Friends

Over the decades, I’ve made many friends through amateur radio, some for just a few seconds, some for hours. A few hardy souls have been my pals for years ...

< These are the East Coast Contesters ZM4T during CQ WW SSB 2013: left is Wayne ZL2WG; middle is Lee ZL2AL (SK); right is John ZL1BYZ.

Below is the ZL6QH team that won the multi-multi section of Oceania DX CW contest in 2006. Well OK, to be fair, we were the only entrants in that section but still we’re quite proud of our score. From left to right this is Brian ZL1AZE (top dog at Quartz Hill, now VK3IA), John ZL1BYZ, Wilbert ZL2BSJ (now PE7T) and me (the lardy one sporting a VI9NI teeshirt).

Below is John ZL1BYZ at ZM2M - I think - the contest group which migrated to ZM4T due to readability problems with the old callsign. Apparently, on phone on crowded contest bands, it came across as "zulu mike zulu mike". The prefix was already confusing enough for those who didn't realise ZL hams can use the ZM prefix in contests.

<- A typical view of one of my friends at ZL6QH super-station near Wellington. It’s Brian, ZL1AZE, who (along with Wilfred ZL2BSJ - see above) did most of the antenna work at QH in all weathers. It is almost always blowing a gale with chilly horizontal rain that hurts your face ... and when the site became a wind farm, ZL6QH ceased to be.

The certificate below was for our multi-multi entry in CQ WW CW in 2005, winning first place in Oceania and a ZL record with over 10 million points.

Here is Phil G0HSS, now VK4BAA -->

Phil was chief VHF/UHF linear builder for the Windmill Contest Group, helping us win many a VHF FD in the UK. Phil writes a contest column in VK and is still very active. We went to Norfolk Island together in 2006 with Bill VK4FW and other VK hams, operating as VI9NI during the island’s centennial celebrations. Phil popped over to ZL to join me in CQ WW CW 2007, and I nipped over the ditch to join Phil & krew at VK4KW for CQ WW CW 2014.

The fine bunch of men below is the Windmill Contest Group, winners of many RSGB field day contests. The team picture was taken by Ian G0AFH at the end of VHF FD 2005 near Ashford in Kent, shortly before I emigrated to ZL.

Phil G0HSS (sitting just to the right of the wheel) flew back from Australia especially to beat G5LK/P ... who pipped us by 6 measly points that year!

Having slaved for weeks in his garage, this was the moment Chris showed us his new “50th anniversary” microwave transmitter, ready just in time for VHF field day. We often rely on Chris’ amazing skills to keep us going. We were particularly impressed with the quality of the internal engineering in this case, as viewed through the glass panel on the side of the resonant cavity -->

Harri, OH6YF, was an outstanding contest operator and engineer until
his untimely death in 2006. I thoroughly enjoyed what little time I spent in Harri’s company and am proud to have counted him as a friend.
I’ll always remember Harri’s warm smile and the look of absolute concentration working DX on 80m in a contest.
Anyone who names his son “Henry” after the amplifiers
is clearly a committed ham.

Seeing the look of intense concentration on Fred G4BWP’s face,
you might not believe he’s enjoying himself - but here he is
on full flow, cracking along on 10m at M6T in CQ WW SSB 2000. -->

Lee ZL2AL ran the ZM2M/ZM4T East Coast Contester group for many years. Lee was a great character, always cheerful and full of energy,
keen to get stuff done, often reminding us that:

"The worst day's contesting is infinitely better than the best day's work"

and

"The floggings will continue until morale improves".

< I took this picture of Bob G4BAH (SK) and Darren G0WCW at M6T during CQ WW one year. Prior to the contest, we had to return to the Martlesham club site to get some equipment, only to find the clubs mast swaying wildly in the brewing storm. Whilst Darren went desperately looking for a sledgehammer and I took more photos for posterity (!), Bob’s slight weight was the only thing holding the stake down and the tower up.

Dave, G4BUO, has been my friend almost since the day
I was licensed. We’ve done countless contests together
and won quite a few.

Truth is, Dave is a highly accomplished operator,

whereas I just plug the gaps in the schedule.

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