Participants
in the course of instruction over
Easter 2000 in Göttingen
Stefan - DL2OCB
trainer Bruno, DL5AAP
I am now DL7DAN.
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Stefan - DL2OCB
trainer Bruno, DL5AAP |
During the sea-time and service time
with Norddeich Radio, the theme Amateur Radio played no role. The "Deutsche Bundespost" grants no amateur license for knowledge and experience
from Maritime Mobile or Norddeich Radio. If I had worked on ships
of the GDR, I would get no credit at all. With
Norddeich Radio during my service time I made so many QSO's (radio contacts)
that in my free time I would "switch gears." Understandably, one
would have other things in his head. In 1996 I ended my career
as commercial radio operator, and after that time I noticed that something
was missing - acquaintance with Radio. Then came directly the 14-days course
of instruction of the DARC (German Amateur Radio Club) over Easter 2000
in Göttingen. Looking
at the study questions, I knew perhaps what was coming; I must put aside
almost 30 years of my trifling knowledge in vacuum tube and transistor
technique, and make a new start. Beforehand, in Göttingen, I had not
revealed that I was a professional radio operator with Norddeich Radio.
Also I had no concern about the CW practice hour. Naturally I felt that
I could copy at any speed error-free. Corresponding questions I answered
easily with reference to my maritime service - the answers were not totally
pulled from the air! One
difficulty I had was that I could not transmit at the very slow speed of
60-70 characters per minute (12-14 wpm). I experimented a little
with longer pauses to compensate. I remember that Bruno, our CW-Trainer,
saw me as very strange. In technical questions I was apprehensive,
and the first tests were not very promising. At the end of the study
course, I did very well with CW, which left me free to concentrate on the
technical questions. I wish
at this point to sing praises to our trainers; Edeltraud (DL9ABD), Stefan
(DL2OCB), and Bruno (DL5AAP) who helped the unsteady candidates through
the official course of study, and later to a private celebration, and that
included me. The tests ended well - "all's well that ends well," and I
have my license. I am now DL7DAN. |