^{_{This page is almost exclusively dedicated to 6m and up - my passion within Amateur Radio. Those who wish to see the tiny HF vertical I use on HF (and the equipment I use there), please skip straight to the end of the page.}}

Hi all,

I am determined that amateur radio stays in the family but having no luck in persuading my own children that  radio is the greatest hobby on earth, I thought - I wonder if my grandaughter, Pippa would like to try radio. Fortunately she has taken to radio like a "duck to water" and in this pic you can almost imagine her asking "And what does this button do Grandad"?

My name is Lyn (shortened form of Lyndon) and my main Ham Radio interest is 2m DX and 6m QSOs with a particular interest in Sporadic E (Es) propagation. I have been using 2m SSB for 38 years and my interest is as great now as when I made my first 2m SSB QSO in 1974 (using a Liner 2 for those that remember that rig). I am often QRV on 2m SSB and my first choice spot frequency is 144.315 (of course only if it's free).

I am now also QRV on FSK MS and if you require a sked, please drop me an email (my email address is correct on this page) or use the ON4KST chat to arrange it. However, I still prefer SSB MS and you will certainly hear me on or around .200 during major meteor showers. (try SSB MS - it's really effective in the best events).

Please note that I do not QSL via the bureau - E QSL or direct only. For those that wonder, I am a member of the RSGB.

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PIctures of my station for the bands that I currently operate on (10m to 20m, 6m, 2m and 70cms) follow :-

Shack - part 1

Shack - part 2

The equipment I use for 6m and up is :--

For 2m - my favourite band : A Kenwood TS2000e or a Yaseu FT897d driving a solid state amp - a Beko 1kw SSPA (restricted to 400w max at the antenna), SP2000 masthead LNA and a 9 element Yagi at 11m agl with fixed 5 degrees of elevation (for more optimum meteor scatter results)

Most hams can show pictures of their enormous 2m arrays but space for large aerials here does not exist - so here is a picture of my very modest 2m antenna

My antenna - its at 33ft agl

For 6m : Yaesu FT 920af (100w out) and a 2 el Yagi with 5 degrees of elevation (great for European Es QSOs)

70cms : A Kenwood TS2000e at 50w to a 9 element Yagi.

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My QTH is in a NW suburb of Cardiff at about 30m asl with a good take off from NE through to SE. However, my takeoff to the N is very poor - as the following picture shows (taken from my garden facing north). The Welsh mountains make working anyone in that direction very difficult.

North View

However, my take off to the North East, East and to the South East is unrestricted. It is difficult to show good pictures of these better takeoffs (I can't show the view as seen by my antenna as I would need to climb onto the roof), so this is the best that I can do (quality not too good - taken from upstairs room through glass). This picture is as seen looking to the East North East and the view is partially obscured by the trees and other houses. You can see that the further my antenna is turned to the East from North, the better my take off becomes. You can just see the distant edge of the hills as they dip to the costal plain in the centre of the picture.

East North East View

My home and QTH is in the city of Cardiff. Cardiff is the Capital of Wales, its largest city and the 10th largest city in the UK. Around 350,000 people live within the city and its suburbs. Cardiff is also a significant tourist centre and is the most popular visitor destination in Wales with 18.3 million visitors during 2010. My home is is situated within the suburb of Llandaff (itself a city within a city as Llandaff Cathedral is situated right in the centre of the village.)

Here are some pictures of our Cathedral (Taken on the 5/12/12) - its located about 1 mile from my house >>>>>>>>>>>>

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I intend to add some more pictures of Cardiff soon

And here is a picture of my house>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I am a keen collector of locator squares and I am always on the lookout for new ones. In May 2006 I lost all my records and since then, after starting from scratch, I have manged to work 281 locator squares on the 2m band. Prior to losing these records, my square tally was 330 - I have some way to go before I catch up.

My 2m (144Mhz) distance (ODX) records per propagation mode follow (all completed since 2006) :-

TROPO : EB8BRZ ( IL27HX) and EA8TX ( IL18QI), both at exactly 2808 Km - SSB (A long distance for tropo propagation)

Es : EA8TX (1L18QI) at 2808 Km - SSB

MS(SSB) : SM3JLA (JP93LH) at 1852 Km - SSB

MS (FSK441) : OH6UW (KP22WI) at 2114 Km - FSK !!! NEW MS ODX completed on the 13-12-2012 !!!

Aurora : GM4VVX ( IO78TA) at 727 Km - SSB

You will note that my ODX on tropo is to the Canary Islands (EA8). Despite a poor takeoff to the SW, in the very best of openings I can work to the Canary Islands on tropo over rising ground just behind my antenna. I have been fortunate to work a number of squares there in several openings since 2006 - working EA8 via tropo is one of the few benefits of living in the SW of the UK. Several Es events to EA8 have also provided my ODX for this type of propagation and these distances will be hard to beat with my current setup. As I have only worked a few stations during Aurora since 2006, it was easy to see who was the ODX (GM4VVX in IO78). Prior to 2006 aurora were far more intense and distances worked greatly exceeded this. (More distant countries worked on SSB during aurora prior to 2006, included EA, I, 9A, OE, HB9, South F, OK and SP with odx to a SP8 in KO12 and a 9A in JN65)

During good tropo openings you may hear me from my portable location in IO81LS, near Abergavenny, South Wales. The portable site is around 550m asl with a fantastic take off from NE through to South and is perfect for working DX deep into Europe. This spot is on the very edge of the Welsh mountains and there is no higher ground until my RF reaches Germany. Best DX from there on tropo was to HA8CE in KN06 square. When portable my current setup (2m only) is a Kenwood TR-751e, a 200 watt amp (Microset SR-200) and a 6 element long yagi (from Sandpiper - a local supplier) at 6m agl on a portable mast

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Very, very occasionally I may use HF (20m to 10m) and when I do, I will use my Yaesu FT 920af with 100watts output to a 3m long, ground mounted, portable vertical (an I-Pro Traveller for the 20 to 10m bands). Here is a picture of this antenna. You will note that it is a very small aerial but despite its size, it is very efficent and it allows me to work DX in all areas of the world .

73 Lyn GW8JLY