"Hawk"-"Hawk", I am "an Owl"...

28.05.2018

He can make a radio communication session 0with the use of satellites or with a signal reflection from tracks of meteor showers, connect with Asia or America during several minutes and even connect to the International Space Station cosmonauts. In some circles he is known by UN1F call sign. He is a region-famous radio fan, Director of Pavlodar Region Radio Sport Public Association, representative of the Executive Committee of the Legal Entities Organization called Association of Radio Amateur Services of Kazakhstan, multiple champion of Kazakhstan in radio sport on HF waves in various categories, holder of many radio amateur diplomas: "Worked with All Regions of the Soviet Union", "Worked with All Regions of Kazakhstan", "Worked with 150 Countries and World Territories" Anatoliy Krinitsyn. In addition to that, he is our colleague, Head of Foreign Economic Connections Coordination Department and just a passionate person.

Surely, the common thing for these two big hobbies, which are absolutely different, which one person combines in himself so successfully is the word "communication". It was an opportunity to adjust, and to be more exact, set up the ties with the big external world directed a seven-grade-pupil to the radio-technical club in his native town of Volchanks located in the northern Urals.

 - In the club of young technicians there was a collective radio station. I was won by the thought that it is possible to make a radio connection with the whole world. I learnt a Morse alphabet. I would say it is much easier to do it in the childhood than when being an adult. I also learnt the peculiarities of telephone and telegraph communication. Only after that I was allowed to radio air. Earlier radio stations were self-made. They consisted of a receiver, transmitter and antenna. We had a written off war receiver provided by Army, Aviation and Navy Support NGO. But the transmitter was self-made of various materials and details, lamps, transistors, and plates. Soldering, cutting, and adjusting… My first radio communication session took place at UK9CAX collective radio station with an 80-meter range, with the collective school radio station of Kirov city…

 Currently, in the century of development of electronics, automation, digital technologies receivers and transmitters are replaced by trans-receivers with a digital data signal conversion. The list of necessary equipment is expanded by computers, for active work in the air - by digital forms, with coded signals. Internet and cellular connection could not displace amateur radio. They just improved the process of radio communication. Those who love to communicate through radio waves have got their own sites and chats, with the help of which they could exchange information. But mainly they communicate in the air, on short and ultra-short waves using radio waves passing and transmitting information on equipment, antennas, expeditions of radio fans and many other topics. Amateur radio touched many people, including such famous representatives of different countries, as King Hussein I of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, King of Spain Juan Carlos I, traveler Fyodor Konyukhov, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan Valeriy Petrov, and many others. To think that radio fans limit themselves in communication is a big mistake. They can connect not only with each other being on different continents but they have an opportunity to periodically contact those, who are on the planetary orbit at the height of 400-500 km, and also make communication sessions with reflection from space objects and the Moon.

 - With the cosmonauts of the International Space Station one can make a radio connection by a preliminary agreement. With the help of a computer program (by Kepler's data) we monitor where satellites and the International Space Station are. In order to make a radio communication session with it the International Space Station should come in the visibility range over the place when the radio station is located. It is possible to keep radio connection with the cosmonauts while the International Space Station is flying over us for 10-15 minutes maximum on low orbits. Talks with them are mainly related to technical data of equipment, through which connection is made; pupils talk about life and activity of cosmonauts at the station. This year on Astronautics Day the special action took place. From the board of the International Space Station the cosmonauts were transmitting computer images in the digital form to radio fans in honor of the 40-th anniversary of Interkosmos space program.

The work with radio fans for the cosmonauts is a psychological relaxation from the enclosed space, connection with the world. Prior to going to the orbit almost all the cosmonauts take examinations to get a radio amateur call sign.

 Newcomers, who decided to become radio fans, also have to take exams. Earlier they were taking them in different army, aviation and navy support NGOs, radio-technical schools, and now - in qualifications commissions, at radio sport federations and other amateur radio organizations of Kazakhstan, the list of which is approved by Ministry of Information and Communication.

 - Ministry of Information and Communication provides a beginning radio connection amateur with legal documents and rules of radio air use, appoints an examination commission. Usually it consists of three people - experienced radio fans. One needs to answer 80% of proposed questions to pass an exam. After that a radio fan is provided with a certificate, with which he/she comes to a territorial inspection of Pavlodar Region with a request on issuing a call sign and get a permit giving him/her a right to work on amateur frequencies of short waves and ultra-short waves in the air. By the structure of a call sign, with the help of call sign prefixes accepted by the international communication organization one can determine from what country or region a radio fan works. For example, my call sign is UN1F, which means that I live in Kazakhstan (UN prefix), in Pavlodar Region (letter F in the prefix). And, of course, a beginning radio fan needs to purchase or manufacture special receiving and transmitting equipment and get it registered in an authorized communication organ. At home every radio fan has trans-receiving equipment, antennas and computers. For that matter, communication begins. After every going on the air with the setting up a radio connection session a radio fan can confirm a radio connection taken place with cards-receipt of radio connection, the so-called QSL-cards. Earlier they were made of paper, and currently they are not only paper cards but also electronic ones. Consequently received cards are collected to confirm held communication sessions by the conditions of international and Republican diplomas and diploma programs, such as "Worked with All Regions of Kazakhstan", "Worked with All World Countries".

One can talk in the air on all topics except for politics, commercial activity, and advertisement. Interests of radio fans from all over the world are represented by the international organization. Its members are all the countries, which accepted the rules of the International Telecommunication Union and assign amateur radio frequencies to radio fans. In some countries there are no radio fans or it is almost impossible to get an amateur radio call sign, and such countries become territories in demand, which try to visit radio expeditions, by which everybody gets an opportunity to conduct a radio connection session with those countries and territories. 

Currently in Pavlodar Region there are about 50 radio fans. Besides, in our town there is a collective radio station in school #23. Pupils apt in this hobby and being winners of regional and Kazakhstani competitions and holders of the Cup of Kazakhstan go to that club. Some of them have grades in radio sport. In addition to it, radio fans also work in the air in honor of many significant events using special call signs. For example, on Victory Day the UN9FWW collective radio station used a special call sign UP73FP and worked in honor of all participants of the Great Patriotic war from Pavlodar Region in the international radio memorial Pobeda 73 organized by the Russian Federation.

 Competitions in radio sport among radio fans are organized with some periodicity. They reveal radio fans, who could conduct a larger quantity of radio communication sessions than other participants for some definite period of time. A maximum number of points depends on a remoteness of an object, with which a communication session was conducted.  

 - Face-to-face international competitions are held once per several years. A country where they will be held is approved by the international organization. The next country will be Germany, in which a world face-to-face championship WRTC-2018 will take place. Selected radio fans only will be able to participate in the competition - multiple winners of correspondence international competitions. By the rating about 50-60 best stations from all over the world will be selected. The competition duration will be up to 24 hours.

In Kazakhstan they hold both face-to-face and correspondence competitions. The Championship of Kazakhstan in radio communication on ultra-short waves is held annually; the team of radio fans and we go to the suburbs of Bayanaul park on the first Sunday of July. The participants and all necessary equipment are located on the mountain peaks and bald peaks of Kazakhstan. Competitions start at one and the same time in all time belts (by GMT time) and last for 24 hours. I would like to note that in the organization of visits to participate in championships in radio communication on ultra-short waves the big assistance is given to us by the management of Bogatyr Coal LLP making its contribution in the support of this beautiful kind of sport and technical hobby, which is over 100 years old.

Marina PONKRATOVA

Photo from the archives of Anatoliy KRINITSYN.

 

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