In the summer of 1996 I went on a six week tour of Hungary and Yugoslavia, visiting and photographing the amateurs. Preparing my trip I checked with several travel agents to find the cheapest possible airline tickets. I found that the prices they advertise in major newspapers are only "come-ons," and when I called them up, they gave the real and much higher prices. Not knowing exactly how long this trip will last, I wanted an open ticket, with an unspecified day of return. This kind of ticket is more expensive but it gave some flexibility.

I booked the trip on Austrian Airlines, on the New York - Vienna - Budapest route, and I will not fly with this company again. I was worried about my 38 rolls of high speed film going through the X-ray machine and, as always, I asked the security people to check them visually. Boarding the plane in New York the security check was routine, examining the box of films, opening a few, and looking through the camera. In Vienna however, where I had to change planes, was a different story. Their security people insisted to put the camera and the box of film through their X-ray machine, saying that I can not board the plane if I don’t comply. There were 9 of their people at the gate, three of them busy, other six just hanging around, but none of them was willing, as a matter of courtesy, to do a two minute work. They insisted that their machine is "film safe" which was or wasn’t the case, and that "they just followed orders." It was a long time but I heard that excuse before. Finally after lots of arguments, they decided to check the film, and they opened every of the 38 little containers, but no weapons or bombs were found. On my return, again the same story; hiding besides "they just follow orders" some of the security people were just idling but reluctant to do a two minute extra work.

Arriving to Budapest, I found that the busy people from the Austrian Airlines did not load one of my luggage, and it came on the next flight. My return flight was two hours late but at least my pack came with me.

At the Budapest airport, according to a prearranged plan, I was picked up by Szilard, HA5HR, and taken to the house Sanyi, HA5CO. I did not know any of these two hams before, never had any QSO with them, nevertheless they have offered their help and hospitality.

The first visit was at MRASZ, the Magyar Radio Amator Szovetseg (Hungarian Radio Amateur Association), to meet Bela, HA5EB, its president, and Imre, HA4YD, the secretary. Imre’s wife is Ani HA5YA. Bela, a retired electrical engineer, is running the association as a volunteer; Imre, is employed there. Before the trip I sent them a copy of my license, and on my arrival I received a temporary license that I used in various cities as HA / WB2AQC.

The association, member of IARU, is managed by a large group of very active and capable amateurs, from the central office, the various city and county centers, as well as at the numerous radio clubs spread across the country. Before what they call the "system change," the association and the radio clubs received lots of financial and material help from the state. There were many people employed at various levels, the county radio clubs had full-time staffers, the rents were paid, expenses related to national and international competitions were covered, and the military transferred to them their radio communications surplus. Nowadays the Hungarian amateur radio is burdened with financial difficulties. The clubs are run on voluntary basis, many were closed because they could not pay the rent, and the military prefers to sell their obsolete gear instead of donating them to the clubs. However the enthusiasm of the amateurs, and their willingness to do work for the common cause did not diminish. From their own resources and with the help of some sponsors, amateurs are building club houses, erecting large towers, installing antennas, and are bringing their own equipment, in order to achieve better results in the many contests they participate.

The association is publishing a monthly 56 page booklet, the "MRASZ Kozlemenyek," packed with interesting information. It has a shop, named RELAB, where amateur radio gear is repaired for a reasonable fee, and a central QSL bureau where Gabi HA5NK is in charge. The bureau handles yearly 4,800 lbs of incoming, 4,800 lbs of outgoing cards, and this service is free for the MRASZ members.

The county clubs operate their own QSL bureau. Some clubs, such as Hajdu, Bakony, etc. publish their own bulletins. The Hungarian Old Timer group holds meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at the Bolyai Technical Military Academy, and publishes a quarterly news letter. The members are quite active, they have organized group visits to places like the studios of the Hungarian Radio, and the atomic reactor of the Central Research Institute for Physics.

There are many 2 m and 70 cm open repeaters operating all over the country; using them makes easy to meet local hams. In the capital city most frequently used are the ones on 145.600, on 145.675, and on 434.00 MHz. In Hungary the 2 m band extends only from 144 to 146 MHz.

In the capital city there are many active hams and radio clubs. The clubs are usually sponsored by a state owned or a private company, a county, a municipality or an educational institution. Years ago, the clubs’ callsigns had the letter "K" after the district number, which in Budapest is "5." Nowadays they can have any three letter suffix, and for contests they can use special calls with a single letter suffix.

The Public Transportation Company is sponsoring a radio club using the HA5KDX and HA5BVK calls, and HG5A or HA5KDQ in contests. The club has about 90 to 100 members; meeting day is Wednesday, it starts at about 5:00PM. They have a room for the station and a shop equipped with machine tools and test instruments. I met there Ernest HA5ZD the club secretary, Peter HA5CQA, Gabor HG5CNC, Sanyi HA5AN, Csaba HA5CKO, Miky HA5CJM, Feri HA5BFF, and a couple of operators without personal calls. On the roof of the company’s tall building there is vertical antenna and a big tower with a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m. The club also has a contest station on top of the Harmashatar Mt., at about 1,500 feet. The building has about 10 rooms; a couple of radio rooms, sleeping quarters, shop, kitchen, etc. In one of the radio rooms there are three huge army surplus linear amplifiers. They use many and diverse antennas installed on five separate towers, ranging from 33 to 138 feet. The tallest has a 2 times 8 element Yagi for 2 m; a 6 element monoband Yagi for 12 m; a 4 times 3 element Yagi for 15 m, fixed in JA direction; verticals for 2 m and 70 cm; inverted V for 160; and a loop antenna for 80 m. The 82 feet tower has a 16 element Yagi for 2 m; a 3 element monobander for 10 m; and a 8 times 8 Yagi for 2 m, fixed in DL direction. The 72 footer has a 8 element Yagi for 2 m; a 25 element Yagi for 70 cm; and a 6 element monoband Yagi for 15 m. The 53 feet tower has only a 6 element Yagi for 10 m. The 33 footer has a 3 element monobander for the 20 m band. With about 25 operators and the kilowatts they pump in their antennas, this multi-multi station is a real great competitor. Not being a contest day I met there only two operators: Gabor HG5CNC, and Simon HA5IW whose wife Vali is HG5BIW. The club has several types of cards and the operators are reliable QSLers.

While I was in Budapest I stayed in the house of Sanyi HA5CO and his wife Marika, a holocaust survival. Sanyi, a retired research engineer from Tungsram is in charge with the association’s library, the archives, and the ham memorabilia. He is the organizer of the amateur radio section of the Museum of Radio and Television in Diosd, near the capital city. His home made transmitter, built many years ago is there on display. Sanyi also writes in MRASZ’s monthly publication a column about the history of amateur radio in Hungary. With all this voluntary work, he still finds time to be daily on the air using 250 W and a vertical antenna, and is a good QSLer.

Szilard HA5HR, a retired electrical engineer, is the past editor of "MRASZ Kozlemenyek," and still its frequent contributor. On the air he is giving his name as Alex because it is easier for foreigners. Szilard was licensed in 1938 as YR5BP, in Brasov, Romania. He is pushing 250 Watts into a 3 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, is also active on 2 m, and he does QSL.

I visited Marta HA5FQ, daughter of the late Janos HA5AM, who for decades was one of the top HA hams. Marta is an electronic technician working at the airport. She is the leader of the HA-YL club, with over 60 members. Her companion is Tibi HA5RE, a retired electronic technician, licensed in 1952. He is active on SSB, SSTV, RTTY, Pactor, is on packet and DX cluster. Both have several types of QSLs. They are using a well equipped station with a VK2ABQ type wire beam for 10-15-20 m; a 3 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, and an inverted V for 40 and 80 m.

I also saw Gizi HA5BAM, mother of Marta HA5FQ and widow of Janos HA5AM. Gizi, licensed in 1986, is active with a 100 W transceiver, and she sends QSL cards.

In 1973, during a short stop-over in Budapest, I met Joska HA5DJ, a retired electrical engineer. That time he was one of the two hams who dared to meet me, a "capitalist-imperialist" amateur from the USA. After 23 years we met again; we both got older, smaller and prettier. Joska, now 83, is supplementing his meager pension by grounding quartz crystals for transceivers. He is a builder, an experimenter, a contester, and has a nice card.

Many hams enjoy building at least part of their station. The easiest way is using kits even when a project requires X number of parts, probably will be X minus Y parts in the box. A caution: not all improvements will make thing works better. A suggestion: when you are checking out a newly built amplifier, tuning it for maximum smoke should be done outdoors so you neighbors will think you are an Indian sending signals.

I saw the station of Sanyi HA5JS, a retired army officer. He operates on 10-15-20-40-80 m bands using a Kenwood TS-120 and a W3DZZ antenna. He is also on 2 m with 10 watts and a Trio-Star and a Ringo antenna. Sanyi HA5JS is doing a QTC on the air, every second Monday of the month, at 18:00 GMT, on 3.630 MHz, and on 2 m, reading selected articles from the latest MRASZ bulletin. He also organizes the Hungarian activities of the Jamboree-on-the-air, initiating a special club station operated mostly by Boy Scouts.

Arpi HA5BXQ, a retired radio operator from the metheorogical service, was licensed in 1989. He operates on CW and SSB using a Sommerkamp FT-250, with a ground plane for 10-15-20 m, and a Windom for 40-80 m. Like most of the HA hams he is also on 2 m, and he has a nice card. If it seems so far that most of the Hungarian amateurs are retired people it is because they were more available for photo sessions than the employed ones.

Up on the hills of Buda I found a family of three amateurs. Joska HA5CEC, a founding member of HA5AIR club station at the airport, received his personal call in 1992. He is a retired navigator and radio operator from MALEV, the Hungarian airline. His wife Lonci HA5CSL, a retired radio operator at the airport, presently works as a secretary. She is licensed since 1992. They operate on 2 m and 70 cm, and on packet, using a Trio Star vertical antenna for 2 m, and a Diamond for 2 m and 70 cm. In 1995 Joska operated on 2 m from a hot air balloon. Not bad from a retired person! Their daughter Agnes HA5CXC, licensed in 1995, is an office worker. She is on 80 m CW using a wire dipole, on 2 m packet, and is a good contester. All three have computer generated cards.

Zoltan HA5QE, a retired teacher from the school for the blind, was licensed in 1981. He lost his eyesight in 1956 due to an explosion, during his military service, dismantling a field mine. Ironically enough, the mine was planted at the Austrian border by the Hungarian army to prevent people from escaping to the West. In Budapest, the letter Q after the number 5 indicates that the operator is visually handicapped. Because they ran out such possible callsigns, these blind amateurs started to receive calls with the letter Q as the second letter in their suffix, such as HA5AQA, HA5AQB, etc.

Zoltan HA5QE, author of a published ethnographic study, received his Ph.D. in 1975. He is using a computer based Braille talking program which translates letters into synthesized voice, able the user to hear what the radio, or RTTY, receives from the air. This program was developed by Dr. Arato Andras HA5BDU whose wife is visually impaired due to a childhood accident. Zoltan is also using a "Recognita" reading scanner which reads a typed text, in about 20 different languages, and makes it audible with a synthesized voice.

The State School for the Blind, has from 1981 an amateur radio club HA5KVJ for both sightless and seeing hams. There are about 70 operators, all with personal calls, and the sightless are using typewriters. On a nationwide high speed telegraphy competition for youngsters, the first 19 winners were sightless.

Also in Budapest, more specifically in Buda, I visited Kari HA1ZU/5, an electronic engineer, He is an army officer and professor at the Bolyai Technical Military Academy where the HA5KEH club station is located. Kari, licensed in 1960, is using an FT-747GX, a home made 500 w linear amplifier with a ground plane for 10-15-20 m, a W3DZZ wire antenna for 10-15-20-40-80 m and a vertically polarized 5 element Yagi for 2 m. He made about 16,000 QSOs, and has over 200 DXCC countries. Kari is often judging at national and international high speed telegraphy contests, and is operating from the HA5M military contest club station. Kari’s wife is Ila HG1RH.

Kari HA1ZU/5 is involved in fast scan color TV experiments done at the Puskas Tivadar Technical High School for Radio Communications. There, at the HA5KHC radio club, various construction projects are done and experiments are conducted. With a 10 Watt transmitter, every Monday a prerecorded as well as a live program is transmitted on 1.2 GHz.

The Budapest QSL bureau is run by Gabi HA5NK but when I was there, he was on vacation. However I met Jenci HA5FA, the secretary of BURABU, the Budapest section of MRASZ, Bandi HA5CQ, and Csaba HG5COK, a student at a technical college. Wednesdays, from 4 to 7 PM, local hams come here to drop and pick up their cards. Jenci HA5FA, and his wife Erzsebet HG5YFA, are listed as participants in the ARRL’s International Travel Host Exchange program and they have confirmed their willingness to guide visiting foreign hams. However another HA on the same list did not answer my inquiry. Jenci is a DXer with 320 countries confirmed, a contester and an award hunter. His wife Elisabeth HG5YFA, having a license equivalent to our Technician Plus, works on 10 m and on VHF. Both Jenci and Erzsebet have very nice QSLs.

Bandi HA5CQ, received his first licensed in 1952, lost it in 1956 during the revolution but regained it in 1958. According to the old regulations, hams could use only the foreign languages for which they passed tests. Bandi being polyglot, was authorized to use seven foreign languages. A builder and an experimenter, author of several technical articles, He is using a home made 120 W transceiver and a vertical antenna for SSB, SSTV, RTTY and CW. He is also on packet and Internet. Bandi does QSL. In Budapest I visited two stores specialized in amateur radio equipment. One called "Invisible" is owned by Arpad HA5BUP, and employs Tamas HG5BQT. The other one, much bigger, is called "A & B Trade" and is owned by Laci HA4XW, his wife Marika HA4WX, and an American partner, Joe N9ZVT. Laci and Marika use a very nice, color photo QSL card.

Monthly publications for hams are the excellent Radiotechnika and Hobby Elektronika, now privately owned and published by Feri HA5KU. The magazine has a radio station HA5RT, and an original QSL card.

Some taxi drivers in many large cities are trying to take advantage of foreigners unfamiliar with the rates. In Budapest for example, they have 6 or 8 different rates for different occasions, like night time, out of zone, out of the city, etc. One day I took a taxi from point A to point B and the meter showed 440 forints. A half an hour later, I returned with another taxi from point B to point A and the meter showed 980 forints. And some people don’t believe in miracles.

Now I understand the young man who on a date with a pretty girl asked her:
"Do you know the difference between a taxi and a bus?"
"No" said the unsuspecting girl.
"Very good - said the young man - then let’s take a taxi."

The same man got married and asked his loving wife:
"Would you like to go out for dinner in your old, ugly dress?"
"Certainly not!" was the expected answer.
"I thought so, that’s why I made only one reservation."

My first trip outside Budapest was east to Nyekladhaza. I took a train and arriving to my destination Laci HG9ON and Steve HA9PP were waiting at the station. First I visited Laci HG9ON, a radio communication technician, and his wife Zsoka HG9EL. They are on 2 m and on packet radio. I spent two days in the area as a guest of Steve HA9PP and his family. They live in a new house with a couple of "bugs." One early morning I went to the bathroom, I locked the door with the key, everything was fine until I tried to unlock the door. I found one of the bugs inherent in every new building; the key did not turn; I locked myself in. I tried everything, I was even contemplating of climbing out through a small window but the neighbor’s vicious dog convinced me against it. I was afraid that if I force the key I may break it, then I would have been in a real trouble. I am not in the habit of taking my HT with me to the bathroom but sure it could have helped me. After feeling sorry for myself for awhile I started to pound on the door waking up my hosts. First they got scared but then they approached cautiously the bathroom and we tried to communicate. The key being inside, they could open the door either. They suggested me to throw out the key trough the small window but seeing the big, bad dog, just waiting for somebody to tear up, changed their mind. Finally, but not soon enough, I managed to push out the key though a narrow gap, and I was saved from a fate worst than being locked up in a sultan’s harem.

Steve HA9PP is very active using 100 W, has the DXCC, 5BWAZ, is on the WPX Honor Roll, and is a good QSLer.

Also in Nyekladhaza we went to see Barna HA9CE. He is using an FT-250 with 100 watts into a wire dipole and he sends QSLs. Barna has a short wave "B" license, something like our Advanced. With Steve HA9PP and Lali HA9CM we drove up to the club station of the city of Kazincbarcika HA9BVK. There we met another operator, Imre HA9AX. On a hilltop, on a large lot there are four tall towers with lots of antennas: the 115 footer has a 5 element Yagi for 10 m; the 100 footer has 3 element full size Yagi for 40 m; a second 100 footer caries a 4 element long Yagi for 20 m; and the 92 feet tall tower has a 4 element long Yagi for the 15 m band. The building has a couple of rooms and the station is comprised by an IC-737 followed by a home made 3 kW linear amplifier. With such a station is a sin not to win in contests. They have a nice card.

In Putnok we visited the home station of Imre HA9AX, a radio communication technician and a printer who made QSLs cards for many hams, including a very original for himself. Imre uses a FT-707 and a home made amplifier, and his 2 times 3 element Yagi for 20 m is on the top of his tower.

In the city of Miskolc I found many amateurs. Gyu HA9OA runs a TS-820 with a 600 Watt amplifier into a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, on a tower located on the top of a 10 story building. Gyula also has a sloper for 40-80-160 m. He uses a TS-711 on the 2 m, and is active on color SSTV and works on SSB and in digital modes, and does QSL. His son is Robee HG9MOA.

Pista HA9OF, a retired mechanical engineer, uses 100 watts and a vertical antenna. He is on packet radio and DX cluster. Pista is known to make occasionally long, uninterruptable transmissions. He has QSL cards.

Fred HG9MDA is teaching the use of computers and is a consultant in the field. His real attractive wife Jutka HG9DMJ, in the same profession, is also active, and their operate on 10 m, as well as on 2 m and 70 cm. He has QSL cards, she doesn’t, what happened to the emancipation? Their daughter is Viki.

Peti HA9MBB, a railway traffic controller, has a short wave "C" license, equivalent with our Extra. He is a DXer and operates CW, SSB and color SSTV using 500 watts, a 2 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, and a wire antenna for 30-40-80 m. Peti also has cards.

Eli HA9RE makes documentary films and imports black pearls from South Pacific. On top of a large tower he is using a 3 element full size Yagi for the 40 m; his other antennas were down for maintenance. Eli HA9RE is known for his 1990/91 DXpedition to Niue ZK2XB (I believe); Chatham ZL0AAD/ZL7; and South Cook ZK1XL, as well as for his 1992 DXpedition , with Kari HA8IB, to East Kiribati T32BW; and West Kiribati T30RE, with Miki HA8XX as the QSL manager. He showed us some fascinating videos taken during some of his DXpeditions. Eli has QSL cards and he is a 5-bander: 5BDXCC, 5BWAS, and 5BWAZ.

Also in Miskolc we saw Zsolt HA9TL, a mechanical engineer, licensed in 1985. Zsolt is using an Ephir 5 band, low power transceiver made in the Soviet Union, and an inverted V for 40 and 80 m. He has three different types of QSLs. Tibor HA9TA, another resident of Miskolc, is an electrical engineer. He is running 150 Watts into a vertical for 15 m, a dipole for 10 m, and a multi-band wire antenna for 10 to 80 m. Tibor has a nice card. In the same city we saw Bela HA9OP, an electronic security specialist, with highest class "C" license. Bela is using military surplus and home made equipment, a Commodore computer and wire antennas, and he has QSLs. Did anybody noticed that a TVI caused by a ham’s transmitter shows up only on the set of the biggest, nastiest, most ignorant, and less cooperative neighbor? And it will turn his grass yellow, flood his basement and attract mosquitoes.

In Tiszaluc, a village near Miskolc, we visited Zoli HA9RC a saloon and grocery store owner, licensed in 1975. I asked Zoli what brings him a bigger income, selling booze or food, and I deducted from his answer that people drink more than eat. Zoli is using a vertical antenna, is on packet radio and DX cluster; on color SSTV he worked over 30 countries. He does QSL. At Kiskohaz, on an altitude of over 3,000 feet, we saw the a 2 m repeater HG9RVA, with a packet node HG9PNA operating on 70 and 23 cm. There, in front of the tower I photographed Tom HG9MET, Peter HG9MDP, Tibor HG9AS, Steve HA9PP and his son Peter, Janos HG9MBV and Imre HA9AX.

Finally in Malyi, we visited another "C" (Extra) class licensee: Zoli HA9RQ. He is an electronic specialist and writes technical articles. With his FTDX-400 he pushes 200 watts in two wire dipoles (one at the time!), and does computer logging. Talking about logging, the regulations in Hungary require keeping written logs. This is a leftover from the pre-liberalization era when the authorities demanded copies of written logs to check on the hams’ activities. Today only a single written log is required, and those who do computer logging have to print them out to have them in written form. QSLing is not required but recommended, and Zoli does QSL.

If it seems that I am jumping erratically from district to district is because I am. I followed different itineraries as I was advised by MRASZ. District 7 is surrounding Budapest and extends further east..

Erd is just a couple of miles south-west of the capital city. Sanyi HA5CO took me there by car and we found Tibi HA7TM, and his son Tibi Jr., HA7JHN, in business of installing and maintaining radio-alarm systems. With the ever increasing danger of burglaries, they are quite busy. They operate on all modes including color SSTV, on packet they have a BBS, and for DX cluster they connect either to a Hungarian or to a Slovak node. On their 95 foot tower they have a 6 element Yagi for 10 m, a 3 element Yagi for 20 m, a W2EGH system delta loop for 80 and 160 m, and an inverted V for 40 m. On the roof of their house there is a 3 element Yagi for 15 m and an 8 element Quagi (quad and Yagi combination) for 2 m.

Both father and son have nice QSLs. Not everybody I visited had cards. At a call of Tibi HA7TM on 2 m answered a couple of local youngsters, and shortly after they came for a visit: Laci HG7JOL, Zsolt HG7WBX, Dani HG7JOD and Attila HG7JON. All four have VHF licenses entitled them to operate on 10 m as well as on 2 m and 70 cm.

Janos HA7JOJ, a retired businessman, has a short wave license therefore he can use all the amateur radio bands. Janos has a vertical antenna for 10-15-20 m, is on SSB, packet radio and DX cluster.

Attila HG7JON is one of the young men who came to Tibi HA7TM. He just finished high school and opened a radio-TV and computer repair shop in his house. Attila operates on 2 m with a tiny transceiver and a home made amplifier; on 10 m he is using a 5/8 wavelength vertical antenna.

Nagytarcsa is just about 6 miles from Budapest, to reach it by car is about 10 minutes. Sanyi HA5CO and I have decided to use public transportation and it took us over an hour to get to our destination. First we took a trolley to the subway, then a suburban train, finally a bus. On our way back, again we took four different means of public transportation. This long and complicated trip was worth because we saw Laci HA7XL, an army officer, licensed in 1969. Laci HA7XL has an industrial transceiver but a lot of his equipment, such as a 2 kW amplifier, an electronic keyer with memory, the antenna rotating system, etc., are made by him. He prefers CW contacts and made over 90,000 QSOs, he is on packet, DX cluster and has 311 countries confirmed for his DXCC. Laci experiments with antennas. On the roof of his 4 story building he has two 33 feet high towers. On one he has a 3 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m and a HB9CV type Yagi for 12 m. On the other tower there is a 2 element quad for 15 m and a single element quad for 17 m, as well as one end of a 274 feet long wire for 160-80-40-30 m. Laci HA7XL is the coordinator for the Hungarian Radio Amateur Association’s award program, manager for several awards, and several types of nice QSLs.

In Szent Endre, population 30,000, about 12 miles north of Budapest, I visited Sanyi HA7VK, licensed in 1968, a telecommunications engineer working for the State Department. His wife Judith HA7RJ, licensed recently in 1996, is an economist. They have a very nice station with a TS-850S transceiver and a 1 kW Alpha 77D amplifier, as well as a TS-780 for 2 m and 70 cm. They do computer logging with a program made by HA5NG and widely used by HA hams. The antenna is a Hy Gain DX88 for 8 bands, and a dipole for 80 m. Sanyi HA7VK operated from 1991 to 1995 in Cambodia as XU7VK making over 28,000 QSOs, and together with Judit, about 7,000 contacts with the XU95HA special call. He had a two months assignment in North Korea, applied for a license but with all his good relations with the authorities, he could not get one.

From Budapest I took a train west to Herend, famous for its porcelain industry. At the railway station an amateur was waiting and took me by car to the top of the Hajag plateau, about 2,100 feet high. There, at the contest station HA2KSD of the Bakony radio club was a get-together. Many hams pitched tents, the rest were housed in two buildings. A small empty cave could be visited, after a long walk through the woods, but once you saw one empty cave, you saw them all. Added attraction to the location is the nearby abandoned Soviet nuclear rocket launching facility. It has three 165 feet towers for radar, 286 rooms, many of them deep inside the mountain, and had 8 rockets.

There are three towers used by hams, all about 120 feet high, carrying various types of antennas. I operated for a while on 2 m making lots of contacts with HA and OM stations. We had a common dinner, the traditional Hungarian goulash, and I met many people: Kalman HA1SO, Laci HA2RI, Miki HG2SF, Bela HG2SV the club’s president, Marta HA5FQ, Tibi HA5RE, Kalman HG2EPQ, Zoli HA2RQ, Balazs HA2EQF, Dezso HA2SK, Peter HA2PD, Pista HA2PL, Agi HG5ZB and her husband Janos HA5ZA, Zoli HA2ERO, Feri HA2TT, Ani HA4YN and her husband Laci HA4YN, Geza HA2RN, Miklos HG5CBM, Peter HG5BHE, Jancsi HA5ZA, and many others.

With Feri HA2TT and Laci HA2RI we drove to the city of Ajka to see its well equipped radio club HA2KRP. The club has its own building in the center of the town, a factory made modern transceiver and a 2.5 kW military surplus amplifier. The antennas are on top of two towers, one is a 66 footer, the other one is just 52. We met there Janos HA2RP, the chief of club, and Zsolt, an operator without personal call. Both the club and Janos, have QSL cards.

From Ajka, Laci HA2RI took me to his house in Szentgal where I spent the night. In 1965 he got his VHF license as HG2RI, and in 1970 he upgraded to short wave license as HA2RI. He designed and built most of his equipment; his 2 m and 70 cm converter, the 23 cm converter, and a linear amplifier operating from 70 cm to 80 m, all look and work like factory made. Laci HA2RI works on satellites using helicoidal antennas; 70 cm for uplink and 2 m for downlink. On his 66 feet tall tower he has a horizontally polarized 18 element Yagi for 70 cm, an 18 element Yagi with similar polarization for 2 m, and a vertically polarized 9 element Yagi for the 2 m repeaters. Laci’s QSL has an original design. His brother Kalman is HG2EPQ.

After Szentgal I went to other districts, even to Yugoslavia, but after my return I came back to the 2nd district. The first city was Tatabanya, about 40 miles west from Budapest, population around 76,000. Tatabanya used to have rich coal mines but the coal ran out and city is struggling with high unemployment.

At the railway station, Pista HA2NC, was waiting for me and we went to his place of business: a private computer school. Pista was licensed in 1981 and he has in his school a small radio club with a station HA2KNC. Both the club and Pista, its chief operator, have QSLs. The best and most enthusiastic operator is the 12 years old Peti. They are using a Yaesu FT-747GX pushing 100 watts into a wire dipole for 15-20-80 m. They are also on 2 meters and on packet. Pista HA2NC is good in public relations, constantly bringing the spotlight on amateur radio and his computer school. Often he invites reporters from the local press to write about his endeavors. While I was there, a crew from the local television came to cover the activities in his radio club and his computer school, and he proudly displayed his old radio collection.

We visited Laci HG2EAC, a retired electrician, licensed in 1955. Laci is operating on 2 m with 10 W and a vertical antenna, and he uses QSL cards.

We also saw Peter Jr. HG2EBC, a computer specialist licensed in 1990. He is only on 2 meters and on packet. Not too many VHF operators have QSLs but Peter Jr. has one. His father Peter Sr. is HG2EBP.

Pali HG2ECX a retired communications technician was first licensed in Canada in 1988 as VE3UKT, and he received his Hungarian license in 1994. Pali is mostly on packet using a vertical antenna for 2 m, for 70 cm he has a 6 element Yagi. Pali is also on Internet.

Next we visited a young couple: Laci HA2EBO, an electrician, and his wife Timi HA2ECY, a computer programmer. Both received their short wave licenses in 1995. They are on 2 m packet and use a German program called "Graphic Packet." The antenna for 2 m is the HB9TV type and has 2 elements.

Last we went to see Attila HA2ME in his radio repair shop but could not take his picture because his amateur radio equipment, unused for a long time, was buried under a pile of junk.

I met amateurs in many profession but I did not see a medical doctor. I guess they are very busy people. I heard that at the heaven’s gate, a man waiting on line was laughing hysterically.

"What is that funny?" inquired St. Peter.

"Imagine Pete, I am here for an hour and down there the doctors are still operating on me!" As I said, they are busy people.

From Tatabanya I took an early morning bus and went to Siofok, on the south shore of Lake Balaton. On the way, when the bus stopped at Szekesfehervar, I watched the "the three card monties" and their accomplices, real performing artists, fleecing some of the naive passengers. At the Siofok bus station Joska HA3GJ, "Mr. Amateur Radio," was waiting for me. In this town Joska is the soul and engine of ham radio. He is also in the central leadership of the Hungarian Radio Amateur Association. Joska HA3GJ has a very well equipped station shared with his wife Susan HA3GQ and his son Thomas HA5GI, a computer specialist. Most of their equipment is industrial but the 1kW amplifier is home made. On a 40 foot tower there is a 5 element, German made Fritzel beam for 10-15-20 m, a 4 times 12 element Swan Yagi for 2 m, a 24 element Yagi for 70 cm, a 40 element Yagi for 23 cm, and a Star wire beam antenna for 40-80 m, with 4 legs, each 137 feet long. In 1967, Joska founded the Siofok radio club HA3KGJ, and he is its unchallenged president. The club has many rooms: one for the radio station, in another is a shop, there is one for YL radio club founded 10 years ago, and they even have an interesting radio museum with old equipment, tubes, parts, etc. The radio club has the reputation that has trained several national and international champions in high speed telegraphy, mostly girls, such as Kati HA3FRK, Eva HA3FRE, Vera HA3FRV, Yvette HA3KY,Virag HA3LD, Edit HA3LP, Betty HA3KX, as well as Evelin, Timi, Viki, and other operators of the YL radio club station, without personal calls.

Vera HA3FRV, a high school student licensed in 1995, operates both the YL club station HA3XYL and her home station where she is using 100 Watts and a ground plane. Her grandfather Pali is HG7JIT. Sometimes this hobby skips a generation.

Yvette HA3KY, licensed in 1986, started code at the age of 10, was trained like the other girls by Joska HA3GJ, and became a world champion in high speed telegraphy. She participates in contests, in special in YL contests. Edit HA3LP, licensed in 1987, and Betty HA3KX, licensed in 1986, are sisters, both were also trained by Joska from age 10, and became champions. They are also contesters and participate at fox hunts. In Siofok I went to see Imre HA3HE, a carpenter and furniture salesman licensed in 1972, and his wife Rozsa HG3IQ, a bookkeeper, licensed since 1980. Their daughter Erika is HA3FRH. We got there late in evening, I saw but I could not photograph their tower with a 5 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, a 10 element Yagi for 2 m, and a W3DZZ type wire antenna for 40 and 80 m. Imre HA3HE is a high speed telegraphy world champion, a contester, and a DXer with over 200 countries confirmed. All these, and after harvesting the grapes in his vineyard, he still has time to make barrels of fine wine in his cellar.

By the way, Joska HA3GJ, also has a wine cellar and vineyard, where he is organizing little hamfests. Nearby is his weekend house with a tower, antennas and station.

We went to see Csaty HA3IU, licensed in 1968, retired from an oil company, and his wife Erzsi HG3JO, licensed in 1982, a retired librarian. Their daughter Agi, HG3JP, licensed in 1982, is studying computer sciences. They use a Yaesu FT-757GX, a ground plane for 10-15-20 m and a 9 element Swan type Yagi for 2 m. They also have some home made equipment, like the power supply, a TNC, etc. They are on packet and do computer logging.

It is known that private initiative is more productive than official bureaucracy. The last Hungarian Callbook was published about 5 years ago. A new one will be published when the government’s department of radio communications will make available an updated list. I participated in a round table discussion where an official of the above named department explained long and in detail why they can not have such a list. On the other hand, Csaty HA3IU, on his own, made such a list and gave me a copy on a computer disk, which I mailed to the publisher of Callbook. As they say it: "the difference between possible and impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer." Also initiative and perseverance.

In Hungary until recently, married women used their husbands’ name with the suffix "ne." For example if Kis Ani married Nagy Pal, she became Nagy Palne, loosing her own name. Nowadays, the ladies when they get married have a choice to go the old way, or to keep their own name, or to add the husbands’ name after their own. This explains that while there are many XYL amateurs in Hungary, in the Callbook one can find only very few female first names. Being on the subject, a woman complained to her friend: "My husband and I went to every doctor in town but I still could not get pregnant."

"Go alone" was her advice.

Another story on the same line. A man about 70, married a woman about 20. A friend asked him:

"Why did you merry such a young lady instead one of your age? She will cheat on you."

"That’s all right - answered the old man - I better have 20 % of a good deal than 100% of a bad one!"

Joska took me to Ali HA3LI, licensed in 1981, former army officer, now a businessman. Ali’s Ukrainian born wife Lena HA3LY, licensed in 1995, is a Russian-Hungarian translator. Their baby Ana-Maria has to wait 14 years, the legal limit to receive a callsign. Ali HA3LI, also a student of Joska HA3GJ, is on packet, operates SSB and RTTY, does computer logging, is a contester and a DXer with over 270 countries confirmed. Lena HA3LY was trained by, who else than her husband Ali HA3LI. They use an IC-738 and a 1 kW amplifier. The 72 feet high tower supports a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, a 2 times 12 element Yagi for 2 m, and a 20 element Quagi for 70 cm.

Also in Siofok we visited Gabi HA3JB, licensed in 1982, a policeman patrolling the Lake Balaton. Gabi is using a Yaesu FT-900, pushing 100 Watts into a Hustler vertical. He is on packet, is a contester, a DXer with 274 countries confirmed, and a DXpeditioner. Gabi operated as SV4/HA3JB, OM/HA3JB, 3V8BB, SV8/HA3JB, and was preparing to go and work as TA/HA3JB. The European hams, based on the CEPT agreement, can operate without any difficulties in most European countries. Therefore, when they go on vacation, they just have to remove from their luggage some of their spouses excess clothing, replace them with a transceiver and a small antenna, and they are in business. Anyway, most wives are never satisfied with what they have brought with them, and as soon as they arrive, they go out shopping; so why bother carry them?

We also saw Joska HG3FLQ, a retired motor vehicle specialist. He has a VHF license from 1982. Joska is most of the time on packet, using a Yaesu FT-901DM, some home made equipment, a 10 element Yagi and a vertical antenna for 2 m, and a long wire for 10 m.

I met Lajos HG3FPL, licensed in 1993, a very impressive sight in his customs officer uniform. By the way, I always strongly disliked customs officers because, in my opinion, they keep sticking their noses where they don’t belong. In a few countries, like in the neighboring YO-land, some of them are quite corrupt and they demand payoffs. Lajos HG3FPL however is a very nice person. I told him that when I entered Hungary, for the first time during my travels I did not have anything to hide (I am always taking stuff to hams), but the customs officers did not even looked at my luggage. It was frustrating. Lajos HG3FPL has a Kenwood TS-120 and a Yaesu FT-901 for the short waves, feeding about 140 Watts into a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, or a wire dipole for 40 and 80 m. He is also using a 30 Watt Yaesu FT-5100 transceiver, with a 7 element Yagi and a vertical for 2 m, and a 19 element Yagi for 70 cm. His tower is a 46 footer. Lajos works on SSB and on RTTY and has worked over 100 countries.

It seems that amateur radio makes even the customs officers nice people. Perhaps that is the reason that with the help of Joska HA3GJ, a radio club with the station HA3VAM was established in Siofok for the employees of this department. The word "VAM" in the callsign suffix in Hungarian means "customs."

Almost every active amateur in Siofok has QSL cards, some of them use overprinted color picture postcards, others have the garden variety type. The nicest QSL used by HG3KGJ club station is a color reproduction of the Balaton award. In Siofok I met an amateur who is really from Dunaujvaros, Jani HA4YV. Jani has here a summer house where is using a W3DZZ wire antenna for 10 to 80 m bands, and a 16 element Yagi for 2 m.

About 10 miles from Siofok, in the village of Som, I met a family of four amateurs: Tibor HG3FLJ, licensed in 1983, owns a hardware store and is active in community affairs; his wife Iren HG3FLG, licensed in 1983, works with preschool children; their son Tibi HG3FMT, licensed in 1987 is an auto mechanic; and their daughter Andrea HG3FMS, licensed also in 1987, is a kindergarten teacher. All four operate only on 2 m using a Kenwood TR-9000, pushing 10 Watts into a 10 element, vertically polarized Yagi or a 2 times 9 element horizontally polarized Swan antenna. They are contesters and they won a couple of Hungarian championships.

In the nearby Nagybereny I visited Csaba HA3LNl, a high school student licensed in 1992. Csaba has a short wave license, operates mostly on CW using 100 Watts; has a W3DZZ type all band wire antenna and a vertical for 2 m. He is a contester and is approaching 100 countries for his DXCC.

In Sagvar, also near Siofok, I met Gyuri HA3FL, a math and computer teacher licensed in 1984. Gyuri has a short wave "C" license, equivalent with our Extra. He is the secretary of the Tricciana radio club, located in a school, where he trained many children in high speed telegraphy and some of them became champions. Gyuri HA3FL operates mostly on CW, using a Yaesu FL-200 transceiver, feeding about 100 Watts to a W3DZZ wire antenna for 10-80 m.

Jani HA4YV who I met earlier at his summer house in Siofok, picked me up from the house of Joska HA3GJ, and we drove east to Dunaujvaros, population 75,000. There, Jani, licensed in 1963, is the president of the local chapter of the Hungarian Radio Amateur Association and the HA3KYV radio club. What is Joska HA3GJ in Siofok, is Jani in Dunaujvaros: the animating spirit and the engine that promotes amateur radio.

Jani HA4YV, a retired high school teacher, educated scores of radio operators, and every summer he is organizing amateur radio camps for children. He is organizing and participates in fox hunt competitions. Jani is using 100 Watts with a ground plane for 10-15-20 m and a dipole for 80 m. For the 2 m band he has a 16 element rotatable Yagi. He is a builder and a contester, operates mostly on SSB, and has over 150 countries confirmed. Jani uses QSL cards. His daughter Andrea is HG4YA, licensed in 1985, is an economist. She is also a contester. Jani’s wife Gabi HG4YI is now a silent key.

In the basement of the Jani’s apartment building is the radio club HA4KYV with a construction shop, room for telegraphy instruction, and a 100 W station equipped with an IC-730, and a dipole for 80 m. When required, during contests, Jani can extend the coax cable from his ground plane so the club can use it. Radio club stations can have several callsigns, for example when an operator licensed only for VHF, he/she will use on 2 m the HG4KYV call. During contests, club stations can often use special abbreviated callsigns. They do answer QSLs.

During the Roman times, there was a settlement here called Intercisa, as a reminder, the local club is called the Intercisa radio club. The secretary of this club is Gyuri HA4FB. Licensed in 1983, he is a computer programmer, and he created his own complex amateur radio program used by many HA hams. Gyuri HA4FB has a 3 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, a Windom for 40-80-160 m, he is a contester, works SSB and CW. He has over 240 countries confirmed and he sends QSL cards.

Another member of this club is Tibor HA4YK. Licensed in 1962, a retired mechanic, Tibor is using an industrial transceiver and scores of home made auxiliary equipment, is pushing 250 watts into a W3DZZ wire antenna. On 2 m he is using 35 Watts with a Trio Star vertical antenna. Tibor HA4YK operates on SSB and CW, has about 180 countries confirmed, and has three types of QSLs.

Gyuri HG4GAR, licensed in 1983, a retired pilot, is confined to a wheel chair due to an accident. His wife Marika, licensed in 1980, a civil defense coordinator, is HG4GDS; their son Attila HG4DGR, licensed in 1990, is an office manager for a tobacco company (interesting is that on the door of their house is a sign saying that smoking is prohibited): and their daughter, Marcsi HG4GDU, licensed in 1990, is a housewife. All four have VHF licenses and operate on 2 m using a 2 times 9 element Yagi. Only the head of the family has QSL cards.

Janos HA4ZF, licensed in 1994, a radio and TV serviceman, is another member of the Intercisa club. He operates mostly on SSB and he has a QSL card. His son Jani HG4GHQ is a gardener.

Pityu HA4FV, licensed in 1990, a computer hardware technician, is also a member of the Intercisa club. Using an industrial transceiver, a home made amplifier, a delta loop all band antenna, he has over 180 countries confirmed. Pityu HA4FV is a constructor and experiments mostly with antennas, is a contester and champion on 80 m competitions. He has at least five different types a QSLs.

Gyula HA4ZM was licensed in 1983 and is a computer technician. He works on SSB and CW, operates on satellites, and has over 100 countries confirmed, and is a good QSLer. His son Zoli HA4GIT, licensed in 1996, is still in high school. He won several national championships in high speed telegraphy. Zoli is a contester, operates mostly on CW and worked over 80 countries.

Tamas HA4GDO, licensed in 1990, is a telecommunications engineer. He is on SSB and CW, is a contester, operates on packet and on satellites and has over 250 countries confirmed. Tamas designed QSL cards for several of his fellow hams, and certainly also for himself.

About 6 miles south of Dunaujvaros is Kisapostag, the residence of Geza HA4XG. Licensed in 1969, a telecommunications engineer, he is the president a club station HA4KXG, or HG4KXG when used by "novices." Geza has a TS-930, a 75 feet tower, a 2 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, a ground plane for 12-17-30 m, and dipoles for 40 and 80 m. The tower itself is used as a vertical antenna on 80 and 160 m. Geza HA4XG, as well as his club, have several QSL cards. He is a contester, has over 250 countries confirmed, a constructor and an experimenter with antennas. He is also a DXpeditioner; in 1991 he operated ZA1HA; in 1994 as SV8/HA4XG; in 1995 as EA3/HA4XG; and in 1996 as EA6/HA4XG.

Also in district 4 is the city of Szekesfehervar where a radio club with a station HA4KYN is located on the 9th floor of a high school dormitory building. On the roof there are two towers; the first one has a German made FB DX 706 type 7 element Yagi for 6 bands: 10-12-15-17-20-30 m. The second tower carries the antennas for satellite communications: a 20 element Yagi for 2 m, and a French made Yagi for 70 cm. The club uses the HA4KYB call in contests, or HG4KYB when operated by "novices" and has a separate station, on a different location, where HG4P is used during contests. Gyula HA4ZZ is the club’s president which supposedly has over 100 members.

At home in the village of Urhida, about 4 km south of Szekesfehervar, Gyula HA4ZZ , an electronic technician working for the army, has several pieces of gear and various antennas. Gyula is buying army surplus equipment, sold by weight when they become obsolete, and selling them at hamfest. I saw in his "warehouse" receivers, transceivers, and huge amplifiers made in east European countries, as well as power tubes for 1-2-3 and more kWs. Gyula’s wife Teri HA4ZL is a tailor by profession. Both have QSL cards.

A block from Gyula’s house, on an open field was a small country fair. We went there to check it out. I wanted to buy some candy and cookies and Gyula told the seller that I am visiting from America. The seller highly impressed, doubled his prices just for me. It moved me deeply.

The "0" district is in north-east part of the country, neighboring Romania and Ukraine. From Budapest I took a train to Puspokladany where I met Berci HA0IR, with whom I had several QSOs in the past and I received a couple of cards from him. Berci was licensed in 1979, he works in tool and machine store. He has a small but active station in the corner of the kitchen, and a 3 element beam on the roof of his 4 story building. Berci HA0IR is a DXer with over 210 countries confirmed, and he uses several types of QSLs. His antenna, and many similar ones I saw used by HA hams, were manufactured and sold by Anico, a company in Nyiregyhaza, owned by three amateurs: Gyozi HA0MM, and KG7IA in the US; Jozsef HA0LC, and AA0JC in the US; and Burton N0FYR.

Berci took me to see Janos HA0KB, licensed in 1988, with one job as a thermo-technician, and a second one servicing radios and TVs. Janos has a 50 foot tower with a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, also made by Anico. He has a second tower with a Quagi (Quad and Yagi combination) for 2 m. Janos uses QSL cards.

Feri HA0ET is an electrician working for the railroad. He is using an FT-101Z with 150 W, and on a 50 foot tower equipped with a work platform, he has a 5 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m made ... you guessed it, by Anico; a vertical for 10 m; a log periodic for 2 m and 70 cm; and a couple of TV antennas in various directions. Feri HA0ET operates SSB, RTTY, packet, and most of the digital modes, and has QSLs.

Lajos HA0IV, a retired railroad worker, licensed in 1982, started in amateur radio after his leg was amputated and he was bedridden. His 60 foot tower carries a 2 element Yagi for 15 m, another 2 element Yagi for 20 m, and a vertical for 10 m. Lajos HA0IV works on SSB, RTTY, packet and is on DX cluster. As an award hunter and DXer with 268 countries confirmed, Lajos has to use lots of cards. In his shack we met his friend Laci HA7XK, visiting from Vac.

The radio club of Puspokladany HA0KHW has a tower with an impressive set of antennas: a 5 element Yagi for 10 m, a 3 element Yagi for 15 m and a similar one for 20 m.

One of the best known HA ham is Laci HA0HW. He is a radar specialist and is running his own electronic company. He is using an industrial transceiver with a home made 500 W amplifier. On the top of his 72 feet tall building he has a 30 foot tower with a 6 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, needless to say, made by Anico. He also has a vertical for 12-17-30 m, a vertical Gap Challenger for 10 to 80 m, an inverted V for 80, and a sloper for 160 meters. Laci HA0HW is a County Hunter, a DXer with 325 countries confirmed, on the WPX Honor Roll with 2,436 prefixes, he is on SSB, CW, packet, DX cluster, and he the QSL manager for 14 DX stations. Laci is a DXpeditioner, he operated as XU0HW, SV8/HA0HW, SV9/HA0HW, from HB9, OH, OK, OE, I, DL, etc., so he has many different cards.

Pista HA0BR, licensed in 1986, is the principal of a trade school. He has a factory made transceiver, a home brewed amplifier, he is using a computer for packet and DX cluster, and sends out lots of QSL cards. In the evening, with a group of local hams, we had an outdoor, Hungarian type dinner in his backyard. I am always suspicious with unknown, foreign food, but whatever they prepared right there on an open fire, was quite good. Laci spent a whole day driving me back and forth to various amateurs in the neighboring cities. In Hajduszoboszlo, between Puspokladany and Debrecen, we visited Bela HA0DD, licensed in 1968, a retired electrical trade school teacher. He is using some factory made equipment and lots of home made stuff. For logging Bela is using a computer but he also keeps the required written log. Bela HA0DD is a DXer with over 270 countries confirmed, and he has QSLs in various colors.

Also in Hajduszoboszlo (oh, these long Hungarian names, why can’t everybody live in Pecs, Vac or Gyor?) we visited Zoli HA0IH, maintenance electrician in oil industry. He has a 40 foot tower with a 5 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m and I won’t even tell anymore who made it. Zoli is a DXer, works only CW, has the 5BDXCC and over 300 countries confirmed. He does computer logging, is on packet and DX cluster. He has a nice card designed by HA9AX.

Between Puspokladany and Haiduszoboszlo is the village of Kaba where the country’s largest sugar factory is located. There lives Gyula HA0IS, licensed in 1981, doing machine maintenance in that sweet place. He has a 50 foot tower with a 6 element huge Yagi for 10-15-20 m, made by ... do I have to repeat myself? Gyula also has an inverted V for 40 m. He works on SSB, and CW, he is chasing islands for IOTA, and has more than 285 countries for DXCC. Gyula HA0IS has several types of cards.

Not far from Kaba is Mateszalka where lives Tony HA0LG, Gyula’s uncle. Tony, licensed in 1980, retired staff sergeant and electronic technician. He has a vertical antenna for 10-15-20 m, some wire dipoles, and he also has QSLs.

Further east is the great city of Debrecen. There are many hams here but the most beautiful setup is at HG0D, the contest station of HA0KDA radio club, having over 80 members. It is located at the city’s outskirts, on a large, fenced in lot, with a small building with a couple of rooms, and four 66 feet tall antennas, each with a 16 feet mast. On all of the towers are monobanders; one has 3 elements for 40 m, the other three carry 5 element Yagis, one for 20 m, the other for 15 m, and the third one for the 10 m. Four rotators turn these big antenna any whichway. There are also a bunch of wire antennas. On the building is a vertical for 2 m. I met there three operators: Anti HA0HK, Bandi HG0NBV, and Gyuri HG0DP. Every year, in September, they have an open day and hundreds of people come to see the station operating. Every summer they have a radio amateur camp for 26 children, tents are set up, food and basic ham stuff is fed to them. The kids learn constructions, they all build code oscillators, and they operate the station under the supervision of a licensed ham.

Dezso HG0EK is a very special person. Visually handicapped, Dezso runs the City Hall’s communications center. Once a month, on HG0DRH radio station, Dezso is transmitting an about an hour long QTC, using the 145.600 and 145.625 MHz repeaters. The program, repeated a week later on 3,630 MHz, contains news from MRASZ, DXpeditions, technical advice, QSL info, DX, even jokes and anecdotes. Every program has interviews, and features the activities of a prominent ham. It all started in 1986 and 7-8 amateurs contribute to it.

Dezso, with the help of Henrik HG9SN and Istvan HA9RR, publishes the yearly QTC of the Hajdu county, an 80 page booklet packed with interesting information about hamfests, awards, contest results, operating advice, lists of repeater frequencies, interviews, etc. All this is done by a person labeled "handicapped." Dezso also has QSL cards.

Gyuri HH0HH, licensed in 1961, retired school principal, is also a member of the Debrecen radio club. Gyuri, with his home made 5 band transceiver, a ground plane and some wire dipoles, operating mostly on CW, made 230 countries for his DXCC. He is a good QSLer.

Laci HA0IT, licensed in 1981, owns a little supermarket. With his Kenwood TS-930 and a 3 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, operating SSB and CW, made 240 countries, and is on WPX Honor Roll. Laci does computer logging and has QSLs.

Anti HA0HK, licensed in 1971, is an electrical engineer, specialized in computers. His Elmer was Bela HA0DD. He is the secretary of the Debrecen radio club and the chief operator of the HA0KDA, HG0D club station. His radio station is in a separate little room, right near the roof of an 11 story building. The tower is 30 feet high on the top of already a very tall building, and his antenna is a 5 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m. Anti likes DXing on SSB and CW, is on packet and DX cluster, and is a reliable QSLer.

Laci HA0DM, an electrical engineer, another member of the Debrecen radio club, designed and built most of his equipment. He operates SSB, CW, and SSTV.

In Nyiregyhaza, about 30 miles north of Debrecen is Gyozi HA0MM, licensed in 1974, co-owner of Anico, founded in 1991, one of the most successful dealerships in radio equipment in Hungary. He is a very colorful person; very enterprising, good story teller, always helpful. A frequent DXpeditioner, Gyozi operated in 1989 as JT0DX; in 1990 and 1991 as TA5KA and YM5KA in the WPX CW contest, and as TA5MM, his personal call; in 1990 as K7RI and in 1996 as K6CE in WRTC contests; and in 1991 with the ZA1QA and ZA0RS groups. He also operated with his CEPT permit in SP, UA, LZ, OK, OE, DL, GU, and other places. In the US he is KG7IA. Gyozi HA0MM, three time world champion, is a contester, a DXer with 333 countries confirmed, and is on packet and DX cluster. His wife Marika is HA0VV. Gyozi has several types of QSL cards.

The "0" district is the land of large towers and big antennas. Many of the Yagis were made by Anico; recently however they sell imported ones, representing Hy Gain and other companies. Pali HA0LO is a serviceman at Anico and he is operator of the HA0KLE radio club in Nyiregyhaza. This club was established in the early 1950s, has about 100 members, over 50 with their own calls. During contests, the club is using the HG0X callsign, and they do answer all the QSLs.

Pali HA0LO repairs equipment under warranty but everybody knows that the bugs usually start to show up a day after the warranty expires. He can tell that after removing 20 screws from a panel, one may find that the wrong panel was opened; and after reinstalling a panel one may discover that there are more holes than screws. Also that after closing a reassembled transceiver, one may find at least one essential component left on the bench; and after taking apart and reassembling a radio enough times, with the leftover parts a second radio can be built. Furthermore, if the operating manual has to be checked, it will be discovered that is in Japanese; and if an subassembly requires service or adjustments, it will be one least accessible. Finally some suggestions: is one does not understand a diagram, he should try turning it upside down; and if an equipment works, it should not be fixed because if is fixed, it won’t work.

Also in Debrecen is Steve HA0DU, licensed in 1974. With his wife Ildi HA0UZ, Steve runs a small business consulting company. In the US he has an Extra license and the call is AA0EY. Steve has 349 countries, over 2,700 US counties, 702 IOTA islands, and over 3,000 prefixes for WPX. Furthermore, he has the only 160 meter DXCC in Hungary, has a 9 band DXCC, and was the first Hungarian on the DXCC Honor Roll. He is contester, works on SSB, CW, RTTY, and went on the same DXpeditions like Gyozi HA0MM, except for Mongolia. I saw at least four types of cards used by Steve and one by his wife Ildi.

The last ham to see in Debrecen was Laci HA0NAR. Licensed in 1986, Laci is a plant pathologist. He is on the DXCC Honor Roll, and is a contester. In the IARU 1991 and 1992 contests, he took the 1st place in Europe on SSB. In 1995, worked in a team at the HG0D club station, and they became HA champions. Laci HA0NAR participated in the Albanian DXpeditions operating with the ZA1QA group, and ZA1RL as his personal call. I worked Laci both from his home and from Albania and received his cards. In the US he has an Extra license and is KE1BU.

Hajdunanas is at about 24 miles north of Debrecen. There I found Gyula HA0HO, licensed in 1962, a retired radio communications technician, he is constructor-builder. He is contester, and most of the time he wins the 2 m HA championships. Gyula operates SSB and CW and made over 100,000 QSOs, 90% on 2 m. He is known more for his EME activities: more than 1,650 QSOs with 75 different countries. In 1988 he took the 3rd place in the ARRL EME contest, and the 1st place in Europe. Gyula is a good QSLer.

Also in Hajdunanas we saw Lali HA0IL, licensed in 1978, he is mechanic in an electric bulb factory. He operates mostly on CW, using a vertical antenna for 10-15-17-20-30 m, and wire dipoles for 15-20-40-80-160 m. Lali HA0IL is a contester and has over 275 countries confirmed for his DXCC. In his summer house he has some home made equipment, a 4 element Yagi for 10-15-20 m, a ground plane and wire dipoles. Lali’s QSLs come in various colors.

In Hajduboszormeny (again these long Hungarian names!) we visited Barna, HA0ER, licensed in 1977. He is a radio and TV repairman and owns an electrical appliance store. He has an IC-735, and several home made equipment like a second transceiver, power supplies, and a linear amplifier. Barna is using a 3 element tribander. At his summer house he has a second station with a 52 feet high tower, a shorted 2 element Yagi for 40 m, and a 40 and 80 m inverted V. His 2 element quad for 10-12-15-17-20 m was on the ground for maintenance. Barna operates SSB, CW, in on packet and DX cluster, he is contester, has over 200 countries worked, and does QSL.

One of the highlights of my visit to Hungary was attending the 6th International Ham Border Meeting on September 13-15. The place is a youth camp near the city of Sopron which at the west end of Hungary, right near the Austrian border. MRASZ organized a bus trip from Budapest but most of the people came by car or train. Hundreds on HA amateurs mingled with hams from the US, Canada, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, etc. meeting friends, attending forums, and selling and buying at the flea market. I met there many people I visited before, and in spite of the bad weather, everybody had a good time. I like hamfests despite the fact that I learned that if a piece of equipment cannot be repaired, it is usually wrapped in clear plastic, put in its original box, labeled "used only a few hours, just on Sundays" and taken to a flea market. On the last day, a bus trip was organized to visit the beautiful city of Sopron, and a local ham, Tamas HA1TT, was our guide. It is said that in Sopron, or is wind, or is rain, or the church bells keep ringing. Indeed there are many old houses of worship, as well as buildings built 3-4 hundreds of years ago. During my travels, I talked with lots of hams. Many, mostly the retired people, complained of financial difficulties. I found many hams who had two jobs. On the other hand, many folks have well kept houses, second homes in the country, vineyards, high-priced cars, etc. and they can take, almost yearly, nice vacations abroad. Most of the amateurs use expensive, foreign equipment, many of them have large towers and big antennas. Lots of them use costly computers and test instruments. Without any doubt, the transition period from one social system to another is not easy and some folks are doing better than others. Churchill said that: "communism is equality in misery and capitalism is inequality in prosperity." The Hungarian made now their choices and they will have to cope with the new situation. However complaining is the Hungarian national pastime, and they enjoy it. It should not be taken literally. It is like bargaining in the Middle East; it goes with the territory.

At closing I have to make a remark. The Hungarian amateurs are the most polite hams on the air. I understand a couple of languages but I never heard any other amateur talk so friendly, courteous and polite like when I listen to HA hams. It is too bad that some of it is lost in the translation when they speak in another language.