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4X1DF

9/17/2014

17 Comments

 

Episode 008 - Amnon Bar Giora - 4X1DF

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Born in Berlin, Amnon fled the Nazis as a fifteen year old and was brought to British Manditory Palestine (now Israel) in 1938, where he was settled on a Northern Kibbutz, or collective agricultural community. Showing an aptitude for things electronics, Amnon was put in charge of the kibbutz's cinima and sound systems.  A visiting Australian soldier, a ham operator, and the Hagana's radio operator training program on the kibbutz led Amnon into a life of radio and technology.  Now at 91 years of age, Amnon gives Eric, 4Z1UG, only a taste of his very rich life of service to country, technical expertise, and entrepreneurship. 

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Amnon's Time Line
1938 - immigrated to Israel as part of the Youth Aliyah program to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. 

1940-1948 -served as an underground radio operator for Haganah

1942 - trained Yugoslav partisans, including Hannah Senesh, in Cairo for the British Army

1945 - Returned, Kol Ha-Haganah, to service after it was closed by the British. This Haganah underground broadcast station was in the attic of a dairy farm near Tel Aviv.

1947 - operated a secret Haganah transmitter in Jerusalem's poorest neighborhood to prevent discovery by the British Army.

1948 - Co-founded the Israel Amateur Radio Club that worked with the new Israel Communications Ministry to create the Israel Amateur Radio Service. 

1955-1962  - Jerusalem police, set up radio network around Jerusalem, Judean Hills, and Dead Sea.

1955-1960 - Founded Keren Electronica in Ashkalon, building power amplifiers for the Israeli Air Force.

1960 - Worked for the Mossad to locate Nazi war criminal, Yosef Mengele, in South America. Amnon found him in Paraguy. Mengele was too well protected by the Paraguayan Army to be extracted. Operation called off by Israel's Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. 

1962-1966 - Worked for Mossad as head of security for King Haile Selassie, of Ethiopia. Created low frequency communicatons network to support Selassie on his Worldwide travels as head of State. 

1965 - Congo War - supported UN and Ethiopia by setting up radio communications network using "19 Set"  tank radios. 

1967-1973 - Entrepreneur again in France, Switzerland, Germany, and Israel. 

1973 - Officially retired, but still busy to the present.

1973 -1977 - Test scoring machine and stint in Teheran,Iran, just before the Islamic Revolution.  

Frist Licensed: 1948 - 4X4DF


Call Signs: ZC6AZ, 4X4DF, HB9JAI, DK9IE, ET3AZ

Organizations: 
Israel Amateur Radio Club (founder)
QCWA-65
OOTC
GDXF
USKA
HTC
ARRL
SARA

Awards:
DXCC
WAE
BERTA
DUF

DxPeditions:
3B7RF - Team leader, 1998 expedition
3B6RF - Manager, 2001

First Rig: Dual 807 transmitter, British "Ambassador" GC receiver

Current Rig: Yaesu FTDX-5000

Favorite Mode: CW

Advice to new hams: start early and try to learn as many of the posiblilties.

This QSO Today was recorded in Amnon's dining room with my iPhone 4S, sitting on the table between us, using the Voice Memos app. I used a filter, in Audacity, to get rid of the air conditioning background noise.  
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Secret Haganah Radio Station
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Here is an example of a dual 807 tube transmitter similar to what Amnon described as his first rig.  This beautiful transmitter was made by Steve, WD8DAS, who consented to let me use this picture.
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BC610 operated by Amnon in Ethopia
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"19 Set"  tank transceiver used in Congo for UN radio network
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Yeseau FTDX-5000
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Drake L4B 1 KW Amp
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Amnon's travel rig - Elecraft K1

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The British "Edison" bug
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4X1DF Collection of Morse Code keys, paddles, and bugs
17 Comments
Aaron link
9/18/2014 05:12:17 pm

Thanks for posting these great pictures. That is quite an amazing collection of Morse Code equipment.

Reply
Eric Guth
9/18/2014 08:09:18 pm

Aaron - thanks for your comment. I could not get a wide enough angle to show the full collection. All of the keys and bugs are in beautiful condition - and of course Amnon is an expert on all of them as they can all be plugged into his station.

Reply
Shlomo, 4X4LF
9/18/2014 10:51:58 pm

Thanks for a great interview. I've heard a couple of these stories before, but to hear them all at once was amazing. One slight quibble - in the timeline for 1965 you call the BC-610 a tank radio. It was a large 1-KW base/mobile transmitter. The tank radio was the 19-set. I first used one of these in the Cadet Corps in school back in Canada.
I'm really enjoying your podcasts.
73,
Shlomo, 4X4LF


Reply
Eric
9/20/2014 07:30:02 pm

Shlomo - I made the change in the text about the "19 Sets". Thanks for catching it. Amnon used the BC-610 as his ham station transmitter in Ethiopia. The 19 sets were used to make 20 stations for the UN during the Congo War in 1965.

Reply
Luiz Carlos da Silva Gabriel
9/19/2014 12:11:26 am

É de matérias como estas, que precisamos para aumentar nosso entusiasmo pelo radioamadorismo.
DE PU6LCG

Reply
Eric
9/20/2014 08:35:05 pm

For those of us who started in amateur radio and young people, ham radio was a game changer for the rest of our lives. You can see, that for Amnon, ham radio has been a major game changer for over 75 years.

Reply
Yehuda, 4X1TQ
9/22/2014 01:46:13 am

What shines behind Amnon's exploits in communications are his human skills, inducing in others an absolute confidence in his discretion and commitment to success. Techies can be human too :-)
Enough to fill several lifetimes. Inspiring!

Reply
Eric Guth
9/22/2014 03:05:15 am

Boy, Yehuda,

You got that right.

Reply
DOV GAVISH link
9/24/2014 07:21:16 pm

shana tova / happy new year 73 de dov 4z4dx / 9n7dx / tl8dx /jy8ww

Reply
Frank Dameron N5TYD
1/15/2015 05:41:06 am

This episode of QSO Today with Amnon was absolutely fascinating. What an interesting and adventurous life. I wish I was in Tel Aviv as I would find a way to spend time with Amnon as his stories are great. In the interview, Amnon mentioned his book. Did he write a book? If so, how can I get a copy?

73

Reply
Eric 4Z1UG
1/15/2015 09:11:47 pm

Frank - thanks for your message. I will share with Amnon. The autobiography that Amnon wrote was for his family in Hebrew, and was self published. Perhaps at some point, perhaps a family member will put it up in English.

Reply
Frank N5TYD
1/16/2015 12:13:36 am

Eric, if there was a way for me to get a copy of Amnon's autobiography in Hebrew, either a printed copy or a digital copy, I think I know someone that could translate it for me. This would just be for my personal reading and I would never share the book without Amnon's or his family's permission, it is just that this was one of the most fascinating stories I have heard in quite a while and would love to learn more about his life. If that is not possible, I also understand. His story has inspired me in a number of ways and one is to delve deeper into the history of Israel and its independence. I also must thank you for your efforts to seek out these hams and get them to share their stories, it is truly enjoyable.

Cheers / 73
N5TYD

Dent Vu link
10/17/2016 12:42:04 pm

In field of any activity we need to perform better proper diet and proper environment for efficient goodwill. So for the better of performance and for the assurance of our health air should. be purify

Reply
Marco
10/30/2016 08:00:19 pm

What a great legacy to leave here about a great man who has left us!

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Winkler Moshe
10/31/2016 09:06:31 am

We have lost a great man!!! R.I.P. Amnon!!!

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Tony Mráz, OM3LU
11/1/2016 04:46:22 am

We have lost a great friend. RIP Amnon!
SARA Members, Tony OM3LU

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Hal Turley
12/15/2019 10:41:05 am

I was honored to have known this remarkable man. Thank you for capturing his incredible story for posterity. 73 de Hal W8HC

Reply



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