Norway 1999
Norway Trip and Reciprocal operation as LA/4S7AB
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Article Summary
My first overseas trip to Norway was a very good experience in my ham radio life. I learned a lot , gained a lot of experience, and also met lot of experienced hams from Norway and Bangkok transit
Article Highlights
- Visit to LA1K Trondheim Uni Club Stn
- Meeting with LA9GY Morten
- Meeting with Champ E21EIC and Winit HS1CKC
Kamal Edirisinghe
4S7AB / KA5MAL
Author Sep 1999
Having More than 35 years of experience in the Field of Amateur Radio, I have published many articles in prestigious international publications like, QST, CQ-DL, NCJ, Six-News etc.. Here in this web site, these write-ups are intended to give you knowledge about my designs and projects related to the hobby. The articles about foreign HAM activities are intended to share my experience.
- Full Solar Powered Radio Station
- SO2R and Multi-Multi Compatible
- Operate on All Bands/Modes/SATS
- DXCC #61,271
- IOTA AS-003, CQ-22, ITU-41
I have operated as LA/4S7AB for almost 10 days from 5th March 1999 from the club stn LA1K of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). This club stn has more than 30 active members under the able Presidency of Jan David . The station is always active on one or the other mode under the call LA1K.
The Club members get together at the station at the student centre almost every day for a ‘evening coffee’ and operate the station and maintain the antennas also. The main antenna is a multi element log periodic, covering almost all the ‘high’ side of the HF. For the top bands, they have dipoles tied up to tall trees.
Some LA1K members are experts on EME, Aurora and Meteor Scatter operations. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge just by talking with them.
The QRM level in Europe is much higher than that of Sri Lanka. Almost every frequency is occupied on active bands. If a Dx stn is heard, that is being plotted in the DX cluster and covered with a ‘pile -up’ immediately. Somehow I was able to work my fellow hams from Sri Lanka after making prior skeds. This was a great experience to see how the 4S7 signals are being heard in Europe. It requires lot of power, good antennas and skill to overcome this QRM and the pile-up s.
I was given 2m equipment by Odd LC8MAT to operate when I am travelling around the Trondheim city.
In the meantime I had the opportunity of travelling with LA9GY Morten. He was another ham in Trondheim who spent a lot of time with me showing the city and surroundings. He came to the snowy Trondheim Airport to pick me up.
He took me to a the HQ of club station LA2T abt 20 miles away from Trondheim city.
In this trip, I have stayed nearly 4 days in Bangkok in Thailand. In my up going trip , I met Winit HS1CKC and Champ E21EIC at the bangkok airport. Champ took us around the Bangkok city and to various shopping areas.
As a whole, this trip was filled with fun, experience and knowledge which I couldn’t have gained otherwise. The hospitality given by foreign hams in Bangkok and Norway was remarkable which showed the true spirt of ham radio.
