What a fantastic event.

It’s now just 2 weeks since the World Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC) 2026 event here in the UK. Most of the activities were held in the Woodlands event centre of the Wyboston Lakes complex near St Neots, Cambridgeshire – though the centre is in Bedfordshire. There was overspill for accomodation in the Willows and Drift Inn, the “old” part of the complex that I last visited in 2009 for the HF Convention. 

And my opening line says it all. From arriving at Wyboston Lakes resort on Wednesday 8th July 2026 through to leaving on Tuesday 14th July 2026 it was just well organised and fun. It was good to see so many like minded people in attendance, from the competitors and judges through to the spectators and organising team there were smiles all week. It was also good to meet so many old friends from around the world and UK, along with making new friendships with those in attendance. 

On arrival the first thing I had to do was set up the Icom stand to display a selection of our radios and support Moonraker as one of our premier dealers who were a major sponsor of the event. My colleague Ray Novak, N9JA from Icom USA, and his wife Cindy, NN9JA, arrived early evening, Sadly Ray was suffering from what we thought was food poisoning for the first 2 days, which he seems to think he caught on the way over from Europe. Once set up and it had gone past 15:00 local we could start to check in to our rooms. Throughout the remainder of the day and into the early evening people were arriving from the airports or driving from Europe, many international visitors had come over for Ham Radio Friedrichshafen and made a vacation of the trip also, some even coming to the UK straight after the show. The evening was fun with lots of chat about the contest and the coming weekend – again many friendships were being rekindled and sealed over a beer or two.The evening meal was a buffet style and was a sign of the quality of the food we were to be served for the week. The evening also saw the “Ham Widows Ball” for the wives, girlfriends, and partners of the contestants – a chance for the ladies (and gents) to get to know each other over nibbles and drinks – in one of the rooms hired for the event. 

Thursday morning started with a good hearty breakfast – again buffet style with the choice of full English, continental, fruit, or a combination of all – though Ray looked as white as a sheet and ended up in his room for most of the day. I opened up the stand and put the new Icom X-026 concept model on display, this drew much interest with the usual questions “what is it going to be?” I answered with “I have no idea as yet, but what do you think it will be?”. The answers were varied but all said “a HF/VHF/UHF mobile with 100W, and hopefully a built in AMU”. There were trips out to Bletchley Park, with a visit to the RSGB NRC where some guys got chance to operate, and Duxford Air museum arranged for the contestants, partners and visitors following the official briefings and referees meetings. It was also the day for the contestants to set up and test their computers for the logging and other software needed for the smooth running of the contest weekend.

The evening came around and it was time for the official opening ceremony and gala dinner. As with the whole event this was well organised and gave us all a chance to sit and get to know others who were there. Following the welcoming speeches and introductions we went through to the dining area, which this time was in a huge marquee set out as a full on dining room with a stage and entertainment on through the evening. The food was excellent and, unlike previous visits, was warm. We were on a table with Ray and Cindy Novak, the couple from Messi and Paoloni coaxial cable, Justin and Jason from Moonraker, and Carl from our rivals Yaesu. Plenty of conversation about the hobby and business in the UK with Ray and Justin, plus all the conversations getting to know each other. Background music was supplied by Mark’s Dad, Keith, on the piano. There was also more musical entertainment after the meal, but many retired to the bar area ready for the Friday and leaving to the sites to set up the stations and test all the equipment.

Friday started with the competitors and referees being drawn, along with the callsigns they would use – but this was in a sealed envelope that couldn’t be opened until the start of the contest. The rest of the day was a very quiet at the HQ, all the competitors and referees were out on site checking stout everything was set up and working. Some of the partners went on a weekend trip to Brighton – from what I heard a thoroughly enjoyable time was had by them all. There was also a trip out to Cambridge for some shopping and visits to the historic university buildings. Ray and Cindy had asked to have a traditional British pub lunch, luckily there is a fantastic pub, The Crown, virtually at the end of the entrance drive into the complex. So there was no excuse to go over there and see what fare was available. Ray had Steak and Ale pie with mash, veg and gravy. I had Bangers and Mash (my favourite Cumberland sausages) with veg and gravy. And Cindy, Southern American Belle, had…. A Hamburger. But we all enjoyed it and I convinced them that the food being so good would be ideal for a REAL Sunday Lunch, more of that later.

The rest of the day was quiet in the building until around 17:30 when all the competitors and referees started to arrive back. The bar area was soon full of chatter and discussion on the sites and how each team felt about it. All were very positive and were looking forward to Saturday and the actual contest. 

The early start on Saturday morning by the teams to go out to their sites came around far too quickly. And once again the building was quiet with a few spectators and the partners who had not gone to Brighton in attendance. This soon changed when another trip had been arranged for them to go to Hunstanton – a small town on the Norfolk coast – for the day, this gave our international friends the chance to see a typical British holiday town and sea front. As there was no one around in the hotel, I counted 12 people excluding volunteers and staff, I decided to take a ride out to the site at Thetford where Champ (E21EIC) and Dale (BA4TB) team Asia #3 were – Icom UK had graciously loaned them 2 X IC-7610‘s to use in the contest – to get some photos for work use. The site was on one of the many huge estates that the organising committee had arranged to use, and this site was being managed by my mate Eddie (M8EVM) who is part of the Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society (RSARS) Contest team at G2EC, so I knew they were in good hands. I also met one of my friends from RIAT for lunch, and had a thoroughly enjoyable time – thank you Jenny and I look forward to seeing you soon – at the Elveden Inn. I can recommend this pub for lunch or dinner if you are in the area, it was delicious.

Returning to the HQ I found it to be very quiet, I had a chat with Anna Clarke, M8OKA, from the RSGB and she commented nothing much had been happening. There were one or two hanging around the TV’s and big screen in the room where all the meetings had been held watching the interviews, live broadcast and the live scores that had been set up for us to keep track of what was happening out in the fields. The daytrippers returned and some life came back to the building. I sat with Ray and Cindy for dinner and we then retired to the bar area to watch the movement on the screens as to who was getting the points and who was not. 

Sunday morning was much the same as Saturday afternoon, not many folks around. A trip to Warwick Castle was on today, one I could recommend with having been there a few times when I lived in the area. We sat and watched the scores and interviews for the morning before once again going over to The Crown for a typical Sunday lunch with Ray and Cindy. From their reactions I think the food was to their approval, it certainly was mine and vastly different to when I last visited the pub back in 2008 when at a HF Convention. All weekend we had been hearing some power boats or jet skis on one of the lakes on the complex, so on our way back from lunch I took a drive down to the lakeside to investigate. Again this wasn’t there on my previous visits, but they have a wonderful water park with excellent facilities on a couple of the lakes called Ride, looked like loads of fun and I wish I had taken my swim shorts with me. By the time we got back to the HQ the contest was in it’s closing stages. Ray and I got sat at a table and watched the scores as the top spots kept changing right up to the final seconds. And then silence. 

After a couple of hours the competitors started to arrive back in the building, the first ones around 18:00 local, and the chatter soon got around to how each team had found conditions and scored in the contest. When I say contest this event is part of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF Championships that take place each year. WRTC is likened to the Olympics as it only happens every 4 years and the scores are kept separate but are also integrated into the IARU HF Championship scores for other competitors in this contest. Soon everyone was back looking tired, hungry, and in need of a shower/beer (not necessarily in that order). Some friendships were forged again over the next couple of hours before everyone retired to a comfy bed and a good night’s sleep.

Breakfast on Monday was busy with everyone being back in the HQ. Chat again turned to the contest and how everyone had done with the judges retiring to do the adjudication ready for the evening and the presentations. There was also some relaxing time for anyone who attended with trips to both Bletchley Park and Duxford Air museum. I spent the morning talking with contestants and others who were all looking at the Icom radios, again the X-026 being the centre of interest, before I had to pack away the booth around 15:00 ready for the presentation and raffle in the evening. Icom UK had donated 2 new Icom IC-7300 MkII transceivers for the winning Youth team, and a third IC-7300 MkII for a prize in the raffle. Ray had once more gone down with what was thought to be food poisoning, but it turned out it was something to do with his meds, so he was off colour and off his feet once again.

The time soon came for the closing ceremony, results of the contest, and the presentations. Full results can be found on the WRTC 2026 website, but as we were giving the prizes for the winning Youth team we were called up on stage by Mark (M0DXR). Well done to Connor (W4IPC) and Kees (W0AAE) on being the leading youth team. These guys are the future of our hobby and should go far within it. 

TBC Work in progress

A little late with this, but it has been a busy few weeks as you will see.

So I started our journey on the train from Herne Bay to Staines at 08:00, and everything was on time to get there for 10:30. But as with all things a delay was introduced just 4 stations along the track. Something to do with a broken down train, which later turned out to be someone on the track trying to end their life – luckily someone intervened and prevented the death (I do hope the person who needed the help got some and is now OK). This is the reason we go the day before we travel, it allows for any delays that may come up. Once past the scene and on our way again we made good time and arrived at London Victoria about 30 minutes late. The rest of the journey and the walk to ML&S from the station went without a hitch. I even met a fellow radio ham on his way there, but he was a long way from his home in Barbados, good to see you Philip 8P5AA. I also met Charles (M0OXO) and Ady (G6AD) at the store, it was the easiest landmark for us.

An evening in the Premier Inn on Bath Road before an early night, and early AM alarm to get to the airport for the 06:30 Swiss Air flight to Zurich. No delays at the airport, straight through security and check in, a coffee in departures and the flight departing on time. The aircraft was a Air Baltic Airbus A320, one of the partners of Swiss Air, free wifi allowed me to track the flight right past Herne Bay – they could have dropped a rope and picked me up.

Arrival at Zurich was a little different. We were well within time and got off the aircraft and into arrivals on time, but then had a queue to get through border control. They are preparing for the new system with fingerprint and photo identity to match the passport biometrics, this should make it far quicker to get through going forward especially if all countries share the information so we only have to scan ourselves through. We were in there for just short of one hour, and our bags were on the carousel waiting when we got to baggage claim. Through the doors and it was “Welcome to Switzerland”. I keep saying this but I really must try and make some time to visit Zurich city and not just pass through it.

After crossing the road into The Circle we went straight to the train ticket office to get the combined train and ferry tickets. This is the most stressful part of the journey, trying to work out the ticket machines, but with the helpful staff it was a breeze. Tickets bought and onto the platform, we had just missed the train by about 10 minutes so had a wait for the next one which was about 45 minutes. No worries as we are now in a chill out mood, ready for the ferry and the apple pie on there. People ask why we come this way, and we all answer the same – “it is a nice, no rush journey through the beautiful Swiss countryside, with a relaxing ferry trip across the lake”. 

The trains and boats are in synch with each other, we arrived at Romanshorn to see the ferry waiting. It is a short walk across the harbour front – a couple of nice bars and restaurants here to grab a cold drink or coffee on the return – to the ferry. No sooner were we on board then we were pulling away. In the cafe I had promised the boys that I would treat them to the apple pie for the help over the past year with a couple of things. I was now certainly starting to relax and chill out for the next couple of days before the show and standing on the Icom stand as promised during Friday. 

We were a little early to the hotel City Krone in the centre of town, and only Charles’ room was ready, so we went to our favourite Mini Bar in the square opposite and just behind the church. A cold beer was the order of the day, and find some shade as the temperatures were way up in the high 30C – something that would be the biggest problem of the week with temps over 40C being recorded in some parts of Germany. Our friend James, KB2FMH, also arrived on the Wednesday and was sat in the hotel when we got back along with John, W2YR.

Slowly throughout Wednesday afternoon and Thursday the international friends arrived to our hotel base, even the one’s not staying there came and had a beer with us – this has become somewhat of a tradition on the Thursday afternoon into the evening. On Thursday morning Ady, Charles, and I had a trip up to the Ham Radio 2026 show at the Messe to check out the IOTA stand and say hello to our friends in the DX Plaza. It also gave me the chance to see the Icom stand being built and taking shape. After a quick lunch we returned to the hotel for the “international meeting” of the Old Farts Club – I will be setting up the membership details later and getting you all your AI badge sent out (all good fun). 

Following our breakfast on Friday morning we set off to the Messe in the Taxi, James joined us for this trip, and completed the final set up of the IOTA booth. Ady got out his inflatable palm tree, this became a bit fun over the weekend and I think ended up with the Mediterraneo DX Club on Sunday to go on their trip to 9T0MD – photographic evidence please Antony. It was a busy day on the Icom stand too, free ice cream was being given out to visitors who appreciated the gesture. It was also good to see the new Icom X-026 and discuss with the visitors on what they thought it was going to be, but we will have wait for Tokyo Hamfest in August to find out. A visit from the newly weds Vlad (OK2WX) and Paula (OK2YL) was good and enabled me to wish them all the best for their recent marriage. 

Saturday was much the same, apart from me not being on the Icom stand, with many friends coming over and saying hello and getting photographs with them. I also had my camera out and went for a walk to get some alternative images. I have put many of them below. I also went over to the Astronomy show, but this was a disappointing event with only a handful of stands. They did have a telescope set up in the garden that was pointing at the sun, and with the filters on it you could see the sunspots, I wish I had taken a photo of it with my phone as that could also be done with the set up. We also enjoyed a couple of beers in the beer garden, something I very rarely do at the show – only after the show do I enjoy the beers.

Saturday night was the usual meal at Tiffany’s Steakhouse, which was slightly tarnished this year as they said they didn’t have our booking even though Charles had the email. So our table for 8 ended up split as a 6 and 2 at opposite ends of the restaurant – It also took over an hour before the food arrived so we will not be going next year. But there are plenty of other restaurants down by the lake to choose from, and most do good food.

Sunday was soon here and the return journey back to Zurich and Heathrow. We were joined on the return leg by Jamie (M0SDV), Dave (EI9FBB), and Paul (G4PVM). After the quick trip to the Messe to collect our posters off the IOTA stand and say our goodbyes to everyone we headed to the ferry – but diverted for an ice cream at our favourite seller Tutti Fruitti. But they were closed so we had to go into one we had never visited before, and boy was it worth it (see the photo) for the ice cream spaghetti. This is on next years treat list. Time for the ferry, and as usual the train was waiting when we got to the other side. We had a farewell meal with the boys in the Circle and went to check in.

Straight forward through security to departures and duty free shopping. I had promised some Swiss chocolate – especially a large Toblerone – for my work colleagues so that was bought ready for my return to work on the Tuesday. If you ever visit Zurich airport look for the Chalet Suisse restaurant, we always have a glass of lemonade with mint – the most refreshing drink in the world. Time for boarding and a queue through passport control, though this only took 20 minutes so wasn’t too bad. The aircraft was soon boarded, but was delayed by people arriving to the gate late!!! Why don’t they get there a little early and the plane will depart on time. The captain came on the mic as the last late comer boarded, not from the cockpit but on the stewards mic in the cabin so we all could see him. His exasperated face and explanation that we would be another 30 minutes waiting for a slot because of these selfish people was priceless and I hope it made them think – but I doubt it as they are the type that think they are “entitled” to do whatever they want.

We made good time and were soon landing at Heathrow, again flying in past Herne Bay but on the North side – I swear I could have seen my flat if it hadn’t been cloudy at that point. Going over the Dartford crossing (yes we flew over it) I offered the captain my account to pay the Dart Charge, but he declined. Sunday evening we had a meal in the hotel at Bath Road with a couple of Guinness just to finish the week off. Monday morning Charles dropped me at Staines and departed on the journey North for himself and Ady. I jumped on the train to Herne Bay and home. Again I had to change at Clapham Junction and London Victoria. I missed a train by 2 minutes at London so went and bought a bottle of cider to cool off a little – £7.25 for a bottle that was less than a pint! Arrived in Herne Bay with no issues and in home to have a rest. 

I would like to send some thank you’s. To Charles and Ady for being the best travel companions and friends you could have. Again plenty of laughs and fun, putting the world to rights and chatting about our hobby. To Icom Europe for allowing me to join them on their stand. To all my international friends for their friendship and fun ove r the full week. See you all again next year.

Well the week is finally here. The annual pilgrimage to the German town on the banks of Lake Constance. And for 1 week/weekend the town is full of radio amateurs all visiting from their home countries to attend Ham Radio 2026 – the 49th year of this event.

This will be my 5th visit, and each year it has been getting better and better. Meeting up with old and new friends, some I have maybe made contact with once on the air while others will be never made contact – but we all know each other from our common hobby. I am lucky in that I now work within the industry and will be spending one day on the Icom stand, talking to people who are maybe looking for a new transceiver, or are wanting some help with their current radio. I will also be on the IOTA stand as usual with my friends Charles (M0OXO) and Ady (G6AD), who are the best travel buddies – and friends – you could have.

My journey starts tomorrow (23rd June 2026) at 07:30 heading up to Staines to meet Charles & Ady by train. Leaving Herne Bay up to London Victoria, a connection from there to Clapham Junction, and change again for Staines. We will then spend the day at a spot we know watching the aircraft before settling in to our rooms at the Premier Inn on Bath Road, Hounslow for the night. A 2am alarm to get ready to leave and catch our 6am flight from Heathrow airport. We understand it is taking a little longer than usual to get through security and check in so we are giving ourselves a little extra time. Breakfast in the airport,  arrive in Zurich and catch the train to Romanshorn before getting on the ferry over the lake to have lunch in Friedrichshafen.

I will be posting updates throughout the week with photos to prove our antics. If you are going, then come and say hello, if not then make it a trip for the 50th Anniversary show next year.

When I was a youngster I used to build model kits, mostly aircraft or other Airfix kits. Painting was done with a brush and Humbrol paints, usually small tins, and they were not very good. This progressed on to the Tamiya Military Modelling kits as I went through senior school – we had an excellent modelling club. Then fast forward to early 20’s and I again started building models, this time of American and custom cars. There were lots of places where you could get “after market” detailing parts, or they could easily be bought from the USA – a modelling column in Classic American car magazine was the read of choice for the information on these items. 

Now we have the internet, and there is more than enough information out there on where to buy these kits and detailing – but not many places in the UK it seems. So I have decided that this winter I am again going to give it a go and start building some model kits on the dark winter nights. But wait! HOW MUCH for postage? I have been researching getting the detailing parts from the USA. The prices for the parts is what I would expect to pay, in fact they are similar to what we used to pay in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

So I put a small order together with a kit of an old Ford step side pick up (I have an idea for a small diorama), some engine detailing for a couple of kits, some interior detailing, and and a couple of US modelling magazines we can’t get here in the UK. Roughly around $100.00 for the lot. Through all the ordering and I was just about to press the payment button until I looked at the postage. $70.00 for a small box weighing around 3 to 5 kilogram.

All I can say is “Dick Turpin wore a mask!” And I think this was with the US postal service, not a courier.

And I know at this end I would have had import duty and tax to pay. What happened to the $30.00 postage? Yes prices of fuel and wages has gone up, but $30.00 would have got you a 10 to 20Kg package – and I am talking within the last 10 years this price. So what has happened? But why to more than double within 6 years is outrageous. 

So i am now waiting on a model of a VW T2 camper for another diorama I am going to build, and this one will have an amateur radio theme.

Well it’s been a while since I posted anything. I just got fed up of how people are operating in pile ups for DXpeditions, how people treat others with regards their confirmations through QSL managers and how they EXPECT things immediately before these expeditions are over. The internet is good, but social media is a hive of keyboard warriors and entitled idiots who think rules don’t apply to them. Rant over, on to the positive stuff.

After my last post it has been a busy time at work and going to the RSARS station – G2EC – at Blandford for CQ WPX SSB Contest, I decided to hang back from the hobby. Concentrating on the East Kent Radio Society (EKRS), especially in my roll as secretary, and sorting out some events for the club. But I’m now back with my head back in the right place, and enjoying radio again.

So what can you look forward to from me. It’s going to be some fun in June with my annual trip to Ham Radio Friedrichshafen on the horizon, the WRTC 2026 event is also happening in the UK at the start of July, sadly RIAT 2026 has been cancelled due to the situation in the Middle East, and RAF Fairford being fully operational. BUT RIAT 2027 is already promising to look like one of the best, especially as it has been announced as a NATO Tiger meeting – for those that are not airplane geeks like me it is where NATO allies all attend with aircraft painted in special liveries with a Tiger theme – so that will give some excellent photo opportunities. On the photography front I have bought myself a nice new Nikon Z6 III, and accompanying lenses, which is proving to be a lot more of a camera that is going to need time to learn to drive. I am happy with the images I have already taken,  but will be taking it to Friedrichshafen for a proper try out and learn how it all works.

As I mentioned late last year I gained my  US General amateur licence, call KM7DGK, well I am now booked on to take my Extra licence. I have been studying using the Ham Radio Prep course which I have found to be superb, so go and have a look and get your 3 licence levels taken.

With me working at Icom UK I have also been out visiting clubs and some rallies, the NARSA Blackpool was fun and my first time ever visiting that particular rally. I drove up from here in Herne Bay and picked up Ady – G6AD – who kept me sane and awake on half the drive. We also met up with some of the guys from Northern Ireland and had a fun evening on the Saturday night enjoying a meal and a few beers with them. Always good company and looking forward to something similar in FHN.

Earlier I mentioned attending the RSARS station, G2EC, at Blandford. This is turning into a twice yearly trip with CQ WW SSB and CQ WPX SSB contests. This last time we had a few new operators who it was good to meet and get to know. We ended up posting a club record score and coming #1 England in our category. Following the event we had a meeting on line and have set ourselves a new target to achieve in 2026 CQWW SSB. But I think in this one we may have a couple of the big guns competing in the same category, and I guess these guys will be watching us come up the ranks. Talking of ranks it was good to have a bed this time round, Richard the station manager at Blandford managed to book us in to the Officers mess as guests for the weekend. A good breakfast and sleep was the top of the order and definitely helped with keeping the guys on the ball for the contest. Final results are out on the CQ WPX website if you wish to see where you finished. 

EKRS have had some fun. We meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Herne Windmill where we held a special event station, GB6HWM, for the Mills On The Air weekend (MOTA). It was a fun event with many members attending and getting on the air. Some went into the mill itself to see how it worked, there is a motor in there that when switched on it was S9 +30db of noise across the band – luckily it was only on for no more than 90 seconds at various times through the day so didn’t completely kill the band for us. Some members also attended an event held by the Dover Amateur Radio Club  for the Marconi day event. This was good fun over 2 sites, I was at the Maison Dieu station in the town centre, and others were at South Foreland Lighthouse. This is a gorgeous old building used as the town hall and for events. If you are ever in the area do visit this building, or come and say hello to us at EKRS – you will be made to feel welcome and get a free cup of tea or coffee.

So that’s about it. I will try and do a weekly blog going forward, and maybe a daily one at the events in June and July with a live post from them at some point.

Remember if it highlighted in red it has a link to follow with more information.

This weekend my boss has kindly loaned me the new Icom IC-7300 MkII to have a play with and get used to. This is to help our customers with their radios and any issues they might encounter when trying to set up their radios. I have also bought a Mydel VH-6 portable antenna to use along side it to try and get on the air. Happy days, it worked and a quick contact with RW1F on 15M SSB and I was happy.

Carried on setting the radio up to the computer with the same barriers my customers had called me about and we had managed to cure, so I set about a complete install for myself. While doing this I was listening to the current major DXpedition on 15M SSB to Desecheo Island, near Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. What a s**t show. Stations calling over them, stations swearing and arguing. Stations just generally making a noise and for what. Just because they are animals and have no consideration for other operators. I also have to say every voice came from a Southern European country in the shape of a boot, or one of the old Eastern Bloc countries. Just disgusting animals, in fact no animals know how to behave! I am just glad I wasn’t trying to demonstrate amateur radio to school kids or any newcomer to the hobby. 

And these people class themselves as me in the elite DXers of the hobby. How wrong can they be. But the other side is they will not give out their callsigns as they know they are doing wrong, but still do it. No wonder there are times I think about walking away, but then I remember the many who are not like these amoebas and make the hobby fun.

WOW, what a busy few weeks since Christmas. Firstly I travelled up to Yorkshire on Christmas Day via a quick stop off in Nuneaton to see my 3 favourite people outside my family, then while in Doncaster spent Christmas Day with my mum and uncle Ken (mums brother), before checking in to my usual hotel for 4 nights. Boxing day again went to see mum and took her to my cousins for a party before heading back to the hotel. And rather than sit in and be bored I went to the Marketplace Deli bar for a couple of beers, another friend was in there so we went for a small pub crawl before getting in taxis’ and heading home. 

Saturday I went for a walk around the lakeside shopping centre to try and find a white t-shirt but it was that busy I just went back to the room in the hotel and decided to get ready to go and meet my old school mate Andy Constantine and his wife Valerie. I have known Andy since we were 11 years old at school and remained friends all this time. A few beers washed down with a good Indian curry ended the weekend. Sunday again I visited my mum and had lunch with her before back to the hotel for an early night – yes I did my usual 4am set off time to get back to Kent before the traffic got heavy on the roads.

New Year was a quiet one with me having come back with a cold/flu type virus which knocked me off my feet so ended up staying home for New Years Eve, listening to the party across the road from me. But being home did give me time to try out my Christmas present from mum, a pair of 12X60 Binoculars to stargaze and watch the boats and aircraft that pass here every day. Before we knew it it was Monday 5th January and a return to work. 

Being home gave me chance to try the new Icom IC-7300 MkII I borrowed from work. Setting the radio up to a 10 Meter mobile whip on a magnetic mount attached to a steel barstool gave me a good receive on 15 through to 10M, but unfortunately the SWR was a little high on the 10 and 12M bands but seemed to be OK on 15M. This gave me chance to check out the CW decoder during the contests that were on during the first weekend of January, and make contact with a couple of the WWA stations that are on this month. This radio is now with the RSGB being reviewed ready for an article in RadCom, but we will have it on show throughout the year at the various rallies and shows we are attending.

Now I have the Icom ID-52E Plus here connected to a dual band whip that is on the same base as the 10M antenna was on. I have been looking at the D-Star operation and listening to the reflectors and my local repeater GB7IC. A first for me as I have never used any form of digital voice transmissions before, whether it be D-Star, Fusion, or DMR. But it is interesting to see how many users world wide connect to the reflectors and you are able to speak to them. Not my usual fun in the hobby but it does have it’s place. 

So as I say a busy period, and plenty of fun. I promise I will be updating more this year as we go along, and now I am settled I can start and do a lot more blogs. 

73 and Happy New Year to you all.

On Friday evening I sat my US Amateur General class licence. And once again I passed. So I now have HF privileges in the USA – only certain sections of the bands to use SSB. This was once again administered by Bob, N1UVO, and his team out in Florida. Very friendly and make you feel relaxed and welcome in to the group – thank you all for your time as VE’s (Volunteer Examiners). 

So now we go for the Extra licence, going to be a lot more studying and getting the grey matter working on this one. 40 Years since I passed my UK licence and much of the technical stuff has slipped out through my ears I think. But I will have my wanted call of KF5DX ready for Christmas.

Have a look at Hamstudy if you think you would like to attempt to get your USA call. 

(As with all my posts if the wording is in bold RED italics there is most likely a link to a page behind 

Just a little point of news on my part. 

When I found out I had the job at Icom, I thought it was a good time to start studying again and go for my US Amatur Licence. So I asked a good friend over in Tucson, Arizona – thank you Gene K5GS – if I could use his address for my licence and base address in the USA. With his answer yes I set about starting the process, then the US Government shut down so I had to wait until they opened up, where I registered and then set up an online exam for the Technician licence. That was passed and in the last week I received my first licence and call, KM7CZT. This will change when I get my general and extra class, but I will let you know when that happens, especially as I take the General exam next Friday evening.

73, de G1VDP/KM7CZT

Well it’s getting close to that time of year again. Santa is preparing all the toys for the kids, the adults are all stressing about what to get them, and the supermarkets are packed with people buying enough supplies to feed an army for a month – just for a family of four for one day. Sorry I am not a Christmas person, it’s for the kids so I will be making a huge effort to be on form this year with the new job and visiting an old friend and her daughter and her daughter. So let’s get on with my annual message…