First contact in at least 10 years !

[KILLERPARSNIP]

Hello all,

Today I made my first contact for at least 10 years and probably a lot more. I started with CB radio in 1980 using AM then used both AM and Legal CB radio for a number of years as a hobby and then as a professional user as a HGV driver, at this point I already had a Class A Ham Radio licence so my CB use was only in the truck. 15 years ago I changed jobs and stopped using CB at all. Today I dug out an old battered and bruised Fidelity CB1000 with a 5 tone bleep ( I know what your thinking , what a fantastic radio) patched a power lead together and then connected it to a very ropey mag mount and a Halfbreed antenna from the 1970's which Mrs Killerparsnip has used to unblock the hoover for years. I'm not sure how but this proved to be about 6 inches too short so after it was lengthened with a bit of wire and some tape I put out a few calls and managed a contact from near Highley to Dawley in Shropshire a distance of 14 miles he was quite strong but said my signal was quite weak but readable I only have 3 watts and I'm guessing he was running power. Having never heard anyone since moving here it has spurned me now to try and improve the set up as I have lost interest in the very formal Ham radio conversations.

Not a bad day !

[KILLERPARSNIP]

Now two more , one at 21 miles ( admittedly from high ground ) and one in a nearby village about 4 or 5 miles. So there is life in Shropshire.

[The Collector]

Get up on the Clee Hills