Andy Fletcher, MM0GYG

Biography

I was an SWL from the late 1960s until 2009. I had always meant to get a licence, but things like work, a girl, babies, exams and other distractions kept getting in the way. Also, a lot of the fun of amateur radio for me has been building circuits and there are plenty of things to build to keep an SWL busy.

I am now retired and the babies have grown-up and flit the coop so I have more time. I got my foundation licence (MM6AAF) in October 2009 at the Livingston and District ARS, and my intermediate licence (2M0NDI) in April 2010 at the Cockenzie and Port Seton ARC. I got my Full licence (MM0GYG) in May 2011 also at CPSARC. Thanks go to Bob GM4UYZ and Cambell MM0DXC at CPSARC, and Norman GM1CNH at LDARS for excellent training.

I run an Kenwood TS-590S. My main antenna is a small transmitting loop. For bands I can’t tune on the loop I use a doublet. Both are about 12m up – the loop is in the attic, one leg of the the doublet is draped over the roof, the other is in the attic. Unfortunately there are no suitable trees to use. On 6m I use a 3-element beam made from coax stapled to the attic roof, fed by a gamma match. I often run CW or some digimode and am a member of the G-QRP Club– thanks to all at the club for being so friendly and helpful. I’m also a member of the European PSK Club. See Digital Modes in the More ▼ menu for how I make QSOs in these modes.

I seem to spend more time home-brewing bits of electronics than operating. See my blog or older posts in On the Bench or Old Projects.