Will be running the call MO5LRO during the Olympics 2012 - hope to work you!

Pictured above is my new QSL card with Leeds Castle on the front,this is located in the village of leeds 6 miles from my home. The picture was taken (by M5LRO) from abt 500 feet when we were Hot Air Ballooning from the castle gardens. This is claimed to be the most beautiful castle in the world. On the rear side is a colour picture of my old Land Rover and QSO details - Mni Tnx once again to Gennady UX5UO for some brilliant qsl cards

The M5 call is quite unique these days with only abt 270 remaining in the UK, originally a class A/B licence it gave us privaliges on all bands with 100watts. Once the CW requirement was abolished (worst thing to happen to Ham Radio) the authorities gave the M5's the option of changing to an M0 call and regardless of call we all got full A licence status-Quite happy with my M5 call, I stuck with it and here we are today some 10 years on.

Radio Sales -please note I NEVER take Western Union as a payment method - if in doubt mail me at the address below to check any equipment being sold using my call - watch out for the scammers.

You can check if I am on-air and view my log here.

http://www.hrdlog.net/ViewLogbook.aspx?user=M5LRO

Above is the lovely castle and Cathedral in the Historic City of Rochester, where I live - if you would like to see more of my local area please look here

http://www.photobox.co.uk/slideshow?album_id=27579276

Became interested in Ham Radio as a small boy listening to the guys across the pond chatting away on 20mtrs on an old Drake R4C and KW 202 when I was about 10 in my father's shack so a SWL for many many years. In the early 80's became intersted in CB radio which led to SSB Dxing on 11meters.

Then of course did the wife and kids stuff and finally got interested again in the year 2000. I owe a debt of gratitude to my Elmer Colin G3VTT who taught me the RAE and then proceeded to bombard my brain with all this dit and dah stuff, the rest they say is history, I have never looked back.

The New CW Toy, Begali magnetic Signature key.

Chris likes to wrag chew as well as work DX and when the two can be combined is when the hobby comes into its own.

He also likes to work QRP CW operation & enjoys the challenge of working DX on 5 watts. He is always good for a rag-chew & enjoys working all over the world. The favourite bands are 40m during sunspot minimumand 17 meters during maximum, I like the laid back DX and more conversationalists on 17m than any other band hi hi

His favourite mode is CW and he can be found on all bands but mostly 40/20/17 and now 10 and 12mtrsnow the higher bands are playing ball.

Getting into RTTY and PSK.31 / 63 /125 these days liking the intergration of the radio with the computer and also enjoying the low power possibilities of using these modes. The main station comprises the wonderful ICOM 7800MKII as well as a brace of Drake 4 line equipment.

Also QRV from the family holiday home in Spain as EA5/M5LRO/P. Antennas are a variation of home brew wire element half squares and a 4 Element Monoband Yagi for 10 meters and 3 element Mosley TA33. The main station antenna is a big doublet for 80/40/30 which is 172ft long fed with 100ft of 600ohm feeder for all the other bands. This was designed to be a double extended Zepp on 40 and it really does work wonderfully.

The New Toy the Yaesu FTdx9000d

I also still like playing with classic radio gear and am now the proud owner of a classic Drake C line. Very much a work in progress and some restoration work required to get these really on song, but they are working very well.

This is however growing to be an integral part of my hobby, owning classic gear, particularly the Drake stuff is akin to owning a popular classic car, there is a wealth of information about these old radios and they really do bely their age in terms of performance. The R4c is simply a wonderful receiver and after some modification can be made to compete with today's offerings.

Main Station Radio shown below the fantastic ICOM 7800 MkII - an operators dream machine.

A home brew 3 Element LFA Yagi to G0KSC design caters for 6 meters - fantastic antenna design by Justin!

Chris has mixed DXCC on 5 bands, phone on 40 /20 /15, CW on 40/30/20/15/10 as well as WAC all modes, WAZ, WAS abt 290 IOTA and the IARU Region 1 & 3Award too. I like the wallpaper hi hi!

Fists Member Nr 8911

EPCMember Nr 1874

Pictured above is my home brew 'double delta', 2 elements on 17 mtrs made using fibre glass fishing poles - what a great antenna for abt $40, hi hi

The M5LRO station is also QRO capable with an Ameritron AL1500 which occasionally provides a much needed Kick to Proceedings.

Chris is 47 years old, and resides with his fiance' the lovely Teresa (Also licenced as M3ZIM).

Between us we have 6 grown up children, 4 daughters, Zoe,Gemma, Shelby and Jessicaand two sons, Daniel (M3DJP) and Jonall who are doing well as they branch out in lives of their own.

His other interests are Land-Rovers from off-roading to restoring old series vehicles. I currenty own a 1959 series II which I restored in 1998.

As can be seen Chris is a keen Landroverowner and hence the call suffix hi hi

Chris will alway QSL 100% either via buearu or direct. If you send me a QSL card Direct then no sae is required, I am happy to reply to your card at my own expense - I also enjoy collecting postcards from around the world so any contributions would be most welcome with your card.

If you have sent me a QSL card and for any reason you have not had a return QSL please feel free to contact me to confirm with my log but please bear in mind that the bureau takes time but is my preferred QSL Route.

Let us all save money and deny thieves.

Bureau is slow but reliable but saves us all with ever increasing postal prices.

I now use the brilliant LOTW (Logbook of The World) as confirmation but remember this is not a QSL service, I still send and like tosend and receiveQSL cards - you will always get a card from me by return 100%.

There are now over 16000 QSO records on LOTW with 2300 confirmed- you could be one of em!

I also use e.QSL.cc as a courtesy for replying to other stations but please be so kind as to send a proper Paper QSL card via the bureau - these are very important for ARRL awards programmes that I participate in.

I am very grateful to all those stations who over the years have sent their QSL cards for my collection.

I do return 100% to all SWL stations by return and all reports are most welcome. Please indicate clearly on ur card that you are SWL and it will be responded to via the bureau.

If, for whatever reason, you are missing my qsl card I am more than happy to check the log in response to your e-mail and verify your qsl status.

Wishing everyone 73's, good DX & looking forward to meeting you on the air. Good Health and Happiness to all.

emails and signal reports are most welcome from all stations or any SWL to chrispickett@blueyonder.co.uk