JOTA

JOTA information (scouting) is to find here: JOTA.
 

Why did I write this story?

I'm sure that some Radio hobbyists I know, will read this and get enthousiast too. It's not that I am an experienced Radio Amateur and I don't practice Amateur Radio in my hometown, but it is funny to see that with an old Amateur Radio rig (Icom 706 classic) and some hobby materials and tools, one can talk "during special conditions" with everyone around the world.

My radio history..

After some e-mail and telephone conversations with my friend Bengt (a.k.a. the 'Old Eagle' at Femund Canoe Camp), HAM radio enthousiast and SWL (Short Wave Listener) station, I decided to pick up the good old radiohobby again. Because I wasn't a licensed amateur station at all, I had to pass the national (Dutch) exams and I started with Novice (formerly D) because my knowledge about transmitters was from the late 70's and early 80's and since then I have not used it.
 
I was a repair-/serviceman for consumer electronics for more than 25 years. With all that knowledge of technical stuff and electronics, I passed the Dutch Novice exams on the 21st of march, 2013. If I had known then, what I know now, I should have done the Full-license exam and the Novice exam on the same day. 'If' I knew that... but I didn't. So, let's see the sunny side of it, and N is enough (in Holland) to make contacts on 40, 20, 10 and 2Mtrs (with certain restrictions!).
 
After the exams I realised that I still must have a lot of theoretical information in my head, after leaving school in the early 80's. A special 'thanks' to all the teachers of MTS Deventer in the late 70's and early 80's. Still I don't know much about ionosphere and weatherconditions etc. but that will come in time, and.. I can ask O.M. Bengt for that information...!
 

SWL station Bengt Magnusson - Sweden
 

Why do I want to be a licensed Radio Amateur?

In the late 70's I was a AM (MW), FM and CB 'radio amateur' (pirate station). After that period, I had other things to do and I've lost my interest in radio. Later on I started my own business, not in electronics but in computers..! I'm still in this computerjob and hope to continue it for many years, one never knows...
 
I needed a radiolicense because I wanted to take some radio stuff (read my Baofeng information) to Norway and it's always the same when I go there: when I take something extra with me, they are checking me at the borderoffice (Tull!). There I have to explain a lot and that isn't funny at all... So, let's get that radiolicense and pass the border with no problems.. And, it's nice to have something extra to do during the time I stay in Norway/Scandinavia, during summerholidays.
 

In my own country..

I'm not very active as an Amateur Radio station in my home town too. Most of the contacts and experiments I make from a remote spot, where I set up my fishing rod antenna's (read my Antenna information) and try to 'catch' some signals..
So, during the year, the radiorig will be waiting for nice (dry) weather or for summerholidays, because I can do only one thing at a time ;-(
 

JOTA at the local Scouting

Sometimes I'm to find at the JOTA event of the local Scouting group. I'm not a member of that group, neither the owner of the club station call, I'm only assisting with Amateur Radio stuff and computers (read my Sponsorproject information).
 

Distances

I was asked many times: "What distance do you work and what is your most remote location?".. since october 1st 2016 I can say: "Indonesia - Surabaya" (read my Contacts information). This result I achieved on the 20 mtr. band, with a modified SEM35 Ground Plane antenna (on 5 mtrs height, in my backyard) and 25 Watt power on my ICOM 706 classic radio.