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Hans Joerg Schaefer - The HAM Radio Amateur |
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Tuesday, 20 April 2010 16:00 |
 Hans Joerg Schaefer has been a member of our club for some months now, but has been involved in amateur radio for 38 years.
Hans is from Switzerland and now lives in North Bali with his wife Helen. He has been an electronic enthusiast since he was 10 years old. He started making radio equipment, but to be able to use the radio he had to pass an amateur radio examination which he did in 1972. He then got his license and the call sign HB9MPX (HB9 is the prefix for Switzerland).
Hans built his own radio station. Through the radio he got into contact with “the whole world” as he describes it himself. The equipment grew and so did the antennas.
He continues to enjoy turning on his radio and meeting his amateur radio friends.
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| Amateur‑Radio, also known as HAM Radio. is a hobby enjoyed by several millions of people in the world. Amateur radio operators call themselves ” HAM’s “. HAM Radio was first introduced in the 1920's and has continued to grow in popularity. Today, many HAM’s even use HAM Radio in conjunction with the internet ( z.B.QRZ.com). This is a list of most radio‑amateurs in the world. Here we can have a look at their adress, their various equipments and also some pictures of their "shaks" that means their rooms where they have the radio station. |
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It is incorrect to assume that a HAM‑Radio operator is an unskilled individual. Most HAM's devote significant time to study the inner working of the equipment they operate. The "amateur" label simply indicates that they do not make any profit from their activities.
To become a radio Ham, you must pass an examination
HAM Radio operators are not required to use any particular type of equipment. They may modify or home construct any type of radio that meets the emission standards. Designing new antennas and hand building "homebrew" amateur gear requires substantial skills, but it presents an exciting challenge for electronics enthusiasts.
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| In the beginning, Morse Code was the main means of communication, but then with technical advances, voice via microphone took over. However, HAMS were still required to learn Morse Code. |
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When contacting where there is no common language - the Q code can help. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_code. One of the Q codes (QSL) gives a name for the "business" cards that HAMS exchange
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