About

GM7something’s Blog…

I’m ‘Bobby Mhor’, based now in Scotland’s Central Belt after spending 66 years of my life living on the banks of the River Clyde, I moved eastwards to the Denny area. This is a collection of my inane ramblings of my hilltop and other radio work.

I first started hilltop operating during the old 11 meter days in the early ’80s, both on the legal and not so legal frequencies. I took and passed the old Radio Amateurs Examination but  I ‘left’ amateur radio during 1990 and returned 18 years later at the very end of 2008. I came back to a changed hobby to what I had left …..

Yer man on summit of Goat Fell

Up to date stuff about me:

I’ve achieved ‘Shack Sloth’ which is awarded for 1,000 chasing points in the SOTA (Summits on the Air) programme, I’ve passed 4,000 pts of which 100% is on VHF. I’ve got over 300 activation points, a small amount in the big picture but a milestone in my mind. In the West I preferred heading out to local high spots to work those who put the appreciated effort in for ‘us’ to chase especially on sunny days.

Radio wise…

I’m active on HF from 160m upwards on data modes FT8, JT65, JT9 and PSK31 are my preferred but I also have the capabilities of 4m, 2m and 70cm from the home. I’m on Echolink (see the bottom of page) from home as well as on Android. I now use WSPR on occasion and am surprised at the results on a seemingly ‘dead’ band and only using 5 watts. I’ve also worked both ROS and OPERA which I’ll return to in the near future plus have a look at the other digital modes available on the bands.

I have achieved WAC from my old QTH using a stealth dipole cut for 40m and have achieved DXCC on digital plus in mid ’23 achieved my real goal of Worked All States….

I’m always looking at different aspects and deciding what’s next.

Presently a member of the RSGB, GQRP club,  EPC , DMC and SOC.

I’m a member of Falkirk and District Amateur Radio Society.

Other radio interests which take up a lot of my time, is SDR and I’ve been active since 2012 in this branch of the radio hobby. I’ve been receiving since November 2016  ADS-B 24/7 via a Flightaware dongle linked to an outside antenna then via a Raspberry Pi 3, I feed to other ADS-B sites online. I’m now also using a SDRPlay DX.  I occasionally keep an eye on local ship movements and run AIS when I’m not on HF….having tried decoding everything available, I have settled on ADSB, AIS, Navtex, GMDSS.

Taking part in TinyGS info here

I’m 70, married, retired, a receding hairline and much overweight, three grown up kids, daughter-in-law plus 2 grandkids who’ll keep me fit. I cycle occasionally taking in the area. I now lazily ‘chase’ POTA data activators on HF.

This blog is more a diary of what I do in the hobby,  the fun, the ‘blips’ and the ‘busting my ass’ getting up some of these hills.  The achievement of getting there and the views from the Scottish tops are unsurpassed. It’s worth a go. I do admit to now working the lower ‘Marilyns’ on VHF (SOTA), I’ve just recently started again after settling into a location certainly not chosen for VHF but it has the benefit of being near my family.

Scottish mountains may be ‘pimples’ on the global scale but wherever you travel, you will never find panoramic views like ours. If you look at the photo of me standing on the summit of Goat Fell on the Isle of Arran, just imagine yourself standing there drinking in the view whilst feeling a cool fresh breeze scuttling up from the sea and the smug satisfaction of getting there. Ye canny whack it !!

You won’t find any opinionated posts or Amateur radio news here, this is just WYSIWYG with a bit of fun thrown in.

If you want to contact me, click <HERE>

Bobby

I’m now on Echolink…my node number is 493825, available most evenings (UK time !!!), please feel free to ‘call’ me (email me first and we can arrange a ‘sked’, much easier)

All outside links…are posted in good faith