I first came on the air with 70cm in 1968 as G8BYV.  By 1970 I had 3 watts on 23cm from a varactor tripler. The receiver was just a mixer while the antenna was a scaled down 8-over-8 yagi system. The best dx with this was F3LP with R5 S6 reports. My 23cm gear is due for a rebuild as it still uses an interdigital mixer and high level tx mixing. I have 100 watts out from a pair of 2c39s

By 1974 I had my first qso on 13cm, again high level tx mixing and using an interdigital rx. I had 30 watts out from a 2C39. In 1980 I was pleased to work OK1KIR for a "first" and distance record on 13cms.

1979 I came on 9cm using all waveguide with about 250 milliwatts out. I had a few contacts with this across into DL and PA0. 

Then, in 1989, came the PC Board Transverters by DJ6EP and DC0DA. I made this one with the Pre-amps by WB5LUA.  Simon G3LQR did the art work for the boards and I was able to make them up.. they are a very good and worked first time!

In 1983 I made my first qso on 6cm, again with all waveguide gear and a few milliwatts out. This later followed the same path as 9cm ... both 9 and 6cm have 10 watts out with TWTs. Before I had a TWT on 9cms I made a pair of cavitys with the small YD1060 valves, one as a driver and one PA. This was by DF5QZ. We never could get the watts out that the DLs did so we had German watts and English watts!

The dish is again home made ... 2 metres diameter and made of fine mesh. The feed is the DL7QY made in brass and covers 23, 13, 9 and 6cm. 

My first QSO on 3cm was in 1991. Again, my first tx/rx was all waveguide construction. I never worked any one with it! Then DC0DA came up with an all PC board design for 3cm. He sent me the boards and by 1991 I had my first QSO using a mast head mounted tx/rx. However the FETs were costly. Then J Birkett came up with the cheap red and black spot FETs and with the G3WDG Boards I changed to those. The PA is a twt with 10 watts output into 70cm dish.

My "firsts" were OK to G on 13 cms.... LA to G on 23 and 13cm..... OZ to G on 9 and 6cm. Best DX on 9, 6 and 3cms is 908km.

I use Sam's(G4DDK) oscillator  boards in the 3 higher Freq bands.......
 
 

The photo on the right shows me by the side of my home made version of the ST300 receiver by Scott Taggart. It works quite well. I saved the parts over the years so that I could build this "oldie worldie" when I retired from work.

By the way, I did not let radio take over my family life ... the bungalow we live in was 90% built by me and it took two years!