Tag Archives: cb radio

Operating

Cornwall 2025
Cornwall 2025 avatar

I took the bold step not to bring any amateur radios with me on holiday this year, and only pack CB’s instead.  As you know, I love all types of radio and choosing CB for my holidays was a change.

I have with me my Harvard “Good Buddy” on UK FM only, and a pair of Maycom AH-27 handhelds.

CB Radios Are Useful

When travelling and towing, some of the service area car parks for vehicles towing trailers, boats and caravans can be busy, and sometimes frankly a free for all.  Asking Mrs M0INI/XYL to pop out with a handheld CB certainly assists with any reversing blind spots.  We usually use channel 33 or 36 on UK FM for this.

Walking the handheld

Where we are camped, at Cambrose Touring Park, is very close to RAF Portreath, the remote RAF listening post on the north Cornish peninsular.

So today, in the blisteringly hot Cornish sunshine, I put on my boots, and went for a hike with a Maycom AH-27.  Does this make it a “walkie talkie”?  LOL – sorry for that..!

RAF Portreath

Anyway, at the summit of the hill, I could see the very impressive antenna array of RAF Portreath and a snow white radar golf ball in the distance.

As we are so high up, I can see why the RAF chose this location as a remote early warning listening station.  The take off for transmitting and receiving even with a handheld CB is excellent.

I plan to return another day with fresh batteries and see if I can make some European contacts as 26TM998/M.

Bolton Wireless Club, General, Memories

New Website
New Website avatar

Mark M0INI
Mark Andrew Smith M0INI

Hello and welcome to my new website for my amateur radio station M0INI.  This is the story of how and why I got into amateur radio.

My father was a radio operator with the Royal Corps of Signals, and had a background in electro-mechanical engineering all his life.  Obviously, with my fathers influence, as a young child, I had an interest in radio.

Edward “Eddie” Smith

After leaving the army, my father was invited to teach with the Marconi School, but decided to go into engineering instead.  He was never licensed.

I have shown a keen interest in radio since before CB was legalised in the UK, however, as a teen, I had a choice, CB or computers, and I chose computers.  This was my first computer, an Acorn Electron, seen here still working today and operated by my son.

Acorn Electron

Like my father, we both didn’t go into a radio background, so it wasn’t until 2005 that I started to show an interest in radio again, and got on the air using CB, resurrecting my old handle from the 80’s of “Spark Transmitter”, a reference to the early days of radio and Marconi.

However, I wanted more, and looked for a radio club to study for my foundation license.

With the help of the West Manchester Radio Club, I quickly became licensed as M6INI, then later as M0INI with the help of Bolton Wireless Club.