As part of our aim to help radio amateurs develop their practical skills, we will run a DDS programming workshop in Blackpool on Saturday the 11th of April, the day before the NARSA Rally. The six-hour workshop, which was first run at the RSGB 2025 Convention, is intended for RSGB members who already have a basic knowledge of Arduino programming. Attendees will learn how to control and program a Direct Digital Synthesiser using a microcontroller and will use this to generate RF. As well as covering the maths behind the programming process, attendees will also gain an insight into vibe coding. So, if 2026 is the year you want to take your programming skills up a notch, this is the event for you. For full information and booking details, visit rsgb.org/practical-events This year’s British Science Week runs from the 6th to 15th of March with the theme of ‘Curiosity - what’s your question?’. A number of clubs, youth groups and schools have already planned events and activities, and our team of Champions are working to deliver more. You can take part and try one of the great activity suggestions that we have on our website. You could involve your local Womens Institute, Men in Sheds group, school or youth groups or even your own family. If you have your own ideas, let us know; they don’t need to be ‘grand’, simply demonstrating the magic of radio is enough. Another way to get involved with British Science Week is to take part in a sked, which is a pre-arranged radio contact with another radio operator at a scheduled time and on a particular frequency. The RSGB National Radio Centre offers groups and clubs the chance to arrange a sked and get its sought-after GB3RS callsign into the logbook. To take part in this unique offering, go to rsgb.org/bsw and select ‘Events happening near you’ from the right-hand menu. Contacts must be arranged in advance and would take place between 10am and 4pm during British Science Week. Is there a particular topic you’d like to learn more about at the RSGB 2026 Convention in October? Have you been working on some research or a project that you’d like to share with the amateur radio community? Or would you like to see a workshop explaining a new skill you’d like to try? Whatever the idea, submit your proposal to us by sending the title and at least a one-paragraph summary of your suggestion to convention@rsgb.org.uk If you’re not yet an RSGB member and would like to read RadCom Basics or RadCom Plus, take a look at the RSGB app, which is available for mobile and web. We've just released a sample edition of each, so whether you are a newcomer or are looking for more technical features, the samples will give you a taster of our digital RadCom supplements. There are only three weeks left until the closing date for entries in the RSGB Construction Competition. The competition is open to all RSGB members and has six categories to enter, ranging from 'Beginners' to 'Construction Excellence'. Whether you are taking your first steps in construction or it is your 50th project, we invite you to get involved and be in with the chance to win a cash prize. To find out more, go to rsgb.org/construction-competition The deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2026. We have a number of Regional Team vacancies including District Representative positions in Hampshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, South Derbyshire and South Nottinghamshire, and North Lincolnshire. This is a chance to support the work of the RSGB and to provide help and guidance for local radio amateurs and groups in your area. To find out how to apply or to view other Regional Team vacancies in other areas, go to rsgb.org/volunteers We are delighted to hear that Wick High School in Scotland is preparing for an ARISS contact later this year. The RSGB School Youth Chair Chris Aitken, MM0WIC is the Computing teacher at the school and also runs the school’s amateur radio club, GM0WHS. Chris shared the news with the Society, and you can read more at rsgb.org/school-zone Aldir, PY1SAD is active as 8R1TM from Guyana until the 23rd of February. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes on 160 to 6m and via satellite. Listen for him between 2300 and 0300UTC during the week, and ‘full time' during the weekends. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com or directly to Aldir’s home call. Michael, OZ6ABL is active as 5Z4/OZ6ABL from Watamu in Kenya until the 28th of February on 80 to 6m CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS, or via Michael’s home call. The Red Rose Winter Rally, organised by West Manchester Radio Club, takes place today, Sunday the 8th of February at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Exhibitors can set up from 8.15am and doors open to visitors at 10am, with a large car park, catering, bring-and-buy sale, improved disabled access and a seating area on site. For more information, visit wmrc.co.uk On Sunday the 15th of February, Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society’s Radioactive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Cheshire CW5 5DG. The doors will open from 10am to 3pm, featuring a bring-and-buy sale, RSGB bookstall and raffle, catering, parking and disabled facilities. For more details visit radioactivefair.co.uk To celebrate the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, special event station DD2026OWG is active until the 1st of March. QSL via Logbook of the World. For more information visit QRZ.com Six special event stations are active from Poland until the 22nd of February to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of Gdynia. Look for activity on 160 to 6m, as well as 2m and 70cm using CW, SSB, FM, RTTY, FT4 and FT8. For information about an award you can get if you work the stations, and for QSL details, visit tinyurl.com/gdynia26 Last week we had a high solar flux index with a string of X-class solar flares from active region 4366 on the Sun. Luckily, none of these resulted in a coronal mass ejection, so we got away lightly. The solar flux index was 178 on Tuesday the 3rd of February, meaning that the 10m band was humming. US states heard included Oregon, Nevada, California, Washington and Idaho, all between 1530 and 1730UTC. As we always say, look for a high solar flux index and a Kp index between 1 and 3 for DX. The next day was a washout, possibly thanks to the Kp index which rose to 3.67, thanks to a coronal mass ejection that passed Earth at 1506UTC. Poor conditions continued on Thursday the 5th when the solar wind speed rose to more than 500 kilometres per second, the Kp index rose to 5.33 and maximum usable frequencies across 3,000km struggled to exceed 20MHz. Incidentally, February and March are good for 10m band paths to the US. By April, paths start to fade, favouring South America, so if you need US states for your Worked All States award, now is the right time! In the meantime, keep an eye on active region 4366 as it may still have a sting in its tail. This monstrous sunspot group, 15 times the width of Earth, was facing Earth on Thursday the 5th. As always, we recommend visiting solarham.com for daily updates on space weather. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be between 130 to 150, although the Kp index might be unsettled at times, with an average Kp index of 3. Friday the 13th of February is forecast to be particularly unsettled with a Kp index of 5. The unsettled weather pattern continues to bring a mix of rain and showers and very strong winds at times plus the threat of snowfall in some eastern and northern areas. This probably means that tropo will be hard to find during the coming week but leaves us with plenty of chances for rain scatter for GHz operators. The disturbed Sun has once again brought a sequence of flares and coronal mass ejections which gave frequent auroral alerts as the Kp index climbed to 4 or more. Listen for fluttery signals on the LF bands and perhaps ghostly sounding signals on HF and VHF, typically 10m to 2m. Meteor scatter operators must rely upon random meteor activity, but over the whole Earth this can amount to 25 million meteors or meteoroids per day, so there is every chance that even random activity could produce a path for you if you have a quiet site. The mix of meteor activity and a low Kp index can lead to out-of-season Sporadic-E, given some jet stream weather activity. However, this is currently well south over the Mediterranean in its usual winter position, so any Sporadic-E may be a bit too far to the south to reach from the UK in the short term. This week, Moon declination is negative and falling until Thursday the 12th of February. Moon window length and peak elevation follow suit. Path losses are rising again as we reach apogee, the Moon’s furthest point from Earth, on Tuesday the 10th of February. 144MHz sky noise is low but rising to high by Thursday the 12th of February.