Biography
Me in a nut shell
A/C OrchistonI sat my radio amateurs exam back in 1994, after 3-4 years of playing around on CB Radio (Mr Werewolf, East Lancashire). Being interested in electronics from an early age (I used to dismantle old transistor radios).
1998 I joined the RAF as a ground electronics engineer (TG3) where I was taught how to fix ground to air radios, HF radios and radar. This was at RAF Locking. On completion and gaining an award for the highest scores on the course.
From there I went into satellite communications, HF comms, networks and computers.Biker me
On leaving the air force in 2010, having gained an Air Officers Commendation for service above and beyond the call of duty, I went through a few temporary jobs until I could head to the University of Nottingham where I retrained as a Learning Disability Nurse and gained a 2:1 honor's degree.
dont askI went on to nurse at an emergency treatment centre at Chesterfield and Rampton high secure mental health hospital, on the learning disabilities admissions ward. My nursing career was cut short with early onset idiopathic Parkinson's disease plus and various other conditions. I did try to retrain again as I enrolled at the University of Lincoln to do a masters degree in Forensic Science, but unfortunately my Parkinson's at this time was quite aggressive and now I have an additionalAOC complication of Parkinson's version of dementia. This forced me to leave the course as my short term memory is none existent.
Other Hobbies and interests
Archery
Motor bikes
Viking re-enactment - Full contact
Sketching and Painting
War gamming
Model Railways
Equipment
Portable - Retevis RT3S GPS 2m / 70cm (FM Analogue and Digital)
Baofeng GT-3TP 2m / 70cm (FM)
Mobile Rig - Retevis RT95 2m / 70cm (FM only)
Home Station - Yaesu FT 950 6m + HF (All Modes)
Flex 3000 6m + HF (All Modes)
Yaesu FTM3600D 2m (FM Analogue and Digital)
Yaesu FT480 2m (Multimode)
Antenna (UHF/VHF) - Diamond X300N
Antenna (HF) - End fed long wire