Biography

Hi all and thanks for looking me up!

First licensed back in Melbourne in 1988 as VK3TDR, and played around on 2Mtr's and Packet Radio. Moved back to QLD in 1990 and became VK4TDR, and continued in Packet Radio and 2Mtr's. Family, life and work got in the way and left the hobby in the mid 90's. Finally after 20 years back into the hobby, from 2012 as VK4GJW. Now finally have the full gammet of radios covered, from HF to V/U/SHF, with an Icom IC-9700, IC-7300, IC-7200, IC-705, Yaseu FT-8800R x 2, Yaesu FT-817ND, FT-818ND, Retevis RT90, TYT handhelds x 2, Retevis RT82 and a Wouxun KG-UV6D. I am also currently the Training Officer of the Ipswich & District Radio Club Inc. in Ipswich Queensland Australia (VK4WIP).

As far as antennas go, I am running an Inverted V Dipole cut for 7MHz, but workable on other bands. I also run a 6M half wave vertical, and a 10M half wave vertical. I then run a Diamond 2/70 for V/UHF and a Diamond 2/70/23 as well. Hard to get a beam up in a rental property, so I work with what I have. You will find me fairly frequently on FT8 on either 6M, 10M or 40M (and sometimes somewhere in between!).

I also undertook some online study a few years back, and after a few months of concentrated effort, I sat the ARRL Technician, General and Advanced Extra exams here in Queensland in June 2019. Happy to say I passed all three exams first go, so now when I visit my sister in lovely Minnesota nearly every year, I will be using my new USA callsign AE0GR. Keep an ear out for me if you hear me and say HI! Also took the extra step and became an ARRL VEC to administer ARRL exams here in Australia. Just my way of giving back to the hobby I enjoy so much.

As for my working life, left school at 17 and started work with our then national domestic airline Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) which later became QANTAS. Became a qualified Jet Engine Mechanic after 4 years and worked as a tradesman for a further 12 months. Then I joined the Royal Australian Air Force where I trained to be an Aircraft Radio Technician and later an Avionics Technician. Of my 23 years in the RAAF, I spent at least 17+ years working on and with the F111. Left the RAAF in 2001 and joined Boeing Defence Australia. Had many trips to Seattle and the Boeing plant at Renton and Everett in Washington State. Worked mainly on the RAAF's Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. Left Boeing after 5 years and worked as an Aicraft Avionics Instructor for Aviation Australia, a training company at Brisbane Airport for 6.5 years. Left them and then joined Cubic Defence Australia, for the last 12 years, where we supported Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pods fitted to the RAAF's FA-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleet. Now I am finally retired as of December 2024 and enjoying life and taking it easy and doing what I want, when I want, as often or as little as I want!

Worked DXCCs: