Amateur radio

What’s this “amateur radio”?

It’s a fun hobby to have. Actually, its many fun hobbies!

Sub-hobbies of the radio amateur super-hobby I’ve tried and found I like include:

• Communicating with people. Our weekly meetings, just a handful of friends from Berlin’s south-east leisurely chatting every Monday night for about an hour on our regular frequency, is one of the week’s highlights. I also enjoy meeting people on the air waves and getting to know them.

• Contests. Which means that top-notch radio amateurs compete to reach as many stations and as far away ones as they can. For two or three of the real big contests each year, e.g., the annual IARU world championship in mid July, I love to join the party. I’m not one of the top-notch stations myself, but a mere humble member of the “also ran” multitudes which provide the many stations those top-notch guys try to reach. Which other world championship draws more than 4000 people participating simultaneously?

• Building stuff. A friend recently asked me for my experience with reception of the historical SAQ transmitter. I dug out a report I wrote at the time (German).

To be continued.

German amateur radio bar camp.

See its own web page.