HB9BJL

I have started in 1972 as a SWL with the callsign HE9OCV. I was first licensed for VHF in May 1975 as HB9MMW and upgraded to a full licence (including the then mandatory morse code test) in November 1976 as HB9BJL.

Today, I like CW (what else ?!), DXing, Contests and friendly contacts in this mode (especially CW ragchewing).

I had stopped operating in CW in the end of 1981 and, after a 25-year break, I started again in CW in 2006 and now I like it more than ever. In between, I was very active on digital modes such as RTTY, AMTOR and PACTOR. As my interest in CW grew, it has somehow diminished for the digital modes.

Today I operate almost exclusively in CW. When contesting, I like to be part of a multi-OP team and I regularly take part in the "big" CW contests such as ARRL-DX, Russian DX, CQ WPX, WAE and CQ WW from the DD1A contest station. Occasionally, I also take part in some selected RTTY contests such as the CQ WW RTTY or the WAE RTTY.

I have participated in the Swiss national mountain day, a four-hour CW contest for lightweight stations (max. 6 kg) (http://nmd.uska.ch).

I am a proud member of USKA, BCC, AGCW-DL (#3226), HTC (#241), HSC (#1915),  FMC (#64), SKCC (#12368),
A1 Club (#3895) and CWOps (#2541). My special thanks go to my sponsors.

Some of my past contest activities:

AGCW Happy New Year contest
ARRL International DX CW at DD1A
Russian DX at DD1A (CW)
Helvetia (CW)
CQ WPX CW at DD1A
Region 1 Field Day CW at HB9AGN/P
IARU HF World Championship at HB9HQ (CW)
National Mountain Day
WAEDC CW
HST - Swiss Team
WAG at DD1A (CW)
CQ WW CW at DD1A
HSC Contest
USKA XMAS contest (CW)
DARC XMAS contest (CW)
RAEM contest
National Field Day (CW)

Thanks to the ARRL VEC program I have passed the extra class exam at the 2019 Friedrichshafen ham radio fair and I now have the vanity call sign W9BJL.
I would like to thank the examiners for their time and their devotion to make overseas examinations possible.

QTH locator: JN37rc

Equipment/transmitting facilities:
- HF: Kenwood TS-590S(G), TS-850 S, TS-930S
- HF: Antennas: Fritzel FB-33 and a symmetrically fed dipole for 80 m and 40 m with a Palstar Tuner BT-1500A
- Begali (the best keys I ever had): HST, Sculpture, Sculpture mono, and most recently Leonessa (www.i2rtf.com).
- For lightweight QRP operation such as the NMD contest: Palm Radio Paddle, unfortunately discontinued.

I hope to meet you soon on the air, 73 & CWFE !