Rudi Renkwitz - about me

Hello,
here is a guy from Mecklenburg (german baltic coast area), being hit by the 'HF-bacteria'. Quite a while ago, in 1964 (I was 14 then), my parents bought the 'Ilmenau 480', a radio receiver for long- and medium-wave reception, as well as a continuous shortwave range from 19 to 49 metres. There I received some strange signals between the various broadcast band, but this radio dememodulated only AM-signals. Antenna used was a 6m indoor wire.

Like many other young people those days I listened to 'Radio Luxemburg' and all the active pirate radio stations, and also german language broadcasts. A radio amateurs newspaper gave some informations. I started collecting QSL-cards and pennants, and became a member of international DX-clubs, like the 'Radio Canada short wave club'. My large amount of correspondence with 'western' broadcast stations led to talks with state agencies, and it ended my DXing. BC-DX was not really encouraged in the GDR those days.
Unfortunately I lost some of received QSLs at that time, like from GPO Wellington and from AM station YST in El Salvador, also many reports and/or answers were lost du to postal restrictions.
Those days there was the possibility to operate HAM-Radio, either as listener or as operator, so I used this possibility and joined station DM3EB.
This influenced my professional and private activities, so until now I always was active as radio operator in work and social activities. In the GDR I was granted a SWL- and a HAM-license after attending the necessary training.
While working at a gas pipeline construction site in the Ukraine, I used a 'VEF 206' transistorized radio from Riga, where I added a self-made BFO, and I also had access to the communications receiver 'EKD 315' of that construction site

After the political changes in the GDR and the german reunion I restarted my interest in amateur- and utility- radio. My main interest was then weather staions and NDBs.
I am still active in the amateur bands with callsigns DK7OM for QSOs and DE6SWR for listening.

Actual equipment used:
TRX/RX: FT-817ND, IC-7300, IC-706MKIIG, IC-910H / PERSEUS (SDR)
ANT: MA5B, Dipole, 13el-Yagi (2m), 14el-Yagi ( 70cm), X50N, MiniWhip

Amateur shortwave radio frequencies here are free from QRM, but for broadcast and utility frequencies, there is much QRM by TV an PLC.
More details here: https://www.qrz.com/lookup (DK7OM)

73 from Mecklenburg,

Rudi