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Previous Club Activities

A permanent record of Bushvalley ARC expeditions, rallies, awards and club events from 2022 onwards.

Club history

Activities from 2022 onwards

Highlights from Bushvalley ARC expeditions, rallies, awards, community events and club gatherings.

2025

3 activities

ILLW 2025

Rathlin Island lighthouse expedition

1,957 contacts · 65 DXCC countries · 31 US states

Ten members activated all three Rathlin Island lighthouse locations using GB1RP at Rue Point, GB2WL at the West Light and GB2EL at the East Light.

Event details

Contacts were made using SSB, CW and FT8. Notable DX included several Australian stations, with New Zealand worked on 30 metres CW. Yaesu FTDX-10 transceivers were used at all three stations, with an FTDX-101MP also in use at the East Light. The weekend brought unusually warm, calm and dry weather for Rathlin.

Annual Rally 2025

Bushvalley ARC Annual Radio Rally

The 2025 rally was held on Sunday 2 November at the Showgrounds, Rathmore Road, Limavady, with traders, bring-and-buy and on-site catering.

Event details

The chosen charity for the 2025 rally was Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke.

St Patrick's Day 2025

St Patrick's Day activation

A special-event activation from Burnfoot Community Centre using the callsigns GB1PAT and GB2PAT, operating on HF and VHF.

Event details

The event ran from 11.00 to 16.00 and visitors were invited to call in at the club.

2024

5 activities

Christmas 2024

Annual Christmas Dinner

On Saturday 7 December 2024, the club held its annual Christmas Dinner, accompanied by honorary member Robert, GM0NCA.

Top: Victor (GI4ONL), Jim-Bob (MI0JBT), Preston (GI4YWW), Robert (GM0NCA), Peter (GI6PHD), Kyle (MI7XKA)

Bottom: Frances, John (GI4OSF), Jason (MI3UIW), Jackie (MI0JPD), Ann

County Derry Post coverage of Bushvalley ARC Annual Radio Rally 2024

Annual Rally 2024

Rally supports NI Children's Hospice

£850 donated to Northern Ireland Children's Hospice

The club's annual rally took place on Sunday 3 November 2024 at the Showgrounds in Limavady.

Event details

Following the rally, Chairman Jackie Doyle presented an £850 donation to Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. Community Fundraiser Julie Martin thanked the club for its support.

JOTA 2024

Jamboree on the Air with 1st Bovevagh Scouts

Bushvalley ARC hosted 1st Bovevagh Scout Group for the 2024 Jamboree on the Air, introducing young people to amateur radio and giving them the opportunity to experience a station in operation.

ILLW 2024

Rathlin Island lighthouse weekend

1,290 contacts · 50+ DXCC countries · 68 other ILLW stations

Bushvalley ARC operated GB2EL, GB2WL and GB1RP from Rathlin Island during International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.

Event details

The East Light served as the main operating and overnight base. Despite difficult HF conditions after geomagnetic activity, the three stations logged 1,290 contacts and worked more than 50 DXCC countries. All logs were uploaded to LoTW.

April 2024

First meeting at Burnfoot Community Centre

On Thursday 25 April 2024, the club held its first meeting in its new home at Burnfoot Community Centre.

Event details

The occasion included an official visit from RSGB President John McCullagh GI4BWM, while Lifetime Honorary Member Robert Pinkerton joined the meeting by Zoom.

2023

5 activities

Bushvalley ARC members with Robert Pinkerton at his Lifetime Honorary Membership presentation

December 2023

Farewell Robert — Lifetime Honorary Membership

Robert Pinkerton was granted Lifetime Honorary Membership in recognition of his long-term commitment to Bushvalley ARC before his move to Scotland.

Bushvalley ARC Annual Radio Rally 2023 poster

Annual Rally 2023

Annual Radio Rally in support of the RNLI

The 2023 Bushvalley ARC rally was held on Sunday 5 November at the Showgrounds, Rathmore Road, Limavady, with the RNLI selected as the year's supported charity.

Tuesday Night Net145.300MHz · FM20.00–22.00 BST
19.00–21.00 GMT/UTC

Club Net

Tuesday Night Net

The club's Tuesday Night Net operated on 145.300 MHz FM. All radio amateurs were welcome to join.

These were the operating times used during this period of the club's history.

ILLW 2023

Three Rathlin lighthouses activated

1,220 contacts logged

The club operated GB2EL from East Lighthouse, GB2WL from West Lighthouse and GB1RP from Rue Point over 19–20 August 2023.

Event details

At the time it was the club's most successful ILLW weekend. All logs were uploaded to LoTW, and the activity was later featured in the December issue of RadCom.

Bushvalley ARC members operating during the St Patrick's Day Award 2023

St Patrick's Day 2023

St Patrick's Day Award activation

Club members took part in a St Patrick's Day Award activation from a marquee, welcoming visitors and putting the special-event station on the air.

Photograph by Stephen McAuley.

2022

2 activities

Bushvalley ARC presenting £2,500 raised for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland

Annual Rally 2022

Air Ambulance NI fundraising rally

£2,419.55 raised · topped up by the club to £2,500

After the 2020 and 2021 rallies were prevented by Covid restrictions, the event returned to Limavady on 6 November 2022 with fundraising for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.

Event details

The club originally set a £1,000 target and increased it as support grew. Sponsors provided more than £1,000 worth of raffle prizes and the club donated the rally proceeds to the charity. The final total was £2,419.55, which Bushvalley ARC topped up to £2,500 before the presentation at the Air Ambulance base.

ILLW 2022

Rathlin Island expedition

471 QSOs · 41 lighthouse-to-lighthouse contacts

Members travelled from Ballycastle to Rathlin Island for International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on 20–21 August 2022.

Event details

With normal accommodation unavailable, the team erected a canvas frame tent at the East Lighthouse as both operating base and sleeping quarters. All three lighthouse stations were on air around 45 minutes after arrival using GB2EL, GB2WL and GB1RP. The weekend produced 471 QSOs on SSB and CW, including 41 lighthouse-to-lighthouse contacts.

Historical information: Event dates, operating times and arrangements shown on this page relate to the year in which each activity took place and may differ from the club's current arrangements.