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| Aurel Chiruta, YO9FNR with some of the enthusiastic youngsters from the school |
A School Club Station in Romania
Aurel Chiruta, YO9FNR
YO9KVV is the call sign of the school amateur radio club in Valea Calugareasca, Prahova county, Romania.
The club is an outgrowth of the school’s technical workshop for electronics and radio constructions and it was established in 1980.
At first the workshop suffered from scarce material resources and lacked a proper room. However, the children’s enthusiasm convinced the school’s administration to provide a dedicated space, which we set up with our own resources and the children’s parents’ assistance.
The first receivers we built were synchrodynes for 40 and 80 meters. In 1985 we founded a shortwave listener radio club, YO9-585/PH, which took part in many national and international contests with good results.
In 1986 the activity leader and other club members passed the examination for the amateur radio certificate, however, due to the situation in the country it was not possible to obtain the transmitter licenses as well. Nevertheless, we continued to build radio equipment and participate in contests as shortwave listeners.
We also built our first A-412 transceiver, a well-known homemade rig in Romania, designed by Nicoara Paulian, YO3NP, and built in those years in hundreds of copies by YO amateurs.
After the events of December 1989 and thanks to our newfound freedom, we finally obtained our transmitter licenses and this greatly accelerated our activity. The club room was rearranged, the anntenas rebuilt and the famous A-412 put to work, this time including its transmission side, leading to more participation in contests and energizing all our activities.
New children joined the club and studied for the exams. Stefania, YO9GJY, got her license at the age of 9 years, becoming in 1994 the youngest amateur in the country and our club station’s first national champion.
In 2005, after intense theory and practical preparation, 13 of our young members obtained their licenses, forming the nucleus of the club’s hardcore operators.
It must be said that we received invaluable help from Romanian amateurs and from amateurs abroad. George, WB2AQC, an ex-YO, was permanently on our side. At the present time, we have 24 licensed hams and 11 shortwave listeners.
Since Valea Calugareasca is situated in a well-known wine growing region, we organized an annual marathon contest, The Road of the Wine, using the special callsign YP9VIN.
Between September 1-30 2007, 997 different stations contacted YP9VIN. For the fifth running of the contest, 160 amateurs from all over Romania gathered in our QTH, now able to to meet personally after so many on-air contacts.
We try to attract as many new youngsters as possible to amateur radio, the wonderful pastime that engenders better communication between people.
Listen on the bands for YO9KVV and YP9VIN,
QTH Valea Calugareasca, Prahova county, Romania!
Aurel Chiruta, YO9FNR
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