How It Started

It was in 1980 in Sulejówek (small city located near Warsaw). I was 11 years old then. My older brother was learning in a secondary school. Two of his class-mates, Gerard and Zbyszek, who were also scouts had a chance to see amateur station duirng one of summer scout camps. The operator was Jan SP5XM (SK).

After that they decided to organize a club station in the school. The school director was a physics teacher and of course he accepted the idea. The founding meeting took place on Apirl 1, 1980. Geard and Zbyszek asked their class-mates to participate the meeting and also to invite all their brothers and sisters. So in this way my brother took me to the meeting. It was the very begining of the Scouts Radio Club SP5ZCC and the very begining of HAM radio in my life. My brother is not interested in HAM Radio while for me it turned to be the passion of my life.

During the summer hoilidays in 1980 I was sent to a scouts camp which was radio oriented. I went there with my neighbour and friend, Ignacy (he later got a callsign SP5UGI).

It took some years until I got my license which happened in 1989. In the meantime many important events took place in Poland as well as in all Europe. In 1981 (on December 13) the comunists government iposed martial law. It was the end of HAM radio in Poland for a long time. All radio amateurs had to deposit radio equipment – militia troops visited all HAMs to take their equipment. The same happened in our club station – we had only some old military radios but they were all taken to deposit.

I got my radio license in 1989. To say the truth – I failed the first exam, I failed the part regarding electronics. The second exam was a success. Next I had to apply for the amateur license. That time it was not that easy – I was checked by my local militia division and I also had to show them a certificate of no criminal records. Finally I got my license (class I) and the callsign SP5UAF. As son as I saw my callsign I noticed that it is very good for CW: the “UAF” part is very smooth and rhythmic.