On occasion when on holiday I take along some radio gear. In 1994 I operated as SV9/G4OBK from Crete. I returned there in 2004 and was issued with the special callsign J42004Q to celebrate the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Other overseas operations have been from The Dodecanese Islands as SV5/G4OBK in 1998 (Rhodes), 1999 (Rhodes), 2002 (Kos). I am also an Honorary member of the Radio Club of Rhodes. I am 2nd from the right in this phototaken in The Radio Club of Rhodes:
I have also operated on HF as GM4OBK from South West Scotland over the years. I don't have a fixed station there now, but I do undertake occasional portable QRP operations from Scotland as a Summits On The Air activator. I also operated from the Isle of Man in 2003. If you need a QSL for any of my operations please use my address in England or the RSGB QSL Bureau.
Please note: I DO NOT USE the e-QSL service.
Log Search G4OBK: (Note: Many QSOs pre computerisation in 1991 not shown) Mail me for any query
Log Search J42004Q: (1523 QSOs made QRV Sept 7th - Sept 15th 2004)
Log Search SV9/G4OBK (1994 & 2004):
Log Search SV5/G4OBK:
Log Search GM4OBK:
Log Search GD4OBK/P: (1159 QSOs made - QRV April 27th - May 2nd 2003)
Click here for GD4OBK Web Page
I am a user of the Yorkshire DX Cluster GB7YDX. The Yorkshire Cluster has connectivity via VHF/UHF radio and telnet via the internet. The Sysop is M3TVA/G3TVA. For more info see: GB7YDX Website
I married Judy in 1996 and she supports me in my hobby. We live just outside the historic market town of Pickering, North Yorkshire (pop. 7000), in North East England. Our town lies 18 miles inland from the North Sea at Scarborough and 25 miles from the historic city of York.
This is our QTH near Pickering >>>>>
In 2005 I became keen on taking part in the Summits On The Air Programme as a "chaser" and an "activator". This involves using low power equipment to make contacts from the relative hills of Britain on HF and VHF.
I have spent most of my working life in Communications and Information Technology. This was
split between working for the UK Government and British Aerospace. In 2005 I was fortunate to be offered early retirement from my job.
At the same time I was appointed by The Lord Chancellor as a Justice of the Peace, so I now sit in our local courthouses as a Magistrate.
Although originally from the North West of England, (around 100 miles from where we now live), due to job moves and the changes which life has brought, I have lived in 10 different places within the UK since 1982. At seven of these QTH's I've set up an amateur radio station. This has meant I have erected seven radio towers in total over a 20 year span!
My current station consists of 2 towers. On 160m I run a 3/8 wave antenna with a 90 feet
vertical and 90 feet horizontal section over about 3000 feet of radials. On 80m I use a 60 foot
vertical wire with a 6 feet horizontal section to bring it to resonance as a quarter wave.
On 30m and 40m I use ground mounted quarter wave vertical antenna's over the same ground system.
During the winter I improve my receive capability by running out two 450 foot long Beverage receiving antennas to the east and the west.
Since year 2000 I have used a T10 Tennadyne 10 element Log Periodic antenna on 14-30 MHz. Click on the links to read my experience of this antenna:
On VHF I use yagi antenna's for 6m 4m 2m and 70cm. The transceiver for HF is a Yaesu FT1000MP Mark V. An Acom linear amplifier ensures that
I usually make it through the pile up. For VHF/UHF I use a Yaesu FT847.
In 2005 as a means of enjoying the countryside, keeping fit and using amateur radio, I became
involved in The Summits On The Air Programme. For this low power backpacking work I use a Yaesu FT817, for more info see my SOTA page.
Here are some other articles I have had published on the Internet or in Radio Magazines: