 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
|
 Previous: NASA: Cracks in Earth's Magnetic Field Stay Open to Let in Solar Wind |  Next: Halli-Twins: The Hallicrafters SX-146 Receiver and HT-46 Transmitter |
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 16, 2003--The first program in Albania to incorporate Amateur Radio training into a university curriculum has led to the doubling of the ham radio population of that Balkan nation. Project Goodwill Albania 2003 also staged an international operating event that made thousands of contacts on many bands and modes to provide the students with the chance to see Amateur Radio in action.
 (L-R) RSGB Representative Roger Brown, G3LQP, Sonila Agago of the Polytechnic University of Tirana, and ARRL representatives Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, Vicky Luetzelschwab, AE9YL, and Warren Hill, K7WX. |
During the course, ZA1A--the station of the Albanian Amateur Radio Association--was on the air to demonstrate Amateur Radio to local telecommunications and education administrators as well as to the students. The program wrapped up December 12 with some fanfare as the Polytechnic University of Tirana students took the full license--the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) Class A--Amateur Radio examination.
When all was said and done, nearly every one of the fourth and fifth-year students managed a passing grade. The result was 39 new Albanian licensees, effectively doubling the ham radio population of what once was a much-sought-after DXCC entity. Students took their exams under the auspices of Albania's licensing authority, Enti Regulatory I Telekomunikaciove (ERT).
During the graduation ceremony, International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Chairman Ole Garpestadt, LA2RR, congratulated the new licensees and welcomed them to the bands. He also credited the university and program organizers for the success of Project Goodwill Albania 2003. In addition, Garpestadt participated in final negotiations with Albanian authorities for the country's membership in CEPT and for the integration Albania's amateur licensing regime to bring it into line with the rest of the CEPT world. This would provide amateurs visiting Albania and Albanians visiting abroad with paperwork-free reciprocal operating privileges.
A group of ARRL instructors took the reins
during the second week of Project Goodwill Albania's Amateur Radio training.
The five-week-long course used an advanced Radio Society
of Great Britain (RSGB) study package as a
reference. In all some 50 professional educators from the US, the United Kingdom, Albania, Finland,
Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Spain and Sweden taught
components of the course. Most of the instructors are from the DXing and
contesting communities.
 The Project Goodwill opening ceremony in early November: Project organizer Martti Laine, OH2BH (seated, left), looks on as Spartak Poci, Albania's Minister for Transport and Telecommunication speaks. |
University Rector and President Perparim Hoxha thanked course organizers for bringing the Amateur Radio educational experience to the university. He also affirmed that the program would continue through Sonila Agago, a local teacher who was among those passing the exam.
Faculty Dean Gezim Karapichi announced that Yaesu had donated an FT-1000MP Field transceiver and a Quadra amplifier to the university club station ZA1UT. Project Goodwill Albania's lead teacher Ulrich Weiss, DJ2YA, presented a Yaesu FT-847 HF/VHF/UHF transceiver to student Eugelent Kola, who had the highest passing grade on the examination (94). Weiss described this course as a highlight of his teaching career.
Project organizer Martti Laine, OH2BH, was honored as a Senior Fellow of Polytechnic University of Tirana at the graduation ceremony. Laine first activated Albania in 1970. He returned in 1991 with the ZA1A combined training course and DXpedition.
Students and organizers participated in a final fling on several bands with four stations at multiple locations operated by DJ2YA, G3LQP, LA2RR, OH2BH, OH2PM, Z35M, Z36W, Z31GX and several local Albanian operators. Operation included participation in the ARRL 10-Meter Contest during the December 13-14 weekend.
QSL via Project Goodwill Albania 2003, PO Box 73, 02380 Espoo, FINLAND.
Supporting the educational effort were IARU Region 1, the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (ARI), ARRL, RSGB, Israel Amateur Radio Club, Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE), the Northern California DX Foundation, Vertex-Standard (Yaesu), Fluidmotion Inc (SteppIR beams), Malev Airlines and Rogner Europark Hotel in Tirana.
For more information on this educational
program, visit the ZA1A Web site and click
on "Project Goodwill Albania 03."-- Martti Laine, OH2BH/Project Goodwill Albania 2004
provided information for this report
| Previous: NASA: Cracks in Earth's Magnetic Field Stay Open to Let in Solar Wind | Next: Halli-Twins: The Hallicrafters SX-146 Receiver and HT-46 Transmitter |
