Biography

Greetings from the South Island New Zealand.
I have been a licenced Radio Amateur since the age of 13 years and have now reached the grand age of 77 years, I know that is not old for our hobby, there are many much older than me.
Have operated from many countries throughout the world having been a serving member of Her Majesty's Royal Air Force for 30 years and am now back home in New Zealand having left in 1946 as a 3 year old and returning in May 1990.
Call signs held.
G4ENE
G4JA, still hold this call sign which was handed down to me after my father died in 1979.
ZL2CX, became licenced here in NZ May 1990.
Other calls held.
9H3P, ZB2DS, ZC4PS, A4XVI, VS9MB, VQ9SS/c, VP8AQK.
After 18 years of Living in Upper Moutere, in the Tasman District, South Island, New Zealand, where I enjoyed a quiet country location, with an antenna farm alowing me fantastic Radio conditions, without QRM. Although a wonderful location its size for our age was starting to get on top of us.
We have now finally moved into the local township of Richmond, but still in theTasman District. I now have the chalange of finding ways of erecting antennas to fit in with local regulations, and competing with local QRM.
Antennas, Ive now gone back to my old favourate for multie band, a G5RV which is a bit of a compromise being rather bent and in a form of an invertred 'V'. With a rather sturdy fence surrounding the property, this has become an ideal support for various verticals covering HF (20Mtrs), VHF and UHF.
I have now started experimenting with a tuneable Magnetic Loop antenna, covering 20, 30, and 40 mtrs, this works very well and has the capability of taking out a large amount of local QRM. Next is to build another one to just cover 40 and 80 Mtrs.
My favourate modes are Digital, spending much time on FT8, FT4 and still playing around with SSTV using EazyPal software. Of course I also enjoy time on the Key and the occasional rag chew on SSB. FM chats are also enjoyable on the U/VHF frequences when HF condition are poor.
Look forward to working you.
Please QSL via my home call ZL2CX
73 - Dave, ZL2CX/G4JA

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Radio Shack:-
Collins 'S' line, for general HF work cw/ssb.
Yaesu FT-707 line including transverters for U/Vhf and 6Mtrs.
Kenwood TS-940S mainly used for 80/40Mtrs feeding a G5RV'.
Trio R2000 general coverage receiver.
Navarda TM 1000 general HF ATU.
Kenwood TS-711A mainly used for 2Mtr FM communications
Kenwood TS-870s used for most HF DX work CW/SSB and digital comms, feeding various antennas G5RV, verticals and the Magnetic Loop.
Heatherlite-Explorer HF Linear Amplifier. used for difficult HF Conditions.
Yaesu FT-100D used mainly for 6Mtrs.
Kenwood TW-4000A mainly use for local U/Vhf communications feeding a 2Mtr collinear antenna and a 70Cms 16El collinear specially for the countries National System.
Icom IC-260E used for local VHF chat repeater frequency feeding a 1/4wave whip.
AOR-2800 wide band scanner for general scanning reception.
Yaesu FT-221R used for monitoring 2Mtr Beacons and DX CW/SSB communications.
Computers:-
Homebrew machine running Linux 18.04 used mainly for runningQRZ, QRZCQ, log books and eQSL.
Main computing machine running Windows10 Pro and all internet/email for ZL2CX@stenning.co.nz and all software relating Digital communications and Rig control.
Mobile home:-
Yaesu FT-857 mounted alongside and FC30 auto ATU feeding a helical mobile whip for HF and a tribander whip for U/Vhf communications whilst on the road.