WHO IS PAoNCR?

I was born in 1943 and named Nico. After High School I studied for radio technician NRG and in 1962 was drafted in the Army. In the same year I got my license with the call I still hold today. However, apart from getting a 19-set on the air, I did not do much with it. I got married to Marianne and we were busy raising the kids (we have two, a son and a daughter), having a good time with friends and pursuing our careers. There simply was no time left for the hobby, an excuse that no doubt sounds familiar to many of you....

My professional career started as a communication technician with the Trans Arabian Pipeline Company and I spent 5 years with my family in the Saudi Arabian dessert ensuring that the crude oil drilled in the fields near the Persian Gulf was pumped to Sidon (Lebanon) for onward transport by ship to the refineries in Europe. Next I worked for the English Rank Organisation, at that time a very diversified company, a.o. producing consumer and professional electronics, exploiting summer holyday camps and film studios. As a liaison technician I assisted the consumer electronics division expanding into the Netherlands and Begium. After 10 years with Rank I moved to Radio Holland, a leading Dutch company in the field of marine electronics boosting over 50 offices around the globe. For 25 years I was the managing director of a subsidiary that specialized in the design, supply, installation and maintenance of audiovisual systems for commercial and Navy vessels, oil-rigs, cruise liners and luxury mega yachts.

In 2007 I retired and this enabled me to pick up the hobby again.

THE HOBBY AND THE STATION

My main interest is HF and building things, once it works halve the fun is gone. I have a fully equipped workbench and a separate operating desk, but nearly 100% of the hobby time is spent at the workbench. The station transceiver is a Kenwood TS-950 with an Inrad roofing filter and homebrew IF panadapter. It is followed by an all band linear with a GS-35 in grounded grid, providing 1 kW PEP on all bands. A Kenwood R-5000 is used as a GP receiver. The station is completed with a boom type dynamic Sennheiser microphone, a HP computer, an audio panel featuring a built-in equalizer, notch filter and DSP unit, a station monitor and an Antenna Control Unit with built-in antenna selector, power meter and 1 kW dummy load. On the photo of the operating desk the ACU is seen on the right underneath the linear. Finally a 2 meter and 70 cm FM transceiver cater for local traffic. The main antennas are an 2x17 meters open dipole fed with a balanced open wire, a rebuilt Cushcraft A3S tribander for 10, 15 and 20 meter and a GP for 40 meter. All antennas are terminated in the Antenna Control Unit. A simple 10 meter wire is used on the R-5000 receiver. Save the TS-950, R-5000 and the computer, all the equipment is homemade.

GET IN TOUCH

Sorry, I dont send QSL cards. Should you want to get in touch with me, please send me an email at PA0NCR_at_veron.nl. Full particulars can be found on QRZ.com.

73 and enjoy the hobby!