scouts, caravanning, festivals, event crew, building sites, market stalls — anywhere you need instant, free, short-range comms without mobile signal or subscriptions.
Range: 1-3 km typical in built-up areas. Up to 5 km line-of-sight (hilltops, open countryside). Indoors: 3-5 floors in a building. Not as far as CB, but you can clip it to your belt and it just works.
The difference: CB is the campfire. PMR is the walkie-talkie your kids will actually use. Both licence-free. Both community radio. Different tools, same spirit.
🎙️ Ham Radio
"The hobby that reaches the moon. Literally."
Get Licensed — 100% FREE
Essex Ham Free Foundation Licence Course
9 modules: Intro, Technical Basics, Tx/Rx, Feeders & Antennas, Propagation, Licence Conditions, EMC, Safety, Operating Practice.
Fully-narrated videos, quizzes, mock tests, handouts. Optional social webinars, Facebook and Discord support.
Courses run monthly (first weekend), ~3 weeks duration, Fast Track available.
100% FREE. 14,000+ candidates. ~99% pass rate.
No live sessions required, no webcam, completely self-paced.
UK Amateur Radio Licences
🌱
Foundation
Entry level — start here
- — 10W max power
- — HF, VHF, UHF access
- — M7 callsign prefix
- — 3 weeks study
- — Free via Essex Ham
🌿
Intermediate
More power, more bands
- — 50W max power
- — All amateur bands
- — 2E0 callsign prefix
- — Build your own gear
- — Study after Foundation
🌳
Full
The full monty
- — 400W max power
- — All bands, all modes
- — M0 callsign prefix
- — Supervise others
- — Internationally recognised
RSGB — Radio Society of Great Britain
National body for amateur radio in the UK. Administers Foundation, Intermediate and Full licence exams (Ofcom-approved).
800+ test venues and radio clubs. 60+ contests per year. QSL Bureau. RadCom magazine.
From £5.66/month by Direct Debit. Student/young person discounts available.
Benefits: 15%+ shop discount, free Bletchley Park entry, RadCom, contest entry.
UK Radio Rallies 2026
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb | Mid Cheshire ARS Radioactive Fair | Mid Cheshire |
| 7 Mar | Lagan Valley ARS Rally | Northern Ireland |
| 22 Mar | Callington Radio & Electronics Rally | Cornwall |
| 21 Jun | East Suffolk Wireless Revival | Ipswich |
| 25-26 Sep | National Hamfest | Newark, Notts |
| 10-12 Oct | RSGB Convention | Milton Keynes |
Got a rally or meetup? Let us know — free listing. Community eyeballs for community events.
Find a Club
800+ amateur radio clubs across the UK. Most welcome visitors and run Foundation licence courses. Turn up, say hello, ask questions. Nobody bites. (Well, maybe the person who's been trying to get their antenna to tune for three hours.)
Useful Ham Tools
Callsign Lookup
Look up any amateur callsign worldwide. Who are they, where are they, what gear do they run. Free account required.
QRZ.com →RSGB Contest Calendar
60+ contests per year. From 2-hour sprints to 24-hour marathons. All levels welcome — Foundation operators included.
Contest Calendar →Repeater Maps
Find your nearest repeater. Voice, data, microwave — searchable by band, mode, and location across the UK.
ukrepeater.net →Band Plans
Know your frequencies. Foundation, Intermediate, and Full allocations clearly laid out. Don't transmit where you shouldn't.
RSGB Band Plans →⛰️ SOTA — Summits On The Air
"Take the radio. Take the hill. Make the contact."
What is SOTA?
SOTA = Summits On The Air. An international programme for amateur radio operators who enjoy operating from mountain tops.
Activators carry a radio to a registered summit and make contacts. Chasers work them from home or the field. Both earn points.
100+ countries, 100,000+ summits registered worldwide.
UK has hundreds of SOTA summits across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
You DON'T need a licence to chase — SWL (listen only) counts too!
How It Works
🥾
Activator
Carry radio to summit, set up portable antenna, make 4+ contacts, earn activator points
📻
Chaser
Work activators from your shack or the field, earn chaser points, build your tally
👂
SWL
No licence? No problem. Listen and log activators, submit SWL reports, it all counts
SOTA Portals
SOTAwatch
Live spots, alerts, who's on what summit right now. The real-time heartbeat of SOTA.
SOTA Main Site
Rules, summit database, your account and scores. The official home of the programme.
SOTA Mapping
Interactive summit maps. Plan your activation, find summits near you, check access routes.
UK Associations
G (England) · GW (Wales) · GM (Scotland) · GI (Northern Ireland)
Each association has its own summit list and reference numbers.
Getting Started with SOTA
Foundation licence lets you activate — 10W is plenty for SOTA. QRP is the whole point.
Many activators use 5W or less on CW or SSB. Low power, high altitude, big signal.
Essential kit: Lightweight HF radio, wire antenna, battery, warm clothes, flask of tea.
Start by chasing first — find activators on SOTAwatch and work them from home. You'll learn the rhythm before you carry a rig up a hill.
🏕️ POTA — Parks On The Air
"Find a park. Set up the rig. Work the world from a bench."
What is POTA?
POTA = Parks On The Air. An international programme for operating amateur radio from designated parks and nature areas.
Activators set up a radio in a qualified park and make 10+ contacts. Hunters work them from anywhere. Both earn awards.
50+ countries participating, 30,000+ parks registered worldwide.
The UK has hundreds of POTA parks — National Parks, Country Parks, Nature Reserves, RSPB reserves, National Trust properties.
More accessible than SOTA — no mountains required. You can drive to the park, and picnic bench operations are totally valid.
You DON'T need to be a licensed ham to hunt — SWL logging is encouraged too.
How It Works
🌳
Activator
Go portable in the park
- — Go to a POTA park
- — Set up your portable station
- — Make 10+ contacts
- — Log them & upload to pota.app
- — Earn activator points & awards
🎯
Hunter
Work activators from anywhere
- — Work activators from home or field
- — Earn hunter points & awards
- — Track progress on pota.app
- — Chase new parks & references
- — No portable gear needed
🔄
Park-to-Park
The holy grail
- — Both stations in different parks
- — Double points for both operators
- — Double the fun
- — Coordinate via spots page
- — Bragging rights guaranteed
POTA Portals
POTA App
Your dashboard, spots, stats, leaderboards, park database.
pota.app →Parks On The Air
Official site, rules, news, getting started guide.
parksontheair.com →POTA Spots
Live spots feed — who's activating right now.
pota.app/#/spots →UK Parks List
Browse all UK qualified parks.
pota.app/#/parks/GB →Getting Started
Your First POTA Activation
Foundation licence (10W) is more than enough — many activators use 5-10W SSB or CW.
Essential kit: Portable HF radio (FT-818, IC-705, tr-uSDX), wire antenna (EFHW or linked dipole), battery, folding table or bench.
Start by hunting first — find activators on pota.app spots and work them from your home station. Get a feel for the programme before heading out.
Compared to SOTA: easier access, longer operating time (no rush to descend), can bring more gear, more comfortable operating position.
UK Parks — Where to Activate
Hundreds of Qualified Parks Across the UK
National Parks: Lake District, Snowdonia, New Forest, Peak District, Dartmoor, South Downs.
Also qualifies: RSPB reserves, Forestry England sites, National Trust properties, Country Parks.
Many parks are drive-up accessible — great for operators with mobility considerations. No hill-climbing required.
🌍 Shortwave Listening
"The magic of pulling in a signal from 5,000 miles away with a bit of wire."
No licence needed. Anyone can listen to anything on any frequency. That's the law. You just can't transmit without a licence.
Shortwave (HF) signals bounce off the ionosphere and travel thousands of miles. With a decent receiver and a long wire antenna, you can hear broadcasts from every continent, amateur radio conversations, aviation, maritime, number stations, and things that make you go "what was THAT?"
It's the original doomscrolling. Except it's real, it's unpredictable, and the algorithms are solar weather instead of Silicon Valley.
Live Band Conditions
These update automatically. Green = band is open. Check before you listen or transmit.
Solar Dashboard
Tuning in to solar data...
Band Conditions
Tuning in to solar data...
Grey Line Map
The grey line (dawn/dusk boundary) is where HF propagation is strongest. Source: DX QSL
Data from HamQSL / N0NBH. Updates every 3 hours. Auto-refreshes every 30 minutes.
WebSDR — Listen Online Right Now
No radio? No problem. WebSDR lets you tune real shortwave receivers over the internet. Right now. For free. No software to install, no account to create. Just click and listen.
This is the gateway drug. Once you hear a number station at 2am through a WebSDR, you'll want your own receiver.
Number Stations & The Weird Stuff
The shortwave bands are full of things that make you go "what was THAT?" — number stations broadcasting strings of digits in synthetic voices, military chatter in languages you can't identify, over-the-horizon radar sweeping like a metronome, time signals pulsing from atomic clocks, and transmissions that nobody has ever explained.
Cold War leftovers? Active intelligence networks? Automated beacons from forgotten installations? All of the above. And you can hear them tonight.
The Conet Project — Reference recordings of number stations (freely available, search online)
Shortwave listening is the original rabbit hole. Welcome down.
Reception Improvement Tips
Antenna — The Single Biggest Upgrade
- — Height is king. Even a few extra feet matters.
- — CB mobile: Roof-mount beats mag-mount. Centre of roof = best ground plane.
- — CB base: Half-wave vertical or ground plane, mounted externally.
- — SWL: Long wire antenna (20m+) running to a tree or pole transforms reception.
- — Ham HF: Dipoles are simple, cheap, effective. Fan dipole covers multiple bands.
SWR — Standing Wave Ratio
- — Target: below 1.5:1. Below 2.0:1 acceptable.
- — Above 2.5:1 can damage your radio.
- — Too high on Ch1 = antenna too short.
- — Too high on Ch40 = antenna too long.
- — High on both = ground plane or connection problem.
Coax Cable
- — RG213 or Westflex 103 for longer runs.
- — RG58 for short patches only.
- — Keep runs short. Check connectors.
- — Waterproof outdoor connections with self-amalgamating tape.
Interference Reduction
- — LED lights, phone chargers, power supplies generate QRM.
- — Higher ground = better range.
- — Ferrite chokes on coax reduce common-mode interference.
- — ATU for SWL pre-selects frequencies and rejects interference.
🛒 The Old Spark's Gear
Honest recommendations. What you actually need, no sponsored rubbish.
Antennas & Mounting
Test & Measurement
Amazon affiliate links support the village. Coffeeware model: free forever, donations optional.
"The radio amateur is balanced. A love of others drives him to serve. A love of self drives him to excel."
— Amateur's Code, Paul M. Segal (W9EEA), 1928
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