My hamradio live
My journey into amateur radio began around 1983, when I first became interested in electronics.
Initially, I started with simple constructions, but gradually transitioned to amateur radio broadcasting. My first experiences on the air were under the call sign OL5VGP, which was then assigned to young operators aged 15–19. During this time, I managed to establish 3,668 connections on the 160 m and 2 m bands. The OL5VGP station ceased operations on November 22, 1987.
I operated from my hometown QTH in Broumov, where I was part of the radio club OK1KIX. My first contact was on August 4, 1984, with the now-deceased Vašek OK1GA from Kutná Hora, using FM on the OK0C repeater. This connection was made with the then-popular device “Boubín 80,” which is no longer in use today but was highly popular at the time.
During this early period, I made hundreds of connections, mostly via OK0C, where I gradually honed my operating skills. However, I soon realized that this wasn’t entirely for me, and I began training in Morse code. A few months later, I passed another exam and was granted permission to operate on the 160 m band.
On the 160 m band, I used the now-obsolete “Jizera” device and a wire antenna, which bore little resemblance to the VS1AA antenna. Despite this simple equipment and a power output of only 10 W, I made many contacts across Europe and Asia. Even though Broumov's geographical location was quite unfavorable, I focused all my efforts on operating on the 144 MHz band.
This led to modifications of the “Boubín” device, which I retuned to 144 MHz, and I also set up the Petr 104 device. I built a simple telegraph transmitter and the TRX Kentaur, which allowed me to continue my experiments. In 1988, I obtained my OK1FID license, which took effect on July 1, 1988.
I initially used my own Kentaur device, but it was eventually replaced by the RACOM R2CW transceiver, which I used for many years. My focus was mainly on the 144 MHz band, but in 2003, I switched to shortwave operations and acquired an IC746Pro transceiver. For my 50th birthday in 2018, I purchased an even better device, the YESU FT-DX5000MP, which I still use today.
Currently, I focus exclusively on shortwave operations. On March 1, 2005, I requested a change of my call sign to OK1CO, which is more suitable for both telegraphy and voice communications. In 2020, I also used the special event call sign OL700CO to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the first mention of the town of Dobruška.
Statistics of my ham radio contacts
DXCC Summary - summary of contacts with different country
IOTA summary - summary of Isle On The Air
2024-10-05
