This is a special callsign for the celebration of the launch of the tugboat Elbe 60 years ago. It will be used during 2019 and the start of 2020. A special QSL card is available through the buro. We will operate on Saturday mornings from the harbour of Maassluis in CW and phone.
You'll find more info on the page of PI4DWN, the regular callsign for amateur operations from the Elbe.
A group of Dutch radio amateurs - PAØJBB (Hans), PA8DWN (Dick) and PA9HR (Herman) - is on the air from the original radio cabin of the oceangoing tugboat the Elbe from the harbour of Maassluis, about 20 Km west of Rotterdam. The tugboat Elbe was built in 1959 and was one of the most powerfull tugboats of its time. In the past the Elbe was also used by Greenpeace. The restoration of the ship is completed, a group of 60 volunteers has restored it to its original status. The original callsign of the ship was PDWN. We use the restored ship's transmitter and its antenna, additionally we use equipement for radio amateur use. The orignal transmitter, the SRA MT 600 transmitter, made by SRA in Sweden, has been restored by Dick with Herman searching the internet for replacement parts. All transformers were affected by seawater, due to the sinking of the Elbe in 2004. Luckily Automatic Electric Europe in Schagen was willing to produce new transformers free of charge. The restoration took about 1.200 hours. The MT 600 is now capable to transmit on 7.018 Khz in the 40 metreband in crystal CW operation. We use it together with the Philips BX 925 receiver. On other frequencies we use an ICOM-756 PRO III.
We also have the possibility to work on 472 Khz with the SAIT, a Belgian emergency transmitter for 500 Khz. Output abt 100 Watts, this transmitter is used together with the BC 348-r receiver.
QSL: via PA8DWN
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