About me, where did my fascination with radio start?

It was the Social Media of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, AM CB Radio, 27 MHz or 11Metres, I remember being able to talk to other teenagers around the area that I lived but every now and again, a strange muffled sound would make local communications difficult, I was hearing my first SSB (Single Side Band) signals and couldn’t understand what they were.

I went to see the guy who sold me my CB Radio, Pete (G6GVJ), who showed me his station, he had a HAM International Jumbo Radio and a three element Yagi antenna. He turned the radio on, pointed the antenna to the USA and I heard my first transatlantic signals, I was blown away. Pete became a life long friend, as did the rest of his family and I was honoured to drive Pete’s Kit Car behind his funeral cortege. I miss him dearly, he was a real character and he instilled a lot of discipline and a hard work ethic into me that I still have today, some 45 years or more later.

My other big influence in radio was my Uncle Mervyn, G7CEM, I’d often jump off the school bus outside his house and pester him to let me listen to his VHF/UHF station, he was also a keen Short Wave listener but couldn’t grasp morse code to achieve his ‘A’ Licence back then, it was one of the things that spurred me on to become proficient in morse code, Mervyn passed shortly before licence conditions changed, he would have dearly loved to use the HF band. Every CW contact I make is for you, Merv, thank you for your inspiration.

I’ve made some great friends through radio, of them all, Keith, G3SZU has been more than a friend to me. He was the one who started me on the morse code path (It is called CW, continuous wave, properly) and spent hours sending code for me to receive and copy, we’d then either jump onto VHF and talk each other what had been sent and correct my mistakes. My antenna theory has been instilled into me by Keith, I have learned so much from him. A truly amazing bloke and he has helped me through some difficult times over the years, he is more than a friend, he has become a Father figure to me.

My other close pals on radio are Ronnie, G4DIY, Jay, M0UNN and Mew, E29TGW from Thailand, I cannot imagine not having these guys in my life as they provide me with so much fun and banter on a daily basis, true levellers.