FOC in the North 2026

FOC in the North 2026

Chris, G5VZ, has booked The Blue Bell in Wentbridge for our 2026 FOC in the North lunch, on Saturday, 11. April.
We will meet at 1230 (local time!).
The Blue Bell is on The Great North Road just a couple of hundred metres south of the bridge over the River Went, famous in the legend of Robin Hood.
The Blue Bell has an extensive menu and a range of beers – the web site is at bluebellwentbridge.co.uk. The address is The Blue Bell Inn, Great North Road, Wentbridge WF8 3JP
The phone number of The Blue Bell is 01977 620697. You can find a phone number for Chris in the Year Book or contact him at chris@g5vz.co.uk
Please let Chris know if you’re coming. Thanks!

FOC Breakfast at 2026 Dayton Hamvention

Mark your calendars for Sunday, 17th May for the annual FOC Breakfast at Hamvention. The breakfast will again be
at the Hope Hotel which is located next to Wright Patterson Air Force Base at Gate 12A. The breakfast meeting starts at
7:30 AM and runs until about 10:30 AM. We are very grateful for the assistance of member K3LR, and DX Engineering,
for arranging the Sabre Room at no cost to FOC and for providing some really super door prizes! FOC will also be
sponsoring a coffee and tea station. This year Tom, N4LSJ, will be Coordinator/MC. More specific details will be in the
March News Sheet! If you have any questions, contact Dennis, WØJX. 

Condin 2026

In 2026, the traditional Continental Dinner will be held in the city of Bremerhaven in the North of Germany. Bremerhaven, a port city at the mouth of the Weser River, was founded in 1827, making it 199 years old as of 2026, and is known for its maritime heritage, hosting the German Maritime Museum and is a major fishing and container port. With a population of about 113,000, it blends industrial significance with cultural attractions like the Klimahaus science center.

The venue will be the Best Western Plus Hotel Bremerhaven, a 4-star property opened in 2013 in Bremerhaven’s historic Fischereihafen  district. Plans for the weekend include a joint visit to a restaurant on Friday evening, museum visits or a harbor cruise on Saturday, and a dinner for the group on Saturday evening, of course. The date for this event has been set for the weekend from 8 May to 10 May 2026.
Booking for this event is open now. The rates are €119 for a single and €149 for a double room per night including a buffet style breakfast.
Please phone +49-471-80935300 or mail info@best-western-bremerhaven.de for your reservation, and do not forget to mention booking code FOC0526. These rates will only be available until 27 March 2026. If you have any questions about the event, please do not hesitate to contact DL5XL at felix@dl5xl.de. The organizers would also appreciate a short note if you intend to participate so that activities can be planned accordingly.

QRS Day

Now and again, we should switch down a few gears and QSO with those operators who are not
as fast at CW. Casual operators on the bands appreciate it when we slow down and work people
at their own pace. This is a chance to encourage wider activity on the bands with everyone,
including other members. Suggested maximum speed of 15wpm.

Mechanical Key Day (MKD)

A regular opportunity for some friendly QSOs, while giving the electronic keyer some time
off. Members are encouraged to try to get on one of their favourite band(s) at some time during
this 24-hour period and look for other members. There are no set exchanges, just have an
enjoyable QSO with a fellow member using straight key, bug or sideswiper.

Mechanical Key Day (MKD)

A regular opportunity for some friendly QSOs, while giving the electronic keyer some time
off. Members are encouraged to try to get on one of their favourite band(s) at some time during
this 24-hour period and look for other members. There are no set exchanges, just have an
enjoyable QSO with a fellow member using straight key, bug or sideswiper.

FOC Old School Classic 1960s QSO Party

Purpose: To turn the clocks back to what ham radio was like in the 1960s. To the extent possible, re-create the operating practices and gear used by amateurs before computers became a staple in most amateur stations, “contest” software became common, and DX Clusters were used for posting callsigns and frequencies of stations on the air anywhere in the world.

Participation: Open to all licensed amateurs

Date and Time:  Summer: Last weekend in June or first weekend in July: Sunday

Winter: First weekend in January: Sunday

Time: 24 Hours beginning 1200 UTC through 1200 UTC following day.

Dates and Times are subject to change.

Mode: CW Only

Call: “CQ OS” or “CQ OSQP” or “CQ FOC OS”

Suggested CW Speed: 15-30 WPM with 30 WPM maximum speed

Bands: 160M, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M and 6M bands only.

Suggested Operating Frequency: 28 to 45 Khz above Band Lower Edge.

Visit event page to read more

Condin 2025

The CONDIN 2025 will take place in the old residence city of Karl the Great and the coronation city of 21 Kings.
Date: 9–11. May 2025, Dinner 10. May 19:00
Location: Novotel Aachen City, Tel. 0241–51590, email: <h3557–re@accor.com>
Prices: Double Room 140,00 € Comfort room incl. breakfast
Single Room 115,00 € incl. breakfast
Buffet 33,00 €


Please book using the code “FOC”. Cancellations are free of charge until 3 May 2025. Later is 90% of the cost is charged.


Accessibility by train:

• from Cologne Airport direct to Aachen,
• from Duesseldorf Airport direct to Aachen
• from Bruxelles Airport direct to Aachen
• from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne with change to Aachen
• direct line from Rostock to Aachen

You can expect a lively participation in an interesting city in the border triangle that has shaped Europe.

UK Annual Dinner 2026

This social event is held every year.  It’s FOC’s flag-ship social event and is open to Members and their guests.

This year’s  event is to be held  Saturday, 12th of September 2026 at the Crewe Hall Hotel & Spa, near Crewe in Cheshire: https://www.crewehallcheshire.co.uk

Over the coming weeks, further details and a booking link will be provided – this is an opportunity to mark the weekend in your diary.

 

Memorial Day QSO Party

Memorial Day QSO Party (MDQP) is an activity providing participants with an opportunity to honour amateur radio operators who are now Silent Key.

MDQP is being sponsored and managed by FOC and is open to all licensed amateurs: the idea is for each participant to honour a silent key. They might have a special memory to share, along with the callsign and name of one who went before us.

For more information : Memorial Day QSO Party