Biography

“Ham radio has been part of my life since the 1970s, from my first CB rig to a lifelong love of chasing QSOs across the bands.”



I’ve been fascinated by all things radio since the mid-1970s, starting when my cousin visited with his AM 40-channel CB radio. From that moment, I was hooked. After saving my pocket money and cash from birthdays and Christmas, I bought an 80-channel CB rig. In 1981 I dabbled with the UK’s CB allocation, but it was not the same as 40 mid-band AM; it had lost something. To remedy this about a year or so later, I bought a heavily modified Cobra 148 GTL DX and erected a monster Avanti Sigma 4 vertical antenna. Which was an amazing conbination at the time, working loads of DX from around the world..

The Cobra was eventually sold, and having a job by then, I was able to purchase a brand new Kenwood TS-430S from the lovely Harvey Lexton (G4JDT). After a couple of years, many of my CB DXer friends started to pass the RAE exam, which prompted me to sit the exam myself. Needless to say, I failed. The reasons are explained later, though at the time I was unaware of them. Radio took a backseat for a few years.

In the early 1990s, I met my wife. One day, she asked why I always looked at antennas on cars and buildings, so I explained my old hobby. She seemed interested, so we both signed up for a City and Guilds RAE course at Westminster College in London. We had a great tutor, Mike — I can’t recall his surname or callsign, at the moment. Mike was brilliant and got virtually the entire class through the RAE. Thank you, Mike. After pass our RAE I purchased a Kenwood TS-690s from Martin Lynch. I still have the 690S although it is in it's box with the rest of mmy homebase gear. I am thinking of up-grading the TS-690S to a TS-890S when funds allow. I’m happy to say Amateur Radio will be a lifelong hobby for me.

In February 2007, after several years away from the hobby, I decided it was time to invest in a new station which consisted of an Icom IC-706 MKIIG, HF/6m, High Sierra SideKick mounted on a custom made quick disconnect mount and a 6m/2m/70cm, Watson W-627 Tri-Bander. all purchased from Waters and Stanton's Hockley store. The microphone was a Linear Amp UK / Heatherlite Mobilite hands-free unit. Which I used mobile for a change and was not disappointed. It turned out to be far more enjoyable than simply listening to music in the car.

From time to time, I wrestle with a couple of overlapping personality quirks, Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD) and Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). When they flare up, they can cause a bit of “brain fog” and make me go mike-shy, even after all these years of being licensed. If I sound hesitant or like I’m finding my feet during a QSO, it is just my head causing a bit of QRM. Once I get going, I’m always pleased to have a good QSO. Amateur radio has been a real lifeline for me at times, and even just tuning around the bands and listening in has helped me feel connected when I’ve needed it most.

I’m fortunate to have a very understanding XYL. My wife Nicola originally had no interest in radio at all, yet that did not stop her from studying for and passing the RAE. Nic's callsign is G7PKV.

On 18 April 2022, our then-9-year-old daughter Eirinn amazed us all by passing her Foundation Licence exam. Eirinn's callsign is M7EAF, so if you hear her on the bands, please give her a shout; she would be delighted to hear from you.

Equipment

Like many shacks, ours is a work in progress. We’re just over halfway through turning an unused storage room into a proper radio shack — a job that’s taking far longer than we’d hoped. The plan is simple: get everything out of the attic, set it up where it belongs, and finally have a permanent, comfortable operating position. Until then, it’s a mix of improvisation and making the best of what we’ve got.

At present the heart of the station is an Icom IC-706 MKIIG, feeding a HYEndFed 8-band EFHW for HF. The wire runs horizontally east-to-west between a telescopic tiltover TennaMast and a 12 m HD Spiderbeam fibreglass mast. On top of the TennaMast sits a Diamond DP-GH6 5/8-wave vertical for 6 m, while a wall-mounted tiltover mast out front carries a Diamond X-50 collinear for 2m and 70cm.

The mic has its own backstory — it started life as a Linear Amp UK / Heatherlite Mobilite hands-free unit. After a bit of tinkering, it’s now a desk mic on a metal desk stand with a shock mount, a piece of 19 mm plastic conduit for the stem, and a shotgun-style foam cover. In my opinion, it look's pretty good, and it also seems to work pretty well.

Once the shack is finished, we’ll finally have a proper home for the gear, a better operating position, and space to expand. For now, we’re enjoying the QSOs we can make with the set-up as it stands — proving that you don’t need a perfect shack to put out a good signal.