VK5BUG
Dr David 'Doc' WESCOMBE-DOWN.
QTH: PF95HA Westbourne Park 5041
Previous callsigns: VK8DI (1967 CW guest op), VK5HP, VK4CMY, VK5MGY/RMS Titanic, VK7CQ
Mode: hand sent CW
Bands: 630m, 160m, 20m
On-air highlights: In 56 years, has never operated with a commercial antenna, and has never operated any band/frequency above 28060kHz.
*WIA 20m CW QRP DXCC #156 (117/119) as VK4CMY Sep 1995.
*Best QRP DX 31/7/91 TF3DX RST 229 50mW & HB 2-element spider quad.
*World exclusive special activation VK5MGY/RMS Titanic memorial station May 2011-April 2012 all standard bands 80-10m
Previous callsigns: VK8DI (1967 CW guest op), VK5HP, VK4CMY, VK5MGY/RMS Titanic, VK7CQ
Mode: hand sent CW
Bands: 630m, 160m, 20m
On-air highlights: In 56 years, has never operated with a commercial antenna, and has never operated any band/frequency above 28060kHz.
*WIA 20m CW QRP DXCC #156 (117/119) as VK4CMY Sep 1995.
*Best QRP DX 31/7/91 TF3DX RST 229 50mW & HB 2-element spider quad.
*World exclusive special activation VK5MGY/RMS Titanic memorial station May 2011-April 2012 all standard bands 80-10m
*World #1, 160m high power CW, 2015 Oceania DX contest
Station: 630m – HB ‘Anzac’ FT-241 xtal CW transmitter, Kenwood TS-430S,
VK4YB Monitor Sensors 50W transverter
160 & 20m – Kenwood TS-430S
Portable QRP – Heathkit HW-9 line-up, Kenwood TS-120V, HB coreflute radial pads & 3 x 10m fg poles HB 630-10m RF trolley
Other interests: outdoor/indoor large-scale live steam & DC model railways, self-sufficiency garden, authorship of 25 adult non-fiction books since 1992.
LF-MF-HF antenna design & development: 1970s – Fixed 4-element 40m wire beams, folded 300-ohm ribbon 40m X-beams & folded 300-ohm ribbon dual-band 40/20m quads.
1992-98 Large dual band quad, 4-elements 15m + 6-elements 10m.
Station: 630m – HB ‘Anzac’ FT-241 xtal CW transmitter, Kenwood TS-430S,
VK4YB Monitor Sensors 50W transverter
160 & 20m – Kenwood TS-430S
Portable QRP – Heathkit HW-9 line-up, Kenwood TS-120V, HB coreflute radial pads & 3 x 10m fg poles HB 630-10m RF trolley
Other interests: outdoor/indoor large-scale live steam & DC model railways, self-sufficiency garden, authorship of 25 adult non-fiction books since 1992.
LF-MF-HF antenna design & development: 1970s – Fixed 4-element 40m wire beams, folded 300-ohm ribbon 40m X-beams & folded 300-ohm ribbon dual-band 40/20m quads.
1992-98 Large dual band quad, 4-elements 15m + 6-elements 10m.
1993-2007 – Various HF vertical iterations, on- and above-ground.
2015-20 – 630m/160m Inverted-L for suburbia; Large rotatable low band frame loops; Coreflute radial/counterpoise pads; ‘Big Bore’ LF-MF helical monopoles; 20m DAS switchable distributed four-antennae receiving system.
Previous CW careers: Royal Australian Navy 14 years, Radio Supervisor in charge of the Fleet Flagship Comcen (HMAS Melbourne aircraft carrier)
2015-20 – 630m/160m Inverted-L for suburbia; Large rotatable low band frame loops; Coreflute radial/counterpoise pads; ‘Big Bore’ LF-MF helical monopoles; 20m DAS switchable distributed four-antennae receiving system.
Previous CW careers: Royal Australian Navy 14 years, Radio Supervisor in charge of the Fleet Flagship Comcen (HMAS Melbourne aircraft carrier)
NATO ‘spook’ Arctic/Antarctic maritime surveillance & deception Senior Radio Officer, 5 years
Radio Monitor VNA5 Somerton/Radio Inspector Adelaide/NT 5 years'
Radio Monitor VNA5 Somerton/Radio Inspector Adelaide/NT 5 years'
c/o AR magazine December 2009