Amateur Radio around the world

This page will list some of the fun and enjoyment I have had over the years with amateur radio. I was first licensed in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1971 with a limited (UHF/VHF only) call, VK7ZMF. Later that year I passed the Morse Code test and became VK7MM, which I still hold today. During my stays in Papua New Guinea I was active as P29MJ. In Indonesia I was YB0AWB from 1989 to 1992. In Switzerland I received the callsign HB9TQX in 2003. Every contact that a radio amateur makes is recorded in a log. For a first contact with a new station proof of the contact is via an exchange of cards, referred to as QSL Cards. At right is a selection of cards. The bottom three are call signs that I used. The top card is a very special one. It records a conversation I had with my late father when I was in PNG in 1988. He made it out of Tasmanian Huon Pine by "burning" the text into the wood. I have prized it ever since. Unfortunately I am not too active at present but still keep an interest in all things relating to amateur radio. I am a member of the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) as an overseas member and the USKA here in Switzerland.

As we are now in a free standing house here in Neuheim it should be possible to put up some antennas. I do not have any HF equipment at present, having got rid of my old IC-701 in 2000 in Australia. I have some handhelds and a multimode FT-290R 2m rig with amplifier. I intend to slowly get back into things again after a long absence!

I used to be really interested in satellite communication and I guess that is something that I will take up again, probably using data transmission modes more than voice.