One of our hobby's greatest claims to fame is its ability to bring people together from different walks of life and so forge everlasting friendships; Friendships that last a life time despite the barriers of geographic remoteness or distance. This month's 'Question & Answer' Interview is with one of 43 Division's genuine larrakins — A passionate DX'er who has not only been active for nearly 30 years and made major contributions to the DX'er way of life in our country but a man who is also regarded as a great friend by hundreds of radio operators all around OC-001, including myself.

Q. Let’s start our special ‘Q & A’ QSO with an easy one. What’s your handle?
A. We’ve been mates for more than 20 years and you forget? It’s John, lol.

Q. As in ‘John Boy’ from the Waltons family on tv?
A. Geez, you’re funny Darren…Yes!

Q. Got a nickname, mate?
A. Igor, Gorzzz

Q. How old are you, John?
A. Don’t ask because I’ve lost track. Just kidding, mate — 41 years old.

Q. In what state/ city/ town do you live?
A. Ballina in northern New South Wales. It’s a small prawn fishing town right on the east coast of Oz with a population of about 20,000.

Q. I take it you’re a bit of a seafood nut, then?
A. Yup, I like to “seefood” & eat it………

Q. Family? Kids? Pets?
A. No pets, one fiancée, five(!) kids...& a partridge in a pear tree

Q. How long have you been on radio for, John?
A. 27 years and still going strong.

Q. So you’re a bit of an 11m veteran then, huh? Geez, you must have witnessed a few changes over the last 20 years! What stand out as the most significant ones in terms of participation, conditions, advances in technology etc.?
A. Well back then nearly everyone was on radio. Now that most people have the internet, I think most of them have lost interest because the sunspot cycle’s down and the hobby just isn’t as appealing any more etc. As for changes in technology? Just look at the difference between my Kenwood TS120S to your TS2000! The DSP thing… The advances have been amazing!

Q. Everyone has their own story to tell about how they first got involved in radio communications… What’s yours, John?
A. All my mates were into it when I lived in Sydney, NSW and I guess I sort of followed suit.

Q. I’m sure they were into drugs and fast women too… What was it that made you feel like you wanted to be a DX’er?
A. Hearing a mate talk to Queensland while we sat back in his car enjoying a few cold beers – it blew me away!

Q. What was your first ever transceiver and who bought it for you?
A. Decca (sic?) Sundowner AM 18 channel

Q. If I remember rightly, you’ve had a few different callsigns in your time. What callsign are you using at the moment?
A. I’ve had the unit number 124 for about 20 years now and use that mostly. I’m also with the International Radio DX Group so my full call on the higher frequencies is 43IR124. My other callsigns over the years have been NHE 700, ICA 1124, WOG 333, DU 124 and 43RSN001. I think that’s it…

Q. Weren’t you with the Canberra based DX Group Satellite Radio for a while? And what about Tweed Radio? Everyone in the world was in that, weren’t they?
A. Nup….not me. I was close to joining TR but never got around to it.

Q. How long have you been in the International Radio Group and how did you get involved with LOTA gurus Leon, Paul and the crew?
A. Talking to a member in Sydney who put me onto the IR guys.

Q. Knowing you’re still quite active on the legal Oz frequencies (ie. 26.965 – 27.405 MHz), can you describe what it was like in the olden days as a DX’er on what's known as the ‘Oz chat channel’ 27.355 MH lsb? Are there any DX characters that spring
to mind?
A. Ah, the good ol’ ch 35 chat channel… It’s nearly impossible to put a call out now and be heard unless you’re using a 2KW linear to get above the racquet. I used to get about ¾ of Victoria talking there all at once. Gees, what a mess! Characters? Well how about 34 Charlie from Cootamundra & the late 351 Doc from there too….(Maybe you might let me write something about ol Doc one day…52 Ken & Gail from Johnsonville…also can’t forget TR299 Geoff…when he used to live in Renmark.

Q. What about some of the old cb groups that used be active back then! Which are some of the ones you remember?
A. The BBB’s from Burnie Tas, Aussie Radio, Mike Alpha, Blackwood Radio, Inlander Radio…there were heaps of them.

Q. The funniest thing you’ve heard on radio?
A. Hearing all the young Sydney 10/4 good buddies on channel 11 trying to call me when the skip’s in.

Q. I seem to recall some guy audio taping your CQ DX calls about 20 odd years ago and playing them back over the airwaves when the skip was quiet. You could never work out who it was either, lol! That was pretty funny wasn’t it?
A. Yeah, hahahahah, I remember you little bastard. Revenge is a meal best eaten cold!

Q. Although I never understood what the hell you were on about, you’ve always said, "Your bed is your workbench...!" Well what sits on the radio shack work bench these days?
A. A Kenwood TS120S with a handheld microphone, Stalker 9 (stock), AX 144 (stock…for now), 2 TX 4200’s, a three element yagi beam up about 20 ft, a Station Master vertical and also a 15 Db UHF Antenna (Base).

Q. Geez, mate, you’ve held on to that Stalker 9 for twenty odd years? It must hold some fond memories in that little dusty black chassis?
A. You #%%^&* betcha

Q. How many DXCC have you confirmed?
A. Less than 10

Q. Hang on a second... When I used to visit you all the time in the late 80’s and 90’s you were working the globe at will. Europe, the Americas, small islands in the Pacific such as Tonga and Fiji… Why so few confirmed?
A. Well, it may be more than 10. A lot of stations I worked didn’t return the QSL cards.

Q. So you don’t bother with confirming contacts anymore?
A. What contacts? It’s been too flaming quiet.

Q. I remember one afternoon when I was a guest in your radio shack, you working through a pile up of about 50 stations from Europe. It was crazy, unbelievable stuff! I also remember biking to the post office with you the next day as well and sending off a shit load of QSL cards and IRCs too... Despite the fact you don’t send off too many QSL cards these days, do you see QSL returns as STILL a major problem or has it improved?
A. I think it still is a bit of a problem, particularly with some of the South and Central American operators not returning cards, but essentially no contacts = no QSL’s!

Q. Having seen your log book, I can honestly say that it’s one of the best kept QSO records of all time! Are you still so pedantic at documenting every QSO or has old father time reduced your enthusiasm?
A. Geez, Darren, don’t say things like that. I won’t be able to get my head in through the door! Yes, I’m still like that — even after all these years!

Q. What is your favourite aspect of 11m DX?
A. The unpredictability of Sunspot Cycles and their effect on DX

Q. You’re as bad as 43TR299 Geoff. He said something similar. What about everlasting friendships, lol?
A. Well, I still talk to you don’t I?

Q. You’ve had a few different jobs in your time… Selling hotdogs to drunken louts like me outside of nightclubs in the wee hours of the morning, pedestrian crossing supervisor for school kids... What pays the bills now? Or more importantly, how do you pay for that next expensive piece of radio gear?
A. Through the missus. She’s just got a full time job. Just have to be extra nice to her now, lol!

Q. Other than making tasty hotdogs and being a communications fanatic, what are your other interests/ skills etc.?
A. I’m also into computers and cars

Q. Ever heard the saying, “Guys who like big cars have small…?”
A. What about, “Guys who have big rigs have small…?”

Q. Okay, so I’d better keep my mouth shut about that one, lol! Having been fishing with you a few times over the years in Ballina's Richmond River, I thought you would have said “throwing in a line” for sure…
A. Looking for a “bite” are you? If I remember rightly, you never had much luck catching fish. You were always eating mine come bbq time with Barry and the boys.

Q. Complete this scenario… “The perfect DX scenario is…”
A. World wide 5/9 skip, all at once.

Q. And you’ve experienced that? Where the hell was I at the time? Obviously not by a phone because you would have called me, right? To get me on the air?
A. Why would I call you, lol? I just might’ve wanted to hog the limelight and make all the contacts myself… No I haven’t, Darren, but gees it would be nice!

Q. What do you regard as the best DX contact you have made?
A. 34IR/ HI, Hierro Island

Q. You worked my IOTA a few times when I was up in OC138, John. Surely that ranks up there amongst your favourite contacts, lol?
A. Hmmm...maybe. I’m sure it was a beautiful place to live anyway.

Q. In your experience, what is the hardest continent to work?
A. Africa

Q. What is it with bloody African DX’ers? Don’t they like us Aussies or something?
A. Good Question… I haven’t been able to contact Africa lately to find out, lol. But when I do, Darren, you’ll be the first to know!

Q. If you had the opportunity to conduct an activation anywhere in the world, on an unlimited budget too, what and where would it be?
A. Where would you like me to start?

Q. From the beginning...
A. Either one of the Poles

Q. Whom would you MOST like to sit next to on a plane from the Ballina airport to a small island in the Pacific for a DX-pedition?
A. Tossup between you Darren & Brett (43AT162). But Brett would probably get the nod because he’s bigger and would probably toss you out of the airport if there was only one ticket.

Q. Whom would you LEAST like to sit next to?
A. Alistair…you know who I mean, Darren. An old friend of ours. He’d try and sell me stuff the whole way. Stuff that had fallen off the back of a truck!

Q. Besides your radio gear, John, what item can’t you do without in your radio shack?
A. My computer

Q. That’s right, mate. ‘11m DX Activities Oz’ is a bloody good site, huh?
A. MMMaybe…yeah, it’s a great site, Darren. You and Frank do a terrific job updating the site all the time with new stories. It’s a bloody good read when the telly is on the blink!

Q. What annoys you most about 11m radio?
A. The F-Wits that clog up channels with crap

Q. Crap? Can you elaborate on that?
A. Constant Reminders About Pricks (C.R.A.P.) with radios.

Q. In one word, describe yourself as a DX’er:
A. Average

Q. What about ‘durable’?
A. Me thinks so

Q. What are your 11m goals for the future?
A. To get back into QSL’ing and get heaps more confirmed DXCC’s when the new cycle kicks in.

Q. If you’d just won the lotto and could buy the best radio gear possible, what would you buy?
A. Top of the line Kenwood such as a TS2000, Icom 756 PRO or Yaesu FT9000. I hear they sell for around $15,000 AUS.

Q. And to finish up, complete this analogy…”11m DX’ing is like a pizza because…”
A. It brings all the ‘toppings’ together

* Interview conducted by 43SD054 Darren for the ‘11m DX Activities Oz’.