Whilst throwing out my old “stuff” (The throw-away society), I came across my amateur radio equipment which I have not used for many years.
It was way back at an early age that my interest in the propagation of radio signals was born. How do radios and TV’s work?
How can a sound or a picture be sent through the ether, the air, to be heard the other side of the world.
On a Sunday lunchtime, we would listen to the BBC‘s Two-Way Family Favourites, a program where, families in the UK, would send messages to the soldiers, sailors and airmen serving in far off places like Cyprus, and the men and women serving in the forces would return their messages. How could they do that, and play the music requested.
My first radio I built was a crystal set. A very simple device consisting of a coil of wire, a crystal usually iron pyrite, a pair of earphones, an earth connection or water pipe, a very long and high wire or aerial at least 150 feet long, and a cats whisker.
I would lay in bed until midnight, when the BBC would stop broadcasting for the day, enjoying the late night music. Surely if it is possible to receive radio signals, it is obvious one can transmit. But how?
Why was it that at certain times of the day it was possible to hear transmissions from one side of the world, and at another time nothing could be heard, but perhaps a signal from another country.
It would take me until 1979, when I decided to take the year long course and take my amateur radio exam, to learn the secrets of how radio receivers and transmitters worked, circuit design, how to build radios and transmitters, radio propagation, weather and atmosphere significance, capacitance, ohms law, radio frequencies and their use, the rules and laws of transmission.
It was whilst waiting for the result of my exam, that the British Government allowed the normal citizen to walk into any Post Office and purchase a CB license without taking the Ham Radio exam.
I got my call sign G8YJQ, and had many great years meeting people on the air, learning more, also giving my time to emergency services through RAYNET.
It was my time in Saudi Arabia where ham radio is banned, that my interest in ham radio would wane, only to return with less interest on my return to the UK, when I would buy a couple of radio/transmitters. Not having any facilities for a good aerials to get a good signal, and no person to share my interest, the radio/transmitters found themselves at the back of a draw, only to be found again when throwing out my “stuff”.
A quick charge of the batteries, and a re-read of the operating manuals, and I am back on air.
But so far in two days, I have heard no other transmission or contacts.
Are there Radio Hams out there?
YAESU FT-727R
MY TRANSCEIVERS