HAMing it up:
My hobby in Amateur Radio since 1968
I got started in ham radio (amateur radio) in Germany through a Jesuit priest while getting my journeyman training in woodworking. I worked at the monastery and Brother Guenther (DJ5BU) introduced me to ham radio in 1968. I have been at it ever since! I upgraded to my general license in February, 2007, and have been very active on the air since then. I have spoken to stations on 5 continents and also participate in a ham radio net of German immigrants called “The Sauerkraut Net”! We meet daily and converse only in German, sharing experiences, food ideas, reminiscing about Germany and talking about visits back to the home country. During our last emergency trip back home, I took a portable 2 Meter handheld along and made contacts in the Erlangen/Nuremburg area. Below is a picture of my car, a 2005 Honda CR-V that I use for ministry travel, equipped with an Icom 706 MK II and, yes, you are reading this correctly, four (4) antennas for different wave lengths. While coming home from Minneapolis some weeks ago, I was talking to Slovenia, Spain, Italy and Germany while driving, using a headset with a button on the steering wheel. I am able to talk world wide on HF plus 2 and 6 Meter both AM, FM, and SSB! At home I have several antennas up on the house and garage:
Random HF 140’ long wire with an Icom AH-4 tuner, multiband inverted V 40’ up at the center, Cushcraft 2 meter 14 element and Cushcraft 4 element beams on a single rotor for 2 meter FM and SSB communications, 6 meter Cushcraft 4 element beam, Cushcraft 6 meter vertical antenna, and an 80 meter hamstick beam. I also added home built 1/2 square antennas for 15/12/40 meters from copper wire and have been talking to Central Russia, Bosnia and Czech Republic.
I also enjoy talking to other missionaries meeting on a regular basis for missionary nets that are world wide. We talk about issues and pray for one another. What most people don’t know is that many people are able to listen in on our conversations using a normal short wave radio, so you never know who might hear the Gospel!
I am working on a project right now to erect a 40’ tower with a multi band antenna on a rotor which will make it possible to talk with other hams in Europe and other continents on a more regular basis. A beam will shoot the radio energy only in one direction where wire or Omni directional antennas broadcast in a 360 degree area! Hopefully, Lord willing, I will be done before I leave for my campus ministry in early fall. I already have the tower here but need to connect the rotor, antennas and cables to my radio.
My call sign is KB0NRT and I would be glad to talk to you on the air any time. You can send me an e-mail at kb0nrt@netins.net and schedule a time on the air.
We use this media as a hobby but also as a tool to make Christ known, share the Gospel, and help fellow Believers in times of disaster. It has been a great hobby for me and I hope to be able to be a part of this for many years to come!
In HIS grip,
73´s
Martin
Icom IC-718 with Heil Pro headset, MFJ tuner and Timewave ANC-4 for taking out local QRM into a multi band inverted V antenna, 40 foot up at the center.
Links:
Our favorite radio station live
If you like to get into ham radio: www.ARRL.org
