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G4ZU callsign activated in 10 year commemoration

Posted on 25 December 201510 March 2018 By Pete M0PSX 10 Comments on G4ZU callsign activated in 10 year commemoration

Christmas Day 2015 saw a small piece of history for three generations of the Bird family, descendants of renowned radio amateur Gordon ‘Dick’ Bird G4ZU.

Dick G4ZU was responsible for the design of several HF antennas, including the G4ZU Super MiniBeam and the ‘Birdcage’, an active DXer, and known for writing technical articles for publications such as Radcom and CQ Magazine. Dick passed away in 2005, aged 86 and living in the South of France.

Dick’s grand-daughter, Sarah Sipple (née Bird), carries on the family tradition, having gained her Foundation licence in 2011. With the permission of the family and Ofcom, the callsign G4ZU was transferred to Sarah’s husband Pete M0PSX a couple of years back. With the family gathered together for Christmas, the callsign of G4ZU was activated for the first time in the 10 years since Dick’s passing. Dick’s son, Chris Bird was able to pass a seasonal greetings message to his daughter Sarah via the G4ZU callsign. Sarah then in turn received a greetings message from Dick’s great-granddaughter, 8 year-old Kathryn, completing the four generation connection.

Kathryn Sipple, Sarah Sipple M6PSK and Chris Bird (December 2015)
Kathryn Sipple, Sarah Sipple M6PSK and Chris Bird (December 2015)

A review of several back-issues of Radcom, CQ Magazine and the RSGB yearbooks reveals that Dick Bird G4ZU has been responsible for the design of numerous antennas including:

  • G4ZU Super MiniBeam
  • Globemaster Panda Beam
  • Multiple Image Reflex yagi (1958)
  • Birdcage (1960)
  • G4ZU X Beam
  • The 7F Miniloop
  • G4ZU “Jungle Job” also known as the “Bow-and-Arrow Yagi”
From CQ Magazine: Gordon 'Dicky' Bird G4ZU
From CQ Magazine: Gordon ‘Dicky’ Bird G4ZU

Sarah M6PSK is one of the Essex Ham team, and said about today’s use of the G4ZU callsign:

“It’s great that the historic G4ZU callsign is still active, in memory of Dick’s passion for amateur radio. Ten years after Dick Bird went SK, G4ZU was again on-air, connecting three generations of the family together using amateur radio – a nice Christmas present, and one for the Bird family scrapbook.”

From Radcom Yearbook: Gordon ' Dick' Bird shack G4ZU.
From Radcom Yearbook: Gordon ‘ Dick’ Bird shack G4ZU.

 

Related Links:

  • Granddaughter of Dick Bird G4ZU gets licence
  • Gordon “Dick” Bird G4ZU Information
News Tags:Dick Bird, G4ZU, Gordon Bird

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Comments (10) on “G4ZU callsign activated in 10 year commemoration”

  1. M0LMR says:
    26 December 2015 at 00:01

    How lovely, what a nice story xx merry Christmas to you all xx

    Reply
  2. Steve says:
    26 December 2015 at 07:19

    That is brilliant

    Nice story for Christmas

    Reply
  3. Dick's daughter says:
    26 December 2015 at 13:35

    Brings back memories!

    Reply
  4. Pete M0PSX says:
    26 December 2015 at 21:37

    Thanks for the feedback everyone!

    Reply
  5. John - G8MM says:
    27 December 2015 at 11:06

    Hi, No mention of the fact that Dickie was a Radio Agency inspector, so well known to many licenced amateurs in the South of London.

    I have Dickie’s signature in one of my old G3OQB logs, showing that he did a “routine” station inspection. That was not rare in the 1960’s!

    Reply
    1. Pete M0PSX says:
      27 December 2015 at 11:15

      Hi John,

      We weren’t aware of that – another piece of the puzzle. Many thanks John. Be interested to know the date if you have the log handy

      Reply
    2. John - G8MM says:
      11 April 2016 at 10:41

      Pete, I wonder if you saw my further comments:-

      Hello Pete,
      You will recall that I encountered Dickie Bird many years ago, when he worked for the GPO. I think I may have said that he worked for the Radio Agency, but I can now see that his employment pre-dates the formation of the RA. The clue to this was the telephone number that he provided.

      So here is the page from my old G3OQB logbook, duly signed by Dickie, and showing that he almost certainly had an office in the GPO building at St Martin Le Grand, right next door to St Pauls. The old CITY telephone exchange disappeared in about 1960, but I still remember many of the exchange names!

      Some pages later I found another inspection and signature in my Log – that was a Mr. R. Roberts, and the same telephone number was given, so I guess they shared an office at HQ.

      That incidentally is where I took the RAE examination, and then some years later the Morse Test.

      I hope you find that link to the story interesting.

      I have the signed log page if you would still like a copy?

      Reply
  6. John PINK says:
    28 December 2015 at 09:38

    Hi,
    I have the log, but not with me right now.
    As soon as I can get back to it I will scan the page, and send you a copy of his comment/signature.

    John – G8MM

    Reply
  7. Michael Bannister says:
    10 April 2016 at 11:15

    I remember this very well as I lived 2 doors away from Dick Bird in Shirley, Croydon. When we got our first television in the late 50s we would get his transmissions come over the programmes but he did fit a device in our aerial lead to try and reduce it for us. I could look out of my bedroom window and see all his aerials strung down the garden.

    Oh happy times!

    Reply
  8. Pete M0PSX says:
    10 April 2016 at 15:07

    Thanks for the info Michael, much appreciated.

    Reply

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