I bought my first rig a TS130 and got on the air with a dipole. In came stations from all over the globe though mainly from USA. I made some good friends on the air and one of them, Keith G4RZQ, became my QSL manager. I also acquired an Elmer in the form of Dick CE3DWL, an American also living in Santiago. Nightly he transmitted to me in CW on 10 metres as I prepared for my UK radio examinations. The problem being that the UK did not recognise the Chilean licence so it meant taking my City and Guilds in the British Council in Santiago – specially sent out to me and later my morse test at the coastgards in Southampton.
By 1983 the economic situation was becoming difficult in Chile so we left to come back to the UK and I looked for a new job. Shortly afterwards I obtained a lecturing post in Malaysia and off we set again this time with a TS430 and a TET triband antenna in the luggage. I had also picked up a UK licence G4VHO. We soon made contacts in Malaysia (Photo’s above & right) and through them Linda and I were able to obtain local licences – I became 9M2DC (my initials) and Linda was 9M2LA. Some local lads helped me put up the antenna and I was on the air. I was soon building up QSOs but where were my QSL cards. I contacted 9M2SS Sangat who was the President of MARTS and he took me into a room in his house which was stacked high with cards. There was no one to sort them out. Well the only way 
to get my cards was to sort the whole lot out so we made several trips by car and brought all the cards back to our house. Over a month I had them all stacked on the floor in piles – there were about 70 amateurs in Malaysia at the time – no one in 9M6 and only later one in 9M8 – 9M8EN. I soon got to know all the active members and have fond memories of 9M2DW (Two Dancing Witches), 9M2CO Adrian – very active, 9M2FZ Leong and my lifetime friend 9M2BB whom we still affectionately call Two Bravo Bravo – now living in VK. I made about 5000 contacts in Malaysia and sent out endless packets of cards monthly wrapping them in plastic bags from the local supermarket to protect them from the tropical rain. In 1986 I ended my contract in 9M2 and we returned to the UK.
By now teaching jobs were getting more difficult to get and the XYL made it clear that she did not fancy three years in South Sudan even though the callsign would have been exotic. So I retrained as a solicitor and took a teaching post at the University of Glamorgan near Cardiff. Up went the TET tribander with the help of my friend Ron VK7RN visiting us from Tasmania and I was back on the air as GW4VHO. However my days as a ham were to be limited as my neighbour complained of TVI. Unable to resolve it to his satisfaction I gave up the hobby for the next 15 years.
In 2006 I had reached retirement age and Linda and I agreed that we wanted to move abroad again. After visits to different parts of Spain we finally settled on Northern Chile as the best place to set up home. We returned in late 2006 sailing out on a container ship a journey of 46 days. Shortly after our arrival we joined the local radio club and within six months I had recovered my licence. I was back on the air as CE2EYN still with my TS430S and TET tribander.
In September 2008 I was invited to join the Atacama DX group and in 
October I was off to Bahia Inglesa (English Bay) with the group to operate CE1W in the CQWW contest. We made 4000 QSOs over the weekend helped with Chilean wine of course. The group will activate CE1W again this year. I also help out the local radio club in contests – we usually operate as CE2LS and the club has a good record in contests. In December I applied to Telecomunicaciones in Santiago to change my licence for a 2 letter call. This involved providing evidence of publications – luckily I had written an article some years ago in Practical Wireless – and at least 25 years operation as a ham. The application was processed quickly and when we rang Santiago to ask on its progress we were advised that I had been granted the callsign CE2WZ which was much better for contest work.
As for the future I hope to be able to pension off the TS430S soon and replace it with something newer. I have been working on my CW and hope to get on the air in that mode soon. My favourite band is 10 metres 
and I have been considering joining 10-10 International. I just love it when 10 metres opens up and I can make QSOs to Europe and North America.
So if you hear me please give me a call particularly if it is on 10 metres. I qsl via LOTW and/or via M0OXO (M3ZYZ Qrz.com) and it would be my pleasure to both send you and receive your Qsl Card in return.
73 & regards,
David
CE2WZ
4
and traps has clearly been an exercise in diminishing returns. 
Teflon blended thermo- plastics, high conductivity copper-beryllium (Photo – right) and extremely reliable stepper motors has allowed the SteppIR to be a commercially feasible product. There are questions on how it will survive the test of time, extreme cold temperatures and other variables but these cannot be answered with certainty, it would be wrong to do so. Some also 
question how they will stand up to the conventional trapped beams due to how many moveable parts there are involved in the design. Again it would be wrong to second guess the designers but they are highly confident all will be good in the future years.
Again, as several other sites, Bolton Ings is recently aquired and is a beatiful spot tucked away down in the Dearne Valley of South Yorkshire, Northern England.
as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds – some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
spring, the sedge warbler is easy to see because it ‘pirouettes’ up into the air from the tops of the bushes, singing its scratchy song as it goes. In spring, watch the display flights of redshanks over the wetlands. Also look out for the adults walking through the water, showing off their long, red legs. The warm days of summer bring dragonflies out and about, with banded demoiselles a particular highlight. These iridescent green and black damselflies flutter over the surface of the water. The reedbed warblers will be feeding chicks and kingfishers whizz to and fro carrying fish for their young. Broods of ducklings can be seen feeding with their mothers.
stop their ‘mobbing’ attacks until the danger has passed.
Nature Reserve for the RSPB and another great place to come and see the Wildlife whilst combining it together with the hobby of Amater Radio. The skies, fields and open water areas are teeming with birds throughout the Year. 
programme of events, there is something for everyone to enjoy including children on school trips and groups or individuals wanting a more one on one guided tour.
as well as the new additions to the families of the wildfoul and other Birds. dragonflies were also in abundance even if they were difficult to catch on camera! Old Moor is very important in the Winter time as it is a regular stop to over 8000 Golden Plovers. Current sightings of a Bittern on the reserve was great news too!
decline to an amazing 93% between the 70’s and present times and at that time there were only 4 pairs breeding on the site. Today however there are approx. 50 breeding pairs and individually over 400, another good result for Old Moor.
volunteering on the site for some time and this has enabled the RSPB at Old Mill to begin a fruitful partnership with Mencap nearby in the city of Leeds. They have also included an ”insect hotel”, made out of salvaged bricks, pallets, and old roof tiles amongst other things!