Hi, my name is Avril M0KOP xyl of Kevin G6FOP.

I came into radio in quite an unusual way, I took my M3 licence not because I wanted to do ‘Radio’ but because I felt I ought to take more of an interest in my husband’s hobby and also so that at social functions I hoped I would understand a bit more of what was said and not feel such an idiot or be. well quite frankly. bored. I remember saying at the introduction in taking the M3 course that I was there because well if you can’t beat them join them and I wasn’t the only one to say that !!

So began my journey into radio. I passed the foundation course, after studying and quite a few arguments (husband’s shouldn’t teach their wives or at least not in our case), in November 2003 much too my surprise and I expect to some others as well!

 Some months after this Kevin decided he wished to learn morse code, he knew some of it but not all and one of the members had said he would teach him over the radio, about which I knew nothing and just after dinner one evening Kevin told me about this and said why don’t you sit down and listen with me, well, I certainly did not want to do this, had not even thought about it but for some reason I was feeling abit guilty, felt I should try and take an interest in what he was doing and thought, oh well I will sit with him for a few minutes then make an excuse and carry on with the jobs I still needed to do. Well Kevin, much to my annoyance told this other guy at the end of the radio that I was there and said to me “well you’ll have to have a go now and put a piece of paper and pen in front of me, I was not amused to say the least. So there I sat and listened, not writing anything down, I was annoyed, but just listening, still intending to make my excuses, but somehow I never did, a few weeks later, I thought oh well I might as well learn this or try to, it will be good exercise for my brain and stop me going senile, I would learn it just as I had shorthand many years ago. I remember the guy at the other end of the radio now known as Ken G0ORH used to say “you’ll be able to work the world” and me thinking that man is off his head, there is no way I would do that, I would never have the confidence, never in a million years.!!  


So there began my love/hate relationship with Morse Code, perhaps some others will relate when I say there were times when I heartly wished I had never sat with Kevin that evening, I often felt very frustrated, paper, key etc would mentaly be thrown out of the window as I struggled to understand the CODE. the SOUND of it, listen to the sound Ken would say. What sound I would think and of course went about it all in the wrong way, did my own thing. If I couldn’t remember the character, say L, I would write down in my shorthand, .-.., so I could go back later and from a crib sheet (yes I used one of those as well with all the characters on it from A to Z and also 1 to 0), and transcribe it. However, for some reason I couldn’t give up, and still can’t, now I don’t want to even though I still find it, at times, very frustrating as I still struggle to hear the SOUND, albeit at a much faster rate these days.

Somewhere along the way, I became interested in contesting, well NADARS is a strong contesting club, particularly the CW events, but also enjoy SSB and Data Modes and will enter the fray whenever I can, when Kevin can’t for whatever reason and occasionally, horrors of horrors, I will say, I want to have a go and kick him out of the shack!!! Be careful what you wish for you may well just get it, hi hi. I know there are times when Kevin wishes I had not joined him in becoming a Radio Ham.

In 2004 I, again after alot of studying, taking the course which NADARS runs, and the inevitable arguments, passed my Intermediate Exam and became 2E0KOP, which I still am as I have failed the Advanced Exam twice now, but intend having another go in January 2008, third time lucky, I hope! I PASSED and now hold the call MOKOP.

Kevin’s bit, Avril is now part of the NADARS (Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society) Contest team and operates CW for the club. She has been a participant in the RSGB HF Field Day, IOTA, Club Calls, RSGB Affiliated societies contest, 80m Club Championships, and recently operated the Club Call solo in the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest as a solo operator under supervision of a full license holder. Avril was part of the NADARS 2007 RSGB HF Field Day team that won the open section. amd collected the RSGB HF NFD shield along with other team members at the RSGB HF Convention 2007


Since Avril joined my as a Radio Ham numerous Station improvements have been made at her suggestion and I must admit it has become a lot easier making improvements. Avril can be found operating numerous CW contests through out the year when time and circumstances permit. She has left me a long way behind operating CW and I cannot kep up with her. She practices most day on a variety of Computer programs and transcribes live morse off air on to the Computer.

Avril is the Mother of three Children and Grandmother to two Grandchildren and a trained Short Hand Audio Typist.