Karinya

Amateur Radio (G3TXQ)

Ivalek crystal set R208 advert

I became interested in radio in the late 1950s when my parents bought me an Ivalek crystal set as a Christmas present, and later on an ex-army receiver - the Wireless Set R208 - which was advertised at the time as the "Sputnik Special" because it covered the low VHF frequencies used by the first Russian satellites.

I passed my Amateur radio exam and morse test in 1965 and got the callsign G3TXQ. My first station comprised an ex-WW2 HRO receiver and a home-built 10 Watt 160m AM/CW transmitter modelled on the Codar AT5. I later built a number of DSB transmitters, and then a 160m SSB transmitter using a 5B254M valve in the output stage and modelled on the SSB Products Sphinx transmitter.

I have owned a number of commercial radios over the years including:

I have always been interested in home construction and a number of my designs have featured in various amateur radio magazines. Click on the links under "Amateur Radio Index" to find out more about my projects and radio interests. If you'd like to know more about any of these projects please Email me at: g3txq{at}karinya.net