In the 1950s : Homebrewing and 2nd op of I1CHN, Paolino, my Ham Radio Elmer / 1961: Joined ARI Italian Amateur radio Club, SWL call I1-10714 /1963: Outside Italy, (HB9) job by Zellweger Uster, makers of MIL equipment like SE222 and SE415; no reciprocity between Italy and HB9 at that times, I had to RX Homebrewing only /1963- 1971 Around most Europeans Countries and North Africa, RX only for the same reason / 1970 Married and went back to HB9 in RANCATE (TI) near to TREMONA where HB9SV had his EME station; then 1972 moved to Luino - Italy, got IW2AAZ and then I2JJR callsign.In 1975 went for a summer /DL and PA9AMQ/MM mostly in Friesland. In 1983 among the first Hams to introduce Packet Radio in Southern Europe with the friend IW2EIJ Luigi with custom protocols he developed (software solution with BeeB Acorn computer), then we meet on the air HB9IZ Benni, who became our Packet Radio Elmer: he let us know about Vancouver, AX25, and TAPR beta TNC kits,we endly come up with the 1st ever I-HB and I-DL packet QSOs . We also had a small packet network with nodes to link i-hb, and a bbs. QRT packet activity in 1991 because of mess and spam. Now mostly active on digital modes, like Pactor lev.2 and 3 on HF QRP, and on WL2K net. Interested in QRP, Homebrewing, old Fashion / Vintage: AM and tubes. Memberships: ARI 1961 (50yrs), ARI-Honour Roll #292, USKA 1973, Strange Radio Team #49 now DXItaly;FISTS, OldScrap, RadioClubLocarno RCL, ANGET, etc

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I-QRP Club #159, G-QRP Club #12067;FISTS #12599; Activities: 2003-2004 qrp some Mountain Top with ft817 and small fishing rod. July-August 2004: operating QRPin Cyprus as 5B/I2JJR/QRP IOTA Contest and following days: 5w and fishing rod antenna, lot of fun and great mileage per watt. next plans: QSO with ZL on 7 MHz phoneusing 5w and fishingrod,happened many times never completed OK because of QRO bad ops calling zl over me and zl !

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DCI-Italian Castle Award: Submitted and QRP activated many new references in I2 and I6. I like the opportunity DCI gives me to learn the story of the places, and the speechs with the ancient people of the places I visit, with their memories rich of anecdotes about to be lost forever. This is the most interesting part of an activation, far more than the QSOs themselves. Sept.2005 : obtained the 1st full QRP DCI Honour Roll Diplom for Operators of the DCI- Italian Castles Award, #59 : the QRP category is not yet issued. I proposed it during the 4th DCI Meeting 2005, but notaccepted. They are against QRP: they say it lessens the rights of the hunters to the qso ( !!! ).

After that I did some other QRP activation, until too bored with tedious complaints about QRP in Sommer 2006. Since then I QRP only for DCIN and DCS castles; hopefully QRP will be more appreciated in I in the future. Did some other DCI activations on QRO with not so much log difference but so there are more happy fans, and less noise, hi. Endly, the QRP operating has been denied and forbidden by DCI IFFA and similar awards, so I only use my IC7000, but the FT817 is in my backpack . Anyway I have now earned the DCI Expeditioneer Top Honour Roll.

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I'm a descendant from TOURN, a Valdense family originating from RORA' - Piedmont, Italy; my grandmother was Luise TOURN de Galeazzi, from ALEJANDRA de Santa Fe'- Argentina. I know about TOURN in Italy, Argentina, and Uruguay. Some should also be in USA: NY and North Carolina : contacts wanted! See my web pages for history and geneal. trees; my other familiesare: Galeazzi, Battistoni, Davies (Galles), Moore (California), Gianola (Switzerland). Want to meet other hams related to TOURN Family, please contact me, I'll be glad to hear from you and give infos!

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5R8 : Some years ago I meet other friends that were helping doing free volunteer work there, they asked my help to install radio links there. I have since then been some times in Madagascar, never hamradio because of free-time lack. We founded our group and got lots of projects fullfilled: schools, solar boilers and photovoltaic generators, surgery rooms see it here: http://www.amicidelmadagascar.org/ It should be nice to operate QRP from AF013, one mode, 24 hours, single operator, as I did from 5B4. I spoke with Solofo 5R8ET for Infos, and will apply for my own 5R8JR Callsign, I will use it the next time I'll be there. Other trips to 5R8 were not possible anymore , I will try to organize it sometime in the future to IOTA Contest from LG36 square, (New One!) but as for now - Jan 2007 - it seems to be very difficult for me to get there!

Later sadly 5R8ET went SK ! He left his spouse and children . He was young and this should have never happen. RIP , Solofo.

Since then I knew nothing more about MARA , wrote to some ham there, got no answer. Non ham Friends there reported me they had no notices about his family anymore. Hope and wish them well .

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5B4/I2JJR/QRP 2004 operations: I did my first IOTA Contest in 2004 from the eastern side of Cyprus, Locator KM64 ; it was great to operate from there, apart from the QRM of some QRO eastern station that did not allow me to have a fixed freq: any time I found one, they came and stolen my freq ! The Wouff-Hong times are definitely away.

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SWISS CASTLES AWARDS: DCS-SSD, the DCTI and the DCIN are the new Swiss Castles Awards founded in 2005 at the DCI meeting by HB9TZA (me), HB9FBI and HB9OAE. First activation toke place by the Castle of Morcote not too far from Lugano in Nov. 2005, all the 3 founders together and with some of the Old Scrap Team by Sezione ARI Busto visiting us. I and Luciano HB9FBI are since organizing and managing the Awards. Dedicated web pages are available with rules, references, docs, news (thanks HB9DRV). I activated since then a number of Swiss Castles, mostly QRP, and earned the DCS and DCTI QRP Activator's Award.

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HBFF / WFF  We have added to the Swiss Castles also the Swiss parks! I am in the team, look here:

http://castles.ham-radio.ch/News-HBFF.htm   

and follow the links tio know more

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Went for Easter Holidays in Malta and there I had the callsign 9H3JR , I was enchanted by Malta's Castles Forts and Towers: what a nice Award were it! And so I spoke to a Friend in the Malta League, they will create the award. From MaltaI transmitted near the St.Paul Tower .

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I spend now the most part of my time in I6, Abruzzo, going around in the inner mountains and activating castles, parks, lakes and Municipi from there. There is a lot to see and enjoy in Abruzzo; beautiful landscapes, hystorical issues ; sea, lakes and mountains; and moreover, very good food I feel very well here! 73 de Augusto I2JJR / HB9TZA