Barry Stewart says you have to have decent aerials to be in the amateur radio game.
And the Wanganui man knows all about radio transmitters, having been given the "Amateur of the Year Award", which is decided at the NZ Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) conference and presented to a radio ham for their dedication and outstanding performance to the hobby.
Mr Stewart has been pursuing his hobby for 40 years and, for 22 of those, he's been managing the QSL Bureau of the New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters at his home.
Mr Stewart says he has spent half his life talking over the radio frequencies, but these days he does it "bugger-all".
Probably because he is always on a deadline to get out the radio club's monthly magazine, which he does for 11 months of the year.