*MEET* 29DA010 Charlie

– November 30, 2016Posted in: Meet the Members

29da010-charlie

Within the bustling North Atlantic DXCC of Ireland (29 Division) is Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) member 29DA010 Charlie who linked with our club in late November 2016.

An active and professional DX Hunter, and one whom has nailed more than 200 DXCC since he started out in the realm of radio comms back in the 1980s, Charlie has previously been known on the eleven meter band as 29GP001 or 29TC7501.

Referenced as EU-115 by the Radio Society of Great Britain, Ireland is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George’s Channel. 

It’s the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

It’s also home to some of the best hams and 11m radio ops on the planet.

For such a small country, the Island of Ireland has more than its fair share of ‘Must-See Attractions’, from picturesque landscapes to history and culture laden cities, towns and villages.

Charlie’s home QTH, in fact, is one those historically renowned settlements.

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clones-round-towerTyholland (meaning “Talainn’s house”) is a small parish in County Monaghan, part of the Border Region, in the province of Ulster.

While nearby sights include the Clones Round Tower (Pictured right), Castle Leslie and Monaghan County Museum which is recognized as one of the leading provincial museums in Ireland, Tyholland was scene of the little known  ‘Killyneill ambush’.

In addition to Charlie’s custom built radio shack and some enchanting Irish landscapes, it is also home to Tyholland GAA Football Club which was established in 1952.

As you can see by the photos, 29DA010 Charlie’s station is an striking one indeed… 

Modern Icom IC-7800 and FT1000D transceivers and an antenna farm which consists of a Sirio 817, 5 element Vortex Delta Loop and a 6 element El LFA yagi ensure his signal packs a fair punch.

It’s not surprising then that the callsign 29DA010 features in the logs of most sought after DX stations and DXpeditions around the world.

“I’m a man of the outdoors who enjoys the peace of the countryside,” says 29DA010 Charlie, a father of 4 and grandfather. 

“I’m also interested in Hunting, Music and Motorcycles…”

It’s the hobby of radio communications, however, which Charlie holds dear. 

In addition to chasing DX, he lists propagation and antenna theory, exchanging QSL cards with DX contacts, contesting, IOTA and LOTA activities as some of his favourite hobby pursuits.

Add to that, an obvious passion for his local parish, the smallest in Monaghan, and 29DA010 Charlie certainly has lots of exciting things going on in his life worth sharing with fellow DA-RC members and others on the Freeband when conditions permit.

QSL Information

Charlie, 15 New Houses, Tyholland, Co Managhan, Ireland