Personal statement: I learned Morse code when entering my service in the East German navy in 1974, became a radio operator and managed CW networks between coastal stations and ships. We had some HAMs in our crew. They inspired my interest in ham radio. After my service in 1977 I started studies and became member of DM3EL, a DX and contest oriented radio club in Dresden. Although being a high speed CW operator it took until 1981 to get my license and I became Y33VL. From the beginning I was interested in Contesting and DXing and involved in multi operator contests at Y33ZL, the new club call, after GDR had given up the DM prefixes.
Reunification in 1990 changed a lot of things in normal life as well as in ham radio. Our radio club was closed by city administration and had to be rebuilt again from scratch at a new location outside the city. But a new world had opened for us behind the iron wall. Now we were able to find new friends in the western part of Germany as well as all over the world. Suddenly it was possible to explore the world. We were able to travel to destinations where we only had radio contacts till then but were dreaming to visit these places one day.
I got in contact with Rudi DJ5CQ from Bamberg. He took me to my first real DXpedition VK9LM in 1993. Since then I am more or less on the road every year. I have been QRV from all 6 continents. I enjoy pileups but rather more I like tough contacts on difficult bands like 160 and 6 meters. Biggest fun for me is to be part of well-organized team operations with good friends.
Activities: I am member of the Bavarian Contest Club, took part in the famous CQ-WW-CW contest activities as CN8WW in 1999 and 2000 where BCC achieved Multi/Multi world records. I am also involved in contest activities of DF0CG now DR1A contest club station in Goch near the Dutch border. Local radio club is DFØSAX north of Dresden.
I have worked all current countries in MIXED and PHONE. While CW is my favored operation mode I am still missing P5 as last CW country to have all worked in this mode too.
Previous operations: OJØX, ZL8X, VK9DWX, VP6DX, VK9DNX, XF4DL, YJØADX, R1MVC, HS72B, STØRY, BQ9P, H7DX.
Professional: I am 56 years old and employed as electronic engineer in the IT department of a semiconductor company in Dresden, southeast Germany.
