UK Bunkers on the Air (UK-BOTA)

The UK Bunkers On The Air (UKBOTA) programme and awards scheme is to support radio amateurs and short-wave listeners—both in the United Kingdom and overseas—to communicate with other radio amateurs activating Royal Observer Corps (ROC) bunkers in the United Kingdom

While it’s not a contest, award certificates will be issued to both activators and hunters submitting logs, and demonstrating QSO with the requisite number of stations.

Awards are also available for SWL submitting reception logs.

The Bunkers on the Air programme started in 2005, and was born of a desire to rekindle interest in the activation of ROC bunkers.

The idea of activating bunkers orginally came from Brian, G8GMU and his grandson Joshua, M3HBM almost 20 years ago, who with the Coventry Amateur Radio Society, activated several bunkers in their local area.

Subequently, by 2010, a Bunkers on the Air scheme was integrated into into Castle and Stately Homes On The Air Team (CASHOTA) By Chris Darlington, M0DOL.

The good work—and recent support—of those who ran the previous activities and schemes is acknowledged with gratitude.

The award scheme is vibrant, healthy and very well supported.

The 2023 annual award runs until the end of the year, still based on the 1,500 (or so) ROC Bunkers.

Starting 1 January 2024 an additional 500 bunkers will be added to our reference list, for those most part these new bunkers are ROTOR, Airbattle HQ and Chain Home bunkers with a few other of various description.

General information about the program is available at bunkersontheair.org so we highly recommend checking out the information there.

You may also want to join the BOTA Facebook group, where you can easily interact with the BOTA community online.