Biography
Born in England June 1943, Age 75 Graduated,London Univ.1971, First licensed in 1974 as G8HTY - Passed CW in 1982 and issued with G4MKI - Past holder of Notice of Variation (NOV) for APRS Internet Gateway as MB7UEK issued 04/02/01 in the first batch of 16 new licences issued by Ofcom. RSGB Member (deactivated 2018).
Main interest is in PSK on the HF bands (EPC Member #3247) and AX25/APRS packet on 2 meters. Beta testing G8BPQ 32 software for Windows (BBS, Node (with worldwide udp internet linking)and BPQAPRS Internet Gateway,also G8BPQ's Linux piLinbpq for the Raspberry Pi and associated piTNC's ( a 2 TNC stack in I2C mode).
BPQ software is running my station very reliably 24/7.
Details of all G8BPQ development I have supported are documented on my website.
My worked DXCC's are primarily for data mode contacts only (since 2006),using 30W into a 20m dipole or G5RV. Electronic confirmations are via eQSL and LoTW. I do not normally send paper QSL cards or claim awards using them.
73, Duncan, G4MKI
Worked DXCCs:
Equipment
Icom IC-7300 - using the same HF antenna's as the 706MkIIG (G5RV,AR6 Ringo Ranger(6m),20m wire dipole and more recently, Cushcraft AV3 on 10/15/20)
Icom IC-706MKIIG with AT-180 Auto ATU Antenna Full size G5RV dipole, Cushcraft AR6 Ringo Ranger (6 meters),Diamond X-50 Colinerar (2meters & 70cms, Cushcraft 4 ele beam (2meters) Cushcraft 8 ele beam (70cms). Running 40W in digimodes
Icom IC-701 ATU MFJ-949E,Antenna Cushcraft AV-5 verical. Running 100W
Icom IC-240 2m FM
HORA C150 2m FM handheld
Yaesu Musen FC-700 ATU
Kenwood TM-D700A 2m/70cm Dual Band APRS Mobile with gutter mounted colinear whip antenna.
Kenwood TH-D7A 2m/70cm Dual Band APRS Handheld
Tytera MD380 DMR Handheld
Icom IC-2E used to continuously monitor APRS TX output from IC-F1010 (at low volume!)
Icom IC-F1010 Converted PMR used for 144.800MHz APRS only into Diamond X-50 colinear erp 10W
Alinco DJ-X3 Wide Band Communication Receiver
3 x Raspberry Pi (2 for LinBPQ, 1 for URONode TCP/IP
2 x Pi-TNC
Homebrew Equipment
Digital Frequency Counter 200MHz
RF Wavemeter for 2m
RF Bridge
20m wire dipole (PSK/JT65/JT9/FT8)
2m valve TX using QQVO3-12 in the final..crystal controlled,10W out in Class C for FM..my first TX as G8HTY!
Solid state VFO built later to drive the above.
Modified Hudson Base Station (all valve TX/solid state RX) ex Marine Band TXCVR
2m/70cm/1296MHz cavity filters
625 line solid state crystal controlled TV camera
70cms solid state tripler (144MHz-432MHz)
QQV03-20A grid modulated television transmitter/linear amplifier..(70cms)
10GHz transceiver...various horn antennas and solid state mixers
10GHz wavemeter
8x8 element skeleton slot antenna for 70cms (ATV)
4 ele yagi for 2m
Kit built Terminal Unit for RTTY with mods for use with the IC-701
Kit built synthesised 2m TX/RX
Kit built pi-TNC x2