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Why join a Club?
As a prospective club member, you’ll be wondering why you might join Fort Purbrook Amateur Radio Club and what activities and resources it would offer you.
Fort Purbrook ARC is not only one of the most active clubs in the area; judging by the reviews we get we’re a friendly group, with members eager to advise and share their knowledge with others (no matter your levels of experience). We have our own Club Shack at the Fort that members can access daily, plus radio equipment (transceivers, antennas, etc) available for members to borrow.
Come down for a Visit
If you prefer, you are welcome to contact our Membership Secretary: Peter G4NKX or our Examination Secretary: Graham M0CYX via our Contact Us Page to arrange a visit us.
We’ll be happy to hear from you.
Becoming a Member
Membership is not automatic and is subject to committee approval.
It’s best to meet us, and then you can see if the club suits your requirements. You are welcome to visit us up to three times before you make an application for club membership. This gives us plenty of time to get to know each other.
There are no costs involved in meeting with us as a prospective member (other than the £1-per-meeting fee that every attendee – visitor, guest and member – pays to cover room-hire costs and facilities).
| 📝 | Application forms and a copy of the club constitution are available from Peter G4NKX (Membership Secretary) at any club meet/event or via email on request. |
Club Membership Costs
Adult membership costs £30.00 per year (our year begins on 1st September). If it's midway through the year, we ask only for half the fee (£15.00). There is no joining fee, and there are concessions for young people. For existing members, late membership payments incur an extra £5.00.
Please Note: every Club Member and Guest/Visitor is charged a £1 attendance fee per event. This fee goes towards funding our hiring costs at Fort Purbrook. Hot refreshments are normally available at no additional charge. Club Members have the option of prepaying all attendance expenses (club meetings, field days, etc.) in advance each September.
No fee is required until your membership application is approved. Membership cards in the form of ID Badges are provided for successful applicants.
Successful applicants are given access to our Members Only Bulletin Board Service. This contains discussion areas covering, for example, Club Events, Antennas, Equipment, QRP and Homebrew. We have some very knowledgeable members in the club who are more than willing to help newcomers with any questions that they may have.
Club Activities
If you are new to the hobby or are seeking to upgrade your licence, we can provide training and an examination venue. Our Tuition page has further details, or you can contact our examination secretary.
For our monthly social meetings (“Natter nights”) and occasional club-presentations, we hire a room at Fort Purbrook (usually 7.00–9.00pm on the last Friday of each month, except during December, when the meeting is earlier in the month due to Christmas).
See our Club Events Listings for scheduled meetings.
Club Shack
For club members, we have a shack where you can use our transceivers, antennas, & computers. Club members may connect their own equipment.
Special Events
We activate our club callsign, G3CNO, using the club rig, a Kenwood TS-590S, combined with an MFJ Manual ATU and a suitable 13.8V DC PSU.
Annually, we activate the Special Event Station: GB1PF, representing Palmerston Forts, of which our QTH at Fort Purbrook is one (see: GB1PF at QRZ.com for further information.
Experiment Days
We hold Experimenter’s Field Days up at the Fort for club members to bring their kits, commercial and homebrew, for testing and discussions with other club members.
Members of the Practical Evening have an opportunity to test out their constructions in the field.
It’s a perfectly informal day and very enjoyable for those of us who like to build our own equipment.
Summer Field Weekends
Our main operation during the warmer months, May to September, takes place outside “in the field” up on the Fort ramparts. We set up using club and member antennas, masts, transceivers, etc.
We have comforts: tables, chairs, a mains power supply, and a tea urn. Members are welcome to bring along their own equipment and portable antennas.
Contesting
We take part in contesting (eg we make contacts with as many radio enthusiasts as we can on a designated band and/or mode).
These activities are primarily fun. Contesting isn’t to win any kind of prize; it’s a form of enjoyable activity that has additional benefits, such as practice for newer and more experienced members.
Community Events
We regularly help with community events when they involve amateur radio.
Most recently, we’ve helped local scouts with their worldwide Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) event, where each scout had to complete a series of events such as listening to transmissions using a Software Defined Radio (SDR) and making supervised contacts with other Scouts across the world.
Bereavement
We regularly assist bereaved families with finding buyers for bequeathed radio equipment. See our page on Silent Key Support for information.
One of our Field Event Gazebos
4m Contest Field Weekend
Setting up Events on the Day
Our Original Field Weekend Marquee
We encourage club members to assist in setting up our resources (marquee(s), antennas, transceivers, refreshments) and to put the club calls on the air.
We welcome people who wish to get involved.
That old adage: “the more you put in, the more you get out” works for us as a club and encourages team effort along with the friendship and camaraderie that involvement brings.
