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I started the hobby of radio by assembling a kit for a cat's whisker Crystal Set at the age of nine,
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I started the hobby of radio by assembling a kit for a cat's whisker Crystal Set at the age of nine,
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I first came across Amateur Radio when, at the age of thirteen, I was at school in Los Angeles, USA. At school I was taught to solder and I built a one valve 'regen' radio receiver. I also started to notice Amateur Radio Antennae in gardens and on chimney stacks. Most domestic radio receivers tuned up to 2mhz, so that local AM stations on Top Band could be received.
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About half a mile away was a Radio Amateur Station with a huge array of beams for 20, 15 and 10 metres. I made friends with another pupil from school, Joe, he lived across the road from our bungalow and was a keen SWL.
Visits to their Shacks started and I soon realised what a lot of friends you could make through the hobby.
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My family returned to the UK when I was sixteen and I soon purchased my first communications receiver, a huge monster I had to build a power supply for this (a question I had when taking the RAE some 20 years later). We then lived in Newport Pagnell, North Bucks, and I found, on Sunday mornings, I was able to receive a net lead by Angus Forsyth G6FO who, then, edited Shortwave Magazine. The QSO's got quite technical, adding to my interest.
I never returned to school, as I was approached by the proprietor of the local Radio & TV Store, who offered me a job (something that doesn't happen these days).
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I entered the Royal Air Force when I was eighteen, for my national service. After spending ten months on training courses,
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By the time I had finished my National Service, my family had moved to Tirley Garth, Cheshire. I soon discovered that SWL's used to gather at the Shack of local radio amateur (G3GYV) after he had given a slow morse transmission each Sunday morning. Through joining this group I made many more friends with the same hobby, I am still in touch with many of them today. The licence and callsign for Amateur Radio Station G3MDY located in Cheshire was issued to me in November 1957.
The much modified faithful DST 100 had been replaced in 1955 All tramsmitting gear from 160mtrs thru 70cms was home built.
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When I got married in 1959, the callsign changed to GW3MDY at the new location in Broughton, Flintshire.I changed employment from Domestic Radio and TV to Aircraft Radio maintenance. One day my elderly neighbour asked if I was going to do any This callsign was given up in the early 1960's, due to family commitments. |
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A change in employment in 1964, from Aircraft Radio maintenance to PMR, meant a move to Abergele, Denbighshire. Then a change of employer in 1970 took me to South Wales several days a week. Service qualifications in the Royal Air Force meant that the original licence and callsign were issued by having exemptions from any tests. After 10 years or more these exemptions were no longer valid, so, the RAE was taken in Bangor, North Wales, in late 1971. The licence for Amateur Radio Station callsign GW8FQF was issued in March 1972, the mainstation being located at the North Wales Coastal Town of Abergele. Mobile and Portable operating took up most of my spare time while away from home
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In the mid 1970's I was involved with the GB3CR, GB3LL and GB3MP repeater projects, mainly using my contacts to obtain redundant PMR equipment. It's good to see these repeaters continuing to give good service after first going on air in the 1970's, and still using some of the transmitters/receivers I had obtained for them.
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Much to my delight my eldest son was issued with the callsign G8VKW in the early 1980's, but he now resides and works in Germany and the UK licence has lapsed.
After a further change of employer, which required a move, in 1983, from ABERGELE (Wales) to ELLESMERE PORT (Cheshire, England). I have been retired since 1994.
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© 2001 G8FQF
