Good morning, operators. Today we're wandering the England-Scotland border with a QRP rig, thumbing through August's special-event calendar, and swapping tales of pools, lightning, and licensing debates that never quite die. Grab your coffee and your logbook — there's a bit of everything on the bands.

In today’s roundup

• Travelogue: Walking the England-Scotland Border for a QRP POTA Activation — QRPer
  Thomas (K4SWL) blends a family day out in Berwick-upon-Tweed with a low-power park activation, proving POTA and holiday plans need not compete.
• August 2026 Guide to Ham Radio Contests—Special Events Edition, from Micro-Cars to Lighthouses — OnAllBands (DX Engineering)
  From micro-cars to lighthouses, OnAllBands rounds up August's special-event stations, giving casual operators plenty of unusual callsigns to chase this month.
• A swimming pool, RFI and a lightning strike: My SWLing Story — The SWLing Post
  A returning contributor recounts how a swimming pool, RFI, and a lightning strike shaped his SWLing story — a reminder of the hazards that come with our hobby.
• Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of ZP-30 & NHK (August 3, 2026) — The SWLing Post
  Carlos Latuff pairs illustrated listening reports of ZP-30 and NHK with news of earthquakes and dangerous heat in Japan, showing shortwave's enduring role in following crises.
• One lump or two (or three)? — KB6NU
  KB6NU revisits the perennial kvetch over how many license classes we should have and how tough the tests ought to be, tracing the debate back to the 1950s.
• CHOTA 2026 — AmateurRadio.com
  Churches and Chapels on the Air returns September 12, with a 20m US-UK calling frequency at 14.247 MHz for anyone keen to activate a house of worship.

Read this roundup on HamDaily →

HamDaily Digest · Live band conditions · hamdaily.com