My introduction to Dxing was in 1946 when as a 14 year old and living in Dunedin, I met Jack Fox. While I was a boarder at St. Kevins College, Oamaru I was limited to listening when home for school holidays. Later I went to Otago University where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1956. and worked in the Dunedin Public Trust Office. I retired in 1992 as Assistant General Manager, Christchurch Transport Board.
In 1951 I commenced my CMT and on completion, transferred to the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve as a writer (administration), rising to the rank of Petty Officer and ultimately being commissioned in 1957 as a Sub Lieutenant.
Ross in 1952
I was selected in 1953 to represent the RNZNVR in the NZ Coronation Contingent serving on the Black Prince for the Coronation Cruise. We visited Australia, Ceylon, Aden, Malta, Libya, Gibraltar, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Rhodes, Singapore and Indonesia. While in the Mediterranean I was able to use the ships receivers during non-working hours. I heard a number of medium, wave stations, including Istanbul Radyosu, which I logged. Later while berthed at Istanbul I personally delivered a reception report to the station. A QSL
letter was typed and presented to me while the station staff entertained me with coffee. Turkish of course. I was awarded the Coronation Medal at Buckingham Palace and subsequently, the Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD) in 1969, followed by the first bar in 1979 and the second bar in 1993, becoming the only Reserve Officer to receive the second bar. In 1981 I was awarded the MBE (Military). I retired from the RNZNVR in 1994 after 43 years service
holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander, becoming the longest serving reserve officer.
My Dxing has mainly been on shortwave with some 1200 QSLs from 165 countries. On broadcast I have about 250 veries. I consider my most interesting QSLs as being CR6RG Angola 4770, 250 watts, Blue Danube Network, Austria 5080, 250 watts, 4VWI Haiti 11850, 350 watts, CR7AB Mozambique 3490, 600 watts, Andorra 5980, 5kW, Radio Goa, Portuguese India 6085, 5 kW, and TFJ Iceland 12175, 7.5 kW. Initially I used a Philco radio then to a 5 valve Pye in the early 50’s.In 1965 I picked up an Eddystone 840C which was used to 1994 when a Kenwood R2000 was obtained. In 1998 I added a Sony SW55 and these two receivers are still in use. Over the years because of space limitations, antennas have been limited to inverted Ls of varying lengths.
I am a foundation member of the NZ Radio DX League and while in Dunedin was National Secretary on two occasions and National President from 1970 to 1972.
Most of my listening was during my time in Dunedin. Since moving to Christchurch in 1972 I have still managed to increase my QSL total despite listening becoming much more difficult with increasing noise levels. I enjoy the Oamaru Conventions and the opportunity to meet and talk to other League members and DXers.
