Obsessive El Grumpy

Hi all.

Just a quick intro - basically I’ve been involved with radio and electronics (logic and RF) from as a very young kid sat in my father’s shack, curiously observing and learning to identify components and values - later being allowed to tune around and listen under supervision - by the time I was 12, I was exploring CB and actively improving my first Mustang 1000 fm set (slowly reinstating the 3000 features and fixing the flaws, and adding an 8khz xtal filter). At 17 I was actively involved in the design of an INS for use on a Hunter handheld PC and communicationcommubi was then a classified sat network - comparable I guess to a crossover of today’s RoIP and modern Sat phones.

From there I got my stint in commercial LMR, designing and prototyping a very basic non-proprietary digital over analog trunking system for short messages and (when the tech became cost effective to prototype) effectively a audio multiplex adapted from early telecoms call multiplexing. The second half never happened, but the universal messaging boards were in use on kit supplied by that LMR dealer for about ten years after at least.

In between times, working in IT and hobby MCU project development and still finding a few hours each night for listening to the world stations and dx activity. Did time helping with NFD’s with a local club after I got kicked out of a CB club because of my being too serious and tech obsessed.

Roll forward to 30 something and I eventually got time to sit my RAE and licensed ‘B’ class. CW didn’t interest my curiosity, but there were plenty of emerging and prototype telegraphy projects to be part of and self explore. Helped, I guess, from former exposure in summer break informal training and experience at BTi with Telex, fax and TOR. That, and being in conflict with the resident BARTG ‘expert’ at BRATS saw be depart the club world for good.

So now I’m back in the digital voice radio arena, actively frequently in ham radio and some informal consulting until I’m fit enough to be back in the field. Interested in all and any mode, any radio system, still obsessed by prototype and concept telegraphic modes which helps since all DV is telegraphic in delivery.

One of my slow builds is an evolving DV system based on old Clansman manpacks reworked for 49mhz, with intent to build optimised DV configuration units, controlled by Android app, for 4m/6m crossband, transportable repeater/hotspot, and simplex, full and half duplex.

Who knows, it could easily end up as a VLF or SHF system…, after all, modular rf dev kits are so cheap these days.

Hi Chris, welcome to the forum!