Amateur radio rallies are an important part of the hobby. Here are some of the reasons to consider attending a rally:
- The chance to pick up a bargain!
- The chance to meet up with people who you’ve only spoken to on-air
- A mix of dealers, from big-names to one-band bands
- Attended by clubs and special interest groups – good sources of information
- Pick up obscure bits of kit, connectors, adapters, books
- The catering – a common talking point of any rally (“how was the bacon butty? tea? etc)
Rallies take place across the UK throughout the year (disrupted by Covid restrictions and lockdowns, of course)
If you want to find out when there’s a rally near you, take a look in the pages of the two amateur radio magazines, Practical Wireless or the RSGB’s Radcom, or for the latest information, check out the following two websites:
- G4RGA Rally Page – Frequently-updated list, an excellent resource for rally information
- RSGB Rally Page – RSGB’s list of rallies
Probably the largest rally is the National Hamfest, which takes place at the Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire, but each rally has its own personality, and they’re worth a visit (at least once) to get a flavour.
Rally Video
The following video is a little old now, but makes for a good summary of what a rally is all about from a newcomer’s perspective – this shows the West London Radio Rally, held at the Kempton Racecourse:
Other Rallies
Here are a few photos of rallies:
Handy Links
- Our look at other UK Rallies
- List of UK amateur radio rallies (G4RGA site)
- List of UK amateur radio rallies (RSGB site)
Got a picture of a rally to share? Contact us. Any thoughts on rallies? Add them below. Want to talk rallies? Try our regional forums.
