About me

Originally licensed as G4iFB in 1979, I emigrated to ZL in 2005. Down here on the Far Side I feel like I am DX

My first love is CW, particularly CW DXing, CW ragchewing and CW contesting (usually signing ZM4G at home or ZM4T at the club). Apart from the odd SSB contest or pileup and the occasional burst of enthusiasm for RTTY, PSK or other digital modes, you'll mostly find me chasing DX at the bottom ends of whichever bands are open.  I also enjoy homebrewing and experimenting with stuff when conditions are poor.  My soldering iron is always within reach.

Here are some of my recent QSOs:

I use DXcluster routinely, so if you see me spotting DX or if I am spotted, I am QRV. Hint: I am usually identified first on the Reverse Beacon Network.

Iam the webmaster for ZL7T and ZM4T and a present or past member of the First Class Operator's Club (FOC), East Coast Contesters (ZM4T), ARRL A1 Ops, Quartz Hill Contest Club (ZL6QH), Chiltern DX Club (CDXC), M6T, Windmill CG (G0FBB), Red Dragons (GW8GT), Leicester Radio Society (G3LRS), Sutton & Cheam Radio Society, ARRL, NZART and the Voodoo Contest Group.

My station

My equipment includes Elecraft K3 and K2 radios and a KPA500 (all built from kits), THP HL-2.5K and LK550 amplifiers (currently being fixed!), and a trusty old MM3 Morse Machine with a remote memory trigger.

My antennas include a HyGain 3-ele tribander and various homebrew devices such as a 3-ele 17m Yagi (borrowed from my pal Morrie), a 30m 4-square on the tin roof of my workshop, a 30+17m rotary dipole, a 40m vertical on a fishing pole strapped to a fence post, a 12m loop, a 3 ele 6m quad, and an inverted-vee dipole for 80m. I have 2 towers and plenty of tall fir trees to support them.

Due to the cost and effort involved in installing low-loss coax feeders to my antennas, I use homebrew remote antenna switches. 

My QTH

I live on the East coast of North Island New Zealand (IOTA OC-036) in sunny Hawke's Bay.  It's a lovely hilltop site, a clearing in a forest with a clear takeoff all round and no neighbours in sight: there are photos and lots more info on my website G4iFB.com. Take a look at the Great Circle map to see how wet the world appears from ZL, and just how far we are from the main ham population centers:

QSL info

I reply promptly to bureau and direct QSLs received. If you want a direct QSL reply, please send US$2 or an IRC and a QSL-card-sized addressed return envelope. The round trip for direct cards takes a month or so. I suspect the ZL post office still uses canoes.

You can also request my QSL card through ClubLog's OQRS service. A couple of dollars via PayPal will pay for a direct card, otherwise I will pop one in the bureau with the next batch of cards.

I upload my log to LoTW frequently (literally every day when I'm active) so that's a quick and free option, though I still like to receive your QSL cards too. QSL cards take a bit longer to prepare, process and distribute via the bureaux so please be patient. I hope you like my card - it's a photo I took at Cape Rheinga, a very beautiful and spiritual spot at the very Northern tip of North Island NZ.

73 Gary

PS I comply, and encourage you to comply, with the DX Code of Conduct:

• I listen loads more than I transmit, and listen hard - more elephant ears than alligator.

• I hold off until I can copy the DX station well enough to get his call and know that he is waiting for calls (I don't automatically believe DXcluster spots and prefer to confirm the callsign).

• I don't interfere with DX stations nor other callers - at least not intentionally. I never tune up on the DX frequency or in his QSX slot.  I have a dummy load for that.

• We all occasionally make mistakes but I am not a frequency kop. I don't shout "UP! UP!" like a demented parrot or berate someone for transmitting on the DX frequency when the DX is using split, because I know that will just cause even more QRM for other more considerate DXers.

• I don't interrupt QSOs. I wait for contacts to end before calling in. If you call over my QSOs, causing deliberate QRM, I am much less likely to contact you. Please be more patient.  If you really annoy me by repeatedly ignoring my instructions and deliberately causing QRM, I will blacklist you.

• I always send my full callsign. I hate partials. if you call me, please give your full callsign or I may pointedly ignore you.

• When calling DX or CQ, I call and then listen for a reasonable interval.  I don't call continuously, and I don't call at all if the DX is clearly calling someone else.  If I'm not sure, I transmit reluctantly, leaving more time for others to call. See 1^st bullet!

• I hold back if the DX operator calls specific geographical areas other than PAC, OC or VK/ZL. If he is calling CQ Asia or NA/SA, I might call briefly to let him know the band is open to ZL, but I would much rather everyone called CQ PAC, CQ OC or CQ VK/ZL occasionally!

• On CW, I routinely use QSK (full break-in).  Feel free to drop in your callsign while I am transmitting a CQ: if I hear someone on my frequency, I will normally stop transmitting to listen for you.  Go ahead, try it!  It doesn't always work, particularly if the frequency is busy with QRM and QRN, but I do my best. 

• On CW, I will normally try to match your CW speed.  Send as slow or as fast as you like (up to about 40 WPM anyway!).   If you are uncomfortable sending as fast as me, send slowly and I will QRS for you.  You shouldn't need to send me "QRS" but if you do, I will slow down for you.  The speed knob on my MM3 gets lots of use.

• When a DX operator calls me, I repeat my call sign if he has copied it incorrectly. I persist doggedly until he has my call correct. The rest can wait.  Likewise if I send "QRZ?" I am asking you to repeat your call.  If I send "CE3?" I am asking for the station with CE3 in his call to repeat.  If your call does not contain CE3, QRX.  If I send "CE3 CE3 CE3?? KN" you can tell I am losing my patience with other callers and I may be about to QRT to cool off .

• I am thankful if and when I do make contacts. I QSL all QSOs within hours via LoTW. I send QSL cards via the bureau or direct for DXCC countries I need, and respond 100% to the cards and email requests I receive. Please email me if you are left waiting for a card - I do sometimes get way behind with QSLing but I will catch up.

• I respect my fellow hams and try hard to conduct myself so as to earn your respect.  If you think I am being inconsiderate or operating badly, please email me about it, preferably with an MP3 of whatever caught your attention.  We can all improve our technique.  Seriously, I welcome learning opportunities.   

Thank you for reading this far. Please encourage others by referring to the DX Code of Conduct on your QRZ page, DXpedition and ham website. Together, we are making a difference: operating standards are far from perfect but they would be even worse if nobody cared. I care, and I hope you do too.