Member of the following:-
Pictured above is the new QSL card withBodium Castle on the front. 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.
Have just bought from the US the K-Line from Elecraft K3 tranceiver, P3 Pan Adapter & KPA500 solid state linear. All equipment built from the very comprehensive kits and is exciting to use. I have been lucky enough to previously own both the Icom 7800 and Yaesu FTdx9000d and the K3 betters them both.
Building the kits was a pleasure and having intimate knowledge of the internal workings of your equipment in very comforting. Just loving the 'Hands-on-Radio' approach these days,
The new K-LINE.
KX3 QRP rig - the best there is
Please note, on the odd occasion that I do offer something for sale I NEVER take Western Union as a payment method - watch out for the scammers using other people's call-signs!
You can check if M5LRO is on-air and view the log here.
http://www.hrdlog.net/ViewLogbook.aspx?user=M5LRO
M5LRO es M3ZIM
Above is the lovely castle and Cathedral in the Historic City of Rochester, local to M5LRO - 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 he was about 8 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 11 meters.
Then of course did the wife and kids stuff and finally got interested again in the year 2000. A debt of gratitude to my Father, Terry G1VIE for his inspiration and tuition in the early days. Chris would also like to thank Colin G3VTT (FOC) who taught me the RAE and then proceeded to bombard the brain with all this dit and dah stuff, the rest they say is history, Chris still enjoys CW as his favourite mode - it tends to be fairly 'LID-FREE' compared to SSB. My love of CW has kept me sane in todays diluted & somewhat degraded hobby, alas Hamming is not what it once was and we have all noticed the change since the licences have become available more easier.
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 does some contesting too for fun, and never enters his log, it's just for fun after all but glad to give away the points than many stations need for their competitive spirit.
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 minimum and 17 meters during maximum.
Chris very much enjoys the laid back DX and the conversationalists on the 17m band.
His favourite mode is CW and he can be found on all bands but mostly 40/20/17 and now 10 and 12 mtrs now the higher bands are playing ball.
Getting into RTTY and PSK these days, liking the intergration of the radio with the computer and also enjoying the low power possibilities of using these modes.
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.
Always enjoying the challenge of making new antennas, the WARC bands are currently being enjoyed with some home brew yagis and other designs to make the most of these super bands.
Chris has mixed DXCC on 5 bands, phone on 40/20/15/10, CW on 40/30/20/15/10 as well as WAC all modes, WAZ, WAS abt 290 IOTA and the IARU Region 1 & 3 Awards 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 $40, hi hi
The M5LRO station is also QRO capable with an Ameritron AL1500 which occasionally provides a much needed Kick to Proceedings.
Chris is 47 years old, and resides with his fiance' the lovely Teresa (Also licenced as M3ZIM).
Between them they have 6 grown up children, 4 daughters, Zoe, Gemma, Shelby and Jessica and two sons, Daniel (M3DJP) and Jonathan, who are all doing well as they branch out in lives of their own.
His other interests are Land-Rovers from off-roading to restoring old series vehicles. Chris currenty owns a 1959 series II which he restored in 1998.
As can be seen Chris is a keen Land-Rover owner and hence the call suffix hi hi
Sadly after a bad accident in 2001 the off-roading side of this interest had to be canned.
Chris will alway QSL 100% either via bureau or directly and does respond to all cards by whichever method.
If you send a QSL card Direct then I am afraid 2$ is required to help with return postage please.
If you have sent M5LRO a QSL card and for any reason you have not had a return QSL please feel free to contact via the e-mail below to confirm with the log but please bear in mind that the bureau takes time but is the preferred QSL Route for paper cards.
Let us all save money and deny thieves.
Bureau is slow but reliable but saves us all with ever increasing postal prices.
Chris now uses the superb LOTW (Logbook of The World) as confirmation but remember this is not a QSL service but is more and more becoming the most realistic option as postal prices increase dramatically.
Chris still sends and likes to receive QSL cards - you will always get a card by return 100%.
There are now over 20000 QSO records on LOTW with 4000 confirmed- you could be one of em!
Chris alsouploads toe.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.
M5LRO is very grateful to all those stations who over the years have sent their QSL cards for the collection and awards programmes.
M5LRO returns 100% to all SWL stations 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.
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
