FREEBAND · NEW ISSUE EVERY OTHER FRIDAY● ON AIR · FREE TO READ
The UK's free radio fortnightly

FREE
BAND

Radio news, reviews and shed builds.
Every other Friday.

A proper radio mag for people who just want to switch on and listen in. Every other Friday we land in your inbox with kit tests, shed builds, must-watch YouTube videos and what's happening on the bands near you.

  • 11m CB
  • PMR446
  • SDR
  • Shortwave
  • Meshtastic
  • MeshCore

EVERY
ISSUE

Five corners of licence-free radio, covered in every issue. Here's what we keep an ear on.

11m CB

TALK

Rig reviews, antenna builds, skip reports when the band opens up, and the clubs keeping the breaks alive.

PMR446

TALK

Cheap handhelds tested in the real world, hilltop meet-ups, and the PMR channels people are actually using.

SDR

LISTEN

Plug a dongle into a laptop and the whole spectrum opens up. Step-by-step guides with screenshots and no jargon.

Shortwave

LISTEN

What's worth hearing this fortnight, from broadcasters to numbers stations, plus portable sets that punch above their price.

LoRa Mesh

TEXT

Meshtastic and MeshCore, side by side. Off-grid texting over long-range radio, node builds, solar repeaters and the UK meshes growing near you.

INSIDE
NEXT ISSUE

Each issue reads like the radio mags we grew up with, cut down to fit a tea break. Here's what's lined up for the next one.

  1. 04
    Shed build

    A 5/8 wave CB base aerial for under £20

    Copper pipe, a few radials and an SWR meter. Full cut list included.

  2. 09
    Group test

    Six PMR446 radios under £30, tested on a hill

    Same hill, same day, same contact. Which ones actually got through.

  3. 14
    SDR starter

    Track the planes flying over your house

    Dongle, aerial, free software. Up and running in an evening.

  4. 18
    Listening post

    Ten shortwave stations to hear this winter

    Times, stations and what to expect when the bands go long.

  5. 22
    Mesh corner

    Meshtastic or MeshCore for your town?

    A straight comparison, plus where the UK meshes are busiest.

  6. 26
    Must-watch

    YouTube videos you shouldn't miss

    The best radio videos of the fortnight, from shed builds to band openings, picked so you don't have to scroll.

  7. 30
    Readers' shacks

    Your set-ups, sent in by you

    Garden sheds, lofts and car dashboards. Send a photo and get featured.

Page numbers are how far down the email each piece sits. Running order may change before it goes out.

WHY FREE?

The paper mags got expensive, then they got thin, then some of them stopped. Licence-free radio deserves better than that, so this one costs nothing.

WHO'S BEHIND IT?

Radio enthusiasts who still get excited when a distant station crackles through. Kit is bought, used and tested before anyone writes about it.

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Reach UK CB, PMR and SDR fans every fortnight. A handful of sponsor slots per issue keeps Freeband free.

Get in touch ›

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THE NEXT ONE

Every other Friday. Free for good. Leave your email and we'll do the rest.

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GET IN
TOUCH

Want to put your shop, club or kit in front of UK radio fans every fortnight? Got a story tip or a shack worth showing off? Drop us a line.

  • AdvertiseSponsor slots in every issue, plus one-off features.
  • Tip-offsBand openings, new kit and club events near you.
  • Readers' shacksSend your set-up and you could be in the next issue.

Send us a message

We reply within a couple of working days.

FREEBAND · 73s from the shedAlways check current Ofcom rules before you transmit.