I was
born in 1956 in Asunción without any relation to amateur
radio.
In 1973, my father's twin brother (and his family) moved
to Zambia (9J), hired as an UN expert, and we found the
easiest way to keep in contact, was amateur radio, so the
whole familiy became amateur radio operators. I was first
licensed in October 1975, and was given the callsign I
still hold.
Running this kind of DX "family-chat", gave me
the taste of talking to many african and european
stations, so I was undoubtly bitten by the DX bug. In
fact, all family did aftertime.
That year I became a member of R.C.P. - Radio Club Paraguayo, when just licensed as an amateur radio operator. By now, I'm a life member, after being member of the board, member of the Education Council, QSL manager for RCP stations,. Award Manager and Vicepresident.
In 1977 I began my relation to Mary Ann WA3HUP, which is my QSL manager since then. She is a wonderful person, and does an excelent job handling cards. TNX MARY ANN !!!
Being on the air with such regularity, gave me the chance to work the needed 100 different entities (countries), and so earned DXCC in 1977, followed by WAS, WAZ and other awards.
When in 1979, my father was hired as an UN expert, and moved to Sao Tome and Principe (S9), we already had all the resources to keep in contact with him (and my mother) through HAM radio, but unfortunately, no activity was allowed there at that time, and most contacts were done from Gabon, courtesy of Eugenio-TR8LE (sk).
Since 1982, job activities as an independent consultant relate to software desing and programming, mostly accounting, inventory management and invoicing for networked PC environments.
Got married in 1983, and my XYL (wife) "kindly decided" that towers and antennas were ugly structures, so to avoid any kind of "conflict", HAM (amateur radio) related activities were reduced (to ABSOLUTE ZERO!!).
While off the air, my daughters were born, Cecilia in 1984, and Laura in 1988.
In 1991, I installed a "not very exagerated" antenna system, and my "back to the air" radio station, and even convinced my wife to take the exams and get an amateur license, which she did and got the callsign ZP5MLE, though she is a "very-rare-one".
DX chasing is my favorite activity on amateur radio, and since my very first contacts, I've been trying to work them all.
In 1992, after my "no-radio-vacation", I completed the 5BDXCC (100 different entities on each of the 10-15-20-40-80m bands), which was almost done in 1983.
In 1993 completed the needed 100 entities on 12 and 17m bands, and so got the endorsements for the 5BDXCC, which then became 7BDXCC.
That year, with some other dxer friends, we founded the ZP DX HUNTERS GROUP, to share information about our main interest (the DX), and promote it to newcomers.
By now, after "having worked them all" including Ed P5/4L4FN in North Corea, and the Ducie Island Dx-pedition VP6DI, my activity is focused on RTTY and PSK31 contacts, DX-peditions chasing (just to keep in good shape) and mainly 6m DXing.
Preferred bands are 15m, 17m, although my main interest these last years have been "THE MAGIC BAND", 50 Megahertz or 6 meters.
After some years of superb conditions on the 6m band, another goal was accomplished during 2001, and the ARRL mailed me as a new year's gift, my 6M DXCC, which also made my 7BDXCC turn into 8BDXCC (6-10-12-15-17-20-40-80m).
Will see what the future brings then, perhaps I'll put some wire and begin working the 160m band, which has very little activity in this country and is very much required.
Now that the 30m band has a DXCC just like the others, I'll start my operation there, as I have only a couple of contacts on that band, mostly DX-peditions. With the solar cycle going into the down direction, activity on high frequency bands will be reduced, and so, the 30m band poses a new challlenge.
|
