Dan Grosvenor, M7DGA

Why did you start being interested in amateur radio?

My interest started many years ago when I joined my local Air Cadet squadron back in Birmingham. There was a staff member there who was interested in amateur radio and electronics in general. He was able to contact the Wing Radio Officer about getting me involved in the radio communications side of the cadets. David Pink, G6EGO, the Wing Radio Officer at the time, really got me excited about radio and the possibilities you could achieve with simple set ups. He would drive me and other cadets up and down the country competing in competitions, running air show radio, training, anything radio related I would be there. His passion and knowledge was great and really got me hooked on anything to do with radio – thank you David! I was close to taking the steps towards my Foundation licence all those years ago, but unfortunately had to move away to university. I then entered the Army reserves where radio was again, a huge part of my life. After transitioning back to full- time civilian life five years ago I have been trying to find time to take my Foundation exam, but due to work and life commitments I could not get down to my local club.

How did you study for the exam?

I read the Foundation book cover to cover several times, as well as taking an online course courtesy of Chris Pettitt, G0EYO at Wythall Radio Club – big thanks to him and the club. This really helped as there were a couple of lessons a week online that included video content, notes, pages to read in the book and a quiz after every lesson. I also used the RSGB website’s mock exams, Radio Tutor’s mock exams and sample questions a great deal before the exam. These really helped to understand the format and what sort of questions were likely to pop up

What was it like doing the remote invigilation exam?

Really easy and smooth! This format suited me better than a test centre environment, being in comfortable surroundings. I’m so glad that the RSGB has taken the step in doing this and I hope there will be more training and exams online in the future! I want to thank my invigilator Lawrence Micallef, M0LCM who made the whole process so smooth and stress free.

Which part of amateur radio do you like most at the moment?

At the moment I am enjoying the freedom of joining my local repeaters in London and talking to people in the extended area. My real passion is HF though, which I will be experimenting with again soon. It’s great connecting with the community of so many like-minded people. 

What would you like to try next?

I think I would definitely like to try and learn at least basic Morse code. I feel like this would be a really good skill to have and also a lot of fun. I’m also in the process of building my own dipole antenna – fingers crossed I succeed.

I have seen a few things related to the activities involved in Beyond Exams and think it’s a great idea! I am definitely interested in trying a few things that I wouldn’t have already thought of. Getting out of your comfort zone often brings positive results.

I think the RSGB offers a great range of help on the website to answer questions and give support to those new to the hobby and experienced members.

Category: GOTA2C: Licensee stories