Why have a Blog ?

It seems to me that a Blog site is a very useful system to share information with others.

Information that is placed on the regular discusion forums very soon disappear from the front page and ones contribution is basically lost.

Where it all began:

I became a Radio Amateur (HAM) whilst still in high school in East London. I studied on my own and wrote the class-A license and passed. I taught myself Morse code (CW) and passed the practical 12 WPM Morse proficiency test on the first attempt with the then Radio inspector at the Post Office.

I was licensed as ZS2PW in August 1975. That certainly was a very memorable moment in my life.




ZS2PW My first shack - 1975

 

36 years later and I am still very involved in this wonderful hobby: Amateur Radio (also known as HAM Radio)

I have had various call trough the years ZS2PW, ZS6BQS, ZS6BB and currently have the following active calls: ZS6A, ZS2AA, C91DD, 7P8/ZS2AA

My main interests at the moment:

Making contacts using very low power (QRP), especially from a simple field station using homebuilt equipment.

I am a big supporter of using CW. I am not very good at it, but hopefully my skills will improve with time.

Weak signal modes and the 6M magic band has captured my interest.

I have had great fun playing with Low Orbit (LEO) Satellites and managed to make some very interesting QSOs via AO-7. I was fortunate enough to share the world best distance via AO-7 for a short while due to a memorable QSO with Josep EA6SA in the Balearic Islands. The distance between us was 7,766 km.

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2010/new_ao7_record.htm

This record was subsequently improved upon by Luciano PY5LF and Joe K3SZH due to a QSO over a distance of 7,843 km.

Enough for now…..

Have Fun !!

73, Pierre ZS6A




Cover page of the South African Radio League (SARL) magazine