UKBOTA – Communications & Outreach

In my role with UKBOTA, I’m always looking for new ways to promote, educate, and inspire individuals and clubs to get involved. If UKBOTA sounds like something your club or group would enjoy, I’d love to hear from you.

We can support:

• SIG tables at rallies
• Zoom presentations for club nights
• Outreach events and public displays

Recent UKBOTA media and event presence includes:

• Practical Wireless
• RSGB Convention 2024 / 2025
• NARC Live
• RSGB Tonight @ 8
• MKARS Rally
• National Hamfest 2025

Feel free to reach out via email if you’d like to work together.

My Amateur Radio Journey

My relationship with radio began long before I earned a callsign. During 22 years of service in the British Army, I operated a wide range of military communications systems, including Clansman and Bowman. Despite that background, it wasn’t until October 2022 that I formally entered the world of amateur radio.

After passing my Foundation licence, I picked up my first rigs — a Baofeng UV-5R, Xiegu G90, Retevis RT95, and a Chinese uSDX. They may have been modest and budget-friendly, but they were the perfect gateway into the hobby.

That first year, however, was a struggle. The radios sat unused, enthusiasm dipped, and I genuinely wondered whether amateur radio just wasn’t for me.

Then, in October 2023, everything changed.

I discovered UKBOTA through Facebook — and suddenly radio made sense. The idea of combining portable operating with exploration and history completely reignited my interest.

On 1st January 2024, I packed up the G90, a battery, a homebrew EFHW, and a laptop loaded with KMZ files in Google Earth, and headed out to a nearby bunker site. It turned out to be a fascinating double-bunker location. I set up, called CQ… and within 20 minutes I’d logged over 50 QSOs and successfully activated both sites.

I was hooked.

From that moment on, portable operating became my passion — and amateur radio has gone from something I nearly walked away from to something I now can’t imagine being without.

Today, I’m proud to be part of the UKBOTA admin team, sharing my enthusiasm for radio, history, and exploration with others. The adventure continues — and there are plenty more bunkers waiting to be activated.

My Station – Norfolk / Suffolk Border

Based on the Norfolk–Suffolk border, my QTH might be modest in size, but it’s packed with radio capability.

In the garden, space is at a premium, but I run:

Two 8m telescopic mast supporting an EFHW
A second mast holding a Xiegu VG-4 at around 5m
A 40/20/10m fan dipole* from the chimney (broadside east–west), though this sees less use these days

Indoors, a spare room has become my office and radio shack — a comfortable space that still houses my early rigs alongside newer additions.

My modest station equipment includes:

Yaesu 710 (the cornerstone of my QTH for HF operations — an outstanding rig)
Kenwood TS-2000 (Primarily used for VHF / UHF operations).

For portable and mobile operations, I usually reach for:

Yaesu FT-891 with the FC-50 tuner and / or my Xiegu G90.

Portable Operations & Antennas

When activating, antenna choice is dictated by location, time, and practicality rather than theory. My primary operating bands are 20m and 40m, and my go-to antenna is a homebrew linked dipole, typically hoisted into trees or supported by a DX Commander mast.

Other options include:

10–40m EFHW
AMPRO antenna for quick “hop-and-pop” activations from the vehicle.

It may not always be the textbook solution — but it works, and that’s what counts when you’re operating in the field.

Thanks for reading, and if you hear me calling from a bunker somewhere —
please give me a shout, I would love to get you in the log 73’s!