Biography

1957 Father buys me a No.38 Set for experimentation, then leads to No.17 & 18 Sets. I start dismantling old TV sets for components for general construction projects.

1962 Join RSGB as an Associate member A3417

1963 Pass C&G RAE (self-taught)

1964 Licensed as G8ADP

1965 On 70cm (420Mc/s) & watching ATV

1966 Article published in Practical Wireless, Converting the R1392

1969 On 23cm (1.3GHz)

1971 On 3cm (10GHz)

1971 On 9cm (3.4GHz)

1972 On 1.5cm (21GHz)

1975 On 13cm (2.3GHz)

1976 On 6cm (5.7GHz)

1976 On 1.2cm (24GHz)

1976 On OSCAR 7 (2m/70cm)

1980 Start of interest in rain scatter on 3cm (10GHz) being midway under the G3JVL-G3YGF path

1981 Pass Board of Trade Morse Test (self-taught)

1981 Licensed as G4MBS to legally use CW on microwaves, no interest in HF other than a place to practice Morse.

1981 RSGB John Rouse Memorial Trophy for 6cm transverter

1981 Pat Hawker’s column Wireless World, I advocate wider use of rain for 3cm propagation.

1983 RSGB Fraser Shepherd Award for contribution to microwaves

1985 QRT prompted by a move to the New Forest & an interest in restoring military vehicles. At one stage I had 5 armoured vehicles, an ambulance, a Land Rover & 3 trailers.

2017 Moved to South Wales. Gradually the vehicles reduced & radio started to creep back again. Not a great QTH in a valley where you can’t get a mobile phone signal. But I am now back on all the bands I once frequented. I take part in UKACs & microwave contests, in my heyday I won over 20 microwave contests, but those days are long gone. I am happy enough pottering on the VHF-SHF bands from my valley where every contact is a triumph of optimism over geography!

Equipment

47GHz .2W 0.45m dish
24GHz 2W 0.3m dish
10GHz 12W 1m dish
5.7GHz 8W 1m dish
3.4GHz 3W 1.25m dish
2.3GHz 20W 40-el Yagi
1.3GHz 200W 35-el Yagi
432MHz 300W 15-el Yagi
144MHz 300W 7-el Yagi
70MHz 160W 5-el Yagi
50MHz 300W 4-el Yagi
HF-CW only 100W piece of wire