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As a young boy I became interested in radio when I saw my neighbour experimenting with an illegal FM band transmitter. At that time I also became an engineering box for electro
mechanical experiments and also I got a first electrical engineering set from Philips
for many small electronically technical experiments.
Mechanical engineering experiments
I was a member of aviation scouts building scaled
aircraft.
When I was checking and aligning the receiver I suddenly heard voices which were drawing my attention. That was my first experience with something like ham radio being 27 MHz. I started building my own 27 MHz transceiver which worked out well with about 1.5 W output. I was quite active for a while on 27 MHz and met several other locals busy for their exam for real ham radio amateur. I decided to go for that also because 27 MHz was illegal at
that time. At first I wanted to get QRV on 144 MHz, I got hold of a transceiver but that was not working very well so after some time I started building my own transceiver. Based on a design from an other local amateur I started building an SSB transceiver. A few months later I started building a 70 cm transverter.
In the seventies I became interested in the amateur bands
above 432 MHz Using a 26 element loopyagi I was QRV with about 30 Watt output from a single 2C39 tube. At this time I build my first Beacon PI7EHG which was situated in Eindhoven almost on top of the tower close to the Evoluon. The beacon was at 1296.875 MHz with about 1,5 Watt into a omni antenna
A few years later I build a bigger PA using 2 time 2C39 tube giving me about 150 Watt I became interested in EME attending a lecture from Jan PA0SSB but at that time it was not possible for me to start with EME. In the years after I became active with tropo on most microwave bands I became interested in microwave bands and in 1980 I started
participation in the PA0WRC/p contest station. I became QRV on 6 and 9 cm and on 10 GHz all narrow band. On 9 cm using a TWT with about 9 W output, on 6 cm using a multiplier with about 150 mW output and on 10 GHz also a multiplier about 30 mW In a period of tree years time we managed to win the multi
operator contest section of VERON, In 1980 I had build my first narrowband 3 cm station existing
of two step recovery multipliers one for TX with about 30 mW output and the
other for RX feeding a balanced waveguide mixer, so no preamplifier yet. After some time we became a telephone call from PA0EZ who
had heard the beacon the evening before. I was using a 5 meter long waveguide with a 30 cm dish on it
which I placed outside my window standing against the antenna for 70 and 23 cm. In 1982 I started working for QRL and moved to Enschede in the eastern part of the Netherlands. I was living on a apartment at the 9th stock giving me an excellent view to the horizon In front of the window at the 9th floor I had a 10 GHz beacon QRV beaming west with a 30 cm dish. After some time I was allowed to put up some antenna's on top of
the building giving me a most superb take off for the microwave bands
I started building equipment for 24 GHz and using a separate
TX and RX I was able to do some experiments in setting up my TX at my kitchen
window and then go portable with my RX tot the Holterberg about 40 km away and
receive the transmit signal. I
participated in the Danish Microwave activity week mainly on 10 GHz and 24 GHz. The years after I was also QRV with 47 GHz and 76 GHz Take a look at the equipment I build at that time I made QSO's on 47 GHz with DB6NT/OZ over about 40 km distance
In 1987 I changed QRL and moved to Boskoop in the west part of the Netherlands In march 1992 I made the first ever QSO in the Netherlands on 47 GHz I was rewarded for this with the nomination as amateur of the year 1991
Considerans spoken for my election as Amateur of the year 1991 (in Dutch) I build a up new antenna system for 70, 23, 13, 6, 3 bands. A few years later I also added 24 GHz. At that time I was very busy trying to make the first ever QSO
on 24 GHz with G3LQR which we made in 1995 In 1995 I moved QTH to a much better location with lots
of space and excellent take off into most directions.
This is my Home location.
The place I live is called Hazerswoude, a small village in the centre part of the three major cities Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht. My home gives me a good opportonity for my microwave hobby with excellent take off into most directions. The most trees around my home are not higher than one meter (Hi).
In this picture you get a better
view on the EME dish and
Here you can see my take off into your direction. The photo's are taken just
below the 2.5 mtr dish Choose the direction you are in 360 ° These are pictures of the most important part of my station. Antenna system
Now I also had space for a big antenna, I build up an mast with a 2.5 Mtr dish for 23 cm tropo and a second mast with a 1.2 mtr dish for 13 and 9 and 6 cm. Also a 70 cm dish for 10 GHz and a 50 cm dish for 24 GHz.
After a few years I managed to get a 3 metre Andrew dish wanting to use that for EME My microwave experience combined with the EME interest
resulted in my first EME activity on 3 cm
After the first 24 GHz worldwide EME contacts I became
interested in 24 GHz EME but did not have enough power to get things going.
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