Radio Surfer Award

All surfers catch waves! So it is time to get your wetsuit on and show us what you can do — and with this award you don’t even need to get wet! Our waves are perfectly dry.

Pick any challenges from the list below that sound fun and have a go.

To achieve the award you must make sure the number of points adds up to your age.

 

ID Number Challenge Points
1 Participate in a contest 1
2 Join a radio-related club or society 1
3 Build a crystal radio 3
4 Design a simple transceiver 4
5 Attend a radio convention 2
6 Get a message from space (satellite, EME, ISS) 4
7 Participate in a direction-finding event 2
8 Use an internet-connected repeater to make a contact in another country 3
9 Receive a broadcast from a beacon 2
10 Make a stealth HF antenna that can’t be seen from 50 metres away 3
11 Make an antenna trap 3
12 Build something fun from an electronics kit 3
13 Pull images off a satellite / ISS 4
14 Activate a repeater using CTCSS tones 1
15 Design and send a QSL card (Can be as a SWL) 2
16 Activate a SOTA summit 4
17 Be a net controller 3
18 Design and 3D print something radio related 3
19 Use a computer program to model an antenna 3
20 Get a contact on every HF band 3
21 Make a contact or listen to a QSO above 1GHz 3
22 Pick up and decode an LF signal 3
23 Get the next level of licence 4
24 Keep a log (can be as a shortwave listener – SWL) 3
25 Make a radio-related training aid 3
26 Make an aid to help someone who struggles to use a radio 3
27 Connect a Morse key to a computer 2
28 Be able to identify five letters or numbers sent in Morse at 15WPM 3
29 Build a directional antenna and use it to identify sources of EMF 3
30 Teach part of a Foundation licence course 2
31 Create a video on SDR 4
32 Enter a photograph depicting a radio wave in a photography competition. 3

Rules

  1. Each challenge will earn you points. To qualify for the award you need to gain the same number of points as your age in years e.g. if you are 10 you will need 10 points; if you are 25 you will need 25 points, etc
  2. Your activities need to be witnessed by someone technically competent. This could be a radio amateur or a teacher, an engineer or anyone else willing to witness you. The effort is more important than achievement, so if you have tried hard to do something but not managed it, then you may still get all the points
  3. Your assessor will need to read their guidance notes (2-page/142KB PDF)

How to claim

  1. Choose your challenges
  2. Find your assessor and agree with them what you are planning to do
  3. Complete the challenge
  4. Your assessor will contact the RSGB to confirm the award
  5. They will receive a unique code which you can use to order your certificate via the RSGB Shop