Biography

Following on from my early Citizen Band radio roots, I studied for the UK Radio Amateur Examination (RAE) in December 1981 and received my Amateur Radio license and call sign in June 1982. I established my first station during the summer of 1982 in Tonbridge, Kent, England.

In 1986 I moved to Worthing and re-established the station at my new address, but in the autumn of 1987 hurricane force winds ripped across the south coast of England, causing considerable damage to my station mast, and antennas. I managed to salvage enough to get the station back on the air, but in the spring of 1989 during more storm force gales my mast and antennas were damaged beyond repair. Discouraged and lacking finance I pack the remains of the station away until the spring of 2006 I got the old equipment out of the loft dusted it off and started to rebuild the station.

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

My station comprises of a Yaesu FT-7800R 2M & 70cm FM transceiver, Anytone AT-588 for FM on 4M band, a Yaesu FT-790R & TYT MD380 FM and DMR, 70cm hand held transceivers, and Wouxun KG-VUDP1 and Baofeng UV-5RA Dual Band, FM, 2M/70cm hand held transceivers for VHF/UHF portable and mobile work. My HF and 6M setup comprises of a Yaesu FTdx-1200, with a Yaesu SCU-17 USB sound card interface. I use this transceiver for FM and SSB phones, digital modes such as PSK31, PSK64, RTTY, SSTV and so on. I also have CRT6900 10M multi-mode transceivers and Yaesu FT-857D, and FT-991A all-mode, multi-band transceivers for HF, 6M, 2M, & 70cm that I use mainly for 2M & 70cm SSB phones.
I use a 40M doublet multi band wire dipole antenna mounted about 6M above ground level for all HF work.
For the 4M band I have a homemade half wave vertical dipole mounted at about 5M above ground. And for 6M I use a 5/8 wave Sirio Tornado vertical mounted about 3M above the ground.
On 2M and 70cm FM I use a Diamond X-50 high gain dual band collinear antenna mounted 5M above ground level. When mobile I use a Diamond dual band mag-mounted whip.
For 2M and 70cm SSB work I use a dual band Yagi antenna designed by DK7ZB (5 elements on 2M and 8 elements on 70cm) mounted above a lightweight rotator at about 8M above ground level.

When on holiday or out portable I use my Yaesu FT-817ND and a Super Antenna or my Wonder Antenna.