Hello, Gerry!
It was nice to visit your WEB-site. Your list of famous hams is especially
interesting. But I see there the "bug": Yuri Gagarin (mentioned as
UA1LO), the World's first cosmonaut, unfortunately has never been a ham ... It
is only wide-spread myth or legend. According to the strict rules of those times
in the USSR, such callsign could be issued only to a person, continouosly living
in Leningrad region. Y. Gagarin lived in UA3, UA4, UA9 but never in Leningrad.
During those times all cosmonauts as well as all and every other persons,
involved in space research and flight programs, were "top secret" (at
least, before their first space flight) and were much restricted in their
communications. In fifties and sixties it was almost impossible to get an
amateur radio permission even for any usual army officers, nothing to say about
any of "Star city" inhabitants.
Only two things really connect Yuri Gagarin's name to ham radio. The first: he
was professionally trained radiooperator, including CW skills, of course. The
second: he was nominated as "Master of radiosports of the USSR" by
Federation of Radiosports of the USSR, and he received the diploma personally
from famous Ernst Krenkel, RAEM, the FRS chairman, in 1961 "for the
establishing of the World record in radio communications: the first
"Space-Earth" QSO". But I afraid, that mr Gagarin had heard such
words as "ham radio" and "radiosports" for the first time
only at the moment when he received the award, hi.
Another famous Russian hams you could include in the list:
RAEM (yes, it was the unique ham radio callsign in 1935 - 1968!) - Ernst Krenkel
(1904-1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, he was famous polar radio operator,
member of the first drifting North pole station in 1937 (UPOL - this call
he used not only for the professional communications, but also in QSOs with
other hams). RAEM was originally the call of the icebreaker "Chelyuskin",
which was crashed in 1934 in the Arctic ocean and this call was reissued
personally to it's heroic chief radio operator - E.Krenkel. Ernst was one of the
founders of the Central Radio Club of the USSR (remember Box 88, Moscow? - hi),
founder and chairman of the Radio Sports federation. (Some more info including
his photo and photo of his QSL card: http://dx.ardi.lv/Interesting1.html
)
UA3AG. This call untill 1950 was to Nikolai Baikuzov - Soviet Air Force General,
one of the pioneers of russian ham radio in 1930-s and member of the supporting
team for the North pole expedition (1937, UPOL). During WWII and few years after
he was the Chief of the communications of the Long distance operating department
of the Soviet Air Forces (DX-AF, hi! If in the end of fourties the "cold
war" became "hot", he would be a key person for bombing the
USA...). SK in 1950.
UA1SX (also U1SX) - Yuri Aleksandrov (SK in 1998). He was one of the developpers
of the famous russian military radio communications equipment of 1940-1960,
including the "R-250" HF receiver (I own five different versions of
R-250 and still use them! As well as many other ex-USSR hams.), VHF army
transceiver R-105 and other... Fortunately, despite of "secrecy", he
was able to hold the ham license, but, of course, has had no rights to
speak about his work on the air. I talked with him several times in 1970-s on 20
m SSB, and felt, that he is very seasoned electronics engineer, but I could
never imagine, that communicating with him, I use the receiver he was developped!
Hi. (more at the WEB-page http://www.armyradio.com/Default.htm?http&&&www.armyradio.com/publish/Articles/William_Howard_Russian/50-73_Base_Fixed_Station_Radios.htm
)
UA4PW - Dr. George Khodzhaev, professor of the Kazan conservatoire, world-class
violinist. (SK in 1992; ask about this impressive person N2WW - Valery was his
friend).
UA3DA - Dr. Konstantin Shulgin, professor, one of "fathers" of soviet
mechanical filters (in the end of 1950-s). He was also the Champion of the USSR
(HF contesting) in early fifties. SK in 2002.
Good luck and Happy New Year!
73 from Latvia de YL2DX (Yuri)
www.dx.ardi.lv
P.S. In 1991 I had the privilege to drink vodka during full night in company
with U2MIR - cosmonaut Mussa Manarov. He is really nice guy. Hi.
--
http://www.berlin.de - meine stadt im netz.
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