This part of the site relates to one of my main hobbies/interests:

Amateur Radio.

There are some radio related links at the foot of this page.

I first got an interest for the hobby when I used to listen to my elder brother when he was licensed as a G8 and operated from his tiny bedroom shack in the early 70's. I used Citizens Band Radio a few years later, and eventually took what was then the Novice RAE in 1994. I took the Full B class RAE in December 1998 and was licensed as G6ASJ using Graham G4NAO's donated Class B callsign for which he had no further use.

My elder daughter Michelle took the NRAE at the age of 13 years old (others locally took and passed theirs at 9 Years old), and she took the donated callsign of 2E1AKW. The earlier Novice class is now the UK Intermediate class licence in the UK. Michelle was first licensed in Feb 2000. She's not been active for some time due to having moved location several times in the last year or so, I hope she will be able use it later on this year. So far Jess has expressed no intention of taking the exam for a Amateur Radio licence. She's too much into her music.

From my current location in the City Centre of Portsmouth, Hampshire. At Maidenhead locator IO90LT. I have a very good UHF/VHF set up. I live in a block of maisonettes and am lucky enough to have the top floor dwelling which is some 70-80 Feet above ground level. The pole, along with a tri band co-linear type aerial on top of it, stands out above the local skyline somewhat.

Due to my current location it is difficult for me to use HF bands successfully. It's not easy to erect HF aerials at this location. However I have a temporary solution in a pair of 80m band Mobile whips in a V formation. This is connected to a Icom IC 706MK1 via a LDG AT-7000 Tuner. This allows me to use the HF bands between 10m & top band, but not very well at the moment. I have worked a few stations on the HFbands in Europe since the start of May 2008 while waiting for the 2008 Sporadic E season to open on 10m & 6m. Another Tri-band colinear aerial lets me do more local work on UHF/VHF and 6metres. I also have hooked up in the shack a Yaesu FT-726R, currently my FT-One is not in use and stashed carefully under the bench. This was bought from a local radio user in a slightly damaged state, and in need of some small repairs. The repairs were superficial, and with a email to Vertex Standard in California USA, I was soon sent a small parcel with the required items. The repair was done, and the FT-ONE worked fine. Although not from the mains supply, it runs well from a 13.8Volt Power Supply with little problem. I do have one big problem. The recently purchased Yaesu FT-767GX is on the bench but currently not in operational use.

Where I am located I am unable to erect a HF aerial that is efficient. The original idea was to build a "Cobweb aerial" which is like 5 dipoles in a square formation or halo's. Looks much like a rotary washing line, but in principle it's similar in fact to 5 HF Halos. It's not possible to build and erect such an aerial to use here so we'll wait till we get a transfer to a larger property.

 The Cobweb aerial, which will cover 5 HF bands: 10Metres, 12Metres, 15Metres 17Metres & 20Metres sometime when we get the transfer sorted out. Hopefully sooner than later. There is plenty of information regarding the cobweb aerial on the internet. Here's a picture of a Cobweb aerial (Left), looks much like it's name really, but a very efficient aerial indeed. Made with 5 Dipoles each in a loop, and can even be used from very low level i.e. in gardens etc at just over shed roof height even, with good results too. I've been told it will cover many VHF bands also, and will resonate with a very low VSWR on 50MHz and 70MHz and even into 144 & 433MHz too... This has not been confirmed though, but if it was the case it would make a very nice DX type aerial. Just think what it might perform like at my current location then A? A big shame I cant try it out, but I don't want to erect any more aerials up here, as I'll soon be taking them down again. Each of the 4 arms of the cobweb is approximately 2 metres long, so it's 4 metres from tip to tip along the poles.

You may have noticed in the previous text that I use the word Aerial, rather than Antenna. This is because I am resident in the UK and not the USA where they are called Antenna's, that is also the word that describes the two little bits sticking out of the top of an insects head. The English word Aerial is used here.

<< Here I am in the driving seat in the shack, which is in the corner of the lounge. Photo taken by Jess with my Olympus E10 Digital camera. Quite good for her first attempt I think. Shame about the pose on the old duffer though... Have to get Jess to do another one sometime.

I am a regular user of the 50MHz or 6Metre band, where I usually can be found when the band is active, with contacts around most of Europe regularly. Some of which are listed in the QSL page Link below. I am also a member of the UKSMG. (United Kingdom Six Metre Group) Visit the links below for more 50MHz information on my own 50MHz page, plus a link to the UKSMG web site has been added below too. I'm just waiting for our Transfer to a larger property, then I might erect the 4M folded dipole that's currently in the shed and hook up the Philips FM1100 and have a go on 4Metres. Along with some other HF aerials too.

Construction (aerial projects). More on another page which I will be working on soon...

The 6 Metre band opened around about May 07.

In the 2007 6metre season I worked into: Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Hungary, Morocco, Czech Republic & Austria. Which makes it up to 22 Countries in all since I started on 6metres a few years ago now. I didn't have much time to devote to working on the radio this (2007) season, but I'm looking forward to a move of location and setting up a better shack in the new home when we get a transfer. With HF, 6m, 4m, 2m & 70Cms frequencies in mind. I'd like to get more interested in 144MHz & 433MHz SSB and some DX on these bands eventually.

The 6 metre band started to open during May 08.

I have not done a log page for the 2008 Season, as I've not been active on the bands this summer.

The Sporadic E season opened but I wasn't very active on the band this year (2008).  I have been told that Sporadic E on 10 & 6m has not been very good this year anyway.

Other links:

Link to the 6Metre page.

Link to QSL page: Countries and Callsigns worked in Europe from my home on VHF/UHF. (and hopefully soon some on HF) With also a link to my 2007 Log page.

UKSMG link: The Home Page of the UK Six Metre Group of which I am a member.

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