Hi. Just a few lines about me but in more detail, don’t read on if you get bored easy! I have been interested in radio since a schoolboy, my first attempts at building a radio was a one valve receiver, the building information was from a television programme by Gilbert Davey. It worked after several attempts and I could listen to shortwave broadcast stations. At this stage I did not know about amateur radio. A school pal, Alan Taylor had built something similar and had found the eighty metre band. Together we explored amateur radio, learning all we could about it at the expense of the lessons we should have studied for ! The local amateurs held a ‘net’ every Sunday morning on eighty and one of the operators was Dick G4BU (now SK) we located his Qth and one Sunday gave him a visit. I think that visit started me off onto a hobby that has lasted many years and hopefully more to come.
I joined the Lincoln Shortwave Club in 1958, we met at room 19 of the Lincoln Technical College as it was then. It was just a social gathering, a ‘natter night’, no radio station as such but we had a BC348 war surplus receiver to listen on. During the summer holidays the college closed so we met at ‘The Perculator’ cafe on Monks Road. Afterwards Alan and I would go home and the older members went to the ‘Cattle Market’ public house.
During 1960, Frank Travis G3BCA (SK) ran an RAE course which I took. I sat my RAE exam in May 1961. After receiving my ‘pass slip’ I started to learn my morse and took my test early ’62. My call was issued in March ’62.
My first transmitter was an home built AM and CW transmitter and the receiver was an R107 army surplus set which I bought from ‘Laskeys Radio’ in London, it was very big and heavy ( confirmed by the postman that delivered it) but to me was the best ever. I worked 80 and 40 to start with then VHF. I had an RF27 unit which was part of ‘Gee’ equipment as used by the RAF then available on the surplus market. Without modification it received four metres as a converter for the R107. I acquired and modified an Eddystone 440B am transmitter which gave me 18 watts on 70.26mhz. I had many Qso’s and lots of fun on that band.
During the early sixties SSB was becoming more and more popular, the only way was to build your own and my first attempt was a ‘phasing’ rig it worked fine with a PA using a single 6V6. Later I built a ‘Filter’ rig, a version of the design by G2DAF (SK).
My first commercial rig was a Yaesu FT200 which I purchased in the late ’70’s Later I added a linear using a pair of 813’s. My shack was in the bedroom at this time, I was very lucky my Xyl, Ann did not object. We had a very small garden, not good for wire antennas but Brian Otter (now 9J2BO) sold me his fathers (G3TOA) Mosley beam and then we started to work some serious DX.
By this time I had learnt my trade. Starting at fourteen with ‘Specialised Radio’ in Lincoln then ‘Belcher’s’ and by now working as a field service technician for a tv rental company, ‘Rentaset’ later to become ‘Radio Rentals’ so work and pleasure mixed. I was able to encourage some of my work colleagues to take the RAE and some became licenced, One became especially interested, Ted Veal G6HMS. Ted has done some good work with satellite communications. It was sad to hear of his death recently. (2014)
During 1980 John Middleton (SK) a few members of the Shortwave Club and myself decided to apply for a UHF repeater. A site was found complete with tower mast and brick built ‘shack’ however it proved on test to be a poor UHF radio site. John had friends in high places and soon we were planning to use the main tower or ‘Rood Tower’ of Lincoln Cathedral. In 1981 GB3LS was commissioned and is still there to this day. Some time later we set up the first version of GB3LM.
In 1987 I gave up working for a boss and became my own boss, I hired television and video equipment I also did service work on most makes of domestic entertainment equipment. My interest in radio communications allowed me to work for a local company( Mitier Communications) repairing and installing PMR equipment as a ‘freelance’ technician.
More recently, in 2001 I went to work in Egypt, I was located in the Sinai and worked as a communications technician for the ‘MFO’ ( see my links) After some time I applied and was given the call SU9VU. I operated on HF using company equipment. At that time there was only two stations active from the Sinai, Alan SU9BN ( now VK6BN and ex G3OSB also my old school pal) and myself so activity was good. My location was at ‘Al Gorah’ about 25 km south of the Mediterranean sea and 20 km west of the Israel boarder. Alans location was ‘Sharm el Sheik’. We were both sort after by stations the world over. I spent a total of three years in the Sinai.
In 2009 I retired from work and now have more time for amateur radio.
I am a member of the Lincoln Shortwave Club Committee, I enjoy helping to run what I think is a great club. Both my Xyl and myself have been involved with the organising of the annual ‘Hamfest’ that we have run for many years. I have even been chairman for a while.
I operate on HF mostly, sometimes on two and seventy centimetres and when its open, six metres, so I look foward to a qso with you.
73 Roger