Page Summary
This page contains memories from Foreign HAM visiters to Sri Lanka. Some of them have visited my shack while others were met in their Hotels / Transit. Every visiter brings a lot of passion in to the hobby along with them and the memories are remarkeable along the Ham Radio journey. I have visited some of them in their home countries too.
Kamal Edirisinghe
4S7AB / KA5MAL
Author Sep 2022
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
JA2SWH / 4S7YSG
OM Satake has been a good friend for a long time nearly 30 years. While he was working here for SLT, he had been a very active participant in RSSL activities. Then I was able to visit his shack in Tokyo during my trips to Japan.
This time, August 2019, I had the pleasure of inviting him for a dinner and Dx at my station. He was able to chat with his JA friends on 40m SSB using my 2el Quad. Within about 3 hours, he was able to make about 70 QSOs to EU and JA on CW. He is primarily a CW operator by the way.
LZ1PJ and LZ1NK
Two fast CW OPS visiting Sri Lanka for Radio and Travel.
Ivan LZ1PJ is a friend for 20+ years. I have visited him in Bulgaria about 10 years ago (twice). This time Ivan comes to Sri Lanka to receprocate the guesture with his XYL Valentina LZ5AV.
Ivans’s friend Nick LZ1NK is also joining the tour with his XYL. Both got Sri Lankan callsigns and operated the Radio from Weligama.
During the last day, all visited my QTH for dinner and eyeball QSO. It was fun for my whole family including kids, Our discussion was a lot of exchange of ideas and experience. Nick and Ivan were great contesters and their winning strategies was a good topic for me.
OH2BH
A renowned Dxer and a Dxpeditioner having multiple “Rare Dx” callsigns under his belt Martti Laine visited Sri Lanka with his XYL Leena OH2BE in October 2017 for the CQWW SSB contest and for travel. Martti completed the contest in great style even though he was limited to dipole antennas in his hotel. This was a clear show of the operator skill overtaking the equipment limitations.
I had the extreme pleasure of having him visiting my shack for an evening tea party. My family along with my XYL and Kids enjoyed his visit very much. But I felt that we should have spent more time talking about the hobby since there was lot to learn from his experience.
DJ6NH
German national Amateur Radio magazine CQ-DL publishes an article on me an my ham radio activities with a front cover photo. Few days later my good friend Klauss Hoffmann DJ6NH comes to my home all the way from Germany and gifts me a copy of the CQ-DL magazine. This is just a bit of what the CW paddles can do. Our hobby is far beyond this…
Klauss is an active Dxer from Germany
DK9PY
Armin DK9PY visited Sri Lanka for the CQWW CW contest in 2016. He operated from his hotel in the Western coast of Sri Lanka. During his stay, he and his XYL visted me for an eyeball QSO and dinner.
Armin is a serious contestor and a true Dxer from Germany.
In the photo from Left is my XYL Yudi 4S6YUD, My son Anuhas, Armin’s XYL and Armin
SM0JHF
Henryk was a friend from Sweden from 2001 when I was working / Studying there. He not only kept me company but also took me to rare IOTA Dxpeditions in Swedish islands like Musko islands when I was there. He took me to the Multi Multi stn SK0UX most of the time when I was there in Sweden.
This time he came to my shack in 2015 when he visited Sri Lanka. Unfortunately there were massive floods across the country during his visit, so he couldn’t travel much this time.
After his visit he wrote and article to the dxnews about my station.
7L1FPU
Kuny’s (7L1FPU) second visit to Sri Lanka in 2016. We met in Colombo and had dinner together. Didn’t have to time to visit my shack this time since he was on a tight business schedule.
Kuny is an active Dxer as well as a busy traveller. He can be seen popping up from various Dx entities time to time
5B4AFM
Stavros 5B4AFM visited me with his newly married XYL in 2008. They were on their honeymoon trip.
Stavros is a very active Dxer from Cyprus.
Stavros and his XYL lives in UK at present.
7L1FPU
Nov 2007 – Kuny Nakada 7L1FPU and his YL from JA visited me. We had the time to visit Pinnawela Elephat Park during his (and mine) busy schedule.
Kuny is planning to come to SL often during his visits to the region. He has already applied for a 4S7 guest license.
LA7XK
December 2003 – My good old friend from Norway Halvard LA7XK visited Sri Lanka with his XYL Anne Elizabeth for a 3 week holiday trip. Halvard got the local call 4S7XKG and operated some good Dx during his stay from the hotel.
I had the chance of going around with him to Kandy city and Pinnawela elephant orphanage. During my stay in Norway, I was invited to Halvard’s summer house located in the breathtaking islands of Hvalar, southern part of Norway. His visit was a chance to receprocate my hospitality !!
SM5AQD
July 2002 – SM5AQD Hakan Ericsson visited Sri Lanka on a business trip. It was a very limited time he had for eyeballing and ham radio activities.
He is a very active top bander from Stockholm area. I had a chance of meeting him for a short eyeball QSO in Colombo.
VK6TF
VK6TF Ron’s Visit. Ron has been a good friend of mine from VK for a long time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t invite him to my home QTH since I was sitting for my final exam in the university when he visited Sri Lanka. But we had a gathering in Colombo organized by 4S7UB/KJ6UB for him
From the Left, 4S7AJ Anthony, 4S7EA Ernest, 4S7DA Denver, VK6TF Ron, 4S7AB Kamal(me) and a half of 4S7UB/KJ6UB Nalin
DL7FER
The next foreign visitor was Felix Kruntz DL7FER (4S7FEG). We went to the nearby waterfall for a swim with me
In the evening we had a CW Dx session too .
Felix is an active Dxer from Germany.
5B4MT
5B4MT Mike and his XYL visited my QTH in 2000. It was a short stay but atleast a good eyeball QSO.
Mike was on his way back to Cyprus after attending his daughter’s wedding in Singapore.
OH1NOA
Timo OH1NOA visited my home QTH in June 98 with his YL (now XYL) Kairo.
He visited most of the beautiful places in Sri Lanka as a tourist. He also operated few QSOs from my station as a guest.
Timo is an active contester from Finland.
DF2XE Gerd
Gerd DF2XE is a very active ham even nowadays. He was QRL from Maldives many times from various islands. I had the chance of meeting him when he visted Sri Lanka in 1995.
