Edward's story: from Drummore to the world
"I would like to thank Dumfries & Galloway Carers Centre for the £200 award towards my amateur radio antenna. For someone caring for a loved one at home, this support means much more than a piece of equipment. It helps provide friendship, conversation and a connection to the wider world.
I am the full-time carer for my 92-year-old father, who has dementia and needs close supervision. Getting out to meet people is difficult, and living in Drummore, at the end of the Rhins of Galloway, adds to that isolation. Amateur radio lets me enjoy company and pursue an interest while remaining at home with Dad.
How it all started:
My brother and I obtained our Foundation amateur radio licences in 2013, following the severe snow that cut off Drummore and Kirkmaiden Parish. We were encouraged to qualify so that we could help provide communications if the telephone network failed.
Even then, I thought radio would be a useful way to maintain a social life in retirement. I did not realise how valuable it would become. It also brought me company during my working life as a Class One HGV driver on European rock and pop tours. Radio helped me keep in touch with friends, including people back in the UK, when conditions and the available equipment allowed. Today, as a carer, that ability to reach beyond my immediate surroundings matters more than ever.
The photograph shows me with an Icom IC-7300 Mark 2. It can transmit and receive on the amateur shortwave bands, commonly called HF, as well as the six-metre band. Its coverage includes amateur bands from 160 metres through to six metres, with several bands in between. Those measurements describe the wavelength of the radio signal, rather than the distance it travels!
It is well suited to a home station, but equipment of this kind can also be used in a suitably installed vehicle or a temporary portable station. It runs from a nominal 13.8-volt DC supply, using an appropriate power supply or battery arrangement. With the necessary software and internet connection, it can also be operated remotely.
The antenna is a vital part of the station. Your award towards an antenna covering six to 80 metres will help me make better use of those bands. Although the radio itself also covers 160 metres, that band requires a suitable antenna arrangement of its own.
From Drummore to the wider world:
HF radio can carry a conversation far beyond the range of a mobile phone mast, without relying on the internet between the stations. Depending on the band, antenna and atmospheric conditions, contacts can range from the UK and Ireland to Scandinavia, continental Europe, Canada and the United States. When conditions are favourable, Australia, Asia and other distant places become possible too.
The ionosphere—an electrically charged region high in the atmosphere—helps return some radio signals towards Earth. Conditions change with the time of day, season and solar activity, so part of the enjoyment is discovering where your signal can reach.
There are organised group conversations, known as “nets”, along with informal chats and club activities. Across different bands and international time zones, there are opportunities for company during the day and into the night. For a carer whose day does not always follow a predictable timetable, that flexibility is particularly valuable.
Small radios can open big doors too:
The second photograph shows two of my handheld radios: a Quansheng on the left, which cost me about £20, and a Baofeng on the right, which cost about £40. They show that getting involved does not necessarily require expensive equipment. One is a straightforward analogue radio; the other offers both analogue and digital communication.
With a compatible digital repeater or personal internet gateway, a small handheld can become part of a worldwide amateur radio network. Depending on the equipment and network, this can include clear voice conversations, text messages and individual calls. A local radio link can also connect someone outside mobile coverage to a gateway elsewhere that has internet access. That could allow an operator with a suitably equipped tractor or vehicle to join a much wider conversation. The important point is that the internet connection can be at the gateway, rather than in the operator’s pocket. Some handhelds can receive marine channels too, although transmitting on marine frequencies requires the appropriate equipment and authorisation.
An accessible hobby with a practical purpose:
The starting point is the Foundation licence, which teaches the essentials of operating safely and responsibly. People can learn through a club, an online course or home study. The examination consists of 26 multiple-choice questions; the preparation time varies from person to person. The licence levels offer increasing privileges: Foundation generally permits up to 25 watts, Intermediate up to 100 watts, and Full up to 1,000 watts on permitted bands, subject to the particular band limits and licence conditions. You do not need the highest power or licence level to enjoy worthwhile contacts.
Radio also retains a practical role in remote places and during disruption. A suitably equipped battery-powered station can provide another means of communication when everyday infrastructure is unavailable.
What your support means to me:
As President of Wigtownshire Amateur Radio Club, I enjoy the friendship, shared learning and community spirit that radio brings. It gives me a way to remain involved, help others and keep learning while caring for Dad. Some days, the most valuable contact is simply a familiar voice asking how things are going. On others, it is the pleasure of meeting someone hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Your £200 award will help me maintain those connections from home. Thank you for recognising that a carer’s wellbeing can be supported by something as practical - and as personal - as an antenna.
From a bungalow in Drummore, it can open a window onto the world."
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