Welcome to G3ZPS Ham Radio.
First licensed in 1970 at age 16, I am one of the youngest 'active' UK hams to hold an original 'G3' call sign. In 2021 I have held my callsign for 51 years. These pages include information on my lifetime in the hobby and my retirement passion for restoring valve ham radio equipment (or tubes if you prefer). I have built up a collection of Drake (USA) and the lesser known (outside of the UK) KW Electronics equipment.. My KW pages open out to cover my extensive collection, click on the 'WELCOME' page to get back here. As of September 2020, I can muster around 40 HF stations. I'm always willing to help anyone working on old gear..I never know when I might need their help !
Site Summary
I started collecting and restoring vintage ham radio equipment in
2002, when it became obvious that the equipment may become scarce in the
future. My tube equipment collection started with a Drake R4B quickly
followed by a Drake T4XB. The Drake collection slowly grew as my
enthusiasm to buy waxed and waned. My next target was a UK company close
to my heart 'KW Electronics' - and I have been very lucky to pick up some very good examples.
Heathkit, Swan and Yaesu gear has also been through the workshop . I am a
qualified electronics / communications engineer (Fellow
of the IET) and just love taking stuff apart !. Click on 'Lighthouse Larry' for loads
more valve / tube stuff .
Look through these pages to see more of the collection and some of the trials and tribulations of keeping this old kit on the air in the 21st century. I also build QRP tube and solid state radios, audio amplifiers, music synthesisers, run my own music studio and play the guitar (a lot!)'. This is a scientific hobby; build something, modify something, restore something..above all else experiment and learn something.
Find me on Facebook as ' Steve Shorey' or 'G3ZPS', I have 2 separate pages . Pictures of some of my 160m ham radio chums from the 70's here
Also contact me if you would like me to talk at your Amateur Radio Club - I have 3 prepared talks ; '999 Emergency - Public Safety Communications Past, Present and Future' talk draws from my 35 years of experience as a professional engineer in the communications business and has been constantly updated. The second is a presentation on why some of us restore and use older Ham Radio gear, titled 'Old Ham Radio Kit - Why do we bother ?'. The third is a potted history of the UK Company KW Electronics. The KW works was near to where I live and I have an extensive collection. Over the last few years I have spoken both in person and online to over 40 clubs including the US. Send me an email if you would like an online or in person talk for your club. My QRZ listing has my talk diary and is kept up to date.
FISTS CW CLUB MEMBER 18875, SKCC MEMBER N0 19356, VMARS and CVRS. Cray Valley Radio Society is one of the biggest clubs in SE UK with over 150 paid up members in 2023
Email me at steve.shorey@ntlworld.com , Facebook G3ZPS or Facebook Steves Homepage
Please reference me if you use any material from this site - some material is clearly in the public domain but some is my own copywrite (so ideally ask permission first)
Connect with me today
Call me on 44 (0)7970 190437