Biography

Although I passed the Radio Amateurs' Examination in 1967 whilst still at school in Yorkshire, the county I grew up in, I didn't become active for another 6 years. From 1973 until 1999 I was operational as G8IEM from several locations in the Portsmouth area on the 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands, and was awarded the RSGB "Four Metres and Down" Supreme Award #78 in 1992. I moved to my present location near Lochinver in the north-west of Scotland in 1999.

My main focus of interest is now 50 MHz. Preferred mode of operation is SSB, but I also operate on CW with computer assistance when required, and WSJT digital modes. My intention is to be active during most of the VHF and UHF contests (excluding CW only contests), so please beam in my direction for an exchange.

Since I live in a remote rural part of north-west Scotland, QSOs on 432 and 1296 MHz are mainly set up using ON4KST - aircraft scatter is the most frequently available mode of propagation on these bands.

I QSL on receipt 100%. All QSL cards received direct are replied to direct - no SAE or return postage is required. All cards received via the bureau are replied to via the bureau. Please note that the RSGB GM8 QSL bureau sub-manager has been out of action for some time, and despite having envelopes lodged with him I have received no incoming bureau cards since November 2011. I really don't like e-QSLs, but from time to time I do upload my logs to eQSL.cc when I have nothing better to do.

Equipment

80m, 40m - 400w from IC-746/Expert 1K-FA linear into Alpha Delta DX-DD inverted V dipole, centre 8.5m agl.

20m, 15m, 10m - 400w from IC-746/Expert 1K-FA linear into Mosley TA 32M 2 el trap yagi 7m agl.

6m - 400w from IC-746/Expert 1K-FA linear, SP6 masthead preamp, Vine 6 el yagi 13m agl.

2m - 400w from IC-746/Beko HLV-1000 linear, SP2000 masthead preamp, Vine 9 el yagi 15m agl.

70cm - 300w from IC-910/Amplitec UG:70-20/300 linear, SP7000 masthead preamp, M2 28 el yagi 9m agl.

23cm - 150w from IC-910/PE1RKI linear, VLNA23 masthead preamp, Wimo 67 el yagi 10 m agl.

13cm and 3cm - under construction.

I am also a keen Medium Wave DXer and have been the DX Loggings Editor for Medium Wave News, the publication of the Medium Wave Circle, for over 20 years. Details of the MWC may be found at www.mwcircle.org

Equipment for MW DX: Perseus SDR, RPA-1 preamp, MFJ-1026 phaser (modified), beverages: 700m at 343 degrees, 490m at 276 degrees, both terminated; 400m at 231/51 degrees unterminated. Further details on my website at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/clashmoreradio/