G4ATA
interests
CW
For some years now my primary activity has been concentrated on CW. I am
not the greatest or fastest CW op in the world by some margin but I am loving
the mode. I continue to strive to be a better operator but it remains hard
work. Hard work no doubt due to my aging brain.....it is now soon to be 69
years old! Apart from having a CQ call in one of the CW memories on my
FTdx101 all of my CW is hand sent and brain decoded. I know the 101 has CW
decode function but I believe it's probably the worst performing feature of the
radio.
In spite of my aging brain I can manage to exchange more than a simple "5NN TU"
during a QSO these days but I'm still some way off a proper "rag chew" so please
excuse me if our QSO is short.
I am a pround member of the SOC. My membership number is 1395. More
information at
https://www.qsl.net/soc/index.htm.
Although my Heil Pro7 has a mic attached I don't seem to have much interest in
using it these days. I think that I see each CW QSO as an
achievement....added to the fact that my shack is indoors and within earshot of
the XYL so it's quieter for her!
DXing
I am always on the lookout for DX to add to my all time DXCC count. I also
keep track of my DXCC count for each year. As mention on my home page, all
of my QSOs are uploaded to Club Log in real time......I even have a
livestream
log there if your interested enough!!
Contesting
Apart from chasing DXCCs I have a keen interest in contesting and I am also the
holder of a UK SCC (Special Contest Callsign) which is M4D. I know that
there are those that think I'm MAD....perhaps my SCC of M4D just confirms it?
Although my contesting ability will be severely limited by my home antenna
restrictions I will still be an active participant in many contests through the
year. Perhaps if I want to have a serious entry for a specific event I
will travel and operate from a club or even travel somewhere in my motorhome and
operate /P as I have done in the past.
I have had various country category wins for various contest that I will crow
about on a separate page! I still even hold a couple of category records
for England and Scotland.
Homebrew
Not my own beer (now there's a thought!) but my own equipment especially
antennas.....see the EFT! Although I wouldn't say that I was the brightest
button in the tin but I get a great deal of enjoyment from making something myself,
getting it to work and using it. The same goes for repairing something.
I have various projects that have been built from kits, a couple from scratch
and managed several repairs to an ageing Dentron MLA2500b amplifier and also my
Acom 1010. All have involved either input from people more knowledgeable
than me or research on the web (isn't Google wonderful?!!). Apart from
anything else I must have saved hundreds of £££s ($$$s) over the years.
I am loathe to buy anything that I see as within my capabilities of building
myself....hence the EFT! Why on earth anyone would want to purchase a
commercially made wire antenna is beyond me.......but each to their own I guess.
In the fullness of time I will no doubt feature one or two of my projects on a
separate page.
