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 Previous: SAREX Marks 15th Anniversary |  Next: Inspection and Test of Donated Used Batteries for ARES |
By Jon Rudy, N0NM
December 1, 1998
Ham radio can be a great geography teacher. It also helps make the world seem a bit smaller and friendlier. So, how would you act if an overseas ham visitor were to come knocking on your door?
Paolo Prandi, IK4MSV, in his shack in Montiricco. |
One of the neat things about ham radio is the geography lessons one gets from working HF. Working other Amateur Radio operators around the world is always a thrill. A chat with hams about what it's like to live where they do has never lost its appeal to me. It's why I became a ham in the first place.
Numerous times I have worked hams in Italy. I've also had a chance to see this beautiful part of Europe on several occasions when my family and I stopped in Italy to visit my wife's sister. Reggio Emilia, where she lives, is a small, picturesque northern Italian town in the Poe River valley. It is farming country, known for two products--Reunite Wine and parmesan cheese.
The author, Jon Rudy, N0NM, at the Reggio Emilia (Italy) Amateur Radio Club station. It's hot in Italy during the summertime! |
I had gotten to know the president of the Reggio Emilia Amateur Radio Club, Paolo Prandi, IK4MSV, on a previous visit. One afternoon when I had nothing in particular to do, I went for a walk in the city looking for ham antennas and knocking on doors when I spotted one. I happened to find Paolo at home, showed him my QSL card, and it was like a magic wand opening up ham hospitality. Paolo introduced me to other hams in the city and even gave me a certificate from a recent celebration welcoming me to the city. He even said he would arrange for a temporary amateur ticket on my next visit.
When I found we would be visiting Reggio again, I wrote Paolo inquiring about the promise he'd made. Lo and behold, he applied for the license and informed me that it would be awaiting my arrival. First chance I got, I visited him, and he literally gave me the keys to the shack at the Reggio ham club. It was within walking distance of where we were staying, and I was able to go there early mornings to operate.
Operating I4/N0NM from the club station was a delightful experience. For starters, it was interesting to see what propagation was like from Europe. It turned out that conditions were not so good in the summer heat. Yet I was able to work northern Europeans as I would have been able to work stateside hams within a 1000 km radius of my Colorado QTH. My favorite mode is CW, and I was able to find some friends on the air and surprise them with my I4/ portable call sign.
Jon Rudy, I4/N0NM, and family hiked in the hills around Reggio Emilia to see the sights. Here, the family poses in front of a castle during a picnic. [Photos by Jon Rudy, N0NM] |
One afternoon, Paolo took me to his home in the Apennine hill village of Montiricco. From there, Paolo's shack has a commanding view of the surrounding valley. He fired up his ICOM 781 and Commander amp, and, before we knew it, I had a JT and a T8 in the log. I have never done that before from home!
Paolo's warmth and welcoming attitude epitomized ham radio for me. The international friendship created by our common passion for radio renewed my enthusiasm for the hobby. Even though we struggled to converse, his command of English turned out to be much better than my Italian. Besides, the camaraderie of the hobby was sufficient to allow us to communicate well enough. I came away from Italy being thankful for the ARRL and other IARU societies that promote Amateur Radio.
When Paolo or another ham from abroad knocks on my door, I truly hope that I am able to reciprocate the international spirit of friendship and hospitality that Paolo demonstrated during my visit to Italy.
Jon Rudy, N0NM, is better known in some circles as the operator of 3DA0CA from Swaziland in southern Africa. He's the author of "No Rig? Will Travel!" which appeared in the November 1998 issue of QST. He and his wife, Carolyn, co-direct the Mennonite Central Committee and Eastern Mennonite Missions programs in Swaziland, where the family has lived for the past five years. He'll complete his work there next year. A ham since 1976, Rudy also has operated as C91CO and ZS5UZ. He enjoys CW. His QSL manager is W4DR. Contact the author at Box 329, Mbabane, Swaziland, Africa.
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