An Active Club!

Welcome to Fort Purbrook Amateur Radio Club (FPARC). We’re the enthusiastic club to join when interested in an exciting, challenging and educational hobby of amateur radio!

FPARC is an active amateur radio club that hosts frequent activities & events, values and encourages members’ talents & abilities, and shares knowledge through teaching, demonstration & mentoring.

Our home (QTH) is within Fort Purbrook, the most easterly of the forts along the ridgeline of Portsdown Hill. We welcome visitors seeking amateur radio clubs in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Surrey, and West Sussex.

Are we for You?

Amateur Radio Operator at our Summer Field Weekend

Amateur Radio Club Member: Peter G4NKX, operating during a Summer Field Weekend

We’re a club for (OFCOM) licensed amateur radio operators, shortwave listeners and even complete novices; you’re welcome to join us for club meetings, presentations, natter-nights, field days (contests, special events, personal experiments, etc) all of which make good use of valuable hobby time with a busy club.

Interested? Why not join us for a field event on Portsdown Hill, or come to our monthly Friday evening club meeting? Later, you might consider becoming a bona fide club member.

Amateur Radio: offering more features than CB (Citizens Band) Radio; affiliated with the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), RNARS (No. 4976) and FISTS (No. 17010), with World Castles Award (No. G-00394).

Club Features

G3CNO Club Shack

Part of our Club Shack

  • From an RF perspective, the roof of our home at Fort Purbrook (which is positioned at 100m / 330ft above sea level (ASL)) boasts outstanding potential for amateur radio. We have a visual line of sight panoramically from Chichester Cathedral in the east to Fawley oil refinery in the west.
  • Our club has a collection of working transceivers, antennas, and other equipment for loan to members. When using this equipment, members may use their own call-sign or the club call-sign G3CNO.
  • We have our own fully kitted Club Shack with a selection of transceivers, computer equipment, and an antenna connection point for members’ own equipment.
  • Club meetings are on the last Friday of each month at Fort Purbrook (click for our club’s address and map), plus we host regular and varied field events.

🚗💨 There’s free car parking outside both fort entrances, with bus stops #7 and #20 on the main road.

Fort Purbrook (north-westerly view)

Fort Purbrook (our club's QTH) - pictured from above, facing North West. Attribution: TimSC, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (original image).

Club Activities

Monthly Club Meets

The last Friday of the month is our club meeting evening. Sometimes it's a "natter night," sometimes it's a presentation by a guest or club member, and sometimes it's a theme night. Visitors & guests welcome.

📡 See Monthly Club Meetings…

Monthly Social Lunches

Optional, but for those interested, some of us meet for a social lunch once a month.

📡 Details available to members only.

Summer Field Days

In warmer months, we set up gazebos, equipment & refreshments on the western fort ramparts and enjoy activity days, operating field-style. Visitors welcome!

Using temporary antennas along with club and member equipment, we see who we can contact. Attendees are welcome to bring their equipment.

📡 See Scheduled Radio Field Days/Weekends…

Contesting

We take part in contesting (e.g. making as many contacts within a contest's definition and rules). Contests can last anywhere from an afternoon to 24 hours (or more), and some of us choose to camp out overnight. For us, contesting is about the fun rather than winning, but we wouldn't say no to a trophy 🏆.

📡 See Scheduled Radio Contesting Events…

Club Shack

For club members, we have a shack where you can use our transceivers, antennas, & computers. Club members may connect their own equipment.

📡 Visit us for a free viewing…

Special Events

We operate special events, including the Special Events Station: GB1PF. representing Palmerston Forts. We make contact with operators around the world, sharing information on the event's topic.

📡 See Scheduled Radio Special Events…

Experimenter Days

We call this type of field day an Experimenter Day. Club members, at all stages of their learning, work with others or alone on radio experiments, testing new equipment (commercial or homebrew), trying out new things ("Does it Antenna...") and maybe becoming inspired by others' projects.

📡 See Scheduled Radio Experimenter Days…

Practical Events

The Practical Evening & Field Events cater to members interested in construction, kit-building and experimentation. Ask questions and receive support from experienced mentors. Our monthly evenings at Deverell Hall are now transferred to summer field days.

📡 See The Practical Evening…

Upcoming Events

Club Meeting

Friday 30th May 2025 19:00 to 21:00
Event is next weekMonthly club meeting - Fort Purbrook - Meeting Room FP4 (1900hrs start).

Cancelled: Field Weekend (Activating G3CNO)

Saturday 31st May 2025 09:30 to Sunday 1st June 2025 15:00
Field weekend 31st May / 1st June 2025. Activating G3CNO (club members may also set-up their own equipment and operate).

Club Meeting

Friday 27th June 2025 19:00 to 21:00
Monthly club meeting - Fort Purbrook - Meeting Room FP4 (1900hrs start).

Field Weekend (Activating G3CNO in the VHF Fixed Station Contest)

Saturday 5th July 2025 09:30 to Sunday 6th July 2025 15:00
Main Points of the Weekend: Activating our club call-sign G3CNO in the RSGB VHF Fixed Station Contest. This contest takes place at the same time as the VHF National Field Day (VHFNFD) 1500 Saturday – 1500 Sunday local time. Additionally, operation on HF bands with the club’s equipment Experimenters: Members…

Field Weekend (Activating G3CNO with 4m Contest)

Saturday 19th July 2025 09:30 to 21:00
Main Points of the Weekend: Activating our club call-sign G3CNO. 4m Contest: Saturday 19th July 1500 – 2100 (local time). Experimenters: Members are welcome to setup and experiment with their own kit, keeping outside of the 4m band during the contest. Other Fort Activities: none we know about at this…

145 Alive (Summer 2025)

Sunday 20th July 2025 12:00 to 15:00
Not a club event, but a reminder of the Summer 2025 '145 Alive' (2m/FM simplex) event

Club Meeting

Friday 25th July 2025 19:00 to 21:00
Monthly club meeting - Fort Purbrook - Meeting Room FP4 (1900hrs start).

Field Weekend (Activating G3CNO with IOTA contest)

Saturday 26th July 2025 09:30 to Sunday 27th July 2025 17:00
Main Points of the Weekend: Activating our club call-sign G3CNO in the IOTA (Islands On The Air) HF Contest from 1300 local time (Saturday 26th July) until 1300 local time (Sunday 27th July) 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m, CW & SSB only Outside of the contest operating on HF bands…

Club Meeting

Friday 29th August 2025 19:00 to 21:00
Monthly club meeting - Fort Purbrook - Meeting Room FP4 (1900hrs start).

Club Meeting

Friday 26th September 2025 19:00 to 21:00
Monthly club meeting - Fort Purbrook - Meeting Room FP4 (1900hrs start).

Monthly Club Meeting

General Information

We usually meet on the last Friday of the month (except in December, where we meet earlier to avoid the holiday period). We usually gather at Fort Purbrook (Rooms FP-4) from 1900 - 2100. Further details for Club Members are to be found on the Club Bulletin Board Service.

Keith S.
09:22 25 Jul 24
Good, friendly club. Has a number of people ready to help less experienced amateurs discover new aspects of the hobby.
Christopher J.
18:38 21 Jul 24
Well I have enjoyed the practical evenings also being able to use the grounds of the Fort with my radio and all the practical advice we get is very helpful
John
09:32 21 Jul 24
I joined the club a year ago, the club has been welcoming and helpful. I particularly enjoy participating in the practical field weekends and experimenter days. Additionally the Fort is an interesting historical site.
Neil S.
17:46 28 Jan 23

Your New Hobby

Imagine a hobby that connects you with a global community of friendly enthusiasts and offers opportunities for learning and contributing, all from the comfort of your home. You could connect with people across the globe using just a radio and your ingenuity!

Amateur radio offers a fascinating blend of technology, communication, and community, inviting you to explore the airwaves and even provide vital communication during emergencies. If you’re looking for a fulfilling way to fill your time, combat feelings of loneliness, and even make a real difference during emergencies, amateur radio could be the perfect hobby to begin a new adventure.

Begin today, and you could be transmitting by next month!

FPARC Field Marquee at Dusk - 2019

FPARC Field Marquee at Dusk (2019)

Visitors Welcome

Visitors and guests are welcome to come to any of our meetings, field events and other activities. There’s free parking outside of the fort, with two bus routes passing by.

We make a nominal £1 attendance charge to all attendees (both visitors and club members). This helps with our room hire costs, field location rental, and hosting expenses.

Hot refreshments and biscuits are usually available at no additional charge (but please bring your own mug as we have a green policy of no plastic cups).

Come down for a visit!  Contact our Membership Secretary: Peter G4NKX or our Examination Secretary: Graham M0CYX via our Contact Us Page to let us know when to welcome you.

The Scoop on FPARC

QTH: Portsmouth.
Locator: IO90LU.
WAB Square: SU60.
Postcode: PO6 1BJ.
Address: Fort Purbrook, Peter Ashley Lane, Cosham, Hampshire, PO6 1BJ. (Open Google Maps)
Club Call-sign: G3CNO.
Special Event Station Call-sign: GB1PF.
Weekly Net: See our 2m Club Open Net Information page for further details.

G3CNO FISTS Certificate

Weekly 2m Net (IO90)

Thursday Evening Open Net.

We run our open club net weekly on the 2m band.

All licensed amateurs are welcome to join in, regardless of whether they reside in the area or are just passing through.

Shortwave listeners (SWLs) are welcome to listen in, too – tune to the frequencies show on the accompanying page.

We would be delighted if you would join our Open 2m Net this Thursday @ 1930.

Club Address

Fort Purbrook Amateur Radio Club (FPARC).
c/o Peter Ashley Activity Centres (Fort Purbrook),
Peter Ashley Lane, Portsdown Hill Road,
Portsmouth, Hampshire,
PO6 1BJ, United Kingdom.

🚗 Free car parking outside of the Fort.
🚌 Bus stops on Crookhorn Lane for #20 and #7 theSTAR.

Contact 📧: https://fparc.uk/contact/

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Peter Ashley Activity Centres, which manage Fort Purbrook, offer a variety of activities for people of all ages, such as air rifle shooting, archery, and climbing.

* Fort Purbrook Amateur Radio Club supports the DX Code of Conduct.

Shortwave listeners (SWLs): people who listen to radio transmissions through public Web software-defined radios (e.g. https://rx-tx.info/map-sdr-points), their own SDRs, and other home equipment but who otherwise do not transmit.
We follow the DX Code of Conduct