I held an amateur licence from 1967 as VK4ZDC and was active on 6 metres (52 - 54 MHz) from that time, adding 2 metres AM then FM and finally 70cm SSB to the operating bands. After upgrading to a unlimited  licence in 1976 and taking the call VK4ADC, I operated mainly 20 metres SSB with some 6, 15, 40 and 80 metres as well as promoting RTTY in South East Queensland. The on-air activity declined with change of jobs in the early 1980's but the construction of projects including RTTY & voice repeaters, packet digipeaters etc continued. I returned to the present activity levels after September 1999 when business was a little slow and I had time to fix the old gear - bit by bit.  

Since then, the radio gear has been updated, repaired, re-calibrated and a few new ideas incorporated.  I have previously started development of a fox hunt receiver for 2 metres, built a new 6 metre transverter and modified an old 27MHz CB linear to 50MHz to provide a bit more grunt. 

I originally trained as a Radio Technician in the old Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) at Brisbane airport and worked in the comms, RADAR, test equipment pool and training school areas before joining the Postal and Telecommunications ("P&T") back in 1978 as a Technical Officer doing broadcasting, TV and radiocomm interference work. My time in P&T / DOC / DOTC / SMA (currently ACMA) saw me working in many areas - and gaining experiences - in many aspects of radio and communications. I left that organisation during one of their staffing down-sizes (my choice, not theirs !) and moved across into the computer service and sales industry. I started a move back into the radio industry back in late 2003, but this time with more of a retail leaning - though still involved in many "technicalities", plus designing and building antennas etc..

Back to amateur activities : In Sept 2000, I built up a new 50MHz yagi using the WA7RAI QY4 software as a design base - 6 elements on a 6.5m boom.  Tests against a standard 1/2 wave dipole proved a 11 to 12 dBd forward gain and a front/back of 29dB at 50.0 Mhz, VSWR of 1.05:1, basically the same as the design criteria. . While on the subject of yagis, Ron VK4KLC and I recently did some polar pattern measurements of his 5 element 6 metre beam. He transmitted about 8 watts carrier while rotating the array while I noted the received signal levels in dBm. The resulting pattern was almost identical to that created by WA7RAI 's QY4 software - front to back and side values were within a dB or so of each other.   

March 2000 saw operation in the CQ WW WPX Phone contest with about 550 contacts. I used the CT626 logging software and was about to email it off and noted that the points scoring was in error. It appears that this version is based on USA-based stations and doesn't cater for other countries. Because I don't participate much in contests anymore, I don't really want to go out and buy a later version of CT just for contests. I have found that EasyLog 4.5 is a good general purpose logging program but runs under Windows and really needs the speed of a DOS program under contest conditions.

Current equipment in the shack includes the Icom IC-7400 transceiver coupled to an old Yaesu FL-2100B linear (who says I play 'brand favourites !'). I still have the old Icom IC-720 in standby position (with a 2nd one on the shelf) plus an old Yaesu FT-DX560 (from when I was first licensed for HF back in 1976) in storage under the benchtop. As time permits, I hope to spend more time checking them out and making them completely functional to specifications again.

I am seldom found on air however I do try to read the VK1WIA news each week on the web if I can't find the time to listen to it. I do keep myself up to date with most happenings about amateur radio because a significant percentage of my daily workload involves being able to advise amateurs what suits them from currently available products.

Since becoming a WIA Assessor (2007), I hope to encourage others to join in this fine hobby - and approriately licensed - by running theory coaching courses and parctical activities.

ACTIVITIES :

• Trying to monitor 50.110 when in the workshop and keeping an ear out for DX calls but doing some tuning around particularly in the 50 - 50.1 beacon segment. - NOT CURRENTLY BEING MONITORED DUE TO LACK OF TIME AND ACCESS - Oct 2005 - 2007

• We are running cable modem router access to the Internet so have it connected to the home-office LAN which also connects to the PC in the radio shack. I can now check the 50MHz DX page (and other DX pages and rings) from there on the rare opportunities I get to operate. (eg RD Contest)

• With initial details from Gary VK4AR, I modified a 27MHz CB transceiver with PLL02 synthesiser (Cybernet series) up to 50MHz so that I could go mobile / portable / field days. With some variations from Gary's original details, it's up and running producing about 10 watts SSB. When 6 metres is in an active phase, it sits connected to the 50MHz J-Pole (as described elsewhere on this web site), left on 50.110 with the squelch just set. Even if I don't hear the weaker DX, I certainly hear the locals working it so am alerted to run into the shack and get on the air with the IC-7400 on the yagi!