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Echolink Status
DMR ID
5054182
Last Heard Status
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My DXCC Status
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VK4FI
is a Advanced Class (Full Call) amateur radio station operated by
Steven Dudley. I was first licenced as Amateur Radio Operator
in 2010. In that year I gained my Foundation
Amateur Radio Licence and was issued the call
VK4FSRD. I was a late starter to Amateur gaining
my first licence at 49, however, I have been involved
in Radio and Communications since I first got
the bug back the the early days of CB radio in
Australia in 1977.
I was on CB for a number of years and
then in 1984 I enlisted in the
Australian Army and was allocated to
the
Royal Australian Signals Corps.
I served in a number of locations within
Australia and Overseas during my 24 plus years
of service in the Corps. I finished my
fulltime military career as a Warrant Officer
Class Two, Information Systems Manager in July
2008. I am still serving at the same rank and
position as a Reserve Soldier (part-time).
I did plan on studying for
a Amateur Licence back in the 1970's but work
and personal life was more important, so it was
only in 2010, that I again got the bug and
decided that I needed to do something about
getting a licence. So within 4 weeks of deciding
that the time was right, I had done some quick
study of the current regulations and sat the
exam. I passed and was licenced as VK4FSRD.
In 2017 after 6 odd years
as an F Call licence holder I thought it was about
time that I upgraded and started playing with
all the digital modes and open the horizons on
new bands and a little more power. I started
to look at the Recognition of Prior Learning
(RPL) process for an Amateur Operator's Certificate of
Proficiency - Advanced (AOCP -A), given the many
years of Radio and Electronics training I
received as a member of the Royal Australian
Corps of Signals over the last 3 decades.
I
submitted the application and was successful in
being granted RPL for Advanced Theory and
Practical on WIA RPL application 17006. All I
was required to do was sit the Regulations
assessment which I did on the 22 Aug 17. Ron
(VK2DQ) administered the exam remotely with the
assistance of a Commissioned Military Officer,
from my place of work, who acted as the local
scrutinizer. I was successful in this assessment
and it was then just a waiting game until all
the paperwork was submitted and processed by the
WIA.
On the 27 Sep 17, my bright new AOCP-A
certificate number 5588 issued 5 September 2017
arrived. At the same time I also applied and was
granted WIA assessor status on certificate
4-076, which enables me to conduct assessments
for the 3 classes of licence available in
Australia. The assessment process has now been
taken over by the
Australian Maritime College and I am an
authorised volunteer assessor for all classes of
licence.
Also in 2017 I sat and was
successful at completing the US Technician and
General class examinations and was granted the
US call KS7EVE. At some point I will attempt the
US Extra Class exam as well, why, because I can
and it is just another challenge.
In addition to my recognition
as an Assessor I am also recognised by
the ARRL as a being a Registered Licence
Instructor and an Volunteer Examiner, which
allows me to contact assessments for US class
licences up to my General Class qualification.
I have been married to Sharan,
since 1985 and we have 4 adult children.
Our oldest daughter and her family are living in
Toowoomba, a short
drive from our QTH, we have a son living in
Kingsthorpe about a 20 minutes drive and our
youngest daughter lives in Brisbane the capital
city of our state, which is about 2 hours to the
east of our QTH. Whilst
our oldest son and his daughter are back living with us at the family
home.
Contact or Follow me on
I upload my
logs to
Australian (VK) Callsign Search
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