On Friday 4 of November 2022 Franki ON5ZO visited us. The inveterate telegraph operator immediately plunged into the air …
Video credit by RX3DPK
It was really great pleasure to see him in our club and get to know him personally!
Thank you Franki for visiting us and always welcome!
A HAM SPIRIT forever!
(((73)))
On the air From 4U1A = United Nations Amateur Radio Contest DX Club
Early November we were on a family trip to Vienna. These trips usually don’t have much to do with the hobby. But this time I decided to check the possibilities and settled for 4U1A at the VIC UN HQ (Vienna International Centre). I sent an email to the address listed on QRZ.com. Soon after I got a reply from Sparky RW3AH, the 4U1A caretaker and a UN employee. “Call me when you’re in Vienna” along with his mobile number. And so I did. We settled for Friday November 4th 10AM local time. He’d pick me up and gave some walking directions.
The rest of the family planned other activities while I embarked on the Vienna subway. Somehow my mobile phone’s 4G connection got lost. Later that day it turned out it was a problem with the Belgian /M operator’s roaming interconnection. Anyway: the VIC site is huge, I got lost and couldn’t use the phone to see where I needed to go.
I called Sparky – luckily plain phone calls were still operational. As it turned out I was heading in the wrong direction. He guided me to the right building and entrance gate and there he was. Sparky got me through the security clearance . I need to remember not to wear old i.e. oversized pants when I have to take off my buckle belt for a security scan. First a coffee, a short chat and then off to the 4U1A shack.
Soon I faced the problem I always encounter when operating somewhere else: a QWERTY keyboard for the logging PC. I’m an AZERTY two-index-finger typist. Sparky went to solve the problem however he came up with another keyboard that is not my exotic Belgian AZERTY variant. Google it, my foreign friends and behold an unseen kbd layout.
I was glad to spray some RF around as the construction project at home kept me off the air for months already. I was a bit disappointed in the return but of course 4U1A does not have DXCC status. It falls under plain OE. I forgot about that but Sparky refreshed my memory along with his wish to gain DXCC Entity Status for the station. Like 4U1UN in NY.
Cool. Early November we were on a family trip to Vienna. These trips usually don’t have much to do with the hobby. But this time I decided to check the possibilities and settled for 4U1A at the VIC UN HQ (Vienna International Centre). I sent an email to the address listed on QRZ.com. Soon after I got a reply from Sparky RW3AH, the 4U1A caretaker and a UN employee. “Call me when you’re in Vienna” along with his mobile number. And so I did. We settled for Friday November 4th 10AM local time. He’d pick me up and gave some walking directions.
COOL ! VERY COOL !
I even tried some SSB (desperate measures in my quest for a pileup) and highlight was working HS0ZJF (=expat-friend ON4AFU) on 10m CW. He fell off his chair when I sent “OP ON5ZO ON5ZO HI”. I immediately got an email elaborating his surprise to be called by 4U1A with me on the Morse key. After a few hours I decided to call it a day and join the family for the last evening in Vienna.
Operating 4U1A was fun but meeting Sparky RW3AH was a real pleasure. He’s full of stories and anecdotes, about our radio hobby and life in general. I’ve met dozens of kind, smart and interesting people in over 22 years in the hobby and Sparky is +1.
Thanks OM for taking the time to spend a good part of that day with me.
de ON5ZO