| Personal history - mainly Ham Radio aspects
I first got interested in Radio at the age of 11 listening to my father DJ1DB talking to stations on the band. The shack was in my grandparents´ house where we went almost every weekend and it was filled up with all kinds of homebrew equipment and measuring instruments! I taught myself the code with a simple computer program and had fun getting real fast. I quickly built my first simple AM radios which were soon followed by a transistorized allband 0-V-2 which I used for listening to DX and logging Contests as a SWL.
| That´s me at age 12 in the shack of my grandparents´ house (1988). |
After receiving my license at the age of 14 in 1990 I was happy to join CW Clubs like HSC and VHSC and even won the German CW Champion title once.
When we moved to my grandparents house the antenna farm grew somewhat to multiple wires and verticals and I was able to put in some better LP scores before we finally dig the basement for a 55ft crank-up tower and a 3el tribander.
Besides Fieldday activities of our local radio club DL0ENZ I joined DF5UL, DL2MEH (now DJ5MW) and DL2SCJ for WAEDC CW in ´92 and was invited to a record setting CQ WW CW MS effort at DL0WW by DK3GI. I learned a lot about strategy and 2-Radio operating at that time.
After finishing school in ´94 I met DK1NO and spent a major part of my free time with him building up a competitive hilltop station. The site is excellent for lowband DXing and we managed some decent Single Band finishes.
When Roland DK3GI asked me to join him as teammate for WRTC96 in San Francisco I did not have to think much and had a blast competing with the who´s who of contesters and touring the Bay Area.
As a medical student I had the chance to spend 6 weeks at Jefferson Medical School in summer ´99 and get into touch with FRC. Alex W2OX and his wife Alice hosted me during the weekends and I was happy to meet many well known W2/3 Contesters. Being part of winning entries at N3RS (WAE SSB) and K3ANS (PA QSO Party) was a major thrill!
While being the youngster in ´96 it was a great honor to be renominated as Team BCC for WRTC2000 in Slovenia together with my friend Manfred DL2MEH (now DJ5MW). We managed to finish 4th in a highly competitive field and will certainly never forget this event!
Operating CQWW SSB 2000 on 15m at CN8WW was a unique opportunity to collect more experience from the DX-side of a pileup and to be part of a World Record entry together with the amazing BCC team.
Hospitality and level of competition were higher than ever at WRTC2002 in Helsinki, so ending up in the top-10 box together with DK3GI was a happy moment.
Until I´m able to build up a decent QTH by myself I try keeping my home station in shape and taking a seat as a guest operator whenever possible. When my working schedule as an ophthalmologist and ham radio leave some time I enjoy sports and playing piano.
See you on the bands!
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April 2013 | |
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