In the fall of 1997, while visiting my home town of Timisoara, Romania, I took a side trip to see the radio amateurs in the Hunedoara county.  The area known as the Jiu Valley is a mining region.  The visits were organized by George YO2BBB, the chief of the radio club of the Hunedoara county, located in Deva.  During this trip I saw radio amateurs in Deva, Orastie, Beriu, Calan, Hateg, Petrosani, and one on the Parang Mountain.

   From Timisoara I took a train, and after about 3 1/2 hours I was met by George YO2BBB at the Deva railway station.  I had my tag with my name and call pinned to my jacket and I was easily identified.
   Deva with about 80,000 inhabitants is a university center.  The Deva Fortress built in 1241, on the top of a nearby hill at 1225 feet, is on the site of a Roman castrum.  These days is in ruins. The reason is that during World War I, while it was a ammunition deposit, it blew up.  They don’t build fortresses as they used to do. It did not last even 700 years.
   George YO2BBB took me to his house where I stayed while in Deva, the county seat.  This city, as the entire county, is rich in amateur radio activities, due in large part to the work and skills of George who is full time employed by the radio club for more than 30 years.  One can say, George is a professional amateur.
   First, George took me to the county radio club which has several rooms; one for the station YO2KAR, sometimes using the YO2KHE call, others for meetings, shop, QSL bureau, etc.  I met there Felicia YO2LIP, licensed in 1996, the club’s secretary and trainer for direction finding competitions.  She has the prestigious title of Master of Sport, and she happened to be George’s daughter-in-law.  Her husband Marius is YO2CWR,  George’s wife Doina is YO2CGV, their daughter Georgeta is married to Artur YO2COC.  George YO2BBB is the undisputed head of a reigning amateur radio dynasty.  Everybody in this family is involved, one way or another, with ham radio.  Most of them are several times champions in direction finding (fox hunts) competitions.
   The club station has a factory made transceiver and a home made linear with the final tubes installed temporary outside the cabinet, having no room inside.  In this case, “temporary” lasts a very long time.  The antenna is a wire dipole.
   At the radio club I met many local hams: Dem YO2CMH, licensed in 1980, a chemical lab technician in the mining industry, is a builder and experimenter;  Sorin YO2DNY, licensed in 1985, an electronic engineer, likes 2 meter contests;  Marin YO2LMS, licensed in 1995, an auto mechanic, is a builder and a 2 meter contester; Ioan YO2LCV, licensed in 1988, a lathe operator, is a builder and contester;  George YO2BJS, licensed in 1975, a retired electronic technician, is a builder and he works mostly on SSB;  Adrian YO2BPZ, licensed in 1976, handles radio communications for the civil defense; Cori YO2LAG, licensed in 1986, a retired policeman; Marcel YO2BJZ, licensed in 1975, is electronic technician and a master builder; Gratian operator at the YO2KAR club station, a military firefighter, is a builder and operates mostly on 2 meters; Bela YO2LOH, licensed in 1997, retired electrician, works only on 2 meters; Vasile YO2LEG, licensed in 1990, an electrician, is a builder; Liviu YO2CC, licensed in 1960, retired electrical engineer, is also a builder.  Most of these hams built their own stations from scratch; very few have access to factory made equipment.  All claimed to have QSL cards.
   A child asked his father, a ham operator:
   “Dad, every fairy tale starts with ... once upon a time?”
   “No son, some of them start with ... QSL is no problem, I mail it tomorrow.”
   I photographed many hams at the radio club and some of them at their personal stations.  Adrian YO2BPZ is an active fellow; with the help of his wife Maria YO2LHW, he is publishing a quite interesting monthly four page bulletin, the “YO / HD Antena.”  They have also edited and published a service manual for A-412 Romanian transceiver, and an amateur radio glossary in 45 languages.  Maria YO2LHW, licensed in 1993, a secretary in a trading company, works on 2 and 80 meters SSB.
   Celino YO2BMI, an electro-mechanic engineer, is a success story of the new freedom in enterprising, and the free market system which started in the recent years in the Eastern Europe.  He owns eight furniture stores in various cities of this county.  Celino, licensed in 1971, is the president of the local amateur radio association.  He uses a Yaesu FT-840, a 14AVQ antenna, a dipole for 17 meter, a 5 element rotatable Yagi for 2 meters, and a vertical for 70 cm.  Celino YO2BMI has a computer with Window 95, a CD-ROM with Callbook, and does computer logging.  He is a reliable QSLer, has a nice card, and has over 150 countries for his DXCC.
   Cori YO2LAG, the retired policeman, has a very small home made transceiver, works on 2 meters and on 80 meter SSB, and has QSL cards.
    An amateur told his neighbor:
   “Today I bought a Japanese radio.”
   “How would you understand what are they saying?” was wondering the concerned but not very bright citizen.

   Celino loaned us a company car to take George YO2BBB and I to Orastie, 17 miles east of Deva.  This municipality, located at 760 feet, is a very old cultural center, it was attested by document in 1224.  There we met Ioan YO2LHZ, licensed in 1994, a mechanic; Liviu YO2LEU, licensed in 1990, a retired telephone operator, very active on 2 meters; Miron YO2LHY, licensed in 1994, a retired mechanic for farm machinery; Theo YO2CKO, licensed in 1979, an auto mechanic, builder and operator on 80 meter SSB; and Ioan, a short wave listener waiting to take the license examination.
   We visited the personal station of Liviu YO2LEU who is visually handicapped and he seems to be always on 2 meters.  Where ever I went, in various cities of this county, and listened on the 2 meter band, Liviu was there.
   I heard about a ham who was working DX when a young lady dressed in bridal gown entered the shack and cried out:
   “I was waiting at the church; this is our wedding day!”
   “I told you honey dear, only if is no propagation - and he continued - CQ Islands of the World, CQ, CQ.”

   From Orastie I went to the nearby small village of Beriu to see the station of Ioan YO2LHZ.  Ioan use a combination of old military surplus equipment with home made accessories.  He works on the 2 and 80 meter bands.  I observed that there is a lot of traffic on these two bands, in special afternoons and in the evening hours.
   After Beriu I return to Orastie, then on Celino’s company car,  George YO2BBB and I went trough Simeria to Calan.

   The town of Calan used to an important metallurgical center, nowadays many of its facilities are closed down.  Here I had the pleasure to visit Mike YO2QY with whom I had QSOs and exchanged cards.  His card is on the wall of my radio room.  Mike, licensed in 1963, a retired chief mechanic,  is a skillful builder, a contester and a DXer with over 290 countries confirmed.  Mike YO2QY is passionate ham operator but his license was suspended from 1983 to 1990, and he was investigated and harassed by the “securitate” the secret police of the former dictatorial regime.  The reason: his amateur radio contacts.  It was a difficult period for him as it was for his entire family.  Mike uses a Swan 350, a 14AVQ, and an inverted V for the 80 meter band.  He has over 300 awards; has a nice photo-QSL card and is a reliable QSLer.
   We also went to see Feri YO2ARV.  Licensed in 1968,  Feri is a chief electrician.  He is using a FTDX-505 with a separate VFO, a home made linear amplifier, an electronic keyer, and other gadgets made by him.  He has a 12AVQ and a Windom antenna for 40 and 80 meters.  Feri YO2ARV worked over 300 countries for his DXCC and has over 450 awards.  He is builder, experimenter and a contester.  He has two types of QSL cards.
   After Calan we have returned to Deva and the next morning, George YO2BBB and I went 35 miles south to Hateg.

   Hateg is another small but very old town, attested by documents in 1247.  Here we went to the Children’s Club, established in 1984.  There is an radio station YO2KBY with Nicu YO2CBK as the teacher and chief operator.  Nicu, licensed in 1978, is a builder, contester, and he operates both CW and SSB. The children learn the Morse code, build simple electronic projects and operate the club station on 80 meter SSB.
   The station is home made, and the antennas are a Delta Loop for 40 and 80 meters, and a ground plane for 10 meters.
   I met at the club several children, some already have their own callsigns: Marius YO2LNL, age 11; Alin YO2LHK, age 12; and Flaviu YO2LHM, age 10.
   We saw Marcu YO2BVH, licensed in 1960, a retired radio technician at the post office.  Marcu, now 77, used to be active on CW and SSB with a home made 5 Watt station and a wire dipole.  His table is full of equipment, absolutely everything made by himself.
   We also met Tony YO2LMA, licensed in 1996, a mechanical engineer working for the bus company.  Tony is a builder, he worked over 100 countries on 80 meters, CW and SSB, with his home made 50 Watt transmitter and a multiband wire dipole.  His station is in a strictly one man, one chair, no table, built in closet.  He has a picture QSL card showing sights from Hunedoara county.
   Nicu YO2CBK, the teacher from the Children’s’ Club, is a builder and experimenter.  From his personal station he operates SSB on the 10-40-80 meter bands with a sloper, and on 2 meters with a rotatable 9 element Yagi.

   From Hateg, Maria YO2BJX, a pretty and very active lady, drove us S-E about 28 miles to Petrosani, elevation 2,000 feet, the center of the region’s coal fields.  The ride was scary; Maria drove fast on narrow winding mountain roads.  Slow moving carts pulled by horses, without the required lamps, often showed up unexpectedly in the dark.  I prayed the Lord not to become a news item in the next morning paper.  I am a modest man and shun publicity.
   Woman drivers.  A cop pulled over a woman driver and asks:
   “Why you didn’t signal what you want to do?”
   “Because there is no signal for what I want to do!  I want to go to the hairdresser, then buying some shoes, and pick up my children from school.  What would be the signal for all these chores?”
  We arrived to Petrosani in the evening and went directly to High School for Sports where the principal is Eugen YO2QC, and the professor at the radio club is Bela YO2LEP.  There we met a bunch of local hams, made the schedule for the next day, and went to sleep in the house of Paul YO2CXY.  About the schedule: after long discussions, three different plans were made one after another, but the next day we followed none of them.
   At the school there is a radio room where the children study the Morse code and can build some gadgets.  There is also a radio station YO2KBE with several licensed young operators: Robi YO2LMT, age 15; George YO2LLV, age 14, Andrei YO2LNW, age 16; as well as Bianca, Dan, and Raul, short wave listeners and club operators without personal callsigns.  The station is home brewed and they have a computer.
   I also visited a couple of personal stations.  Zoli YO2CPV, licensed in 1980, an electrical engineer, is a master builder operating CW and SSB with a home made station and a multiband dipole.  His shack is in a narrow, built in storage compartment; he barely fits in.  Zoli has QSL cards.
   Iosif YO2CJ, licensed in 1952, a retired mining engineer, posed for the picture in his black miner uniform.  Iosif is tinker and experimenter, a specialist in antennas, a contester, a DXer with over 220 countries.  He is using the Drake line, some home made accessories and a computer.  Iosif YO2CJ is the author of three popular books; two about HF antennas, and one about VHF and UHF antennas.  He wanted to give me a miner’s lamp as a souvenir but I had to turn him down; the gift was too bulky and heavy to carry, and I don’t have any mines where I can use it.  In New York I know a couple of gold diggers but they dig mostly in the dark.
   Paul YO2CXJ, licensed in 1980, is the president of the Jiu Valley Amateur Radio Association.  He is a geology engineer and is teaching at the local university.  Paul is a master builder, a contester, a DXer with over 180 countries worked for his DXCC.  He has a neat station with an FTDX-500 and a bunch of home made equipment; his antenna is multiband wire dipole.  His 15 year old son Victor YO2LLU, licensed in 1996, is a high school student.  He operates SSB on 80 meters and so far has worked 50 different countries.  Paul’s wife Tania, a certified translator for 3-4 languages, is a short wave listener.
   Feri YO2LAH, licensed in 1985, is an electronic technician.  He is using an SB-102 with dipoles for 20 and 80 meters, and a long wire for 10 and 15 meters.  For 2 meters he has a 10 element Yagi.  Feri YO2LAH, is a builder, a contester, and a DXer with over 220 countries worked for his DXCC.  Feri has QSL cards.
   Sever YO2BUJ, licensed in 1974, a retired mining engineer, is a builder.  With his 40 Watt home made transceiver, a wire dipole for 10-40-80 meters, and a 9 element Yagi for 2 meters, Sever worked mostly Europeans.  He is constantly changing, improving his gadgets, nothing stays the same for a long time.  Sever also has QSL cards.
   Andy YO2AXY, licensed in 1970, an electrical engineer.  He is a tinker, he built transceivers and various accessories.  Now with his FT-757GX is pushing 100 Watts into a horizontal Delta Loop.  Andy YO2AXY worked over 200 countries and has QSL cards.  His son Claudiu is waiting for his license.
   Last but not least, I visited the personal station of a family of radio amateurs: Bela YO2LEP, the radio teacher from the sport school; his wife Maria YO2BJX, an electronic engineer involved in various businesses; and their son Andrei YO2LNW, a high school student.  Andrei has computer generated QSL cards.
   Maria was the one who drove us from Hateg to Petrosani and made me see my whole life flashing in front of my eyes, with several fast reruns.  Later she took us from Petrosani back to Deva, another unforgettable experience.

   Eugen YO2QC, licensed in 1962, the principal of the High School for Sports, is a former gymnast in the Romanian national team.  Eugen, has the prestigious title of Master of Radio Sport, and several times was national champion on 2 meters.  He has two stations; one in Petrosani, and the other at the ski center of the sport school, on the Parang Mountain, elevation over 5,900 feet.  There he is using a TS-830S with a long wire for 10 to 80 meters, a ground plane for 10 meters, a 2 element Quad for 6 meters, a 9 element Yagi at 2 meters and two 9 connected element Yagis for 70 cm.  At that elevation, he can work DX even loading the proverbial wet noodle.  I worked Eugen YO2QC and promptly received his QSL.
   Also in Eugen’s care is a 2 meter repeater installed on a tower right near his little chalet built by himself.
   To reach the ski center, Maria YO2BJX drove us from Petrosani to a telpher.  There we had to jump on a moving chair hung on a steel cable, going in about 25 minutes, from elevation 3,630 to 5,940 feet.  The system has 130 double chairs, moving sometimes at a height of 160 feet.  A cold wind was blowing, George YO2BBB was wiggling around near me on his chair, I was scared, and I tried to figure out who put such a curse on me.  I narrowed it down to my beloved wife Eva WA2BAV, but from thousands of miles away how could she do that?
      Bela YO2LEP and some of the young amateurs also came up: Laura YO2LNU, Constantina YO2LLW, George YO2LLV, and Cosmin, a short wave listener.

   Yes, it ended well.  I got off the mountain, frozen but in a single piece.  With George YO2BBB I returned to Deva, spent the last night there, then in the morning I took a 3 and 1/2 hour train ride back to my home town of Timisoara.
   After a couple of days, I went to the airport and passed through the annoying Romanian customs.  Why was annoying, you may ask.  Because the customs officer looking at my luggage through his X-ray machine saw something what he was not suppose to see, and asked me to open the suitcase.  I had two identical suitcases so I opened the other one.  An honest mistake, can happen to anyone.  There was nothing in that suitcase just a bunch of books and QSL cards so I passed the test with flying colors.
   Talking about X-rays, a doctor told his patient:
   “Your X-ray shows some damage to your bones but I wouldn’t worry about too much.”
   “If the X-ray would show damage to your bones, I would not worry at all: answered the patient.
   Later I got on a plane and after about 9 hours I was safe and sound in New York City.  Now I have on a table in my living room a beautiful thing what the Romanian customs inspector saw it for a moment ... but it seems that it was just a mirage.  And so it goes.