I was
fortunate enough to have been stationed in Germany twice with the US Army.
During this period of time I was even more fortunate to hold a German Amateur
Radio Operator license. My callsign was DA1RA. This call was active from 1971-73
and again from 1976-1979. I earned a DXCC, Satellite Achievement Award, WAC and
came in first for US forces Germany in the 1973 World Wide DX Contest. I
made a number of wonderful friendships while stationed there and to name just a
few, Malle, DL3BA, Horst, DJ8QQ, Wolf DL2NO, Barry G4TOG, Mike, DA4DF and of
course, the infamous Dan, DA2LJ. Thanks also to my QSL manager Lee, WA7OBH.
Here
I am sitting at the operating position of DL3BA in Bremerhaven,
Germany, circa 1973. All heathkit equipment, as you can see! Malle, aka Guenter
Malchau was an avid CW DX op. He was fantastic. Malle and I shared many a story,
some about his experiences with the German Army during WWII. He was a radio
repair technician for the port of Bremerhaven.
My wonderful friend passed away
some years ago. I will always remember him.
My
very first station in Bremerhaven, 1971. You are looking at a heathkit HW-101
transceiver. There's a vibroplex bug somewhere in the corner. The antenna was a
trapped vertical for 40m and above. I had a dipole strung up between the
government quarters for 80M phone. My log system was the card file I had in the
shoe box. Really high tech stuff!
From
1976 to 1979, I was stationed in Bad Kissingen, Germany. We lived in the upper
level of Government quarters affectionately known as 'maids quarters'. These
were supposed to be temporary in nature but we stayed permanently! Shown is a
Kenwood TS820 with a variety of Heathkit gear. The antennas were a scant 10 or
15 feet above the shack situated on the roof of the quarters at about 100 feet
above the ground.
The
government quarters had roofs composed of very slippery and slanted ceramic
tiles! It took a good friend such as Mike, DA4DF to volunteer his help in
getting that antenna down off the roof. I remember when a storm came up and the
antenna was in danger of coming down...Mike was there to assist. Friends like
this are hard to find.
Here
I am sitting at the operating position of DL3BA in Bremerhaven,
Germany, circa 1973. All heathkit equipment, as you can see! Malle, aka Guenter
Malchau was an avid CW DX op. He was fantastic. Malle and I shared many a story,
some about his experiences with the German Army during WWII. He was a radio
repair technician for the port of Bremerhaven.
My
very first station in Bremerhaven, 1971. You are looking at a heathkit HW-101
transceiver. There's a vibroplex bug somewhere in the corner. The antenna was a
trapped vertical for 40m and above. I had a dipole strung up between the
government quarters for 80M phone. My log system was the card file I had in the
shoe box. Really high tech stuff!
From
1976 to 1979, I was stationed in Bad Kissingen, Germany. We lived in the upper
level of Government quarters affectionately known as 'maids quarters'. These
were supposed to be temporary in nature but we stayed permanently! Shown is a
Kenwood TS820 with a variety of Heathkit gear. The antennas were a scant 10 or
15 feet above the shack situated on the roof of the quarters at about 100 feet
above the ground.
The
government quarters had roofs composed of very slippery and slanted ceramic
tiles! It took a good friend such as Mike, DA4DF to volunteer his help in
getting that antenna down off the roof. I remember when a storm came up and the
antenna was in danger of coming down...Mike was there to assist. Friends like
this are hard to find.