Biography

RADIOS: Yaesu FT DX 1200, Wouxun Quad Band KG-UV950P, SuperStar 390 (11m)

ANTENNAS: 7 Band Cobweb, Sigma SE HF-360, Sirio CX-4-68, TriBand V-2000 (100ft in the air)

LINEAR'S: RM Italy KL 501 300w 600ssb, RM Italy KL 203-p 100w 200ssb



I started my Radio hobby like most people in the UK; I watched the film 'Convoy' and that was me hooked.

After about two years of talking to people that just wanted to mess around, a friend invited me to his personal shack. As a practicer of CB radio I was used to a four foot antenna and four watts of power. Looking at the chance to use USB, LSB, AM, CW, up to 400 watts of power and much bigger antennas was like looking at a goldmine. In about 1983 I started my course in Radio and Electronics. I passed as a Technician giving me the basics I needed to make me want to study hard for a Class A with Extras and my full license in about 1985. Soon I was getting DX's from all over the world. It was a fun way for me to relax I obviously enjoyed it because I kept at it for about ten years.



In the late 1990s I got married and had children so I went on hiatus from Amateur Radio for a good few years. In my time away from radio I was a budding actor working at the theatre in between a day job as a warehouse manager. I am a huge Elvis fan and was an Elvis impersonator for a very long time too. That was fun, tiring but fun. I was a back room boy for Radio 1's Steve Wright in the afternoon and it was our job to have a laugh with him. I was a Road DJ and a Club DJ. I toured Europe DJing in places like Ibiza. I was also in a few episodes of Eastenders drinking a pint.





In 2013 my father was diagnosed with Cancer. He died in September of that year aged 77. I soon had to look after my mother for a while and sadly in August of 2014 she passed away aged 78. I was in a dark place. My wife said to me why don't I take up that hobby I used to do. Cut a long story short, I am now back on air with a bigger and better system than I could have dreamed of when I started in the 1980s. Once I completed my new set up the first DX I made was to the U.S from England. I was quite pleased with this. Safe to say my hiatus from radio is over.





73's

G4FTF, Ian