*MEET* 68DA090 Richard

– July 2, 2014Posted in: Meet the Members

United Kingdom (UK) based comms hobbyist, Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) member 68DA090 Richard, is deemed by comrades as one of the most deluxe DX Hunters in RSGB branded EU-115 (IRELAND – NORTHERN IRELAND).

And, as a professional club for DX Hunters/ DXpeditioners/ Rag Chewers and more, we’re very proud to have him as a member of the DA-RC from June 2014!

Known also on 11m band frequencies as 68UDX32 or 68TM022, Rich has enjoyed 11m DX work since he was 10 years old.  And now, at the age of 43, his gusto for chasing DX continues to expand!

68DA090 Richard hails from the Gaelic city of Larne, an intriguing seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

Glenarm CastleAs indicated by Richard, however, the city has so much more to boast about than just a stopover for shipping vessels or a bustling marketplace…

With its picturesque countryside and eye-catching coastal scenery it’s not surprising that a number of Larne’s best attractions can be found in the great outdoors.

Some of these awe-inspiring enticements include Causeway Coastal Route, Carnfunnock Country Park, Glenarm Castle Walled Garden, The Glens of Antrim, Straidkilly Nature Reserve, Glenarm Forest, Ballyboley Forest, Seaside Parks, Browns Bay, NCCPG (Plant Heritage, Scroggy Wood and many more.

As his home shack reveals, our famed 68 division DX punter possesses many 11m radios, mostly classic cb rigs, plus one amateur transciever, an ICOM IC-735 covering 160 through 10 meters with 100 watts.  Now that’s certainly a great rig to have on any bench top!

Richard also owns various amplifiers up to 500 watts, used sparingly to smash through pile ups of rare DX.

A self confessed Antenna Construction enthusiast, 68DA090 Richard’s antennas include a 4 element cubical quad with dual polarisation, as well as an original Hy-Gain Penetrator 500 vertical.  With these in his armory it’s not surprising that Richard is one of his country’s loudest and most well known DX hunters.

Away from the home shack, and one of Richard’s passions in radio communications is maritime mobile DX work.  And he does this from his own sailboat too.

“My wife and I cruise in a small sailboat from my homeport of Larne,” explains Richard. 
“Our main cruising area is the Western Isles of Scotland and Firth of Clyde. The fishing side of things provides our tea when on holiday!”

One wonders if these tales of monster catches are true or not though, so perhaps you could ask him in an upcoming QSO hihi?

68DA090 Richard intends to be active from time to time in various IOTA and Maritime Mobile (MM) capacities, and of course from the comfort of his home shack.  Rich certainly has a magnificent gateway to nearby islands from the local seaport so chances are you’ll be hearing from him soon  as one of the Club’s experienced DXpeditioners!

“I have been working a station in a distant land, a rare activation, or simply cracking a pile-up, and it never fails to put a smile on my face!  This is a fantastic hobby to share with like-minded individuals Worldwide!”

QSL Infos

Richard
PO BOX 77
LARNE
BT40 1PE
NORTHERN IRELAND