Some infos about me:
I got my amateur radio license in March 1982 and my first QSO I ever had was with
DD9MZ, Hans in Augsburg on a 70 cm repeater!My second QSO was on 10 GHz
with a friend who just completed a home-made-TRX. He was testing his new rig and
made a "dx-qso" for a distance of about 1500 m! So I got the opportunity to make a qso too!!
What a start in a "DX" career!!
My first callsign was DG3MBC. (Whoever reads these lines and got a qsl from me from those times, I search for these old cards! Contact me please.)
A year and 4 months later, I passed my CW exam and after 862 QSOs on 2m and 70cm in FM and SSB I got my new call sign DH1MAR .
CW and DXing should now became two of my greatest passions.
My call sign today is DK1AX
My first QSO in CW - being very nervous and with damp fingers, prescribed text and finally a cramp in my fingers - I had a few days after the CW test with G4RKK on 80 m! Thousands should follow! Today, I am the owner of the 10-Band-DXCC award and of course the DXCC in CW (318 confirmed, 318 worked)!
The first DX-QSO I had on 9.7.1983 at 28 MHz with 5N0UDB, Udo in Lagos, Nigeria!
So began my hunting for DX stations and that still has not stopped until today!
During this time I first bought a Kenwood TS 430, I sold it after 2 years and purchased a new ICOM IC 751. I used narrow CW filters, FM module (expecting the open 10-meter band, even to use the repeaters on 29 MHz!) and so on.
This transceiver is still in my possession and was in use almost every day! The receiver part of this ICOM was great! Many tests made later, with much more expensive and more modern equipment from different manufacturers could not top this receiver!
Open minded for all new things I always had fun with the so-called special modes in amateur radio like packet radio, AMTOR, RTTY and now PSK, HELL, SSTV, OLIVIA etc! Everything is written in my log.
By the way, speaking about my log: at the time when I got my license, we had still had to keep a log: containing detailed information about name, location, QSO data, output power and last but not least: signature.
Then, I bound these old logbooks all into two books and so I got two really thick - in the truest sense of the word - logbooks. These books stand in my shack and I always enjoy browsing through them. I will continue it this way for the next years as well.
With the appearance of the computer, I hade to put thousands of QSOs in a dBase database I made, so I used a homemade logbook for the next years. Later, I used a commercial program Swisslog and today I use HAM-Office, a very good software too! So I am lucky, I have all my QSOs digitally recorded!
As far as the time allowed, I made a lot of homebrewed amateur radio stuff. Less transceivers or so but much VHF, UHF and especially short waves antennas.
I never had the opportunity, to raise big antennas: I have never owned a beam - only long wire antennas. First a FD4 - windom antenna - than a W3DZZ and later only self-made dipoles for different amateur bands.
Today I use a self-made multi band dipole which I feed symmetrically. My motto: better 100 watt into a dipole than 1 kW into a dummy!
With these antennas I reached the DXCC in mixed mode and the DXCC in CW!!!
And a lot of other awards (see my homepage).
Until now, I never had a PA! I made qrm with maximum 100 W. Amazing, it was fine with low power too. Practicing HAM-spirit, a good operating technique, ability and patience always helped me!
In the future perhaps I will experience something new: I will try to get familiar with a ACOM 1500.
These antennas and this power output gave me until today exactly 318 DXCC entities which I worked, and were confirmed 318 by QSL cards including LotW (in June 2015).
My shack
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For my website I have scanned all my QSL cards of all confirmed DXCC entities and put them online.
A comment in this case: it is very disappointing for me, seeing the returning quote of the QSL cards! Especially the DX stations - the very rare stations - you really have to buy every card! Often I have to spend about 5 EUR ? which is about 9 US$ to get a rare card!! I can remember other times!
But I have also positive, unforgettable experiences! My best QSO for ever!
One day I called in CW on 15m "cq cq". To be honest: I didn't aspect any answer! Who expects an answer with 100 W and an indoor FD4-windom?? But a station was coming back to my call, a little bit quite, but good to copy! The call sign was quick written on paper and I had a great QSO with Juan! Not only faifnainnain tu gl. For the first moment I didn't associate the call HK0ER with a rare station, but after I finish the QSO, I amazed to hear hundreds of stations calling Juan! So I was the lucky first one, then a very big pile up starts - a pile up, where I never had a chance to break it with my equipment! After that, I took a look in the callbook and in my radio amateur's map and found San Andres Island!! I was proud and happy, I had worked this station! By the way, we exchanged QSLs via direct! This QSL is one of the most beautiful and precious for me!
What perhaps is important too: from 1993 to 2006 - this is 13 long years - I was QRT! No microphone and no keyer in my hands! Sometimes, the life took the microphone in his own hand and is doing his own qso!
But once HAM, HAM for ever!
Today I am qrv from 2m, 6m, 10m (if the sunspots are with us) to 160m!!
I had the opportunity to operate from:
DQ2006P (2006), DC0ASP (2006-2013), DK0ASP (2006-2013), DL2A (2006-2013), DQ4W (2007-BCC, bavarian contest club station), OZ5E (2007 CQWWDX CW), DA0BCC (2008), DL0AO (2008, 2009 CQWWDX SSB and CW), DK0NS/p (2009 IARU Region 1 Fieldday), DP6A (2009 and 2010 WAEDC CW), DR4W (2010-2013), SM/DK1AX and LA/DK1AX in summer hollidays 2009, EA8/DK1AX (2010+2011) with my K1 (qrp, 5 W) from Tenerife, S9DX (Feb. 2011), ZK2C (Feb. 2012), ZK2CD (Feb. 2012), DL2A (DLFF-146 first activation), OE/DK1AX (SOTA OE/TI-178 first activation, july 2012), HB9/DK1AX (SOTA HB/VS-110, august 2012), OE/DK1AX/P (SOTA OE/TI-119, 434, 228 and 373), 5W0M (2013), A35AX (2014), ZL/DK1AX (2014), DL65DARC (2015), OZ/DK1AX (2015), DK65DARC (2015), DL0HN/p .... to be continued!
I hope to make a QSO with you!
Okay, that's it for now about me.
For questions, comments or suggestions or for a sked: please send me a mail or call me on the qrg!!
Klaus-Dieter Graef
- DK1AX -
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Japan
), KL7/JR3IXB(9/10/03-9/13/03), KP2/JR3IXB(11/21/03-11/24/03) , KP4/JR3IXB(12/28/04-1/1/05) & KH6/JR3IXB(4/19/15-4/26/15): LoTW or SASE only, please.
ARLHS POL 071 (Stepnica Range Front) 
ARLHS POL 072 (Stepnica Range Rear)
Lights activated:
