TX from the metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, North West England, Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) member 26DA193 Ryan — who joins the Club in early December 2017 — is arguably one of the loudest in the British Isles.

Not always on the airways of the world’s premier DX band, though, but certainly as a gifted musician.

When he’s not immersed in the helter-skelter action of 11m meter DX, 26DA193 (ex-26FB793) Ryan plays drums as a professional session musician.

Here, drum heads, floor toms, hi-hats and crash cymbals replace rigs, sticks, mics and coax as tools of choice.

In some ways, keeping rhythm with some of Europe’s premier artiste in the recording studio is akin to deciphering the boom-stsk-ka-dum-boom of propagation in the radio shack.

His keen ear, in fact, goes hand in hand with radio comms where ensuring high quality RX and TX sound is integral to the listening pleasure in the hobby.

The DA-RC Directory reads that 26DA193 Ryan resides in the city of Manchester, a soup bowl shaped land area bordered to the north and east by the Pennines, a mountain chain that runs the length of northern England, and to the south by the Cheshire Plain.

With a population of 530,300 as of 2012, Manchester is 56.3 km north-east of Liverpool, 60 km northwest of London and 56.3 km north-west of Sheffield.

The city centre is on the east bank of the River Irwell, and is about 35 to 42 metres above sea level.  

The River Mersey, furthermore, flows through the south of the city.

On the word of our popular Pommy DXer, much of the inner city, especially in the south, is flat, offering extensive views from many high-rise buildings in the city of the foothills and moors of the Pennines.

These can often be capped with snow in the winter months.

While Ryan’s QTH is famous for its football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, other appealing sites in this famous 26 Division city include Manchester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, the Museum of Science and Industry, Imperial War Museum North, and the People’s History Museum, as well as the fantastic National Football Museum.

For something different, the theatres and galleries at The Lowry at Salford Quays or an exciting Safari Drive at Knowsley Safari Park are much talked about local features.

According to the history books, Manchester’s geographic qualities were highly influential in its early development as the world’s first industrial city.

These features are its climate, its proximity to a seaport at Liverpool, the availability of water power from its rivers, and its nearby coal reserves.

On top of being a talented drummer, 26DA193 Ryan enjoys cooking, art, writing, soccer, rugby, cycling, gadgets and apple computers.

On the radio shack bench top are Yaesu FT-450D and Icom IC-7600 transceivers while on masts above his accommodation sit Sirio 827 and Diamond X30 vertical antennas.

These ensure 26DA193 Ryan’s DX footprint extends far and wide and his log book is teeming with contacts.

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