May 2026 mm Band Contest Results

The second UKuG 24-47-76GHz contest held in mid-May proved to be a gruelling battle against the elements, with operators right across the country reporting tough, unseasonably cold, and blustery conditions. High winds and a stiff northwest breeze dominated the morning. Gusting winds even blew over tripod systems damaging equipment and forcing some operators to retreat home for mid-day repairs. While the afternoon did eventually offer some respite with clear, sunny spells, radio propagation remained average to poor at best, leaving determined operators to fight deep QSB and frustrating fails.

Despite the harsh weather, it was an incredibly busy day with a fantastic turnout for this popular event. A wave of new operating sites were explored and fresh paths activated, keeping the competition exciting for everyone. It is great to see so many operators stepping up from 24GHz onto the 47GHz and 76GHz bands, utilising a great mix of home-built systems and UKuG loan kits.

However, this surge in activity did create a bit of a bottleneck, leading to long queues and extended wait times before operators could successfully secure their millimetre-wave QSOs. There was a welcome resurgence in the use of 2m SSB for talkback, though several stations noted that signals were very weak, highlighting a need for operators to scale up their talkback antennas and power so that 2m radio talkback can be more effective.

24GHz

- 14 stations entered, up from 12 in March. A total of 20 stations featured in the logs (up from 18 in March) with stations active from 7 squares.

- The event's ODX was 149km between 24Ghz newcomer David G4YTL (IO92, Silverstone) and Tim GW7KTP/P (IO81, Blorenge Trig Point). Great to see David on the band and making such a rewarding start!

- Congratulations to Tim GW7KTP/P for taking top spot, with Andrew GW0JCC/P second.

47GHz

- A record 12 stations entered, more than double the 5 in March. A total of 13 stations were active from 4 squares, compared to 6 stations from 2 squares in the first session. A fantastic jump which is welcomed.

- ODX on this band was 94km shared between Roger G8CUB/P (IO91, Hackpen) and Tim GW7KTP/P plus Andrew GW0JCC/P (IO81, Blorenge Trig Point). Tim and Andrew shared the UKuG loan kit.

- On 47GHz it was a reverse of 24GHz. Well done to Andrew GW0JCC/P taking Gold and Tim GW7KTP/P with Silver.

76GHz

- Records were broken on this band as well and we nearly reached double figures for logs submitted! 9 stations entered and 10 were active, a big increase on the 2 in March.

- ODX was 94km shared between Roger G8CUB/P (IO91, Hackpen) and Tim GW7KTP/P, Steve GW1YBB/P plus Andrew GW0JCC/P (IO81, Blorenge Car Park). This was a great result with several folks sharing the use of Roger G8CUB's personal loan kit, in operation for the first time!

- Congratulations to Roger G8CUB/P for winning the band, with Andrew GW0JCC/P and Steve GW1YBB/P joint runners-up.

Despite the poor weather there was a great turn-out across all three bands. There is still a big obvious reliance on ON4KST and the 24GHz WhatsApp channel. This led to some frustration about queuing, a by-product of this series becoming so popular! It's fabulous to see so many folks interested in multi-bands. The third mm Band contest takes place on Sunday 12th July. Fingers crossed for a sunny, warm, calm summers day! Enjoy your contesting.

Pete G1DFL

UKuG 2026 Contest Adjudicator