As a youngster growing up in New Zealand I had the good fortune to meet a Canadian amateur ex VE7ASB who noted I had a passion for electronics and radio. I spent many hours tuning his HRO set looking for VE calls on 20, making antennas etc. What can I say, bitten by the bug. I trained and worked as a Radio Technician for the NZ post office for 16 years and held the call ZL1TVX. Moved to California in 1985 then moved here to this sub tropical paradise, VK land in 2005. My QTH is now the Sunshine Coast here in Queensland Australia. After many years off the air with some SWL, I have set up again here and have been on the air since July 08. The main rig is a Kenwood TS 530S, a Yaesu FL-2100  up to an inverted V antenna on 40 and a Delta Loop on 20, both around 35 feet up. I would like a set with a better receiver sometime down the road. The QTH is about 15 minutes walk down a slope to the beach and we are on top of a ridge so there is nothing between my antennas and the ocean to the East.

My local club, Sunshine coast amateur radio club are a great bunch, well established and working very hard to recruit young members. The next big club project is putting up a 4 meter dish for EME experimentation.

Latest project is a Vertical for 20, 15 and 10, heres hoping there is some Solar activity coming. Favourite band, 20M, I have been hanging out there picking off the countries slowly. I really enjoy a decent chat, not so excited about just exchanging signal strengths etc. I do work a bit on 40M between 7.147 up to 7.162 it is the only part of 40 where I can avoid the racket caused by neighbourhood plasma TVs.

I work as an Industrial Designer, currently developing equipment designs for helicopters. It is very rewarding work.

73,s Pete.