McMichael Radio and Electronics Rally 2025

The hottest weekend of 2025 so far coincided with both the Wimbledon Tennis Finals and the McMichael Radio Rally, presenting a unique challenge for all attendees amidst the heat and humidity. Despite the weather, the event proved to be a vibrant gathering for amateur radio enthusiasts.

Due to ongoing changes at our long-established venue, this year’s rally found a new home at Oaktree Events Field on the A330 in Warfield. This site, previously unused for an event of this nature, required significant preparation, including cutting and bailing, before it could be marked out and readied for the rally. Following a very warm Saturday dedicated to meticulously marking out the field and setting up the car parking, seller areas, stewards’ tent, and club stands, the venue was perfectly prepared for our relocated event.

Organised and run by the collaborative efforts of the Reading and District Amateur Radio Club (RaDARC), Burnham Beeches Radio Club (BBRC), and Bracknell Amateur Radio Club (BARC), it was truly encouraging to see the rally thrive in its new location. We were also delighted to welcome back our regular attendees, including the Thames Valley Repeater Group (TVRG) and the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), and extend a special welcome this year to the Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society (NaDARS).

The morning saw a fantastic turnout of early arrivals, many having travelled considerable distances to offer a huge selection of radio and electronics equipment and components. The sellers’ area quickly filled to near capacity, followed by an almost full visitors’ car park by 10 AM, a clear testament to the enduring popularity of the event.

Another welcome addition this year was the presence of dedicated food caterers, ensuring attendees were well-fed and refreshed. James’ Van offered hot breakfast rolls and burgers, Howe & Co Fish ‘n’ Chip Van provided classic British fare, and Paul’s Ice Cream Van was a popular spot for those looking to cool down.

For 2025, Martin Lynch and Sons, Staines, once again demonstrated their kind and generous support by donating all of the raffle prizes. This year’s fantastic prizes included one of the new Yaesu FT-3165 Mobile VHF Transceivers (with ASP), a Kenwood Cap, a Rig Expert T-Shirt, and ICOM mugs and coasters. Our sincere thanks go to Tony and his team for their continued dedication to the rally.

This year the Rally also ran an HF Special Event Station GB6MMR live from the site. Operated by a team of amateurs from BARC the station made some great contacts across the UK and Europe and added to the activity at the event.

All in all, the 2025 McMichael Rally was a busy, hot, yet undeniably successful event. We sincerely hope it was enjoyable and productive for all our sellers and visitors who continue to support the rally year after year.

We must apologise for the uneven surface in some parts of the field, and we understand that this presented particular difficulties for some Blue Badge holders attending. We sincerely hope this did not detract from your enjoyment of the event and we will bear this in mind for future rallies