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 INTRO:

Welcome to my Biography.

I obtained my UK Class B Licence in 1981. I was very active on 2 metres sideband for many years and could be heard in europe most days.

I left the hobby for a few years after having my equipment stolen.

After many years later (2007) I have re-discovered amateur radio again after the UK Licencing conditions were relaxed and now I can use the HF bands. Since coming back to radio I have had a few DX contacts on 20M. I can be found on 80, 40, 20 and 6M most days.

Since coming back to the hobby I have found a real unity with amateurs around the world and I would encourage any amateur that has left the hobby to rethink and operate once again on the bands. It's a wonderful hobby and I use it as a form of relaxation.

HF MODES:

My current radio is an ICOM 756 PROIII and a Acom 1010 Linear Amplifier transmitting into either a Dual Beam Pro (http://www.proantennas.co.uk/dualbeampro.htm). or a Western HF-10 Multiband Dipole in an inverted configuration at around 30ft above the ground (mostly used on 40M and 80M)

The Dual Beam Pro on the roof of my house (May 2011), with a W-30 Watson 2m/70cm Base Station Vertical (now upgraded to a Diamond V2000 6m/2m/70cm). The rotator is a CDE-44 manufactured in 1977 and still going strong!

DIGITAL MODES:

I am currently using the Rigexpert Plus and can be founbd 0n 20M and 40M using the FT8 mode.

D-Star enabled as of 21st May 2011 - purchased a Icom ID-E880 2m/70cm dual band transceiver and now have an Icom ID-51E handheld (12th July 2013).

Added the DVAP dongle January 2014 to my D-STAR collection.

I have also added the Raspberry Pi to the D-STAR setup for mobile - glad to report it works really well.

2018 - I have added a DMR MMDVM Modem, Openspot SharkRF 1 and a Tytera MD380 Handheld into the shack

CLUB DETAILS:

I am a member of the Radio Society Of Great Britain.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Biography.

73's

Mark