4U1ITU - GENEVA (SWITZERLAND) – FEBRUARY 1987.

Once upon a time, back in 1987, as a novice, I was longing for a DX-pedition.

Then you look around and realize that your finance is limited and that exotic

destinations are only a dream. ITU in Geneva, for me, considering my overall

condition, was already a good target.

The idea for this expedition had been brought forward by my friend IK4CIV,

Vincent, who, owing to his job, went frequently to Switzerland and already visited,

all alone and for a few minutes, a very special radio station: 4U1ITU.

Therefore, when he asked me whether I was ready to take advantage of a lift

to Geneva, I filled up, somehow, my travelling bag and got onboard.

The first impression, when we got into the ITU base, the radio station is only a

very tiny part of it, was the same, I imagine, of a visitor to the United State building

in N.Y. (by the way you have a U.N. building in Geneva too, may be the original one,

but this is another story). The only difference is that, once you have your radio station

ticket, very easy to get, you just ask for the keys of the radio station room and you

are completely free to go there. To do this you must take several lifts, cross

many alleys, go down, go up, walk underground to another building and there

you are. You are alone, especially during the night and a masterof the whole

building where all licences and frequencies are granted to all over the world

radios and TVs.During the night, every two or three hours, a night-watch

just pops in through the door to see whether you are still alive.

You have different radio sets and antennas at your disposal and you are

allowed to transmit without any limit, of course within the frequency

borders of radio amateur bands. You are kindly asked to fill up the

station log and to write down the QSL cards. Somebody will collect and

despatch them. This is just to give you an idea of the experienced we

have lived there. The 4U1ITU station is controlled and managed by some

special people. I had the pleasure of meeting the President, at that time,

Mr. Paco La Fuente - EA2ADO -

usually in charge of coastal radio station and Mr. Kappler, from Paraguay who

was the technical surveyour of the radio station.

My radio activity went throught a whole day and night, made a lot of contacts,

and mainly that was my first occasion of being on the other side of a pile-up.

Between his business meetings, IK4CIV, as well, spent some hours on frequency.

I will always remember this first international expedition of mine.

The day after we drove back home full of enthusiasm for our first expedition,

very special indeed though not so far from home.

The same experience, more or less, was repeated on year later with IK4CIE.

IK4DCS - Bulgarelli Franco