During the Summer 2025 term, the Electronics Club at Heritage School in Cambridge became the ‘Heritage School Electronics & Radio Club (G7HSC)’ and had a term full of radio-related activity.

The club previously looked at making electronic circuits, with a focus on understanding the roles of individual components and how to use them in combination. This practical spirit has remained and during the last term club members made radio-related circuits including crystal MW receivers, metal detectors (to reinforce the role of the inductor) and a crystal oscillator. The latter allowed teams to compete against each other in Morsecode battleships.

Thanks to funding from the Radio Communications Foundation (RCF), the club has been able to purchase a couple of Quansheng UVK9 and an Arrow 2m/70cm Yagi, enabling it to add “& Radio” to its name. Club members have been able to get on the air, speaking through local repeaters and using the Yagi to see how to extend their range. Colin Tuckley, G8TMV was also on hand to help ensure each student managed a QSO at their first attempt, which the students all appreciated. He visited the school on another occasion, but this time to demonstrate students his SOTA gear, with which they managed to reach Ireland.

The students were so excited making contacts that teacher and club leader Jon Bonsor-Matthews, M0NOJ, managed to borrow some HF equipment to demonstrate a different mode of operating. The loan from Rob Chipperfield, M0VFC meant they were able to set up a quarter-wave vertical antenna on a field near the school and even managed a QSL on 20m to central Finland.

As for what’s next, the club hopes to expand and have its own HF equipment and potentially a more permanent set up in the school. Members are also excited to explore many more aspects of the world of amateur radio after the summer break.

Heritage School - https://heritageschool.org.uk/

Radio Communications Foundation - https://commsfoundation.co.uk/