Previous Calls: VK2GNC, G8XCW

Member of Chiltern DX Club, FISTS (#14000), SKCC (#4454), Secretary of the Newbury & District ARS (http://www.nadars.org.uk/). Member of the RSGB Contest Committee.

Interests: Contesting (mostly CW), DX (CW), SideSwiping (Cootie) CW keying (see http://sideswipernet.googlepages.com/home).

Station: Ten-Tec Orion, FL-7000 linear, AT-1000PRO tuner, FT-897, TS530S. Keys: Kent dual-paddle (switchable to a "Cootie"), Kent straight key, Whiterook MK-32 mini cootie.

HF Antenna: Homebrew Hexbeam for 10/12/15/17/20

LF Antennas: 80m doublet, full-length topband dipole.

Married to Collette, 2 children - Alex (8) and Zoe (6)

Other interests - astronomy, genealogy, snooker, SCUBA, travel.

The picture is of me and Alex feeding "Thistles" (now Silent Key, or should I say Silent "Neigh") at the bottom of our garden.