Good Morning All.
My journey in amateur radio began in 1976 when I attended the Boys Brigade. One of my friend’s fathers had a CB radio—an old 23-channel Shake speare—that fascinated me. I saved my money and purchased a 23-channel upper and lower sideband radio. I went to the local Retravision store for 10 feet of coaxial cable and the hardware store for 9 feet of aluminum tube to build my antenna. I used this setup for many years.
After leaving school, I saved enough to buy a TS520 radio. A few months later, our local radio inspector visited. He was understanding but informed me that I couldn’t use that radio with a microphone, as it wouldn’t transmit. I was devastated. By then, I had built a network of friends—our “CBs”—who lent me a transmitting radio.
Time flew, and at 19, I owned a couple of radios, though I never got that microphone back. With newfound money, my obsession with amateur radio began. I acquired radios from Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood. When I moved to Cobar for work in the mining industry, I set up my gear despite not having an amateur radio license, ensuring I refrained from transmitting.
Later, I relocated to northern New South Wales, where I joined the Summerland Amateur Radio Club and obtained my amateur radio license. I progressed through the ranks, serving as publicity officer, vice president, and eventually president.
My career took me to the Hunter Valley, flying as a miner across Australia while bringing my amateur radio with me. Despite the challenges with airport security, I settled on the Gold Coast for a time before moving to Mount Isa. There, I established a great radio setup and worked with some CB operators to promote amateur radio.
I spent over a decade in Mount Isa, reviving a 2-meter repeater that had been inactive since the late ’80s. With the help of a friend, Daryl (VK4MIC), and Pachy. We installed solar panels and secured new repeaters, donating three to the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Society while keeping one as a spare.
In 2024, I moved to Cloncurry, Northwest Queensland, Where i am a mediator between the mining company & the Drilling contractors Better known as the bullshit filer. where my collection of radio gear expanded significantly. I now own four Yaesu radios, Tate radios, Motorola radios, and various other equipment, including linear amplifiers for both home and car. I run P25, C4FM, DMR, and AllStar.Cheers,Eric
Cloncurry, Northwest Queensland
VK2TRD / VK4OOW
