Hello Martin,
Hope you are well down on Romney Marsh.?
Often wondered who were the original founding members of CARS? ?? I remember Bill Martin G3FVG and Cyril Bullivant G3DIC, who would have been licensed at the time. Hearsay tales of? the club originally taking part in field days from Mountsfield Park come to mind.?
I was one of the "new members" with a "B"? licence when G8GHN appeared - must have been around 1973. Thoughts were that it was mainly used for VHF field days - to allow the B licensees to focus on 144 and up ,? with the A licensees in the 70MHz? tent.?
My memory fails me when trying to recall what (if any) vhf gear there was at 225 New Cross Road. Memories are of a homebrew topband transmiitter and the B40 receiver which fed a long wire down the garden , but as to operating on VHF from 225 it's all a blank.
Only lasted about 12 months as a "B" licensee as Harry G3UAD took me under his wing and taught me CW with the help of a homebrew code practice oscillator constructed by Gordon Sweet. By 1974 the compulsory 12 months CW only stint had been replaced by a one off? 12wpm test , in my case at GPO HQ in Central London.? I became a new fangled "G4"? licensee considered by some as nearly as competent as a real G3 Radio Amateur? :-) :-) My old original G8 call lives on after i reapplied fro it a few years ago? and occasionally give it an airing.?
73
Bob G4DBW (and G8HBA)
Bob Hammond G4DBW