Episode 008 - Amnon Bar Giora - 4X1DF
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.
| 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. |  Secret Haganah Radio Station  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.  BC610 operated by Amnon in Ethopia  "19 Set" tank transceiver used in Congo for UN radio network  Yeseau FTDX-5000  Drake L4B 1 KW Amp  Amnon's travel rig - Elecraft K1 |
The British "Edison" bug
4X1DF Collection of Morse Code keys, paddles, and bugs
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