PA3ANG – Dutch Ham Radio Station – Homepage & Weblog

NL4196-PA2112-PD0CJH-PE1BQP-PA3ANG.

 

The young NL-4196, PA2112 a short-wave listener.

Starting in 1972 as 14 year old boy listening with a simple solid state radio, I heard special signals and wondered myself. Radio got me and I became a official Short-wave Listener NL-4196 as member of the VERON (June 1972). My first “big” receiver was the B40 ex-navy and after a couple of years I bought my first commercial receiver, a Kenwood R599D. Together with a Fritzel vertical GPA-3 all amateur bands where monitored and lot’s of hours where spend “playing” with the radio.

That time two Amateur Radio Societies where present (and the still are). I could not choose so I became member of both. That’s why I got two Short-wave Listener Callsigns: NL-4196 (VERON) PA-2112 (VRZA)

The novice PD0CJH

In 1977 I got my first licence to operate on 6 fixed channels in the 2 meter band. 145.250,275,325,350,375 and 145.400 MHz. This so called D (Novice) licence kept me busy for a year and was the start to get the C licence.

The equipment I used was a fixed channel Kenwood TR-2200G. The antenna system consisted of a 9 element Tonna X beam and a 5/8 lambda GP. Home brew equipment was not allowed and we where restricted to 10 Watt FM only. The callsign I got was PD0CJH.

During this period I kept using my ex-equipment B40. I even bought one back after I sold my first B40 receiver. But the ‘boatanchor’ is no longer with me.

Other surplus radio’s I used where R-209MK2, R-77, GRC-9, BC-728, BC1306, CPRC-26, A-510, FSE 38/58, BC-611, PRC-6, PRC-9.

PE1BQP is born!

In 1978 I became PE1BQP. A full licence to operate VHF and higher amateur bands. My beauty-machine the TS-700G.
The antenna system remained the same.

But…… The Radio Virus got weaker as the YL Lida came into my live. She got me and eventually she got me as a Ham. I continued practising my Morse Code and passed the CW exam in 1979.

PA3ANG the final callsign.

Being now an A-licensed Radio Amateur, new equipment was needed to explore the “real” Amateur frequencies: the “HF” bands. I got myself a Kenwood TS-120V. I could not effort more power because of lack of money.
Was this the start to become a more QRP focused operator?

Some rigs I had during the first 15 years being PA3ANG

Because of different circumstances I changed my QTH a couple of times. Voorburg, Berkel & Rodenrijs, Muntendam, Emmen. I always had my Radio-Shack and from some I kept pictures.

For VHF (2 Meter) I was able to buy a TS-9000. I had many years of pleasure with this gear. But.. also in the mean time building UHF (70 Cm) and even SHF (23 Cm) equipment, had my first Aurora and Sporadic E excitements and started to build Equipment for Packet Radio (Nodes and BBS). I ended up as being the builder of the Local 2 Meter Repeater PI3ZOD in Emmen.

An other activity was 10 Meter FM. Using DNT and HYCOM equipment, remote DTMF control and patching the 10Mtr signals on 2 Meter was one of the experiments we conducted during the 80’s. During this period I developed and produced a ‘small footprint’ CW Callsign generator and sold it to many Hams. This happened also with Baycom modem for the Commodore C-64 computer. It wasn’t booming business but al lot of Ham operators where activated with Packed Radio.

To suit the need in being a mobile Ham operator I had a variety of portable gadgets.

The QSL card which is still used and has been send all over the world:

Antenna’s used

After 18 years having Emmen as our QTH we left and moved to Zwolle. We have a 4 storage house and the 4th storage is partly a roof garden. A perfect opportunity to place and maintain an antenna system.

My today’s equipment

I have changed in 2005 the equipment again.
After succesfully using the Alinco DX-70T for a long period, I exchanged the DX-70 for an Yeasu FT-840. This rig has a better ‘Base Station’ look and feel compared to the ‘Mobile’ Alinco. The FT-840 is fully equiped with FM-Unit, AM & CW filter and FC-10 automatic antenna tuner.

An other gadget I bought (especially to go portable and for 6 meters):

And very recently (2007) i was able to buy the Elecraft K1 en K2 rigs. This rigs can be obtained in Kit form, but due to lack of time I bought then allready assembled. The rigs are full loaded with all possible accessory.

30+ years being a Ham resulted in

Working more than 250 countries on HF when hunting DX stations and participating in contests. Operating CW, Phone, RTTY, PSK31, ATV, Vintage AM Using Repeaters and Satellite UO14, RS12/13 Lots of QRP operations using QRP and QRPP Buying and selling and buying equipment. I had more equipment than mentioned on this page (hi) Constructing equipment including 1296MHz transceivers and antenna’s. Offering the Ham community a helping hand in starting Packet Radio Being able to build the local repeater PI3ZOD Developing repeater control logic (H/w + S/w) for 3 other repeater groups. Recently having my first QRP DX expedition …… and much more

AMSAT UO-14. Went Silent Key in 2003!