9A1TT Richard Riley

Team: Southeast Europe 2

Country: Croatia

Age: 43

Occupation: Owner and Managing Director of multi-lingual 24×7 network operations and consumer care centre (tango.hr)

I was first licensed as G0JFX at age 17 and later got my first taste of contesting at Plymouth Radio Club, G3PRC, alongside G0IVZ, G0JNZ, and G4HTD. My career began when I qualified as a Radio Officer and served in the merchant navy for several years. Returning to the UK, I spent three years at ground station Oakhanger before moving to ESA-HQ in Paris. Issued with F5VCO, contesting soon took off for me! Winning M/S 1st Europe became almost the norm, initially at TM2Y and later at TM5C in all major contests from 1995 through 2003, thanks to solid mentoring from F6ARC and the great hospitality of F6CTT.

My professional career saw me join Bloomberg LP where I learned the true meaning of hard work. I married in 1993 and my wife, Tajana, and I promptly brought our two wonderful sons, Dorian and Filip, onto planet Earth. My love for my wife and her beautiful country took us to Croatia in 2004 where we opened our own business and, for a while, I was left with little time for radio. Later on, I joined E77DX from 9A0R for IOTA and plans for a serious M/S from E7 blossomed. E7DX now competes with the best of the best in SO and M/S categories. I’m currently in the early stages of a major M/S station build in Croatia and can’t wait to get on the air from my new home in the coming years. Aside from my business and hobby, I enjoy socializing, international cuisine, fine wines, sailing, skiing, and travelling. I speak English, French and Croatian fluently.

I am particularly looking forward to WRTC2014 for several reasons. It helps promote this fascinating hobby to a new audience, I get to compete and socialize with the crème de la crème of the HF contesting theatre, I will experience propagation from W1 at the peak of the sunspot cycle, and I’ll be visiting New England where every other town name sounds like my first home (Devon, England).