[SCCC] New Article on Web Site

[Jim Forsyth]

The G5W Contest Station - Don Beattie G3BJ

The author, Don Beattie, and I both received our first license in 1961. 
Back then Don's call was G3OZF and mine was G3PRM. We used to talk on 
Top Band AM and, although we only lived a few miles apart, we never met 
in person.

Eventually we each went our separate ways and had no further contact. 
Neither of us knew that we both changed our call signs, Don became G3BJ 
and I became AF6O.

I was familiar with G3BJ from the UK reflectors that I subscribe to but 
I had no idea it was the same person that I used to work as G3OZF. That 
all changed earlier this year as I was preparing to send an invitation 
to G3BJ to write an article for our web site. I went to qrz.com to look 
up Don's email address and I was very surprised to see his former call.

We exchanged a few emails and it turned out that Don was going to be 
part of a UK DXpedition to the Australs, taking in the Visalia DX 
Convention on the way home. We planned to meet at the Visalia Marriott 
on the Thursday evening where we spent several hours at the bar getting 
reacquainted after a 50 year gap.

Don is a past President of the RSGB and IARU delegate .

73 Jim, AF6O