I think I was born with the virus radio. I call it a virus because it's not really a hobby anymore. I've always had a great fondness for tinkering with electronics. I tore formerly been home radios apart, only I did not know then how to put them together again.

In my hometown Amsterdam I sat evenings 3 m listening to all the amateurs and the stories about occilators, buffers, amplifiers and modulators. I also dreamed of. Radio waves make. After much reading and experimenting then I was able to a stray occilator 3 to meters and with my portable radio on my bike I could see how far the signal came. (Not so far 😉 In those days you could not really much to ask others because there was an air of mystery around it and the regular licensed amateur was often too arrogant to share knowledge with such an ignoramus. So again…….read. I think I then read all the books that have sold Rotor Radio in Amsterdam.
Nice to find out what those colored rings on those resistors exactly is meant.

After much experimentation and cycling to Radio Rotor, Your, Muco and Electronics Store to replace all burned and blown parts back position he…. My first self-built channel…. I've never gotten rid of him. 3,5 watts into a dipole open to the ceiling in my room on 4 high at my parents' home in Osdorp.
Finally lay the world of amateur open for me and I was able to make connections across the city.

Later I got to know that I've learned a lot east a couple of guys in Amsterdam. Soon we formed a circle of friends and are then merged together for the exam and passed. I still have that piece of paper is best that I have ever met. I still remember how happy I was when the results came in with the communication “Successful”.

Now I almost live again 25 years in Breukelen. I got there after a few years not to have been active in contact with a motley crew who “The Piglets”named. After I sniffed slightly suspicious these piglets on all sides the crowd came to the decision once again to join this weird Amsterdam on their radio weekend at the rink from. Soon came the click together and I was hospitalized with heat in their midst. And after so many years, I can say with confidence that this super guys in one piece, I'm feeling at home.

I'm already years (trial and error) participating in the ATV contests from my location as “The PE1EZU Group). We do it wrong, and every time we try to get some better weather. But ultimately it is also about the joy we experience it. And it's always more fun than to do something with these guys. We still roam the national radio markets together now and have a lot of fun. And for the time being there is still plenty on the shelf off to tinker.

73 Wim PE1EZU