Category Archives: General

general update or information about amateur radio station M0INI.

VHF Only
VHF Only avatar

As my favourite classic HF rig, the ICOM 725, is still not operational, I am limited for now to 2m and 70cm using my Yaesu 7800.

If you know someone who is reliable who could take a look at this HF rig, tell them to get in touch, see contacts.

New Website
New Website avatar

Mark M0INI
Mark Andrew Smith M0INI

Hello and welcome to my new website for my amateur radio station M0INI.  This is the story of how and why I got into amateur radio.

My father was a radio operator with the Royal Corps of Signals, and had a background in electro-mechanical engineering all his life.  Obviously, with my fathers influence, as a young child, I had an interest in radio.

Edward “Eddie” Smith

After leaving the army, my father was invited to teach with the Marconi School, but decided to go into engineering instead.  He was never licensed.

I have shown a keen interest in radio since before CB was legalised in the UK, however, as a teen, I had a choice, CB or computers, and I chose computers.  This was my first computer, an Acorn Electron, seen here still working today and operated by my son.

Acorn Electron

Like my father, we both didn’t go into a radio background, so it wasn’t until 2005 that I started to show an interest in radio again, and got on the air using CB, resurrecting my old handle from the 80’s of “Spark Transmitter”, a reference to the early days of radio and Marconi.

However, I wanted more, and looked for a radio club to study for my foundation license.

With the help of the West Manchester Radio Club, I quickly became licensed as M6INI, then later as M0INI with the help of Bolton Wireless Club.