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January 2018 - Cray Valley Radio Society - KW Weekend

A very long time ago after North West Kent College for Technology certified me fit to sally forth and repair Radios & TV's (and other electronic gizmos) I landed employment working for a UK ham radio manufacturer called KW Electronics. When I joined the company I had little concept of what amateur radio actually was. I had not come across the term mentioned during my two preceding college years.
All I cared was that I was to be working with electronics and I could use a soldering iron all day - and I got paid!

It became obvious that ham radio wouldn't provide a living but by the time I left the company 18 months later I held class B licence G8HQX and ham radio was now part of my DNA. .
I was now a radio ham that was going off to join the phone company - who did pay better - and continued to do so for the next 34 years (Bless them).

Sadly, KW Electronics lasted only a few more years.

A local club to me - has once again held an activity weekend to celebrate the founding of my old employer.

Founded in 1946, KW produced a wide range of amateur related equipment from its premises in Dartford, Kent. A surprising amount of this equipment has not only survived but is still in regular use. GB8KW, hosted by Cray Valley Radio Society, was on the air on both days of the first weekend in January, using all vintage equipment. Visitors are always made welcome.

Later in the summer we former employees usually meet for a pub lunch/reunion and it is great that after all these years most of us are still alive - though mostly now retired.

Below are some photos of the gear in use during the open day.

You will notice a redness to the photos. Heat in the club hall is provided by wall mounted radiant heaters - plus the lights were turned off to reduce electrical noise. Better photos of KW equipment can be found at the website of my friend Steve Shorey G3ZPS who restores these radios beautifully.