Since December 2021, G4HLX is now active again in Wantage, Oxfordshire UK (IO91GO) on 7 MHz to 28 Mhz, ssb and FT8.

tx/rx:  Either an Icom IC-705, sometimes with a Xiegu XPA125B amplifier, or an Elecraft K3.

Antenna: Either a magnetic loop antenna with an MFJ-936C loop tuner, or an MP1C loaded vertical.

VHF contest activity

In 2023 I have been active in some 144 MHz contests as G4HLX/P, at a location on the Ridgeway Path, 3km south of Wantage.  Locator: IO91GN.

tx/rx:  Icom IC-705 (5W output), sometimes with a Microwave Modules MML-144/30 (25W output).  Powered by a 30Ah LiFePo4 battery.

Antenna:  Sandpiper 3-ele delta quad or Diamond 10-ele yagi, 4m above ground (220m asl).

Also active occassionally in 432 MHz contests using the IC-705 with an MML-432/50 (40W output) and an Elk 5-element log periodic or Diamond 15-ele yagi.

Parks on the Air (POTA)

Sometimes I am active on HF bands for POTA from a location a few minutes drive from my home QTH which is a 2-fer, being both in:

  • G-0173 North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and
  • G-0676 The Ridgeway National Scenic Trail

both being in Oxfordshire (G-OXON or GB-OX).

GR4HLX

In May and June 2023 I used this special prefix to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.  I worked 841 stations in 70 countries.

All QSOs by G4HLX, G4HLX/P and GR4HLX are in LOTW and eQSL.

 

The information below is mainly out-of-date and refers to G4HLX and F5VLD activity before 2013.  It's left here for historical interest only.  One day I will get round to completely updating this web page!

If you're looking for my popular National Grid Ref to IARU Locator convertor, you'll still find it here.

 

 

G4HLX Station equipment

Icom IC-705
Xiegu XPA125B 100W HF linear
Elecraft K3/100 (#289)
Elecraft K2/100 (#2425)
Down East Microwave 144MHz transverter
Yaesu FT-847
BNOS 144MHz 100W linear
Microwave Modules MML-144/30 linear (25W)
Microwave Modules MML-432/50 linear (40W)
TE Systems 0552G 50MHz linear

Yaesu YD844 desk mic, Heil ProSet 4 headset, or Airmed 62 headset
Bencher paddle key, Palm mini-paddle
Homebrew speech recorder
144MHz GaAsFET preamp at the masthead
Home antennas: see photo, right
(these were all dismantled in 2007)

Westflex103 feeders
Portable antennas: 13 ele 144MHz Tonna, 19 ele 432 MHz, Sandpiper 3-ele 144MHz delta quad,
Tonna, 5 ele 50 MHz M2 6M5X.
Buddipole Pro for HF.
Mobile: Yaesu FT-857D, 7 - 28, 50, 144 and 432 MHz
Handhelds: Icom IC-E92D and IC-T8A
Other portable gear: Icom IC-505
DV Access Point
Funcube Dongle

Here is a note about a 2m bandpass filter that I use with the Funcube Dongle in a rather extreme QRM situation.

AO-40 equipment (now defunct, of course):
S-band downlink receiver: 70cm prime focus dish, DB6NT pre-amp, Drake 2880 downconvertor.
Uplink U-band: FT-847 to 9-turn 435MHz helix.
Photos of these antennas.

Portable kit also incudes:
LiFePo4 battery 30Ah
Various sealed lead-acid cells from 7Ah to 100Ah
12V petrol-electric generator
Tenna-tourer mast base
6.8m portable sectional mast with rotator
Tonna portable mast
Mast-head preamps

F5VLD Station equipment

With me in France I had certain items from the above list, mainly:
Elecraft K3/100
Elecraft K2/100
Icom IC-E92D

Yaesu FT-857D
FUNcube Dongle
HF antenna: Buddipole (various configurations), end-fed dipole for 18 MHz
VHF antennas: Sandpiper 3-ele delta quad (144 MHz)

Elk 2M/440L5 log periodic
DV-Dongle normally connected to REF005A (or B)





Contests entered by G4HLX / F5VLD

Contest Date Band
MHz
Section
Position
21/28 Mhz October 2006 21 Non-UK restricted 9
Backpackers #2 June 2005 144
S 3W
6
PW 144MHz QRP June 2005 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
Backpackers #1 May 2005 144 S 3W 3
1st 50 Mhz April 2005 50 O 3
Backpackers Championship 2004 144   12
Backpackers #3 July 2004 144
S 3W
3
Backpackers #2 June 2004 144
S 3W
5
PW 144MHz QRP June 2004 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
Backpackers #1 May 2004 144 S 3W 2
144 MHz AFS December 2003 144 SF 18 
Backpackers Championship 2003 144   5
Backpackers #5 Sept 2003 144 S 3W 2
Backpackers #4 July 2003 144 S 3W 2
50 MHz Trophy June 2003 50 6O 3
Backpackers #2 June 2003 144
S 3W
5
PW 144MHz QRP June 2003 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
UK Six Metre Group June 2003 50 5 2
Backpackers #1 May 2003 144 S 3W 1
1st 50 MHz April 2003 50 SO 1
432 MHz AFS February 2003 432 SF 16
AFS SSB January 2003 3.5 -  168
AFS CW January 2003 3.5 -  191
144 MHz AFS December 2002 144 SF 16
Backpackers Championship 2002 144   2
Backpackers #5 September 2002 144
S 3W
1
Backpackers #4 28 July 2002 144
S 3W
1
Backpackers #3 7 July 2002 144
S 3W
1
Backpackers #2 June 2002 144
S 3W
6
PW 144MHz QRP June 2002 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
50 MHz Trophy June 2002 50 6S 3
Backpackers #1 May 2002 144 S 3W 1
Xmas cumulatives December 2001 50 144 432 SF 3
144 MHz AFS December 2001 144 SF 14*
* part of winning team, Harwell ARS
October 50 MHz October 2001 50 SO 2
50 MHz Trophy June 2001 50 6S 2
144 MHz AFS December 2000 144
SF
 26
Backpackers #4 July 2000 144
S 3W
4
144MHz low power July 2000 144
SO
4
Backpackers #3 July 2000 144
S 3W
2
Backpackers #2 June 2000 144
S 3W
7
PW 144MHz QRP June 2000 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
VHF Championship 1999 open
10
144MHz Fixed & AFS December 1999 144
S
16
144MHz Trophy September 1999 144
S
5
432MHz low power July 1999 432
M
9
144MHz low power July 1999 144
M
9
PW 144MHz QRP June 1999 144 Just "giving away
a few points"!
50 MHz Trophy June 1999 50
OS
1
144MHz May 1999 144
OS
2
144MHz low power July 1998 144
M
9

G4HLX/P portable location in contests:
Sparsholt Firs, 6km west of Wantage, Oxfordshire
Loc: IO91FN   WAB: SU38
except:
Backpackers, May and July 2003, September, July 21st and May 2002 and July 2000, I was on the Long Mynd, Shropshire, Loc: IO82NN;
Backpackers, May 2005, I was GW4HLX/P at Hays Bluff, Loc: IO82KA.

For a list of my earlier contest operations (since 1972), click here



History and interests

First licensed in 1971 as G8EQX (callsign now held by my son, Ben) and then as G4HLX in 1978. Have been active on all 13 bands 1.8 MHz - 432 MHz, but my main interest is VHF/UHF, particularly DX and contesting.

2006-2013 living in Provence, France, and active on some HF bands as F5VLD, in Aix en Provence. Also sometimes active on D-Star, as G4HLX during visits to the UK, or as F5VLD by DV-Dongle.

Activities have included amateur satellite operation, using various satellites from OSCAR-6 through OSCAR-23 and AO-40. In 1980's wrote software for ZX Spectrum computers for receiving text bulletins, telemetry and images from UoSAT/OSCAR-9 and 11 with no hardware decoder. Over 600 copies of this software sold.

User of packet radio on 144 MHz since 1984, and for some years ran the Oxfordshire hub station for TCP/IP packet users on 144/432 MHz. Pacsat operation including 9K6 through UO-22.

In 1982 conceived the idea of the Practical Wireless 144 MHz QRP Contest, which in 1984 became the best-supported VHF contest in the UK of all time. Ran and adjudicated this contest for Practical Wireless magazine annually 1982-2007.

Tutor of Radio Amateur Examination class at Harwell Education Centre from 1981-1993.

Member of Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) since 1968
   (RSGB Regional Representative, Region 6, 1985 - 1988)
   (RSGB Liaison Officer, Oxfordshire, 1988 -91).
Formerly member of:
   Réseau des Émetteurs Français (REF)
   AMSAT-UK
   Harwell Amateur Radio Society (Vice-chairman 1982 - 87).
   South Oxfordshire Repeater Group.
   ARRL
   UK Six Metre Group

   Oxfordshire RAYNET Group.
   University of Birmingham Radio Society (Chairman, 1976 - 81).
   South Birmingham Radio Society.
   University of Manchester Amateur Radio Society.
   Radio Society of Harrow.
   BARTG
   Ridgeway Repeater Group.

Transmitters, receivers, and transceivers that have been part of the G4HLX/G8EQX station at some time since 1971:
IC-705, K3/100, K2/100, IC-E92D, FT-857D, FT-847, IC-505, TM-732E, IC-T8A, FT-726R, TS-780, IC-32E, IC-202S, FT-101ZD, FR-50B/FL-50B, FDK-750E, TR-3200, TR-2300, 19 set, PCR-2, T1154, SCR-522, PF-2, PF-70, CQM-5662 and at least 5 other ex-PMR, plus various homebrew transmitters, receivers and transverters.