G4GNQ was licensed in 1977 with 99% of my contacts still being made on hombrew equipment sadly like the owner is getting on in years. My earliest QSO's were made with a 60 watt CW transmitter fitted with two 807's and a SR550 receiver. To increase the receive sensitivity a pre amplifier was used on the higher bands. During this time I was constructing a SSB transceiver I still in use today although I also have a DDS rig that is currently being modified.  My interest in radio and electronics stem from a very early age and in the 1950's I bought several battery operated TRF sets at local jumble sales. The first radio receiver I had was a crystal set using a homemade detector. Later on to improve the received signals I added a triode amplifer using a 2 Volt valve. Construction of equipment really commenced after I left school just prior to my 15th birthday and I derive much pleasure on hearing the end results. Then I progressed to constructing simple radios having aquired a very old receiver tuned by a variometer just prior to leaving school.  In the early 1960's I made a medium wave transistor radio which worked although it did have a tuning problem which I now realise was due to a wiring mistake on the variable capacitors. For a short time I was employed as a trainee radio/television engineer, however however this did not last long and on 12th January 1959 I started working on the railways following the family tradition.   In 1979 I joined British Railways Amateur Radio Society and in 1981 I became the Secretary. The first FIRAC congress I attended was in 1980 and I have only missed four since then. I have also had the pleasure in being part of the team organising three Firac congresses. (1982. 2001. 2006.)  At the last congress chaired the working session due to the absence of the President.  In 2001 after 42 years service I took early retirement from the railway and since then I have enjoyed life in general spending what free time is available constructing and a little operating. However part time work still dominates my life.