HamFest 2024 [061]

The Safecracking Ham [065]

In this audio I grab a chat with professional locksmith and passionate ham noob Gavin ‘Gav’ Jeffries M7UQT [https://www.qrz.com/db/M7UQT]. We talk about how easy it is to get obsessed with all things radio, how he found his way here and how radio is a part of his day job. This unedited actuality was recorded on my phone while we sat in a car. You can find Gavin’s YouTube channel here [https://www.youtube.com/user/GxAxV] and his Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/gxaxv/]. If you would like to hear more chat’s like this please consider supporting this channel with a full subscription… Thanks for listening. 73 from G5DOC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or even better, a paid subscriber ;-) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit g5doc.substack.com/subscribe [https://g5doc.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

HamFest 2024 [061]

Greetings from the shack… This is the eighth piece of audio I’ve shared to this newsletter. Subscribe to the podcast if you want them delivered to your podcatcher of choice. Nothing fancy here. Just some audio moments shared from the National HamFest at Newark [https://www.nationalhamfest.org.uk]. I recorded straight into my phone with a wind shield pulled over the end. I’ll add a little more context in the next email which should not be too far behind this one. The voices alongside mine that you will hear are: > Martin Lynch G4HKS [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4HKS] (HamRadio.co.uk [https://www.hamradio.co.uk]) > Callum McCormick M0MCX [https://www.qrz.com/db/M0MCX] (M0MCX.co.uk [https://www.m0mcx.co.uk]) > David Howlett M0VTG [https://www.qrz.com/db/M0VTG] President of H.A.R.S. [http://hunts-hams.weebly.com] > Simon M0GBK [https://www.qrz.com/db/M0GBK] from Lamco [https://www.hamradio-shop.co.uk] > Mike 2E0HQT [https://www.qrz.com/db/2E0HQT] from Ceecom-antennas.com [https://www.ceecom-antennas.com] 73 from G5DOC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts, the podcast and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. FINALS Thanks for reading and I hope subscribing. Liking and commenting gets this publication seen but please do share this wherever you think it might resonate. You are some of the more curious people in radio ;-) And I thank you. Over 73 de Christian G5DOC _._ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit g5doc.substack.com/subscribe [https://g5doc.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Over The Air: With Dave G8BKG [052]

This is Dave G8BKG [https://www.qrz.com/db/G8BKG]. I popped over to his QTH to take a look at some issues he was having issues with the GPS settings on his radio. While there I recorded this audio on my phone. Dave has been around long enough to have done the RAE (Radio Amateurs Examination) which was designed to test an individual's knowledge of radio theory, regulations, and operating practices. The RAE was first introduced in the UK in 1919 and administered by the British government's Post Office. It was a written exam, covering things like radio wave propagation, circuit theory, and Morse code. Over the years, the RAE evolved and eventually became a multiple-choice exam that could be taken at various test centres around the UK. Dave took the exam in the 50’s but didn’t pass the Morsecode side of things so focused on girls till some years later when he picked up a licence restricted to UHF and VHF. This is really when he made up for lost time and got stuck into amateur radio. In 2003, the RAE was replaced by the certification system we now have in the UK called the Amateur Radio Licence. There are currently three levels of licensing: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. Up until recently, these licenses were obtained by passing a practical assessment and a written exam. In fact I did a basic practical for the Foundation licence in 2019 but shortly after the practical was scrapped so the exams could be taken entirely online. Dave and I chatted around a few things. From how he started in radio, building his first radio, the Heathkit Hw17A [https://quantumtech.club/amateur-radio/its-a-golden-year-for-trevor-g4cle/attachment/heathkit-hw17a] as well as experiments in TV-DX [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_and_FM_DX]. He also gives a shout out to Willy’s net on 80m with G3BYG [https://www.qrz.com/db/G3BYG], Shefford and District Amateur radio Society [https://sadars.co.uk/wp/], HARS [http://hunts-hams.weebly.com] plus the now silent key Ron G8GRT [https://www.qrz.com/db/G8GRT] and his spidery radio constructions. Thanks to Dave for his time. FINALS And thanks to you for listening/reading and I hope subscribing. There is an RSS feed for this podcast but also some episodes for supporting subscribers [https://g5doc.substack.com] only. I’d like to do more face to face conversations with Amateur Radio operators. If you are interested please let me know. Feel free to comment on the web version of this email. Also, please share this wherever you think it might resonate. Thank you for your time. Till next time. Over 73 de Christian G5DOC _._ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit g5doc.substack.com/subscribe [https://g5doc.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

How an amateur radio operator rescued the Grateful Dead [040]

Well if I told you that that radio operator was Bob Heil [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Heil] all might become clear. Recently I was exploring The Podcast Show in London and stumbled upon the Heil Sound booth. Stood behind a few amazing looking microphones was Ash Levitt, President & CEO of Heil Sound [https://heilhamradio.com], also known as KD9JQS [https://www.qrz.com/db/KD9JQS]. Ash went on to tell me all about how Bob Heil, a keen ham radio enthusiast and his small music store flew into action and made sure The Grateful Dead [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grateful_Dead] could play at the Fox Theatre in St Louis. Bob supplied a large scale live sound system and went on to custom build other systems for many bands, including The Who. Heil sound is the only manufacturer to feature in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum. Licensed since 1956 Bob said… “I learned how to design and build special equipment from what I learned from my early days of Amateur Radio. It is a great honor and very humbling to have this display open in the Rock Hall museum,  located right beside the Les Paul room and around the corner from the historic Sun Studio.” I wonder how many other music legends can thank a ham radio nerd for ensuring they got heard. Thanks for the chat Ash, and thank you Bob K9EID [https://www.qrz.com/db/K9EID] for helping out a great band. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit g5doc.substack.com/subscribe [https://g5doc.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

A day of radio to celebrate 100 years [029]

The 18th of October 2022 marked 100 years since the formation the British Broadcasting Company. This eventually became the British Broadcasting Corporation six years later. To mark this momentous date, members of the BBC Amateur Radio Group were invited by Arqiva [https://www.arqiva.com] to operate for the day at Daventry transmitting station [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry_transmitting_station]. Home to so much of BBC shortwave broadcasting over the years. In the audio above I chat once again with Steve Richards G4HPE [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4HPE] at the end of a great day of radio. The images were all taken on site during the day. I was really pleased to have managed to operate with G2LO [https://www.qrz.com/db/G2LO] but also to get the call in my own log with a quick 2m QSO. ;-) Thank you Brian G4BIP [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4BIP] for helping make that happen, but also for keeping the log while I was operating. Don’t forget that although G2LO will be around again in the years to come, the GB100BBC [https://www.qrz.com/db/GB100BBC] call will only be around for the remainder of this year. Listen out for it. Here are a few other operators that were working either GB100BBC or G2LO. G4HPE [http://G4HPE] / G4IXT [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4IXT] / G0OQK [https://www.qrz.com/db/G0OQK] / G4BIP [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4BIP] / G1EIX [https://www.qrz.com/db/G1EIX] / G8FRS [https://www.qrz.com/db/G8FRS] / G0NXA [https://www.qrz.com/db/G0NXA] / M0NTX [https://www.qrz.com/db/M0NTX] / G7URP [https://www.qrz.com/db/G7URP] and G4ZJH [https://www.qrz.com/db/G4ZJH]. If I have missed anyone out please let me know in the comments. Here are a few of the many QSL cards sent after contact with GB100BBC. And here are some BBC related QSL cards. Some never to be repeated. Thanks again to Harri Stephens G1EIX [https://www.qrz.com/db/G1EIX] and his associates from Arqiva [https://www.arqiva.com] for hosting everyone and looking after us throughout the day. FINALS Thanks for listening/reading and I hope subscribing. The music used in the intro and outro in the podcast was composed by Andre Louis [https://twitter.com/FreakyFwoof] and modified by me. Please comment on the web version of this email or if you’d like to contribute. Also, please share this wherever you think it might resonate. Thank you for your time. Till next time. Over 73 de Christian G5DOC _._ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit g5doc.substack.com/subscribe [https://g5doc.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]