My call sign is G7HZQ and I have been licenced now since August 1991. To obtain my licence I have passed the Radio Amateurs Exam (R.A.E.) which is a City and Guilds qualification. Many amateurs also go on to take a voluntary morse code test, where a speed of at least 12 words per minute is required. A pass in this allows the complete radio frequency spectrum to be used (Class A licence) whilst a Class B licence holder is restricted to frequencies of 50MHz and above. This does not mean that I am restricted to the local area by any means. I have contacted Europe on both 2m (144MHz) and 70cm (430MHz) on minimal power. My best contact to date was talking to a Belgium station on 70cm whilst I was on the way home from work one evening! It was made even more special due to the use my end of a glass mount aerial on the rear windscreen.
Information is passed around by bulletin board systems, and it is possible to send the packet equivalent of an email to any where in the world. My local BBS, where I am a remote Sysop, is GB7ZPU and is 8 miles from my home location. Using a radio on 70cm (430MHz) I communicate with the BBS as if it were down the end of the telephone line. If you are also an amateur licence holder and have packet radio facilities, please send me a message at G7HZQ@GB7ZPU.#21.GBR.EU.
As well as the sysop work I run a packet based Fantasy Formula 1 motor racing League, and an FF1 Prediction Championship. If you would like to have a go in entering drop me a line either by packet or email. Note as this is really a packet based competition then preferrence will be given to those making the initial contact by packet radio, followed by those with ham licences.
I have designed quite a few Windows icons for Ham Radio over the last year and sent them out over the GBR packet network to recieve some kind favourable comments. One of them was from Roger G4IDE who has become legendary over the last year as the author of an excellent Packet Radio programme called Winpack. He asked if he could use them and if I could develope a dedicated icon for the programme, which I was honoured to do.
The general rig icons are available here along with some others for you to look at and down load for your own use if you wish.
There are many different satellites in this class but the most popular are the American NOAA and the Russian Meteor. The NOAA type pass around morning and afternoon or mid day and mid night depending on which ones you monitor. The most popular frequency for monitoring these satellites is around 137MHz.
For really cool Ham Radio links (that is a real conflicting statement if ever I have heard one!) try these.....
Page last updated 8th December 1996.
Copyright © 1996 Steve Breen