IK0WRB, Vinicio Coletti, Radio Site
Operating HV5PUL
April 1998
I0GOJ, IW0BET and IK0YQJ near the VHF rig |
On April 1998, a group of radio amateurs of
ARI, Rome, went to activate a new Vatican City State station:
HV5PUL. The station was inside the Pontificia Università Lateranense, near S. Giovanni basilica, in Rome. The basilica and a small surrounding territory, including the university, are in an extra-territorial zone of Rome, being part of the Vatican City State. So we were abroad and this was the first time this station was on air. Also, this was the first time the HV5 prefix was used. The group was organized by IW0DJB Luca, which is also the QSL manager for this station. |
| We went several times to the university, mainly to its roof, to set up antennas and cables. However, we had not so much time to organize things, because the activation was decided just a week or so before. The idea was to have two HF stations and one for 6m/2m operations and we were helped in the setup by Stefano IK0OER. This was my first "expedition" and we met early in the morning inside the Università Lateranense. In the morning I operated one of the HF stations, mainly on 20m and 15m SSB using my own TS-450, while IK0YQJ was operating 40m ssb with its TS-140. IW0BET was at the VHF gear, the Luca's IC-706, on 2m and 6m SSB. | 
IK0YQJ operating HF SSB |
I0GOJ operating HF CW |
CW operations started in the early afternoon, with the arrival of I0GOJ,
putting its key and keyer on the TS-450, while I0YQJ, me and Giuliana I0OGD
operated SSB on the TS-140. Luca IW0DJB and Sergio IK0FTA joined
Giovanni IW0BET on the IC-706 for the VHF operations. In the evening we were a bit tired, but happy for this exciting activation. |
|
During the day we received the visit of some authorities, because
the activation was decided to celebrate the Seconda Giornata Lateranense,
a university meeting. Mons. Angelo Scola, university director, and
Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka were bot received at our station. Cardinal
Szoka wanted to know when it was possibile to talk to United States
and Francesco I0YQJ explained him that this would happen later in
the afternoon, on 14 MHz. With him there was also Enrico Vinci, advisor of Italian Prime Minister for european affairs and their visit was filmed by Sat2000 and Tele Pace catholic tv stations. Some people participating to the meeting went also to our station and they were very curious to know what we were doing. |
IW0BET operating and IK0FTA logging |
From left: IW0DJB, I0OGD, IK0YQJ, a scout, Cardinal Szoka, IW0BET, IK0WRB, I0GOJ (from Radio Rivista, July 1998) | |