If by any chance you do not find your callsign in my web logbook or in LoTW and you think it may be my mistake, please send to me an e mail with that incidence. I use to confirm the direct requests in one or two weeks and for LoTW I upload the qsos in the same week.
BRIEF HISTORY AND PICTURES OF MY LIFE AS RADIO HAM
Thirty-three years after making my first QSO, I decided to build this page with photos and comments about some of my experiences in this exciting world of amateur radio. In addition, after twenty-two years of contacts, international competitions, DXpeditions and DX, I decided to write a book about these activities. The book entitled “DX and DXers” is based on my knowledge and experiences with radio amateur practices and techniques in the qsos. The book is simple enough so that a novice could understand it and also sophisticated enough so that experienced operators will find useful information to apply to their contact techniques.
I have abandoned my competitive participation in the major international contests after winning many of them. Although still very active, I’ve taken a more leisurely approach and without the self imposed pressure to try to win.
I am also continuing my on-air activity, working pile ups, and every day increasing the number of QSOs in my log. Of course, I still follow the DXpeditions with the hope of contacting an entity that I may be missing for a particular band.
My preferred transmission mode on radio has been and continues to be SSB. I have worked in other modes but my records for the DXCC awards are all SSB contacts. As of today, these are my results:
BANDS
160
80
40
20
17
15
12
10
TOTALS
ENTITIES WORKED SSB
91
307
321
338
313
334
275
310
341
ENTITIES CONFIRMED SSB
85
303
317
334
301
330
261
303
341
TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD. In addition to the radio, some of my passions are art and travel. As of today the DXCC Entities I visited are 94 for what only I am missing 6 Entities to achieve the imaginary DXCC Award for travellers. The 94 DXCC Entities I have visited are, by prefix:
You will find some photos of these trips at the end of this page.
WHERE IS EA9? ------------------------WHERE IS CEUTA?
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The EA9 Entity consists of the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, Chafarinas' archipelago, the Rocks of Vélez and Alhucemas and the island of Alborán. All territories are located in North Africa by the marshlands and the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Ceuta is the westernmost territory and is located in the Strait of Gibraltar, being on the African side of the afore mentioned Strait.
In the satellite photo on the left, you can see the south of Spain, North Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. The territory of Ceuta lies just to the south of the narrowest part of the Strait of Gibraltar. In the satellite photo on the right, you can see the south of Spain, the Bay of Algeciras, and North Africa with the peninsula of Ceuta.
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The digital picture on the left was created by NASA. It first shows the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. In the left part of the picture you can see the south of Spain EA7, the Bay of Algeciras and the rock of Gibraltar ZB2, which is on the other side of the Bay. On the right of the picture, you can see Morocco CN and the peninsula of Ceuta EA9.
The photo on the right was taken from Andalusia EA7, and it first shows the cities of Algeciras on the right and the La Linea borderline to the left, bordered and followed by the territory of Gibraltar ZB2. The Bay of Algeciras is located in the center of the photo. Behind the bay are the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and in the background is the Ceuta peninsula and the territory of north Morocco. On the right of the picture is the Atlantic Ocean and to the left the Mediterranean Sea.
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The neighboring territories of the Strait of Gibraltar can be seen on the map on the left. At the top is the south of Spain, EA7, Andalusia and Gibraltar ZB2. At the bottom of the map, beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, is the north of Morocco CN and Ceuta EA9.
In the photo on the right, one can see how the territory of Ceuta goes to the mountains in the background. The mountains are part of Morocco. The area of Ceuta is 22 square kilometers and the distance that separates Ceuta from mainland Spain is 35 kilometers.
July 1979: my first qso.
My radio amateur license with the call sign EA9IE was granted to me at the beginning of July during my summer holidays on the mainland .
Returning home at the end of July, I made my first contact on the amateur radio bands. I had the honor of having my first qso with the Rev. Francisco Muñoz de Arenillas, EA9AX, the dean of the radio amateurs of Ceuta.
In the year 2000, I was chosen as the Minister of Public Administration for the Government of the Autonomous City of Ceuta and I proposed to the Parliament the awarding of the Gold Medal of Ceuta to the Rev. Muñoz de Arenillas EA9AX, and had the great honor of making the presentation speech of the Gold Medal to him for all his contributions and accomplishments over the years.
1979. My first trophy as radio amateur
Only a few months after getting my call sign, I participated in a fox hunt on 2 meters and received my first trophy. It was a great feeling and I will treasure this trophy always.
Local meetings, like the one we are having, were sponsored primarily by the regional and local governments and occasionally by neighboring radio amateurs who were visiting. At this time, the meetings were very common. Unfortunately, these gatherings are no longer being held in Ceuta.
1979-80
December 1979 & 1980. The month of December is a month of friends and celebrations. In the photo to the left, a group of radio amateurs from Ceuta celebrate the delivery of radio amateur licenses to General Polanco. In the photo to the right, a group of Spanish radio amateurs participate in the first DX convention celebrated in the city of Saragossa, Spain.
1980
APRIL 16TH, 1980. QSO WITH HIS MAJESTY HUSSEIN 1, KING OF JORDAN, JY1
I remember that night in April as though it was today. It was already midnight and I had a tremendous pile up of North American stations on 20 meters. Suddenly, with an extraordinary signal, I heard " JY1, JY1". I answered the call and asked the caller to complete his suffix. He said he did not have a suffix and JY1 is his call sign. While giving him my name, location and his signal report, I looked up his call sign in the callbook (then qrz.com did not exist) and I found that JY1 was His Majesty Hussein I, King of Jordan. My heart was pounding.
During our conversation, he indicated to me that his name was Hussein, he lives in Jordan, and that my signal was very good. I improved my signal by reorienting the antenna towards the East. Our QSO lasted a little more than 10 minutes. In that time, JY1 never mentioned anything about his status but he did tell me that he came to Spain often, specifically to the Canary Islands where he had a house. He spoke to me of his children, of his country and asked me about my family, my daughters, how difficult was it to raise twin daughters under a year old, my professional situation, etc.
He told me that he knew the status of Ceuta and Melilla was being threatened by the regional political situation. In his last remarks, he indicated to me that he knew the King of Spain Juan Carlos I personally, and who he repeatedly told about being a radio amateur. He left with the Muslim style of courtesy and politeness and he hoped we would talk again on some other band. Without a doubt, that was one of the best moments I have ever had in my long life as radio amateur. It was with great sadness that I learned, some years later, of the news of his death. Rest in Peace, JY1.
1981, May - My QSO # 50.000
My twin daughters arrived at the same time as my ham radio license and callsign.
This photo in May coinsides with my QSO number 50.000.
At this time, my station consisted of a Kenwood TS-820S transceiver, a Kenwood TL-922 amplifier, and the TH3-MK3 three element yagi antenna along with half-wave dipoles for 40 and 80 meters.
1981
SUMMER VACATIONS IN THE EAST COAST OF THE USA FROM NIAGARA FALLS TO KEY WEST
This year I took my summer vacation across the east coast of the United States from the border of Canada to the keys of Florida, visiting the large coastal cities , the ARRL Headquarters and the famous theme parks of Florida. In the north, I had the opportunity to visit Niagara Falls, and the DXpeditioner Ken Palmer K2FJ, who had visited me the year before on his way to Gibraltar for a DXpedition as ZB2G.
In the other photo I am with a friendly group from the Northern New Jersey DX Association with whom I continually share a network frequency on Saturday evenings to work stations of the Caribbean. Among them are my two close friends Ed WA2CBB and Ted W2MIG who was a prominent DXQSL manager (now a silent key).
1982 FEBRUARY. We had a visit from three Americans for several days: John Mason KA3V, Don Simmonds K5BDX and his wife Brenda. They stayed for a few days working mainly CW from my shack. Sorry but no picture of that visit.
1982. ANNUAL DX CONVENTION IN SPAIN
At the beginning of the 80's not many radio amateurs in Spain were participating in contesting or DXing. This made it easy to find a quality hotel in a convenient location so that a small radio amateur meeting could be held to share experiences, discuss pile ups, DXpeditions, contests and the latest in technology. In 1982, a meeting of around 40 radio amateurs was held in Murcia, a coastal southern Spanish city. This picture shows some of the participants minutes before departing for home.
5BDXCC # 1270- 5BWAS # 1117
1982. It was a great year. Three years after getting my license, I won some of the most prestigious and major international contests. The ARRL also presented to methe plate 5B WAS # 1117 that recognizes 50 states worked in each one of the 5 classic bands in SSB, and the plate 5B DXCC # 1270 that recognizes 100 entities of the DXCC worked in each one of the 5 classic bands. Later I endorsed both plates for 12 and 17 meters.
1982-83
1982 & 1983. Radio amateur activities with fellows from Ceuta and Melilla
Melilla and Ceuta are two Spanish cities located in North Africa. Although far from one of another, that has not hindered joint radio activities with amateurs from both cities. The photo to the left is the end of the CQWW SSB of 1982 that was held in Melilla (I'm the second from the right).
The photo on the right shows the amateurs who participated in the first DXpedition to the island of Alborán (I am the first one on the right).
1983
CQWW DX SSB CONTEST was another great opportunity for radio amateurs from Ceuta and Melilla to meet again and participate in the World Championship of amateur radio. We chose the local football stadium as the base of operations for our station facilities and the lighting towers of the stadium as the location for our antennas. To erect our antennas, we had the invaluable help of the firefighters of Ceuta.
In the photo on the left, I ascend the stairs that lead me 25 meters up the tower to place the TH6DXX which we used for the high bands. The photo on the right shows a group of operators before the start of the contest. I'm the second on the left.
1983-84
We extend our shack and to our friends
My twin daughters were growing and so was the shack. The number of QSOs, awards and contest winning was increasing. It was time to expand the station as illustrated in the photo on the left. It was also time to upgrade my antenna to a KLM four element (KT-34A). My circle of friends was increasing. Martti Laine OH23BH, his wife Leena OH2BE and their daughter Petrita visited us for the first time in the spring of 1983 and it was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship between our two families.
1983
ARRL DX CONTEST AS ED9EA MY TWINS DAUGHTER
March and October are the months when the large international phone contests are held. For the 1983 ARRL SSB Contest, I leadered a group of amateurs from Ceuta and set up a station at the local football stadium using the call sign ED9EA. In the other photo, I'm with my twin daughters before they go to bed.
1984. MOVING TO A BETTER PLACE IN MY APPARTEMENT
At the end of this year I made several renovations to my house. This was needed so that I could expand the space in my shack in order to accommodate my participation in future international contests and hopefully to win some. I needed two work positions for two contest stations and some additional space to make it comfortable to work in the shack.
1984. Proud of my plate 5B WAZ SSB # 79
This year was the culmination of one of my long-range objectives when I first became a radio amateur. I earned the coveted CQ WAZ Award for phone contacts in 40 zones in each of the 5 primary HF bands. I was elated, especially since it took me 2 years to work zone 26 on 80 meters.
1985 WPX SSB CONTEST. EA9IE TOP WORLD SINGLE OPERATOR ALL BAND
1985 was one of the best years of my life as a radio amateur for international contests. In that year, I became Champion of the World in the category of Single Operator All Band with a score higher than 8 million points which is an amazing record.
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K6EID and his wife --------------------------------------------World Fishing Exhibition
1985. Phil K6EID and his wife visited me during this summer and he made a lot of qsoss during the three days of his visit. We had a nice party at EA9GJ's qth.
This year the city of Vigo, in northern Spain, held the World Fishing Exhibition (WFE) and a world contest was organized by the local radio amateurs sponsored by WFE. I got the "Top World" in this contest. My reward was an attractive trophy, a visit to the Exhibition and the friendship of Vigo's radio amateurs.
Congratulations and present received from His Majesty Juan Carlos I King of Spain EA0JC
His Majesty the King of Spain is the first radio ham of Spain and his call sign is EA0JC. After the publication of the results of WPX SSB Contest of 1985, His Majesty the King had the grace to send his warmest congratulations to me for winning the contest and he also sent this dedicated picture to me, where His Majesty, the King of Spain (EA0JC), appears operating his station. Thanks, Your Majesty.
1985 WORLD WIDE CW CONTEST. TOP WORLD SINGLE OPERATOR ALL BAND
Great competitors and champions have operated from my shack winning important international contests. Dick Norton N6AA visited in November of 1985 to participate in the Championship of the World of CW. Dick was able to win the Champion of the World as Single Operator All Band despite an interruption of power of more than one hour. Congratulations, Dick!
1986
1986. My radio activity has essentially been from my home. However there have been several occasions when I had the opportunity to operate from some rare entities of the DXCC list. My first visit to Finland was with the famous DXpeditioners Dave K8MN, Martti OH2BH, Baldur DJ6SI and Wayne W6EUF to Aland Islands (OH0)and Market Reef (OJ0).
In the photo to the right, you can see me with a group of OH0 hams in Marienham, Aland Islands, a few days before sailing to Market Reef (OJ0).
1986 CQWW DX CONTEST CW SOAB
My friendship with Martti Laine OH2BH and his family has lasted a number of years. During that time, we have visited them on vacation and for on-the-air activities, particularly the contests. For the 1986 CQWW CW, Martti won second place, world wide single operator all band. This was done from my shack and using my XYL's call sign EA9AM.
1987
1987. Meeting top DXers, contesters & DXpeditioners
Throughout the years, I have had many radio amateurs visit my home. Many of them came to participate in some of the most important international contests. I have also had the pleasure of meeting many great operators of our hobby on vacation or through my career. The picture on the right is of Don Riebhoff XV5AC and his XYL Ann Griesse N4KEV as they arrive on Ceuta for a visit to my home. Don was one of the top DXpeditioners in the 1960's and 1970's.
The photo on the left is with Kan Mizogouchi JA1BK, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Tokyo during one of my business trips.
1987. ONCE AGAIN TOP WORLD SINGLE OPERATOR ALL BAND WPX SSB
Two years after becoming Champion of the World in the category of Single Operator All Band in the 1985 CQWPX SSB contest, I returned in the 1987 CQWPX SSB contest to repeat and reclaim the same title reaching almost thirteen million points which was supposed to be a new record at that time. Again my great competitor was my dear friend Carl Cook from his beautiful island and powerful station on Aruba (P40V).
As in the past 1985 triumph, my strategy was to concentrate my contact activity in the 40 and 80 meter bands. This was to overcome my handicap of working the high bands with a triband antenna instead of monobands that my competitors were using.
1987. QSO 100.000
In November of 1987, after 8 years of activity on the bands, I made my 100,000th contact. The contact was with my great friend and companion Fernando EA3SF with whom I shared numerous hours on 40 and 80 meters. During our sunrises, we worked innumerable stations of the Pacific and North America on these bands. For this occasion, I presented Fernando EA3SF with this plate as confirmation of the contact. Thanks, dear Fernando, where ever you are.
1987, SEPTEMBER. COVER OF CQ RADIO AMATEUR
The Spanish edition of the prestigious magazine CQ Radio Amateur, published by Boixerau Editors, decided to dedicate the cover of their magazine to me in their September 1987 edition with a photo of me operating my radio station. This distinction was an honor only six years after beginning my radio amateur hobby. It was a great feeling to know that this magazine, with my photo on the cover, would be distributed in Spain and the Hispanic speaking world. The Director and Council of CQ Radio Amateur have my gratitude for honoring me in this way.
1987
BIRTH OF S0RASD WESTERN SAHARA
When I was President of the Lynx DX Group, we worked hard to put the territory of Western Sahara on the air and to ensure that this country was included in the DXCC list of entities. We took work that had previously been done and completed it at the International Convention held in Andorra with some of the most renown DXers. The DXpedition to Western Sahara, which Martti OH2BH had also joined, was successful in seeing the birth of a new country for radio amateurs.
Several months later, we saw our efforts rewarded with the inclusion of the RASD in the DXCC list of entities . Many people worked on this project but I have to give special mention to our leader in this endeavor, Arseli EA2JG.
1987. CONTEST WINNERS PLAQUES
My participation in the largest radio amateur international contests was not only personally satisfying and with wonderful moments, but I was also able to score very high and win several of the contests. I received a good number of plaques as recognition. At the end of 1987, a good portion of my wall was covered with trophies gained in these international contests.
1988 TRIP TO VISALIA & DAYTON
After the success of our operation in the Sahara, time had arrived for presentations at the largest world-wide radio amateur conventions, Dayton and Visalia. Our club planned an organized trip where a number of Spanish representatives would display the work carried out in that DXpedition. Sadly, at the last minute, after significant preparations had been done, none of the Spanish group was able to attend. So I had to travel alone and I joined the group of Finnish amateurs with which I appear in this photo at the entrance of Ham Outlet Radio in San Francisco, California.
1988. DAYTON CONVENTION. VP2ML, P40V & EA9IE
In the 80's, three amateurs -Chod VP2ML, Carl P40V & Juan EA9IE- alternatively competed with passion and determination to win first place in WPX SSB SINGLE OPERATOR ALL BAND. In 1988, we all met at the Convention in Dayton. The photo shows the three of us at the podium, VP2ML on the left, P40V in the center, and EA9IE on the right. I was able to win in the years 1985 and 1987, and came in second or third in other years.
1988
1988. VISALIA & DAYTON CONVENTION. PRESENTATION OF S0RASD
The honor was given to me to present our operation in Western Sahara (S0RASD) and the birth of this territory in the DXCC list. The presentations were given at the two largest conventions of radio amateurs in the world held in the United States.
These were very important moments for Spanish radio amateurs, for our Club, for me personally and for my life as a radio amateur. With this presentation, Spanish radio amateurs showed they were responsible for the birth of a new Entity and demonstrated this at the two largest conventions of the radio amateurs in the world.
The photo on the left shows my presentation speech in the hall at Visalia, California, and the photo on the right shows my speech in the Dayton forum.
1988. Visalia & Dayton Convention.
1988
The largest international radio amateur conventions have the participation of DXers, contesters and DXpeditioners from all over the world. It's a great chance to get to meet them and to chat on their future activities. These photos show events from Dayton in 1988. In these photos , I'm at the presidential table with Iris and Lloyd Colvin, Founders of Yasme Foundation, and Martti Laine OH2BH.
1988
In the photo on the left, I'm having dinner with some world renown DXers including Rusty W6OAT, President of the Northern California DX Foundation, and Martti OH2BH.
In the photo on the right, I'm with the Portuguese DXers.
1988
At the convention, these photos were taken of me with Jim Neiger N6TJ, photo on the left, and with Franz Langer DJ9ZB and Marita, photo to the right
1988
In the photo on the left, I am with my Finnish friends Pekka and Jarmo and to my right is Joe Arcure W3HNK, best known for his world-wide DX activities as a QSL manager.
1988
To the left, in the courtesy suite of the North Jersey DX Association, and to the right, with Helen AH6GQ, one of the nice signals from Maui, Hawaii.
1988
1988. LYNX DX CONVENTION
After the success achieved at the Conventions in Visalia and Dayton, our club (Lynx DX Group) would next present to the Spanish DXers the work carried out by the DXpedition to the Western Sahara, using call sign S0RASD, and its world-wide ramifications. In the photo on the left, I appear with some of the Spanish DXers and on the right, I am with Angel EA1QF and Naama S01A who is the first native operator in the Western Sahara.
1988. The communication ship of the Soviet Union
The spy and communication ship located behind me always fascinated me. Everybody in Ceuta knew that it was a spy ship of the Soviet Union as it traveled across the Mediterranean Sea. It would come to Ceuta two or three times a year to refuel and to give the sailors liberty for several days. It was peculiar to see the sailors leave the ship as they walked in trios and not wanting to mingle with anyone. We tried to be friendly with the ship's crewbut all of our the attempts were useless. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the ship never returned to Ceuta.
1988
CANARY ISLANDS IN AUGUST
In August, I enjoyed a few days of sun and sand on the beaches of Maspalomas, Canary Islands. As I had a kind invitation from Manolo EA8ZS to visit his station in the northern part of the island, tis visit coincided with Ville OH2MM and Martti OH2BH having a a DXpeditión from EA8. In the photo on the right, I’m sitting with my friend Manolo EA8ZS.
1990
Summer holidays in the West Coast and attending the first WRTC 1990 in Seattle WA.
This year, my vacation took to me to the west coast of the United States, CA, NV, OR, WA , AZ and Hawaii (KH6). It was not a difficult decision to make because during this time, and for the first time ever, the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) would be on the air and it would take place in Seattle, Washington state.
I also received a warm invitation from Iris and Lloyd Colvin to celebrate Independence Day in the United States on the 4th of July at their house in San Francisco, California. This was another good reason to take my vacation on the west coast.
During my vacation, I was able to meet and look up old friends such as Carl Cook P40Vwith whom I shared his house in Nevada city (picture on the left). In the photo on the right, I am with three famous DXers and judges of the WRTC 90 who had previously been operators from my home.They are: Dick Norton N6AA, Ville OH2MM and Jim Neiger N6TK.
1990
The 4th of July in the Colvin's house in San Francisco (California)
Living in an American home on the 4th of July is an extraordinary experience and living in the Colvins' home was something wonderful for a radio amateur.
Iris and Lloyd Colvinwere very kind to invite us to this celebration in their home in San Francisco and there we met many of the great Californian DXers and contesters as well as seeing the files of the Yasme DX Foundation - http://www.yasme.org -and the classified qsl card collection that they had received throughout the years in their trips to more than 230 Entities of the DXCC.
With their death, the archives and files of the Yasme Foundation and the qsl card collection are now deposited in the world-wide file of radio hams in Vienna (Austria). In the photo on the left, my wife EA9AM/CN2MP and I are looking in the box with the QSL cards that we sent to the Yasme Foundation to confirm that they were received and on the right we are with the hosts and Jon EA2KL and Loli.
1990. CQWW CW CONTEST.This time it was Larry Tyree N6TR turn to come and operate from my shack for the World Championship of CW. Wewereboth very busy so no photos were takenof the visit.
1992 NOVEMBER.Phill N6ZZ visited me for the CQWW CW contest but once again no photos of the visit.
1993 MARCH. This time the visitor was Nil N6KT and again no photos.
1993-94
In the later years, my holidays had no relationship with amateur radio although I did make some trips to receive some prizes and enjoy a few days with friends on the frequencies.
In the photo of the left, I’m accepting a trophy from the hands of Jon EA2KL and in the photo on the right I’m with the General Manager of the DXCC, K8CH Chuck Huckintosh in another DX Convention.
1995
April 1995
The conventions of radio amateurs are like a live pile up. It's an extraordinary opportunity to find great competitors, DXers, contesters and DXpeditioners. There we find out what they did in their last operation, how was the trip, the camp, how they were operating, etc. It's also a great opportunity to chat with friends who are continuously on the HF bands with us. In the left I join the group with Antonio CT1BH, Gerarld F2VX, Pablo F6EXV, myself, Manolo EA8ZS, Fernando EA8AK and Arseli EA2JG.
Conventions is also a good place to check qsl cards for different awards, specially for DXCC. In the case of the right picture I share a relax moment with some checkers, leadered by DXCC General Manager K8CH Chuck Huckintosh.
1995
Rasa YU1RL and Eduardo EA3NY in contest from my shack
In March, Eduardo EA3NY visited me to participate in the WPX SSB Contest. Even though a strong storm made it difficult to sail through the Straits of Gibraltar, it was not enough to stop Eduardo from winning the Champion for Single All Band (SOAB) using my XYL's call sign EA9AM.
In July, Rasa YU1RL came to my shack to participate as a single operator multiband in the IARU HF Contest .
1996
VERONICA & MARTINO AT HOME ------------------------------- WITH FRANK TG9NX IN GUATEMALA CITY
At the beginning of January, I was visited by two great and young Italian DXpeditionaries, Veronica IK3ZGW and Martino IK3RIY. I found that they were enthusiastic people in love with DX and DXpeditions and two tremendous operators. The time I spent with them was very enjoyable. Some time later, I had the opportunity to visit them and be their guest in Venice. I hope that some day they will again be able to return to Ceuta.
In the spring of 1996, I visited Mexico and Guatemala, two countries known for their Mayan culture and heritage. I had marked them as a tourist attraction with no intent of radio activity. The absence of the radio was not an obstacle to share a dinner with Franco Capuano TG9NX in Guatemala City. Every morning Frank was always on 80 meters SSB while I was in action with Fernando EA3SF calling to the Pacific and the western coast of the USA.
1996
Second International Radio Amateur DX Conference in Andorra
I still had the memory of the first International Conference that I organized in Andorra in 1986 where all the planning and logistics of the our club's DXpedition were discussed and completed and later were used at S0RASD. The Andorran radio amateurs organized this Second International Conference with a high number of participants and open communications. In the picture on the right, I am seated with a group including Xavier C31LD , Franz DJ9ZB, Ulli DK2OC and Jose EA3VY.
1996
At the second International Conference of Radio Amateurs held in Andorra, I had the opportunity to visit the home of my friend Xavier C31LD with who I appear in the photo on the left.
That summer my holidays took me to the north of Italy, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland. I enjoyed a few days in Venice at the hospitality of Veronica IK3ZGW and Martino IK3RIY, who had visited me a few months earlier in Ceuta.
1996 JULY . Ray N6DKP and his wife Marel came to my home for a short visit on July 17th, 1996 but not picture again.
1996. DXCC FIELD REPRESENTATIVE
In 1996, the ARRL decided to internationalize the verification of QSL cards for the DXCC award and for other awards such as the WAS. After correspondence procedures had been agreed upon with the various National Associations selected to join this work, the initial European nations were selected and Spain was one of the first to participate in the QSL verification process
Chuck Huckintosh K8CH was the person in charge of a large part of this program. Chuck's vision was to have the ARRL equipped with control methods to handle the cards smoothly knowing how important the cards were to the radio amateurs of the world. He didn't want to have the cards sent to the United States which could result in loss or damage to the cards. Rather, procedures were set up where by QSL cards were checked and verified by recognized specialists and DXers in each of their respective countries, either at the National Association or at times of trips, events, conventions or radio amateur activities.
I had the honor of being elected as one of the four DXCC Field Representative from Spain. I did this work with pride and dedication in order to show my deep gratitude to the Authorities of the ARRL and the DXCC.
1997. MY SHAK STILL GROWING UP
At the end of 1992, my paper log had registered 170,000 contacts and I thought that it was time for transferring those QSO's to a computer program. In putting that amount of contacts along with the individual data for each of them, like call sign, date, time, QSL sent and received, etc. took a little more than five years for me to complete. Therefore, I had to leave a great part of my on-air activity and the contests to dedicate it to the data transfer. In the summer of 1997, I finished that hard work and at the time of completion, my computeized log showed 193,000 QSO's.
1997 CNCW .Olli OH0XX & EA4BQ visited my home to participate in the National Contest of CW.
DX WORLD: THE RADIO MAGAZINE
In May 1998, the Japanese magazine DX WORLD devoted one of its pages to my activity as a radio amateur, publishing photos of one of my antennas, a nice overview of Ceuta by night as well as my position in the shack. The theme of the article was dedicated to fixed stations with the largest number of QSOs made to date. The only thing I could understand about the article was the table with 5 operators leading in each particular ranking:
1. EA9IE JUAN 175.000 QSOS
2. K0DEQ BILL 156.000 QSOS
3. ON4UN JOHN 147.000 QSOS
4. N0FW PETER 143.000 QSOS
5. 9K2ZZ BOB 127.000 QSOS
When my community was first built, my apartment building, located at the end of the Royal Street, was ideal for communications due to the absence of buildings in the local area.
With the passing of the years, new buildings were constructed around my building and this year the last housing section for completion had been started. It brought me countless noises, especially in the low bands. In this photo, I appear at the foundations of the last section with my building and antennas in the background.
1998
1998
1998. VISITORS FOR ON-AIR RADIO ACTIVITY & CONTESTING: CARL AND SUE P40V; AL K6YRA, CLENN RATTMAN K6NA AND CHUCK HUCKINTOSH K8CH
It was a year of pleasant visits and well know radioamateur friends participating in contests or any on-air activity from my home using the rare prefix EA9.
In the photo on the upper left is Carl P40V and Sue during our visit to Tangiers, Morocco.The photo on the upper right is on the balcony of my house with Al K6YRA.
The photo on the lower left is Glenn Rattman K6NA in my shack and on the lower right is the General Manager of the DXCC, Chuck Huckintosh K8CH seated in my armchair at the radio.
DXCC HONOR ROLL
When you work and confirm all but 10 entities on the DXCC list, you enter the select Honor Roll DXCC club and you can request a display plaque which recognizes the efforts of working so many entities over the years. Proudly I present my plaque.
DXCC HONOR ROLL # 1
When I completed all the entity requirements for mixed and phone modes on the DXCC list, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) presented this plaque to me. It occupies a place of honor in my shack because it represents all the radioamateurs who are involved in the fabulous world of long-distance HF communications.
Proudly I share with you this plate
1999.Yuki JI6KVR visit my shak on April 1999. We have a good time showing him the city and its monuments. No on-air radio for this visit.
1998 to 2003. A PAUSE IN MY RADIO ACTIVITY AS HAM
In the middle of the year 1999, I was elected as a member of the Parliament of Ceuta and also Minister of Public Administration and Internal Management in the Government of the Autonomous City of Ceuta. There was a year of preparation and an additional four years of total dedication required for these new positions in Parliament and Government. The work required extra time and effort and almost totally took me away from my hobby as a radioamateur, although I always maintained my contacts with my amateur friends, continued to read the bulletins and kept current with the big DXpeditions that occurred in those days although the contacts were seldom and sporadic.
THE ROYAL FLAG
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THE ROYAL FLAG OF CEUTA
As a member of the Parliament and the Government of Ceuta, I had the highest honorof carrying the Royal Flag of Ceuta, in Spanish " el Pendón Real". Until August of 1415, Ceuta had been an independent city, with its own flag, currency, LAWS, government and diplomacy.
On the 21st of August, 1415, the Portuguese navy, headed by King Juan I, fought the inhabitants of Ceuta with his fleet and was able to conquer the city and make it a colony of the kingdom of Portugal. When Juan I returned to Portugal on the 2nd of September of that year, he left Pedro de Meneses as Governor of Ceuta. But before the King left, he presented the city this Royal Flag.
Every year the flag leads the 5th of August procession and is carried alternately by the members of the Parliament and the Government and is guarded by the General in Chief of the city. It was the highest honor for me to be able to hold this six centuries old Royal Flag during my four years as a Government Minister.
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In the photo on the left, I'm taking posession of my new position as Minister of the Government of Ceuta. In the photo on the right, I'm taking posession as a Deputy Member of the Parliament of Ceuta.
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At the left, saluting Don Carlos of Bourbon the Sicilies and Bourbon-Parma, Infante of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, Earl of Caserta and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon the Sicilies and cousin of the King of Spain Juan Carlos I.
To the right I'm with my admired writer Dominique Lapierre.
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At the left, greeting the President of the Spanish Senate at that time, Esperanza Aguirre, who is now the President of the Autonomous Government of the Region of Madrid.
At the right, greeting Luisa F. Rudi, at that time President of the Spanish Congress, who is now President of the Autonomous Government of Aragon.
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These two photos show me on two different occasions with a great friend, Jesus Posadas, who then occupied the post of Minister of Public Administrations in the Government of Spain and who helped me greatly in the development of my role in the Government of Ceuta.
At the time of preparing this page, Jesus Posadas is the President of the Congress of the Deputies of Spain.
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Being a member of the Government of Ceuta, I have had the honor and the opportunity to represent and preside over the city of Ceuta on many occasions.
In the photo on the left, I'm shaking hands with the General in Chief of the City at a show presented by the Spanish Legion, and in the photo on the right, I’m representing the Government of Ceuta in a solemn military ceremony.
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In 2002, I was Minister of Economic Affaires in the Government of Ceuta and from that position I sponsored an international gathering of radio amateurs. At the farewell dinner, I was accompanied by my colleague and friend Juan Vivas, President of the autonomous city of Ceuta, with who I appear in the photo on the left.
The photo on the right shows a meeting with Maria Dolores Cospedal, at that time Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior and currently President of the Government of Castilla - La Mancha. Also attending among others was the President of the city and the delegate of the Government.
1999
Gold Medal of the City of Ceuta Presented to Rev. FRANCISCO MUÑOZ DE ARENILLAS, EA9AX, my Godfather in radio
As I mentioned in the text of the first picture on this page, I made my first contact in radio with the Rev. Muñoz de Arenillas EA9AX who had become my Godfather of radio.
Because of his extraordinary work with the poor and needy, I proposed to the Government of Ceuta the awarding of the Gold Medal of Ceuta to the Rev. Muñoz de Arenillas EA9AX, and I had the honor of making the presentation speech about his contributions and accomplishments.
On the left I am with EA9AX after the award ceremony, and on the right apicture during a moment of my speech.
2002
INTERNATIONAL HAM CONVENTION IN CEUTA
In December of 2002, as Ministry of Economic Affaires in the Autonomous Gouvern of Ceuta I sponsored the meeting of the International Convention of Radio Hams in Ceuta. There were more than 300 radio amateurs attending to listen and participate in the excellent presentations by many famous DXers.
In this right photo I'm with Julio EA5XX and two of the attending rapporteurs, Hrane Milosevic YT1AD and Bill Moore NC1L, DXCC Manager, also very good collegues and friends.
In the photo on the left, I’m signing the dedication of my book to another extraordinary Spanish expeditionary and great friend, Toni EA5RM
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2003. Position of my qth in the Main street of Ceuta and the roof of my building holding my antenna sistem
Ceuta is a city that occupies a territory of 22 square kilometers and has a population of 80,000 inhabitants. I live in the center of the city, on Royal Street, and my apartment is located in an 8 floor building. The location of the building is in a narrow peninsula 200 meters from the Atlantic Ocean and 300 meters from the Mediterranean Sea.
This location near the sea and the height of the building creates a very good environment for antennas but the numerous near by buildings may radiate severe noise which can hinder reception of QRP stations.
2003
At the end of my term as a member of Parliament and the Government of the autonomous city of Ceuta, I decided to take a long and distant holiday with the idea of preparing again to return to my job in the Ministry of Economy. The site chosen was Tanzania where I discovered an extraordinarily communicative people, without need of equipment and antennas, just their attitude and hospitality. I am referring to the Masai people.
In November, in ocassion of a professional meeting in the island of Korcula, Croatia, I made several attempts to meet their local radio amateurs and their radio club but during the days of the meeting, the facilities were closed to all but the attendees so I did not have the opportunity to pay tribute to the local amateur radio.
2003. ZA ALBANIA ON THE AIR
Albania closed the doors to amateur radio for many years. The efforts and dedication of Martti Laine OH2BH were able to reopen the doors and finally Albanian radio amateurs could get back on the air. During the Spanish National Convention of 2003, Martti set out his plans to increase radio amateur activity in Albania by giving second hand equipment and antennas to all the operators of this country who until then, had been isolated from the rest of the world.
In this picture, Martti OH2BH and I appear with the Director of the National Convention, Angel EA1QF, holding the national flag of Albania.
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I have many close friends in the entire Spanish territory. My trips through the territories are either work related or in some cases for leisure. In most cases I try not to contact colleagues and friends from these areas because I understand each person has their work or family routine and I don’t want to interfere with it. However, there are some instances where that is impossible to do, particularly when it's an admired colleague, as is the case of my dear friend Alfonso EA5RN in the city of Murcia, right photo, where we share a pleasant dinner with other friends in the area.
The photo on the left shows one of the posts of operation at the home of Jim CN2R in Casablanca.
2005
2006
2004
CN2R: ONE OF THE BIGGEST STATION IN THE WORLD
Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco and is a 4 hour drive south from Ceuta via a modern highway. A few kilometers to the south of the city is one of the biggest stations in the world, owned by Ali CN8TW and Jim W7EJ. To learn more about this important station, please visit http://cn2r.net/cn2r/index.aspx
In the above pictures, Ali CN8TW and Jim W7EJ in my shack for a courtesy visit in November 2004. Ali CN8TW invited me to visit their station before the CQWW CW contest in that year and to a party at his beautiful home.
In the left photo, I appear with Jim W7EJ and Ali CN8TW and in the right photo, with Mohamed CN8KD and his wife Josefina. Thanks to all of them for their splendid hospitality. In the following years, I had visited them for some major contest events.
In the middle pictures, I appear with Mohamed CN8KD in his shack in Rabat and with Jim W7EJ at the farm where his station and antennas are located.
2004. TALKS AND CONFERENCES
Both abroad and in Spain, I have had the opportunity to give talks at conferences about my experiences in the world of amateur radio, particularly in the various activities that I have specialized in through out the years such as DXing, the exciting world of contesting, and long-distance conversations on HF. The photo shows one of these conferencesheld in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia) and organized by the famous Radio Club Portico de la Gloria.
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2004. POSITION OF MY SHAK
At the end of the year 2004, I made some modifications in my shack to adapt it better to my DX activities and pile ups because I decided to leave my serious participation in the large international contests.
This decision did not mean I would not be active in the large contests because I still wanted to be on-the-air as long as possible to give the other participants the opportunity to contact the EA9 prefix but I could no longer do a continuous 48 hours. I am getting too old for that.
2005. Bert DJ9WH and Mieko DJ7KJ-JN1VVJ
In April of this year, Bert DJ9WH and Mieko DJ7KJ - JN1VVJ came from Germany to once again visit my shack. This second visit was as pleasant as the first one years before. In the spring, they operate a station on Gibraltar. On this occasion, they decided to share their time and radio activity between the ZB2 and EA9 prefixes. Both areresidents close to Friedrichshafen (Germany) but we are always able to find each other year after year on one of the bands.
2005. ZB2 THE GIBRALTAR PILE UP
I live ina corner of the world that is very unique. One in which you can see four countries of the DXCC: EA, ZB2, CN and EA9. This proximity in vicinity often results with radioamateurs of one country sharing activities with those of the other three countries.
I was invited by my Gibraltarian friends , Ernie ZB2FK, Jose ZB3D and Ronnie ZB3B, to the weekly meeting of the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society (GARS) which is held on Tuesday evenings at their headquarters. I share this pictures with Ernie ZB2FK, Jose ZB3D, Ronnie ZB3B, Julio EA7JB, and the rest of the ZB group. This is an example of the joint activities
2005
HB9BJS WALTER ---------------------------------------------------- DOMENICO I8UDB
I previously wrote that the conventions and conferences of radio amateurs are great places to find friends, competitors in the pile ups, best operators of contests, famous amateurs with different specialties, and of course those who we interchange reports with daily on the bands.
In the case of the friends,here are two examples.On the left, I'm with Walter HB9BJS, author of the program log SWISSLOG and on the right, Domenico I8UDB who has stayed on 20 meters all his life.
2005
EA8' Pile up ---------------------------------------------------------- Joe Taylor K1JT The Nobel Prize in Physics 1993
Amateur radio meetings usually take place at trade fairs, symposiums, and conventions. It’s the ideal time to take photos with those with whom we share frequencies and contacts throughout the year, as well as those competing in major international competitions. In the photo on the left, I’m with a group of EA8’s led by Manolo EA8ZS.
The photo on the right shows a picture with Joe Taylor K1JT when we both attended an International Radio Amateur Convention in December 2005. Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. K1JT is an American astrophysicist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate (1993) for his discovery of a new type of pulsar, a discovery that has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation. Taylor became Professor of Astronomy of the University of Massachusetts and Associate Director of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. In 1980, he moved to Princenton University, where he was the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Physics, having also served for six years as Dean of Faculty. He retired in 2006.
In the amateur radio world, Joe Taylor K1JT wrote several computer programs and communications protocols, including WSJT ("Weak Signal/Joe Taylor"), a software package and protocol suite that utilizes computer-generated messages in conjunction with radio transceivers to communicate over long distances with other amateur radio operators. WSJT is useful for passing short messages via non-traditional radio communications methods, such as moonbounce and meteor scatter and other low signal-to-noise ratio paths. It is also useful for extremely long-distance contacts using very low power transmissions. Find more info about Joe Taylor K1JT in Google pages and also in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Hooton_Taylor_Jr
2005
2005
Thanks to Martti OH2BH, Finland and the OH’s have a very special place in my feelings and in my heart. Several times I have visited this Scandinavian country and it has captivated me.
In the summer of 2005, I made a trip back to Finland to attend the competition to select the pair of operators that would represent Finland in the next WRTC. Words alone are inadequate to describe the wonderment of the midnight sun or sailing through one of the lakes at midnight. You must experience it to appreciate it. The four photos above correspond to some of those moments of awe shared with closed finish hams.
2005
2005
St.Petersburg with the Laine family
After my visit to Finland, we went by train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg with Martti OH2BH and his wife Leena OH2BE. We spent several days sightseeing in this wonderful Russian city. One of the objectives of this trip to the north was to activate Malij 4J1, something that we couldn’t do because the licence did not arrive on time and which prevented any on-air time. In this photo, EA9AM poses with the Laine family in the Summer Palace of Cataline.
2005
Moscow in summer with 4L5A - D4B - UF6FFF Alex
From St. Petersburg, and without the Laine familly, I traveled by a night train to Moscow to acquaint myself with this imposing city and to meet my friend Alex 4L5A, handling also the calsings D4B and UF6FFF. Over the years, I have shared many amateur radio activities with Alex, especially in his early years as an amateur as UF6FFF and later on in his competitive activities from his impressive station on Cape Verde as D4B.
Alex was my extraordinary and generous host in Moscow, where I met and shared good times with some of our Moscow colleagues. Thank you, dear Alex.
2005
Traveling with my car through the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, I had the opportunity to meet Enn ES1AR, an extraordinary DXer, an honor roll member of the DXCC and the former president of the Estonian radio amateurs. He invited me to his home in Tallinn for dinner where he told me stories about events during his long life as a radio amateur, including the period as president of the Estonian radio amateurs. We share the right picture in Enn' shak.
If one talks about the importance of Spanish amateur radio, the names Nuria EA3WL and Josep EA3BT must be included. These operators are particularly dedicated to the adventure of the DXpedition. I have the honor of being a friend to this extraordinary couple of amateur radio expeditioners who have devoted and dedicated their free time to the activation of numerous and exotic countries of the DXCC, whether close or distant, but always amateur radio activity in its purest form. They are two extraordinary all-terrain operators who are masters of all the modes that are in demand on an expedition by operators on the other side of the pile up. In the photo on the right, I share a table and some food with them in an amateur event.
2006
Ernie ZB2FK and José ZB3D writing in my guest book
My neighbors Ernie ZB2FK and José ZB3D of Gibraltar honored me with a visit to Ceuta, where I took the opportunity to teach them about the common historic areas shared by Ceuta and Gibraltar, the two pillars of the historic columns of Hercules. Throughout the years and thanks to our communications, many radio amateurs on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar share activities and experiences of amateur radio and have the opportunity to visit each other and show the charms of our respective lands.
2006
Ham friends in my balcony ----------------------------------------- Driving to Soctland and Orkney island in summer
It is very common for DXpeditioners who go to Gibraltar ZB2 to activate this rare entity will also visit Ceuta to add another activation for EA9. Gibraltar is only 90 minutes from Ceuta so a short diversion to Ceuta is almost mandatory.
This is the case of John G4IRN and Roger G3SXW who, in 2005, took a week of their time to perform a dual DXpedition from Gibraltar and Ceuta. Here we are on the balcony of my house, accompanied by Pilar EA9AM and Joaquín EA9FY.
Driving with my car through Scotland in summer 2006, I visited the Orkney island and found the campground of antennas you see in the right pictures. No one was in the house so I could not meet this happy scott ham with so great antennas system. What a pitty!
2006
2006
My daughter Livia's wedding
My daughter Livia was married on the October 7th, 2006 in my home town of Estepona. The marriage of a daughter is one of those special events in life that can’t be appreciated until you experience it. As a father, it was one of the most emotional and happy moments in my life with unique situations. well maybe until Livia’s twin sister Patricia gets married.
Spanish tradition requires that the Godmother of the wedding is the mother of the groom and the Godfather is the father of the bride. For this reason, I had the honour to escort my daughter to the altar to live one of the happiest days of her life. It is very difficult to express my feelings during the ceremony because it was a time of many mixed emotions: joy, nervousness, tears and elation which I find very difficult to put into words. Those of you who are mothers and fathers will understand.
After the religious ceremony, we had a wonderful dinner and celebration with our family and friends who shared those precious moments with us. It's been almost 6 years since the wedding and it still excites me to write about it and see some of the photos of that day.
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On a visit to Spain, I again met with Olle LA2RR, currently Vice President of the IARU. On this occasion, we share this photo with my two valued friends Diego EA7MK and Toni EA3BRA, close companions with whom I have shared innumerable experiences over the past years and for whose friendship I am very grateful.
For many years I have represented the Spanish radio amateurs in several international organizations, particularly in the IARU. Much of my work was developed for the Committee for HF of the IARU Region I. The photo on the right pertains to one of the meetings of that Committee held in Vienna.
2007
Paul F6EXV and Kan JA1BK --------------------------------- Hans PB2T, Olle LA2RR and Gerard F2VX
Paul F6EXV is a Spanish friend who is an outstanding operator and a DXpeditioner extraordinaire. As you can see by Paul’s call sign, he has been able to “infiltrate” the French radio amateur community. REF friends believe Paul is French but keep the secret, please: Paul is a Spanish radio amateur and DXer that we have “infiltrated” among the French radio amateurs.
What can I say about Kan JA2BK that worldwide DXers don’t already know? In connection with Paul F6EXV, Kan is one of the greats of the radio amateur hobby. I have worked him from numerous countries and I want to thank him here for the many new countries he has given me throughout my life as a radio amateur. I personally met Kan in Tokyo in 1986 on a business trip to Japan and since then I am grateful for his friendship.
Hans PB2T and Olle LA2RR are two great amateur radio operators and authorities of the IARU. At the moment Hans is President of Region I of the IARU and Olle is the Vice-President of the IARU. Over the years, I have met with them in different parts of the world, but Friedrichshaffen was the location we most often met and where we were photographed.
Gerard F2VX is another one of my great french friends and a member of the Dxpeditioners of France. Tireless, despite his age and his marriages, sorry, Gerard, I could not keep this secret, he also is one of the great operators from the other side of the pile up and who gives me the honor of being his friend.
2007
John G4IRN and Roger G3SXW -------------------------------------------------------------- With Toni EA5RM
John G4IRN and Roger G3SXW visited my home in 2006 and again returned in 2007 after finishing another of their major operations. I am impressed with their mobility and flexibility, to be able to move to any part of the world with short notice and set up a station very quickly. They have a collection of antennas that lend themselves to quick and easy mounting. They also are experts at handling pileups, particularly those of the Europeans.
5th Meeting EA8 Canary Hams in El Hierro
Every summer, radio amateurs of the Canary Islands, EA8, organize a rotary meeting in one of the 7 Islands that make up the Canary Islands. In 2007 the event took place on the island of El Hierro, now very famous for the submarine volcano which is erupting since the end of 2011.
Island residents are known for their wonderful hospitality and my Canarian friends are no exception. Despite my EA9 prefix, I was not a stranger in this fifth meeting on El Hierro and enjoyed a few wonderful days with these friends, many of them great dxers, contesters and Dxpeditioniers.
CANDELA IS BORN
My first granddaughter was born in November 2007. Once again I have difficulties expressing the feelings of those endearing moments and that with the passage of time has only intensified. It must also be said that only a grandfather can understand these comments. My granddaughter’s name is Candela which means Fire in English.
I’m hoping that someday she will be part of our amateur radio hobby, something that my twin daughters Livia and Patricia decided not to do.
2007
With Nigel G3TXF & Paul F6EXV
In large conventions and meetings of radio amateurs, it is very common to recognize and reward those who have performed significant activity during the year or have given a lifetime of service to the amateur radio hobby. This is the case of the two people in these photos, Nigel G3TXF and Paul F6EXV, tireless travellers with a spotless track record and participants in large and difficult expeditions. I had the honor of being chosen to deliver these prestigious awards to these two renowned DXpeditioners.
Northern California DX Foundation honoured in Spain
If I had to appoint an association or foundation in the world of amateur radio the election would be to the Nothern California DX Foundation NCDXF. I met a large part of its members along with its president, Rusty W6OAT, during my first visit to the Visalia Convention in 1987.
That meeting was the beginning of an enduring relationship and friendship cultivated over the years with numerous communications on the radio and personal meetings. In 2007, a public tribute from the Spanish radio amateurs was given to the Northern California DX Foundation NCDXF. I had the honour of delivering this appreciation to the delegation of the NCDXF, who had visited Spain for this occasion, and which was headed by Rusty W6OAT.
2008, February 2nd. EA9IE' pile up on 80 meters.
KG2RG uploaded a qso with me on 80 meters breaking my US pile up on my sunrise. you can hear the qso on
June of 2008 was a glorious month for the Spanish national football team. The Championship of Europe was held this month in Switzerland and Austria and the semi-finals coincided with Ham Radio of Friedrichshaffen (Germany). Spain won one of the semi-final matches versus Russia 3-0 and the few Spaniards who we were attending Ham Radio were greeted warmly in the streets of Friedrichshaffen. It also included the parading of Spanish flags. In this photo, I am with Alfonso and his son David, owners of the amateur radio electronics store Proyecto 4, and Diego EA7MK. The Euro final was played on 29 June and Spain beat Germany 1-0, but I was no longer in Germany at the time of the victory.
At one of the booths of the German DX Foundation, I’m with my old friends Baldur DJ6SI and Franz DJ9ZB. I did not meet Baldur DJ6SI again for another 20 years, although I continued to follow all his activities around the world, always in CW. I've been able to meet with Franz DJ9ZB almost every year and it’s always a pleasure to be in his company, although this time he was not with his lovely wife Marita.
2008
2008
Candela is growing up very fast and a day doesn’t go by that I don’t bring her into the shack to introduce her to the hobby and the sweet aroma of radio devices. Candela was amazed the first time that I put my headphones on and tuned in a pile up of SSB signals. Maybe the next time we’ll try CW because it might make her think of the hobby as dots and stripes.
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On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Association of Radio Amateurs of Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands, I had the honor of being invited by the directors of the association to commemorate the historical events which occurred on the date of this anniversary. As we visited the Roque de los Muchachos, where one of the more important and large worldwide networks of telescopes resides, it was emphasized that the observatory was started on the anniversary date. We visited several of the telescopes and the photo on the left shows the brand new telescope GranTeCan.
The photo on the right shows a meeting with two friends, Toni EA5RM and Roberto EA2RY, who were operators of the magnificent expedition to Rwanda during the year 2008 under the call sign 9X0R in which 62.680 contacts were made. This group of radio amateur friends, under the name Tifariti group, has organized and operated many important and prestigious DXpeditions and included the following: S01R, 9X0R, SO4R, E4X, T70A, STO4 and C37N. Juan Carlos EA3GHZ took this photo with us. He is another great radio amateur and young friend.
2008
Clif SV1JG & Pere EA3CUU
Cliff SV1JG is another tireless individual who also is a special friend and a DXpeditioner. It seems like only yesterday that I worked him from his legendary DXpedition to Mount Athos. On this occasion, the event organizers allowed me the honor of delivering this plaque to him in recognition of his long and extensive activity in the world of amateur radio.
At this same event, since I was the master of ceremonies, I had the honor and pleasure of acknowledging the extraordinary work done by my friend Pere EA3CUU from Timor-Leste. Pere has starred in numerous expeditions, most of them made up of Spaniards. He has been able to use the hobby to promote solidarity with the local people in need, using his extraordinary knowledge of communications and information technology for the benefit of the most needy. Thank you for your selfless work, Pere.
2009
Toni EA5RM, Fabrizio IN3ZNR and Manolo EA7AJR -------------------- Franz DJ9ZB, Juan EA9IE and Diego EA7MK
I took this photo of my friends in front of the Conrad booth in Ham Radio Friedrichshaffen 2009 because it was a unique opportunity to bring together these DXpeditioners of the Tifariti DX Club. To enjoy the places of their successful DXpeditions, just look on the web site of their leader, Toni EA5RM.
Once again, and I've already lost count, I was in Friedrichshaffen with Franz DJ9ZB, accompanied by Diego EA7MK. It’s always time for a photo with friends and this time it was very special because we remembered the excitement from the previous year when Spain won the Euro Championship by beating Germany in the final. Sorry, Franz.
2009
In my early years on 80 m, there were several people who helped me in my first steps on that challenging band. Fernando EA3SF was my companion almost every early morning and Ignacio EA8QL also participated in the cloistered routine of hunting out daybreak Pacific stations. We complemented each other very well because of the time differences between the Canary Islands and Ceuta which resulted in a boost to our SSB contacts on 80 m.
In 2009, the Spanish DXers decided to thank and pay tribute to Franz Langner DJ9ZB for his extraordinary career as a DXer and DXpeditioner. For this occasion Franz traveled to Spain, and we had the opportunity to take a photo with him accompanied by our leader in the Sahara West S0RASD, Arseli EA2JG.
2009
The Canary Islands has attracted and continues to attract famous Spanish radio amateurs as well as world-wide radio amateur events particularly in the field of contesting. Manolo EA8ZS is such an amateur who is a tireless participant and organizer of major contests and who has been able to win many of these contests. In these two photos, I'm with Manolo and other dear friends on the presentation of the plaque to the winner of the World Championship of the IARU, held in EA8 land.
2009
After the delivery of the trophy of the IARU, we took this photo with two great champions and DXpeditioners, namely Ville OH2MM and Fernando EA8AK. In the photo on the right, I’m shown presenting a remembrance plaque to Olli OH0XX, also with the Spanish call EA4BQ, for his long activity in amateur radio.
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Gerard F2VX and I have had a long and close friendship over the years. I have worked Gerard from many countries and each of these contacts was a great time to remember all the activities and experiences that we shared together over the years. Gerard F2JD is just one of the many friends that I have in France.
USHUAIA 2010
While in Tierra del Fuego, Southern Argentina, my attention was drawn to the permissiveness of the authorities with amateur radio operators when installing towers and antennas. This is illustrated in the two photos that I took during my spring trip to Argentina, in Ushuaia. For better or worse, these situations could not be done by Spanish amateurs because Spanish law does not allow this kind of construction. In particular, I am referring to the situation of the tower in the photo on the right, which has its base located on the street and fixed to the exterior façade of the building. The owner and the "tierrafueguiños" colleagues are fortunate to have such relaxed regulations in the construction of antennas.
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STEVE W3BGN ------------------------------------------------------------ DAVE K1ZZ
In the spring of this year, I received an email from my friend Steve W3BGN announcing his visit to Ceuta on a pleasure trip aboard one of the large cruise ships that cross our seas. I picked up Steve and his wife at the arrival dock of the ship and took them on a tour of the historical center of Ceuta, the Royal Walls, historic buildings and we finished our tour with a spectacular view of the Strait of Gibraltar from Monte Hacho. A lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant put an end to a great day with this special DXer and contester, companion of many piles up throughout my life as a radio amateur.
Since my first visit to the headquarters of the ARRL in the summer of 1981, I have always had a wonderful and friendly relationship with both the employees and management of the ARRL. I feel very dear and valued by all of them, and at the time were very helpful to me in a few matters that required their assistance. If I had to highlight a special relationship with any of them, I have no doubt that the appreciation, admiration and friendship I have with David K1ZZ is very special. David has been the ARRL Chief Executive Officer for many years and is among the most respected in the world of amateur radio. I am honored by his friendship. In the photo on the left, we are both at the Ham Radio of Friedricshaffen.
-2010-
Friedrichshafenis a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the Bodensee district in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.Friedrichshafen has a population of c. 58,000.Friedrichshafen is the location for Europe's largest Ham radioconvention.
Around 16.300 attendees from acros the globe came to Ham Radio 2011 to meet other amateur radio enthusiasts, exchange information, stock up on the latest products and gain new impressions. The three-day exhibition featured new products from 184 exhibitos, a flea market with a verity of treasures to discover and informative presentations. The next Ham Radio will take place from June 22 to 24, 2012 in Friedrichshafen.
I share the above photos with friends and hams during Fried 2010.
FIFA FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
2010 was a special year for the Spanish national football team. Spain became the champion of the world in the championship held that summer in the Republic of South Africa. I had the opportunity of having this photo taken with the magnificent golden cup won by Spain and although it has nothing to do with amateur radio, I believe this trophy deserves a spot on this page.
2011
Celebrating New Year with Cuban hams in Havana
After receiving a cordial invitation from engineer Pedro Rodríguez CO2RP, the president of the radio amateurs of Cuba FRC, I attended a New Year’s reception held at the headquarters of FRC, located on Paseo Street in Havana. This gave me an opportunity to learn about projects and activities for radio amateurs that were being carried out by FRC. I shared a warm, cozy and exciting day with the Chairman of FRC, his team of government officials and numerous Cuban colleagues that attended this event of the New Year. The photos above are taken in the Office and Chair of the President of FRC and the photos below show me with some friends and Cuban radio amateurs during this New Year event.
2011
2011
TEXT WILL COME SOON: SOFIA IS BORN
-2011-
I have coincided with Salva EA5DY several times and always with occasions of amateur radio activities, including the 2010 Ham Radio in Friedrichshafen. Again we find ourselves on the occasion of the IARU 2011, both in the spanish HQ team, and Salva expressed me their enthusiasm in participating in CQWW SSB 2011 from my qth.
I got for him the special and easy callsign EF9A and his participation in this contest, in the form of single operator monoband 10 meters, led him to more than 4,000 contacts and as of today we are waiting for the results.Delighted and honoured to have you at home, dear Salva EA5DY.
DX AND DXERS. My book
Throughout the years of my experience, I've gained practical knowledge on radio amateur practices and techniques for long distance communications, dx contests, handling pile ups, and how to work the DXpeditions.
This knowledge and my passion for DX has helped me be successful in the large international contests. My location in Ceuta is considered rare DX and this affords me the opportunity to work the other side of a pile up. To date, all of this has allowed me to make a quarter of a million QSO's.
In my country it is said a man is complete when he plants a tree, he has a son and he writes a book. I've accomplished the first two goals and now I have one more to do, write a book. After a long thought process. I decided to write a book that would tell of my experiences for so many years as a radio amateur, how to increase the number of QSO's, and relating my experiences to practically show how to start in this incredible world of DX and contests. In essence, it is a first step for "DX and Dxers". I clearly show all the basic and essential techniques that a radio amateur needs to know when facing a pile up or entering a large contest.
The first chapter is dedicated to the definition of DX. The second chapter explains the basic principles that any radio amateur must know to work a pile up. The third chapter discusses each one of the five classic HF bands, their characteristics, schedules for openings,and the short and long path. Another section discusses what to do and what not to do before sending out a call sign to complete a successful QSO. One chapter is dedicated to the controversial subject of lists of operation and nets. An important chapter is the one that follows and that is self explanatory by its title: CQ contest,CQ contest, where I review all the aspects of a contest from the side of a DX station as opposed to a station located inside the pile up. I recommend the advisable hours for each one of the bands through out the 48 hours of contest operation, completing appointments, etc. The following chapter picks up the most important aspects of QSL cards, postage, designs, size, IRC's, envelopes, addresses, when to use the bureau and when to make it direct, managers, etc.
Another chapter is dedicated to the DXCC entities list, current and deleted, and the procedure to follow for the application form and QSL cards and how to apply for a DXCC award. A section that has had much controversy is the one dedicated to listening in comparison with cluster watching. I wrote this chapter before the alarming increase in the number of DXers who have left listening to rely exclusively on clusters. The following chapter deals with logs, computer science and diplomas. One of the sections I wrote with more favor was the one dedicated to the great DXpeditions and what it takes for preparation: where to go, preparing the infrastructure, the selection of operators, programming of official notices, antenna location and erection, obtaining a license, etc.
The final section is a listing of some of the great operators I have known throughout the years: Iris W6QL and Lloyd W6KG Colvin, Marti Laine OH2BH, Kan Mizoguchi JA1BK, Marta WN4FVU and Carl WB4ZNH Henson, Pekka Kolehmainen OH1RY, Paul Granger F6EXV, Jim Smith VK9NS, Ron Wright ZL1AMO, Baldur Drobnica DJ6SI, Franz Langner DJ9ZB, etc. A special section of to this chapter I dedicated to the great operations that I have lived, beginning with the two great Spanish Dxpeditions: 3C1AA, 3C0AB was the first ones and S0RASD was the second. Fernando Fernández EA8CR/EA8AK also have their section as well as DXpeditions like VP8SSI, XY0RR, and CE0AA. In the section on the DXpeditions, as a appendix, I dedicated to H40AA a special corner for being an incredible part of radio amateur history and that his story deserves to be well-known. I finalized with VK0IR, who, until then,I considered "the greatest spectacle of the world", for bein one of greatest contributors for many of the aspects of a DXpeditión. There is a note compendium that lists the holder and titles such as" DX from the Paradise" , " DX from Andorra" , " The DXCC of the year 1997" and " The DXCC of the 21st century ".
I cannot be a book reviewer of my book, but there have been innumerable letters and emails, telephone calls, and personal commentaries via radio congratulating me on the bookand how easy it was to understand and that I was able to explain in clear and didactic terms all the mysteries of the world ofDX and the international contests, and that this book is a necessary tool for either beginners orexperienced DXersin the exciting world of the HF.
The price of this book is 15 euros, including shipping costs to Spain.
2011 IARU CHAMPIONSHIP HF
I had the high honor of being a member of this international team that competed from the Canary Islands in the IARU Championship representing the Spanish HQ.
The final tabulated resultsshow a total score of 30,651,384 points, beating the runner up by almost 7 million points andsurpassing the previous record of more than 4 million points
I want to give my gratitude to the leaders of the team: EA5DY, EA8AH, EA8CAC and EA8ZS and the hospitality of the EA8URL' members.
Special and extra mention to Valery RD3A, the heart of this team. Thanks, Valery.
2011 IARU HF World Championships Results
#
Call
Score
Power
QSOs
Mult
Class
Section
DXCC Entity
Continent
ITU Zone
1
EF8HQ
30,651,384
C
15,059
424
1
EA8
AF
2
TM0HQ
23,810,650
C
15,716
461
1
F
EU
3
DA0HQ
21,113,400
C
21,052
457
1
DL
EU
4
E7HQ
20,267,600
C
15,612
460
1
E7
EU
5
IO0HQ
18,988,222
C
15,641
458
1
I
EU
6
GR2HQ
18,512,482
C
13,818
433
1
G
EU
7
S50HQ
16,988,872
C
13,188
452
1
S5
EU
8
9A0HQ
16,985,553
C
13,787
447
1
9A
EU
9
SN0HQ
16,432,796
C
14,230
463
1
SP
EU
10
YU8HQ
15,655,434
C
13,365
438
1
YU
EU
--PERU--
On the occasion of a holiday, I had the opportunity to visit Peru to see their natural wonders , the incas constructions as enjoy its spectacular cuisine, especially the ceviche. Even I had the opportunity to visit the extraordinary installation of the Radio Club Peruano in Lima. I share the photo on the right with Paul OA4AI and Oscar OA4AMN, who along with Rafael OA4BIE were my superb hosts.
The Radio Club Peruano (RCP)is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Peru. RCP was founded on December 6, 1930 and the first General Meeting of the organization was held in the halls of the Library of the Geographical Society in Lima, Peru in January, 1931.The RCP operates a QSL bureaubureau for those amateur radio operators in regular contact with amateur radio operators in other countries, and supports amateur radio operating awards and radio contests.Radio Club Peruano represents the interests of Peruvian amateur radio operators before national and international regulatory authorities.RCP is the national member society representing Peru in the International Amateur Radio Union.
MY QSL CARD
For many years I have been using this cover for myQSL card. However, over time, I have changed several times the portion that includes the data of the QSO. At this moment, the middle of November 2011, I have sent out around 100.000 cards and my log has 260,106 QSO's. To everyone having a QSO with me, I wish to thank you very much for the opportunity and joy because every QSO, long or just a 59, is a special moment that I cherish with love and passion. Thank you very much indeed for those unique moments.
WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Travel and art are two of my favorite hobbies although both have become more of a passion than a hobby. Traveling to learn about new places, ancient cultures, different people and customs is something that excites me and what I've been doing since i was very young. I always wanted to visit some of the Wonders of the World and to get on that exclusive honor roll of travels.
Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to catalogue the World's most spectacular natural wonders and manmade structures.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity, and was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic sight-seers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it to be the representation of perfection and plenty. Many similar lists have been made.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some writers wrote about lists with names such as Wonders of the Middle Ages, Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages, Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind, and Architectural Wonders of the Middle Ages. However it is unlikely that these lists originated in the Middle Ages because the word medieval was not invented until the Enlightenment-era, and the concept of a Middle Age did not become popular until the 16th century.
In 2001 an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New7Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments. Twenty one finalists were announced January 1, 2006. The results were announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal.
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THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS ---------------------------------------------------------------- THE TAJ MAHAL
The Acropolis of Athens (Greece) or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolisin the world. Although there are many other acropolis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 meters above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king.
The Taj Mahal (India) is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahanin memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.
Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:
Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.
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---------- PYRAMIDS OF GIZA GREAT ----------------------------------------------------------- WALL OF CHINA
The Giza Necropolis (Egypt) is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an industrial complex. It is located some 9km inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 km southwest of Cairo city centre. The pyramids, which have always loomed large as emblems of ancient Egypt in the Western imagination, were popularised in Hellenistic times, when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidonas one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various war like peoples or forces. Several walls had already been begun to be built beginning around the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger, stronger, and unified are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, enhanced; the majority of the existing wall was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty.
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CHICHEN ITZA IN MEXICO -------------------------------------------------- COLOSSEUM OF ROME
Chichen Itza (Mexico )was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya civilization. The archaeological site is located in the municipality of Tinum, in the Mexican state of Yucatán. Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic (c.600–900 AD) through the Terminal Classic (c.800–900) and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period (c.900–1200).
The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenesstyles of the northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.
The Colosseum (Italy) or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptica amphiteatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum ,its construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitians's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classic mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
--PERÚ--
MACHUPICHU (PERÚ). TEXT WILL COME SOON
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KYOTO KIYOMIZU-DERA IN JAPAN ------------------------------------ STONEHENGE SITE IN UNITED KINGDOM
KYOTO Kiyomizu-dera (Japan) (清水寺?), officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺?) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO Wold Heritagesite. (It should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chugoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.)
Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period. The temple dates back to 778, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, during a restoration ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.
It was originally affiliated with the old and influential Hosso sect dating from Nara times. However, in 1965 it severed that affiliation, and its present custodians call themselves members of the "Kitahossō" sect.
Stonehenge (United Kingdom) is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2 miles west of Amesbury and 8 miles north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stonesset within earth works. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Agemonuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Archaeologists believe the iconic stone monument was constructed anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, as described in the chronology below. Radiocarbon datingin 2008 suggested that the first stones were erected in 2400–2200 BC, whilst another theory suggests that blue stones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC
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NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE IN GERMANY ----------------------------------------- SAINT SOPHIA IN TURKEY
Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany ) is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Fussen ,in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavariaas a retreat and as a homage To Richard Wagner. Contrary to common belief, Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds.
The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castleand later, similar structures.
Hagia Sophia (Turkey) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istambul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
The Church was dedicated to the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its dedication feast taking place on December 25th, the anniversary of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Although it is sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia), sophia is the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom – the full name in Greek being Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, "Church of the Holy Wisdom of God".
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The Hermitage in St. Petersburg ------------------------------------------------------ The Kremlim in Moscow
The State Hermitage (Russia) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Greatand has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise nearly 3 million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. Apart from them, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of Porcelain, Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya and the eastern wing of the General Staff Buildingare also part of the museum. The museum has several exhibition centers abroad. The Hermitage is a federal state property.
The Moscow Kremlin (Russia) is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the south), Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square (to the east) and the Alexander Garden (to the west). It is the best known of kremlins (Russian citadels )and includes four palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.
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PIAZZA SAN MARCO IN VENICE, ITALY ------------------------------------ CASTLE OF TRAKAI IN LITHUANIA
Piazza San Marco (Venice, Italy) (often known in English as St Mark's Square), is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza". All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called "campi" (fields). The Piazzetta (the 'little Piazza') is an extension of the Piazza towards the lagoon in its south east corner. The two spaces together form the social, religious and political centre of Venice and are commonly considered together. A remark usually attributed to Napoleon calls the Piazza San Marco "the drawing room of Europe". (The attribution to Napoleon is unproven).
Trakai Castle (Lithuania) is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvé. The castle is sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg". The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kestutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centres of the Grand Duchy of Lithuaniaand the castle held great strategic importance.
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THE EIFFEL TOWER OF PARIS ---------------------------- THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK
The Eiffel Tower (France) is a puddle iron lattice towerr located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest building in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.
The tower stands 324 metres tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. However, due to the addition, in 1957, of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building.
The Statue of Liberty (United States of America) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty island in New York Harbor, designed by Frederic Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.
In order to honor and remember the victims of September 11, 2001, in the World Trade Center, let me replace the picture of the Statue of Liberty with this photograph taken in 1981 in the ferry to Liberty island, from which shows the Twin Towers in the background taken during my first visit to New York.
WONDERS OF MOTHER NATURE
Similar to the other lists of Wonders, there is no consensus on a list of Seven Natural Wonders of the World and there has been debate over how large the list should be. One of the many existing lists include Grand Canyon, Iceland, Sahara Desert, Dead Sea, Midnight' sun and Glaciers in Patagonia.
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Grand Canyon in Arizona (U.S.A.) ------------------- Eurasia & North America tectonic plates in Iceland
The Grand Canyonis a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is contained within and managed by Grand Canyon National Park, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, and the Havasupai Tribe. It is considered one of the Seven natural Wonders of the World.
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of over a mile. Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to its present-day configuration.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americanswho built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo, people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi language) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
The above right photo was taken in Iceland and got me between the two tectonic plates. My right leg is in the North American Plate and my left leg is in the Eurasian Plate.
Geologically, Iceland is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the ridge along which the oceanic crustspreads and forms new oceanic crust. In addition, this part of the mid-ocean ridge is located a top a mantle plume causing Iceland to be subaerial. Iceland marks the boundary between both the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate since it has been created by rifting, and accretion through volcanism, along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — where the two plates meet.
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia. The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Caribean and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. The plates includes both continental and oceanic crust. The interior of the main continental landmass includes an extensive granitic core called a craton. Along most of the edges of this craton are fragments of crustal material called terranes, accreted to the craton by tectonic actions over the long span of geologic time. It is believed that much of North America west of the Rockiesis composed of such terranes.
Pamukale, meaning "cotton castle" in turkish, is a natural site in Denzil province in southwestern Turkey. The site contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres long, 600 meters wide and 160 meters high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.
Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Heropolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs.
In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C to100 °C.The water that emerges from the spring is transported 320 meters to the head of the travertine terraces and deposits calcium carbonate on a section 60 to 70 metres long covering an expanse of 240 meters to 300 meters. When the water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, reaches the surface, carbon dioxide degasses from it, and calcium carbonate is deposited. The depositing continues until the carbon dioxide in the water balances the carbon dioxide in the air. Calcium carbonate is deposited by the water as a soft jelly, but this eventually hardens into travertine. This reaction is affected by the weather conditions, ambient temperature, and the flow duration.
The Giant's Causewayis an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrimon the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 meters thick in places.
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The Sahara desert
The Sahara desert ecoregion as defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), includes the hyper-arid center of the Sahara, between 18° and 30°N.The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert, located in northern Africa. It stretches from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The vast Sahara encompasses several ecologically distinct regions. The Sahara desert ecoregion covers an area of 4,619,260 km2in the hot, hyper-arid center of the Sahara, surrounded on the north, south, east, and west by desert ecoregions with higher rainfall and more vegetation.
The Sahara desert generally features an arid climate. The Sahara desert is one of the hottest regions of the world, with a mean temperature over 30 ºC. Daily variations may also be extreme: a swing from 37.5 to -0.5 °C has been observed .Wind and sand storms occur as soon as early spring. Local inhabitants protect themselves from heat, cold and mostly wind and sand by covering their heads, such as the cheche worm by Tuareg.
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The Hawaiian islands (U.S.A.) ----------------------------------------- The Dead Sea (Jordan and Israel)
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawai'i in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll (the northwestern most island in Hawaii is Green Island, which is joined to the Kure Atoll). Excluding Midway, which is an unincorporated territory within the United States Minor Outlying Island, the Hawaiian Islands form the U.S. state of Hawaii. Once known as the "Sandwich Islands", the archipelago now takes its name from the largest island in the cluster.
The islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hot spot in the Earth's mantle. The Hawaiian islands are about 1,860 miles from the nearest continent.Captain James Cook visited the islands on January 18, 1778 and named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was one of his sponsors as the First Lord of the Admiralty.
The Hawaiian Islands have a total land area of 6,423.4 square miles. Except for Midway, these islands and islets are administered as the state of Hawaii— the 50th state of the United States of America.
The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are 423 metres below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 377 meters deep, the deepest hyper saline lake in the world. With 33.7% salinity, it is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. It is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.
The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetic and herbal sachets. In 2009, 1.2 million foreign tourists visited on the Israeli side.
The sea has a density of 1.24kg/L,which makes swimming similar to floating as I do in the right photo.
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Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina) ---------------------- Midnight' sun (sailing the Artic Ocean in summer)
The Perito Moreno Glacieris a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, in Patagonia, Argentina. The 250 km2ice formation, and 30 km in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This icefield is the world's third largest reserve offresh water.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. The reason remains debated by glaciologists. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres wide, with an average height of 74 m above the surface of the water of Lake Argentino, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres
Due to its size and accessibility, Perito Moreno is one of the major tourist draw cards in southern Patagonia. It is less than two hours by bus from El Calafate, and many tour companies run daily visits. In recent years, trekking tours on the ice have gained popularity. The two standard tours are a "mini-trekking" option, consisting of a short walk of about an hour and a half, and a "big ice" version, which is usually about five hours. Tour companies generally provide crampons to customers.
The midnight sunis a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months atlatitudes north and nearby to the north of the Artic Circle, and south and nearby to the south of the Antartic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous 24 hours, mostly north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the farther pole ward one goes from the equator. Although approximately defined by the polar circles, in practice midnight sun can be seen as much as 90 km beyond the polar circle, because the sun is a disk and not a point, and the exact latitudes of the farthest reaches of midnight sun depend on topography and vary slightly year-to-year.The opposite phenomenon, polar night, occurs in winter when the sun stays below the horizon through out the day.
Since the Earth's axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic by approximately 23 degrees 27 minutes, the sun does not set at high latitudes in (local) summer. The duration of the midnight sun increases from one day during the summer solstice at the polar circle to approximately six months at the poles. At extreme latitudes, it is usually referred to aspolar day. The length of the time the sun is above the horizon varies from a couple of days at the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle to 186 days at the poles.
At the poles themselves, the sun only rises once and sets once each year. During the six months when the sun is above the horizon at the poles, the sun spends the days constantly moving around the horizon, reaching its highest circuit of the sky at the summer solstice.
Due to refraction, the midnight sun may be experienced at latitudes slightly below the polar circle, though not exceeding one degree (depending on local conditions). For example, it is possible to experience the midnight sun in Iceland, even though most of it (Grimseybeing a notable exception) is slightly south of the Arctic Circle. Even the northern extremities of Scotland (and those places on similar latitudes) experience a permanent "dusk" or glare in the northern skies at these times.
According to Visit Norway the midnight sun is visible at the Artic Circle from June 12 until July 27. The further north one goes the longer this period extends.At North Cape, Norway, known as the northernmost point of Continental Europe this period extends approximately from May 14 to July 29. On the Svalbard archipelago further north this period extends from April 20 to August 22.
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Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil)
Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu river located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows through Brazil for most of its course. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Brazil and Argentina.
The name "Iguazu" comes from the Guarani wordsy meaning "water", andûasú, meaning "big". Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman namedNaipí, who fled with her mortal loverTarobáin a canoe. In rage the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.
About half of the river's flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diabloin Spanish). The Devil's Throat is U-shaped, 82-meter-high, 150-meter-wide, and 700-meter-long. Place names have been given also to many other smaller falls, such as San Martin Falls, Bossetti Falls and many others.
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North Cape in northernmost Norway ----------------------------------------------------- Caribbean islands
Nordkap,the english term is North Cape, is a cape on the island of Mageroya in Northern Norway. Its 307 metres high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located 2.102 kilometers from the North Pole. The North Cape is the point where the Norwegian sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, meets the Barents sea, part of the Arctic ocean. The North Cape was named by english explorer Richard Chancelor in 1553 when he passed the cape in the search for a Northeast passage. Today, the North Cape is a major tourist attraction.
The Caribbeanis a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. From the peninsula of Florida on the mainland of the United States, the islands stretch 1,200 miles southeastward, then 500 miles south, then west along the north coast of Venezuela on the South American mainland.
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays. These islands, called the West Indies, generally form island arcs that delineate the eastern and northern edges of the Caribbean Sea.The region consists of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north, the Lesser Antilles on the south and east, the Bahamas and theTurks and Caicos islands.
Geopolitically, the Caribbean islands are usually regarded as a subregion of North America and are organized into 30 territories includings overeign states, overseas departments and dependencies. From January 3, 1958, to May 31, 1962, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories, all of which were then UK dependencies. The West Indies cricket team continues to represent many of those nations.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!
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LAS VENGAS AND LITHUANIA. TEXT WILL COME SOON
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TEXT WILL COME SOON
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NORWEGIAN CITY NAMED "A" AND THE LAST KILOMETER IN THE ROAD TO TIERRA DE FUEGO IN ARGENTINA
In my business and tourism travels, I have found places, anecdotes, characters and other very unique things all of which merit photographing and saving as a special remembrance. An example of this are these two photos.
In the photo on the left, I am at the entrance of the city called “A”, located in the Northern Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten, lying within the Arctic Circle. Do you know of any city name shorter than this one?.
The photo on the right indicates the mileage point 3.079, located in Tierra Fuego (Argentina), and marks the last kilometer of the longest highway of Argentina and close to the Beagle Channel. Have you even seen a kilometer number as this post?
To be continued
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