If you send a QSL card direct for a QSO with me (PA9RD), DON'T include any green stamps, IRC's or money. Just send an envelope with the QSL card and a SAE, just for the right adress, to me and I send mine back to you. You pay your postage and I'll pay mine. I just want (need) your card as much as you want (need) mine.

As per 07-10-2009 I'm using Digi modes again. I'm testing my equipment and interface with the "new" rig the Yaesu FT-2000 in replacement of the FT-897. However for contesting I'll keep using the FT-897 because of the easy use. I was active for the first time again in The Makrothen contest the weekend of 10/11 Oct 2009. Hope to meet you somewhere on any band in DIGIMODE. 73 de Ruud PA9RD.

!!!!!! IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!!! Someone was using my callsign to make QSO's in PSK and other modes. I wasn't active on any DIGI mode since february 2008 untill the first week of October 2009.  If you made a QSO on any band with "me" in PSK31 between these two dates, it wasn't me. I'm only doing SSB on every band HF. Also my callsign and e-mailadress is misused for reactions on adverts on the dutch site "2dehands dot NL. Pse send me an email, with date, time, frequency and mode if you see "me" on any band in DIGI-mode. TNX!! 73 de Ruud (Rudy) PA9RD

BELANGRIJKE MEDEDELING!!!!!

Mijn call en emailadres worden misbruikt door een of ander persoon, die het leuk vind om te reageren op advertenties van te koop aangeboden spullen. Deze reacties zijn niet altijd even fraai wat woordkeuze betreft.  Ik heb inmiddels aangifte gedaan van alle feiten bij AT en politie. Als iemand iets te koop aanbied en hier een reactie op krijgt van PA9RD@amsat.com, dan kun je er van uitgaan dat ik het niet ben. Wel graag even melding maken aan mij, als je een reactie krijgt die in niet al te goede en fraaie bewoordingen verstuurd is "namens" mij!

Met vriendelijke groeten Ruud PA9RD

Hi there, my name is Ruud (RUDY), and I'm a dutch lorrydriver for about almost 25 years. As son of a radio/television electronics repairman I grew up as a young boy with a fascination for electronics and equipment. As my father also had a hobby as shortwave listening amateur and later as licensed radioamateur (PA0ALD, Silent Key 2005) it was certain that I should walk in the same direction. However I wasn't fond of graphics and mathematics etc, so I dropped that in the third grade of high school and took up my languages. At 18 I left school with a diploma and worked for a few years in several jobs. I got my drivers licence for Lorries and my freedom started. I drove around Europe from Scandinavia to Spain and from Great Britain to Poland. By this time I also had the same hobby and interest as my dad and whenever I was at home I spend my time behind my radio equipment on the FM and CB frequencies, in those days forbidden and illegal and once I tried to get my radiolicense, but failed the test because of lack of time in my job, and I left it for what it was. However, in November 2003, I succeeded in my wish to follow in my fathers footsteps. I was the proud owner of a Novice License. I know now he was very proud at me. I'm still doing C.B. radio in my truck with other drivers, but now I'm also Qrv, on the air, as a licensed radio HAM amateur on VHF/UHF and HF. Especially on the dutch repeaters you can hear me as I drive along Holland and Belgium to Germany. That was far enough for me at that time and now I had some more time for my hobby. I wanted to go one step further, so in April 2006 I got my F(ull)-license which allows me to be QRV on HF.

In november 2005 however my father died of cancer. Honestly I don't believe in the occult things, but I was sure he was looking over my shoulder on that day and "helped" me through the exam. In fact I'm convinced he forced my pencil in the right direction for three answers. Anyway I passed this time and got my F(ull) licence. Before he died I asked my father what my callsign should be in case I succeeded. Simple he said: "they know you as PD9RD, yes...? Or 9RD as you allways say...yes?(He hated that,as he told me). And you come from Holland, you are a real Dutchman. In the whole world they know Holland as PA land, so keep it simple and change it in PA9RD!". And so I did. At that time I met a YL and later on we lived together, I moved from the Big city THE HAGUE to a small town, called HEERJANSDAM, south of Rotterdam. In September 2007 I married with my girlfriend, also a licensed radioamateur, PB7(X)YL. I stopped with my work as european trucker and became a regional driver. Home every evening and lots of time for the hobby. I bought the new transceiver from Yaesu, the FT-2000 and the 3 EL beam from Fritzel FB-33. October 2007 we moved to our new hometown, HEINENOORD, not far from our last one. I kept the P.O.Box for direct QSL, mail etc. Please visit our website and look for the situation at this moment. I hope to meet you sometime on HF. For now BYE BYE and 73 from

RUUD PA9RD Heinenoord

HOLLAND / THE NETHERLANDS