GI0RTN Gerry Lynch
Team: Western Europe 3
Country: Ireland
Age: 36
Occupation: Director of Communications for Church of England Diocese
GI0RTN Gerry Lynch
Around 1986, when I was 9 years old, I discovered the family radio’s “SW” band and was astonished to find stations broadcasting in English from Sweden, the Netherlands, East Germany and Radio Moscow. I was hooked. I borrowed every book in the library about radio and learned that there were people called “radio amateurs” who could actually transmit radio signals. Just before my 14th birthday I saw a poster in the library for a radio rally, got in touch with the local club and was soon studying for my license exams. I got the call sign GI0RTN in May 1992 and it’s the only call I’ve ever held.
I’ve moved from Northern Ireland to England and back several times with work, but I never lost my love of radio operating, and especially contesting. I’m not much of a technical guy, but love CW, languages and propagation. Pretty much everywhere I’ve gone in the world; I’ve found the local radio hams and, therefore, found friends.
Work took me back to England last year when I moved to the medieval cathedral city of Salisbury, 150km southwest of London. My partner of 17 years, Christopher, passed away in February. He always supported my radio hamming and I know he wants me to have a blast in Massachusetts.
Going to WRTC has been a dream since I was 14 years old. Am chuffed [excited] that Kazu picked me as his partner. I’m looking forward to the contest itself, to meeting all those people with familiar call signs, and to saying a bit more to them than the usual, very fast “59.”