PLEASE ADD YOUR CALL IN MY VISITORS LOGBOOK BY CLICKING ON THE WEB TAG ABOVE!

 

Hi, firstly my QSL arrangements: I QSL100% via eQSL, LoTW, HRDLog.net and Clublog almost realtime and QRZ.com from time to time.

As from 17 May 2015 Rex NR6M will be my QSL Manager for all paper QSL cards (http://www.nr6m.com/ and www.qrz.com/db/NR6M ). He also runs the Clublog OQRS on my behalf.

(If you experienced problems with the previous QSL Manager please contact me or Rex for a re-issue).

Some info about me: I was born on 26 July 1958 in a town called Middelburg (now in Mpumalanga province), South Africa. My parents moved to the capital city, Pretoria in 1963, where I grew up and spent my childhood and up to my early adult life.

I became interested in ham radio at the age of 12 listening to shortwave on my old National Panasonic transistor radio which was given to me by my parents as a birthday present. This lead to me to becoming an active SWL. Some local hams (such as ZS6AK, ZS6BDM(SK), ZS6KO(SK), ZS6AZN(SK), ZS6BGX(SK), ZS6OH(SK), ZS6OG(SK), ZS6BAS (SK), ZS6WAS(SK), ZS6BLD, ZS6ZA(SK), ZS6ATK and many others) operated a regular net on 3600kHz AM (this net is still QRV on SSB but on 3640 kHZ due to bandplanning issues)). I spent hours listening to them. But SSB and CW were a problem. By accident I discovered that I could use another radio (I hijacked my sister's radio) close to the mine as a BFO to resolve SSB and CW, which opened a whole new world on SW.

Eventually I landed up writing the RAE at the end of 1975 at the age of 17. After passing the RAE I received my first callsign ZR6GP on 6th January 1976 (yes 40+ years ago!). As this only allowed me VHF/UHF privileges I quikcly proceeded doing the morse code test of 12 wpm, which I passed in April 1976 with the aid of Mannie ZS6AK. I was then issued with my previous callsign - ZS6BPJ.

As it was required to do one year CW only on HF before obtaining full privileges, I became hooked on morse code.

During November 1982 to June 1983 I operated ZS6BPJ/ZS3 from Namibia (now V5). This was during my time of compulsory military service. IMy basic training was at the South African Defence Force Army Intelligence School near Kimberley, but due already morse code skill I was transferred first to 2 Signals Regiment and then to the newly established 5 Signal Regiment in Pretoria (we did Electronic Warfare, including Direction Finding, Interception, Jamming and CW - I was involved in interception of morse code communication).

In 1986 I moved to Pietersburg, now called Polokwane, the capital of the Limpopo Province - the northern most province of South Africa.

I am married to Lizelle ZS6LZL. I have 4 children: 1 daughter Carné (born 1985), married to Gerrit (who made me a granddad on 1 September 2014 with my first grandchild, a lovely girl called Liebe, and my 3 sons - Karel (b. 1994) ZR6K (ex-ZU6KB), Adrian (b. 1996) ZR6O (ex-ZU6A) & Wynand (b. 2002) ZU6WB (Class-B limited to 80/40/10/2m/70cm 100W).

Interests (other than ham radio): Outdoors/camping, wildlife, computers, DIY, sports (rugby, cricket, motorsport, golf- not active in sports other than as a spectator), labour law/trade unionism, geneology and a lot of other thing that tickles my interests.

During July 2004 I decided to apply for a shorter callsign and was allocated (by mistake) ZS6CN for a few days, but finally ZS6WN (the call belonged to an old friend, Christo, who wrote the radio amateur exam with me in 1975 and who now lives in Denmark (still without a OZ-call!!!)

Hpe to cu sn, either on the bands (CW or digital) or (sometimes) via the internet on Echolink. I'm also active during major contests (previously using the call ZR9C - we are waiting for our SARL and ICASA to work out a new dispensation for contest calls).

I am a member of the SA Radio League (since 1976). Also member of EPC (#4654), DMC (#1564) , FH (#644), SKCC #14745, 30MDG #6813, BDM #5390.

I was a member of the SA Police Reservists for 20 years and the XYL Lizelle ZS6LZL was a police officer for about 20 years as well until she joined me as a fulltime partner in our business. At the time we were active members of the International Police Assosciation but unfortunately not anymore.

I am QRV on 60m (currently ZS can on tx on 5.260 and 5.290 and thus work split most of the time), top band and 6m and spend a lot of time on JT65-HF and JT9 and contesting.

73 de ZS6WN Karel (ZR9C)

Polokwane Limpopo, RSA KG46sc

WE HOSTED ZS55PSG DURING THE JOTA 2012 WEEKEND FOR THE 1ST POLOKWANE SCOUT GROUP. NEW CONTEST CALL ISSUED JULY 2013 = ZR9C.

 

TH7DX tribander + 5el for 50MHz and 9+9el for 144MHz (vertical and horizontal) + discone and inverted vee's

 

Adrian ZR6O checking the cables for his OM