Biography

Short Wave Listener in 1968 thanks to my scout leader Ray, G8CBU, we had a weelky Sked with G8CKT every Wednesday, I had a homebrew TRF at the time on 40m and 80m. I then progressed on to a Canadian Marconi set Type 52, with a separate power supply. No content with that, I used to tune our Sobel TV to the 2m band on AM in the day and listen to the traffic in the area, no repeaters those days. Radio friends, or people I used to "bother" at the time were G3SDK , G3XWS Mike Kidman G3HEO Don Hobbs, G3YPP Mike Costello, G3RXO Roger Brown and many from ICL from Stevenage.

First licenced in Luton, Bedfordshire in 1979 as G6FHT (fuzzy haired twit, then took the CW test at a coastal radio station in 1980, thanks to John, G3LAZ and G3SCP, Greg, now both silent key. I have been active in the UK on VHF and UHF repeaters and HF using a FT707, not quite vintage radio, but a good tranceiver to start my hobby.

Was a keen member of the DDRC Dunstable downs Radio Club, probably the best club in the area!

Moved down to Devon and cornwall in 1993 to 1997, then to France in 1997, where I presently live.

Worked as an automotive electrician, then graduated to engineer in 1988. Three years previous started my own company working at Luton Airport repairing ground equipment such as Airport Crash Tenders, Snow equipment, Aircraft loaders and aircraft ambulances. Contracting for Reynolds Boughton Group, where I did modifications for Army equipment and travelled about repairing and modifying Army equipment.

Eventually, I worked down in Devon for Reynolds Boughton in the drawing office and also staying close to the electricians to build modular cable harnesses for Airport Crash Tenders. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZqmG17hC0

I then moved down to Cornwall, working with a company producing cable harnesses for industry and back to the aircraft industry, making harnesses for Douglas Tugmaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU9PceCFziQ&feature=related

Now have a 40ft crankup tower guy wired, with a TH3 MkIII tribander antenna and a Co-linear for 2m and 70cm, for the moment...

Equipment

Yaesu FT-2000D, FT-757 GTXII, FT-4700RH, FM1200 (PA4DEN mod)
Antenna system GPA50 vertical
Hygain TH3MkIII Diamond W-8010
Magnetic Loop G4AAA