I AM CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF G3SEN IN JULY 2013.
Hello and thanks for reading my ham radio story.
I received my licence July 19th 1963 at the age of 18 and I was a keen member of G3DDI, the South Shields Amateur Radio Club in the 1960's, where I made many friends and first began to enjoy cw, operating from my QTH at the time, Whitburn in north-east England. I was intending to become a merchant navy radio officer working on board ship, travelling the world and had many hours of cw practice! Like others years ago, I designed and built my first cw tx, running just 30w, used with a Marconi CR100 rx. I progressed to a Heathkit DX40U and VF1U in 1964 when I moved QTH to Nottingham, in the centre of England, to start work with a big radio communication company.
I am currently active on the HF bands still using mainly CW. I used a Yaesu FT7 with 20w output for many years with dipole antennas and worked around 150 countries mainly on CW. I now use an old Yaesu FT840 with 100w out which continues to work well. I have limited space for aerials and use a home made 2 band 'fishing pole' wire vertical for 20 & 15 mounted on my garden fence. On 10m I use a 5/8 vertical. Both HF antennas are fed with double screened RG214. As you've probably guessed a have never owned a linear amp or used a tower or beam but I've had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends with a fairly simple setup.
I enjoy giving points in cw contests and dx chasing. On 2 metres I have a Yaesu FT480 multimode with 15 watts output. VHF antennas are an HB9CV and a vertical dipole for local FM.
I also enjoy QRP operation from the car and use a little YouKits HB1A which covers 40 & 20m CW, running around 6w max. I use this with inverted V dipoles or a long wire or mag mounted Ampro helical mobile antennas for 20 & 40.
I am retired now after 40 years as a systems engineer in radio communications for the emergency services and many other organisations. I think I was lucky to have had a job which was also my hobby!
I am a member of the RSGB, Fists CW Club (No.14565) and the Radio Amateur Old Timers Association (No. 2467)
If like me, you are frustrated by the shocking bad manners, language and selfish practices on the air these days,
take a look at www.dx-code.
It's all common sense stuff and if we all followed the code we'd all benefit. Why not add your call to the growing list of supporters?
I always qsl any swl reports although CW reports are now very rare!
I remember being an swl myself. (RSGB swl #A3275 from 1961 - 1963)
73 to anyone who knows me and to all my amateur radio friends, please give me a call if you hear me!
If you need a QSL, direct is fine. I will reply asap, no need for a stamp or IRC.
Ron
g3sen@hotmail.co.uk
Nottingham UK
