MY CALLSIGNS

I1-10089 – SWL, Short Waves Listener, callsign, released to me during 1961.

I1SWX – this was my first amateur radio callsign, issued in 1993. In origin it belonged to my father Giuseppe (see History).

I5SWX – When the Italian Ministry of PTT reviewed the callsign prefixes, using the first number of the Italian postal code, my call changed into I5SWX as my official residence was in Tuscany. I did not operate much with it as, at that time, I was working and living in England.

I2SWX – When I was transferred to the Italian office, I had my residence near Milan (Lombardia Region), in Cologno Monzese [see Photo]. I became I2SWX.

I0SWX – Following a new job position, I was moved to Rome (Region of Lazio) in 1978. I became I0SWX, first at the QTH of Tor San Lorenzo [see Photo] (Ardea – South of Rome) and, in a second time, at Rignano Flaminio (North of Rome) [see Photo].

I7SWX – In 1984, my Company requested my move to Bari (Region Apulia), a city on the Adriatic Sea, in the South East of Italy (Here are the sacred remains of San Nicola [Saint Nicolas]). I then became I7SWX with the new QTH in Palese-Macchie (Bari), in the proximity of Bari Airport [see Photo], In 1993 I moved my residence to Casamassima, 20 km (15-16 miles) South of Bari [see Photo], a small town said to be an antique Roman Army site [Castra Maxima] of General Maximus … but this is probably not true… the real origins are different. It is here the actual QTH of I7SWX.

My Operations outside Italy

During my working and living period in the United Kingdom (1965-1969), it was not possible to obtain an amateur radio license, as there was no reciprocity between Italy and UK. Every year I applied for the license and every year I received the same reply “No reciprocity signed by the Italian Government. Sorry”.

After my return to Italy, due to a job transfer, the reciprocity between various European Countries started. At this time and on the following years, my business travelling around Europe and the USA was quite active. During these trips I have always carried a VHF FM handheld RTX and two antennas. One was a wire ground plane, “007 style”, I was attaching on the hotels windows. The second one was a homemade half a wave flexible antenna, for mobile use, when I was staying for several days and renting a car. QSOs were mainly on 2 meters FM with exceptions, when I was able to visit some friends or other OM and had the pleasure to operate HF. Operations were made, portable, from: G, EI, DL, PA, HB9, F, EA, OH, ON, W1, W2, W3, W7, KP4, 9Y. In 1966 and 1967, I operated from 4U1ITU, in Geneva, Switzerland, during my holiday trips from UK to Italy, while stopping in Geneva. In 1977, when there was no permit possibility in USA, I was able to operate, for a day, from the famous ARRL station, W1AW, located in Newington, Connecticut. In 1978 I was able to operate from the Vatican Station HV3SJ (Extra Territorial Site).

W1-I7SWX – I was the holder of a USA Alien Amateur Radio Permit, yearly renewed, from 1980, first as I0SWX, [see photo], till 2000, as I7SWX [see photo]. Following the signature of the CEPT agreement by the US FCC, it is no more necessary to apply for the Alien Permit, [see photo]. as all operation is under reciprocity.

The major operation is in 2M FM, /P from Hotels [see photo], or /M from rented cars [see photo]. Operation on HF and 50MHz, from USA, is mainly done from the stations K1GBX, Art Greenberg, [see photo] and KM1D, Ray Donadt [see photo].

I took part to the 1998 National Field Day, operating the W1DVC 50 MHz station of the Harvard Repeater Club (Massachusetts). I took direct part to some contests “only USA stations”, while in W1-land, generating quite a good amount of confusion to several stations, given the “complex’ and not so “usual” callsign W1-I7SWX.

I like to tell a short story ... While I was staying at a Motel, along Route 2 in Concord, Massachusetts, and were I spent the majority of my  visiting time, between 1998 and 1999, I was using my wire 2 meters Ground Plane, stucked on the glass window, using transparent tape. A vertical wire and two hizontal wire, plus the RG58 coax cable. A  007 “look”... [see photo]. One day, the man that usually was looking after the cleaning of the room, a gentleman from India, had to move the coax cable to pass the carpet sucker. I was in the room. He looked at me and with a smile asked me: “CB?” ... I replied: “No. Ham”.  His face, from smiling, changed into a surprised expression ... and went away saying “Ahh, ahh..”. I am sure he understood wrong my reply... “Ham” from pigs...hi!

F5VGU & F-I7SWX– During 1998, following a new job posting in the South of France, “Cote d”Azur”, working at the European Customer Service Main Office of a USA Company, world leader in Digital Video Servers, I started my operation in VHF as F-I7SWX. First from an Hotel in Sophia Antipolis, near Nice and Cannes, in the Department of Alpes Maritimes (06). When I found an apartment, where to live with my wife Jean, during September 1998 I moved to Frejus, in the Department of VAR (83) [see photo]. In March 1999 I was able to find a better living solution and moved to Saint Raphael [see photo], just over 1 km (0.8 miles) apart. When I retuned from Chile I applied for the French license, I received the call F5VGU [see photo], in line with the CEPT directives (after 3 months of continuous residence in the same place the foreign CEPT ham has to apply for and operate with the local license callsign). At the beginning of 2001 I had to seek for another place where to live and, strangely, I moved back to Frejus [see photo], were I lived till end of March 2004, when I retired back to I7-land.

CE3-I7SWX – For over seven months I lived in Santiago de Chile, to support a project with a primary Chilean Cable TV Company in Santiago. During this long, pleasant and enjoyable stay I was able to operate HF mainly from CE3AA, the official station of the RCCH, Radio Club de Chile. [see “Radio Club: Visiting]. I was also able to operate from  the station of the well known YL Teresa, CE3NBW [see photo].

W7-I7SWX - During my trip to meet my good friend Bill Carver, W7AAZ (ex K6OLG), I operated from his station [see photo] in Twin Falls City, Idaho, and also from K7HK, Harry Kokinakis, in Tooele, near Salt Lake City Utah [see photo].

73s de I7SWX
Giancarlo Moda