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Visiting the Poldhu Radio Club with my Grandad back in 2017. A proud moment for me.
William Dennis Jordan (RIP) (from Paul and Penzance)
Well you can blame Uncle George for that, he’s the one who gave me a very old even then shortwave radio receiver and also my ma, who bought me a kids set of walkie talkies and soon regretted the purchase.
Back then when I was exploring the radio hobby we were living in Penzance so being a cornish fishing port there was often something happening out in the bay. Mount’s Bay, often the Penlee Lifeboat was out doing rescues and of course RNAS Culdrose was the other side of the bay too so with all the services and of course Falmouth Coastguard, Penzance Heliport etc owning a radio scanner back then was a good choice, my first real scanner was a PSR 282 that bought from Tandy in Camborne.
So as at the time I was not licenced, I never thought I had the mental strength to pass the foundation amateur radio exam, so I started with CB (Citizen Band Radio), I spoke with other CB users in West Cornwall and even heard a group of operators in Aberdeen, Scotland when there was a lift on – aka good conditions meant signals went further than they usually would.
I had a couple of CB Radios one was straight UK40 – 40 channel FM Transceiver, the other was a President Jackson tho this one kicked out about 15w all modes. I started with a CB Dipole antenna and then put up a straight silver rod antenna – 18ft on the apex of our roof in Gwavas Street.
I was one of two who between us didnt think we were able to pass the amateur radio exam due to our health issues, the others in the group were telling us how they were going to do this, buy this and setup the antenna like that etc, safe to say they all failed as they were not taking in any of the training.
I passed the very first time, which for me was a very big deal. My callsign is M3UHQ or as of April 2024 – ME3UHQ.
RIP Keith Matthews (SK) G0WYS
Keith was great in my training and was very proud to have us at The Cornish Radio Rally in 2007 shortly after passing the exam. – An absolutely lovely genuine guy. sadly missed.
Me at The Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker’s Raynet control room
Chris 2M0UTZ and myself Lawrie M3UHQ at Heathrow Airport
Myself and my Ma at her home in Crediton (May 2024)