Operating in the great outdoors - G4OBK/P on Cold Pike - Lake District

My ham radio interests have changed significantly over the last 50 years since I built my first crystal set and ignited a lifelong hobby.... In 1969 I became a short wave listener after obtaining a Marconi CR100 World War 2 receiver.

In 1981 I learned Morse Code and in that same year I took the City & Guilds Radio Amateur Examination and 12 Words Per Minute Morse Test. In May 1982 after a five months licencing delay I was given the callsign G4OBK.

Between 1982 and 1990 I honed my Morse skills in amateur radio contests and DX working and became one of the most prolific european DXers on the 160m Top Band (256 Countries worked on Top Band). I now operate on all amateur bands from 160m through to 2m with my preferred mode remaining as CW (Morse Code). I also use Voice in SSB and FM and Datacomms with RTTY and PSK31.

At the RSGB Convention in October 2007 (the year I finally achieved DXCC Honour Roll#1 and a DXCC Challenge score of 2750), I was presented with the RSGB ROTAB Trophy for outstanding and consistent DX work over 25 years. During that period I was RSGB HF Contest champion for five years, the last time in 2005. These days I rarely take part in contests, and I do little DX work as there is little new to work unless a big DXPedition shows up such as Heard island did in 2016, which I worked on five bands including on 160m and 80m. Since 2005 my main interest in ham radio is Summits On The Air (SOTA).  In 2015 became the first SOTA Operator to complete activating all 176 English Summits and making contact with them also from my shack. To achieve this took me almost ten years...

For SOTA operation on HF I use either an Elecraft KX2 (QRP), a Youkits HB1B (QRP) or a Yaesu FT-857 (QRO) transceiver with a home brew link dipole for the 17m/20m/30m/40m bands.  I also operate SOTA on 2m FM using either a Yaesu FT-270 at 5 watts or an FT-1500M running 40 watts to a home made vertical dipole on a 5m high fishing pole. 

I have operated ham radio from twenty four countries between 1982 and 2016. All my logs are on Logbook of The World and in Clublog. Recent contacts I have made as G4OBK are in the Clublog i-window above. You can check if you are in my G4OBK logbook by entering your callsign into the i-window.

The above shows the VHF Antennae in use in 2016 at G4OBK on a 12m Tennamast - erected in 2000

Vargarda 2m 11 ele Yagi (H) + Vine Eagle 5/5 ele 6m/4m Duoband Hybrid Yagi (H)

A small 2m 5 ele G0KSC LFA Yagi (V) on a 1.8m boom at 10m AGL is mounted on my shack to the left side of the Tennamast for SOTA Chasing on 2m FM

All antennae are fed with low loss Ecoflex 15 Coaxial Cable

I am a member of RSGB. I enjoy walking and cycling and my interests come together when I take part in the SOTA (Summits on the Air) Programme and the WOTA Wainwrights On The Air WOTA Programme. I am the SOTA Area Manager for the G/TW region for SOTA England which has five summits lying on the east side of England between the Tees and The Wash. 

This is the baseplate for my 5 MHz 1/4 wavelength vertical antenna with 40 x 1/4 wavelength radials

 *** Update August 26th 2016 ***

 * My station is currently being dismantled in the lead up to a move of QTH before the end of the year * 

I have also operated on HF as GM4OBK from a holiday home in South West Scotland up until 2002, however I am QRT from there now apart from occasional trips over the border to activate SOTA. If you need a QSL for any of my operations please use my address in England or the RSGB Bureau.

I was the founder chairman of Ryedale Walking Group and I currently serve as the Website Administrator for this walking club.

I have undertaken several long distance walks since 2005 such as A.Wainwrights Coast to Coast Walk...

My current blog, which is mostly related to SOTA Activating is here: Catterblog

In 2005 I retired from my professional career as a Communications Specialist with the UK Government. I now work in the voluntary sector several days each month.

Callsigns and countries of operation by Phil G4OBK since 1982:

G4OBK England

CT7/G4OBK Portugal

CT9/G4OBK Madeira

EA6/G4OBK Balearic Islands

EI/G4OBK Ireland

F/G4OBK France

GD4OBK & GT7OOO Isle of Man

GI4OBK Northern Ireland

HB9/G4OBK Switzerland

HB0/G4OBK Liechenstein

GM4OBKScotland

LX/G4OBK Luxembourg

SP/G4OBK Poland

SV5/G4OBK Dodecanese

OE/G4OBK Austria

OK/G4OBK Czech Republic

OM/G4OBK Slovakia

PA/G4OBK Netherlands

SV9/G4OBK & J42004Q Crete

ON/G4OBK Belguim

DL/G4OBK Germany

GW4OBK Wales

VK2ANU & VK2MB Australia

G4OBK 2012 QSL Front:

G4OBK 2014 SOTA QSL Front:

G4OBK 2014 SOTA QSL Rear: