Episode 166 - Dov Gavish - 4Z4DX Transcript
Transcript commissioned by:
Rich Rockman, WB3EGD
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Welcome to the QSO Today podcast, I'm Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, your host.
Israel's most notable amateur radio operator, might just be Dov Gavish 4Z4DX, first licensed in Israel, with his Dad, over 50 years ago, Dov has made a career of operating, from wherever he happens to be in the world. Always ready to get on the air. While CW is his favorite operating mode, Dov just likes to get on the air with whatever mode he works, including DMR. 4Z4DX is my QSO Today. 4Z4DX, this is Eric, 4Z1UG, are you there, Dov?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, hello, Eric. 4Z1UG, this is 4 Zulu 4 Delta X-ray, over.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Dov, thanks for joining me on the QSO Today podcast. Can we start at the beginning of your ham radio story? When and how did it start for you?
Rich Rockman, WB3EGD
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Welcome to the QSO Today podcast, I'm Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, your host.
Israel's most notable amateur radio operator, might just be Dov Gavish 4Z4DX, first licensed in Israel, with his Dad, over 50 years ago, Dov has made a career of operating, from wherever he happens to be in the world. Always ready to get on the air. While CW is his favorite operating mode, Dov just likes to get on the air with whatever mode he works, including DMR. 4Z4DX is my QSO Today. 4Z4DX, this is Eric, 4Z1UG, are you there, Dov?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, hello, Eric. 4Z1UG, this is 4 Zulu 4 Delta X-ray, over.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Dov, thanks for joining me on the QSO Today podcast. Can we start at the beginning of your ham radio story? When and how did it start for you?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
All right, thank you. I was born in the kibbutz, near Nazareth. In the age of eleven, I lost my mother, so my father, 4X4VB, looks for some hobby, that can he and me can make together. So that's the time we start this hobby. We learn from the books. In Israel, every year in Passover we have a test. First we go to the novice and then after a year, I get my full 4Z4DX license. Later I'm also 4Z1DX but I'm so famous with this 4Z4, so I didn't change it. I stay with this call sign.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
So the way that ham radio licenses are structured in Israel is that the 4X1 and the 4Z1 are the highest level of license. But you must've gotten some kind of special permission to keep the 4Z4 with the higher grade of license. Or do you hold both licenses?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have both licenses, but I have 450,000 QSOs in LOTW and EQSL, so I don't have any reason to change the call sign anymore. So I have two licenses.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But you have special permission to operate 4Z4DX in the extra class area of the band?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Roger, roger.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's the nice thing about Israel. It's small enough you can actually do those kinds of things.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
My son, by the way, is 4Z5DX, my son Matan. He's also active.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
As active as his father?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, not much. He's busy married, his job. He has another hobby, Iron Man. Not so much, but time to time, he operate from my station.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You and your father were hams back in the 60s. What was ham radio like in Israel in those days? Were there lots of hams?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, very few. We start with on AM equipment, 40 watt and dipole. Then we changed to a surplus receiver and 10A equipment, 10 watts CW and we built in the kibbutz three different HB9CV mono beamers so we quite loud, quite loud, only 10 watts.
In the Six Day War, we had many, many volunteers from Columbia in the kibbutz. They come to the shack and speak to their father in Columbia and the QRM and so on. It was very, very hard for them to make a good QSO. So this Columbian guy sends me TL4, my first direct TL4. It was my equipment, 300 watt. My first one so I was really, really loud with this transceiver, those days, in the end of the 60s. Starting the 1970s.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
So that was your first commercial equipment there at the kibbutz. What did you do for antennas? Were you using wire antennas? Or did you build your own themes. What did you do there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah we start with a dipole and that we built in the kibbutz, three mono banders HB9CV for 20, 15 and 10 and it worked quite good.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Those were home brew or commercial?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Home brew, all homemade.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
When you say"HB9" these were the call sign of the guy that designed these?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yes, call sign of he who designed it. It's two element beam. It's very famous here, very famous.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I read on your QRZ page that you were early into SS TV. How did that start for you in Israel?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
After we receive the direct TR 4, and we're looking for something different, I always looking for something different in this hobby, so the SS TV looks like something that I must start with it. We buy an old robot model, robot 400, SS TV to the shack and we start working making QSO. Instead of using F1, F2, F3, we just change the cartoon. Cartoon number one, Security X, cartoon number two, my name is Dov. Number three, thank you for the QSO and things like that. So this is the first SS TV. It works fine. I make 100 QSOs and I really like it.
My father and me, we use the same station. I have to go to the Army so he stays alone at home and he starts something new. It was just after the War and many people from all over like to hear to talk to the Israeli station. He makes 14320 Jewish net, Jewish net. I think still now this net active. They speak English. They also make a special bulletin, called "Chaverim," without bounds of faith. Because the friendships are forever, is what my father did. I was QRT for seven years because I was in the Army. I was a colonel then. Then I back home. I married, two kids, and I moved to another city near Tel Aviv, called Ramat HaSharon. Then I build everything new. I buy my first Kenwood, we have someone from Volvo Company. His name is Israel and he brings all the Kenwood equipment with a very good price to the Israeli.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
By the way, I remember Israel and his Volvo Company. He was the importer for Kenwood.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right. So I start with all the Kenwood. I start with 120, 130, 140, all of them. 440, 470, 850, 930, and my last one was 950. After the 950, the Kenwood was, I don't know what the quality maybe changed. So I moved to Elecraft, so I still using now the Elecraft 7300 for the digital mode. I start something very, very new after the JT65, just a few days ago, I started the FT8, It is just unbelievable how this digital mode make when no condition, nothing on the air, I call CQ and in the middle of the day, calling me everywhere, all bands. In the morning 20 meters, then it switch to 50 meters, after 50, 70 meters. When it's dark, we start 30 meters. At midnight 40 meters, very, very strange. For CW,
I'm using my case three line. K3, and the KPA500 and I use to have big antennas. The KLM, 6 cm KLM. Above I have the 402 B8, two elements for 40 meter. But I sell the house five years ago, because no one in house. So I have big, big house and only me and my wife. So we move to a small house now, a new one. But no more big, big antennas. So now what I do I establish QTH, up in Galilee. I'm operating remote. I have the Icom 7100 in Galilee. Why the Wi-Fi, I use the remote from here. So Wi-Fi fine and I like it very, very much.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Are you using like a remote rig or some kind of attachment that goes in the middle of that in order to make that work? Or does the 7100 just, it is IP out of the control head, so you can just plug that into your router?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
The station is on a gurney, I only have the head of the 7100.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
How do you connect the head to the internet?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have Wi-Fi and I have also two boxes made in Scandinavia. Its LIC 1258, radio radio charlie 1258mk2, remote , made in Kalix, Sweden, made in Kalix, Sweden. So it's in two boxes, price is about $500 for the two boxes. One box here, one box in the gallery. It works fine.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's pretty sweet, and do you have beam antennas that turn and stuff up there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I could do everything with a remote. How I can open the linear, I can turn the antenna, everything I can do. By the way, I just come back from Germany, from Friedrichshafen; I was there with an Israeli group. On back home, I stop in Liechtenstein in HB0 whiskey, Romeo. I remember the last time I was in Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein is a country between two big mountains. It's impossible to go out to make QSO, and I visit my friend, HBOWR, I tell him, "Oh what's going on with HF?" He told me, "We're lucky; we received a big house and a mountain". We are four people in Switzerland and we have a password. Everyone can go and we build the same as I have. The same remote station, also the same box. The same box is made in Sweden. Now they can go and they make QSOs. I stay a few hours in his shack; I make many QSOs in Liechtenstein, from the remote station there.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I think this remote control stuff is going to be popular in Israel. Because we live in a kind of high density situations with a lot of electronic noise. So finding a friend with a hilltop house is probably going to be the number one thing for us out here. Let me go back a little bit, just to get a bigger picture. Did ham radio play a part in the choices for your education and career? Did you work in radio or something like that?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no. It's only hobby. It's only my hobby. Also now I volunteer. I'm teaching a small people here in Herzylia. I volunteer in Ministry of Communication for examination. It's only a hobby.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
When you say you volunteer teaching small people. Is that people that are short or young people?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Young people.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You already mentioned what your rigs are, what's your favorite rig?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I like the K3 for many years, but tell you the truth, last year, when Icom 7300 come to my shack, I most of the time, and also the condition not so good, so most of the time, digital modes. And the Icom is a little bit better in digital mode, simple, only one cable.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
One USB cable, right?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Right, one USB cable.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Amazing.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have USB for the K3. I have the signaling, but it's complicated. I have problems to turn and to tune and everything. This 7300 I connect just one cable and I use LKYVSK and when the condition is so bad, that's what you have to do is digital mode. Of course I like K3; I think it is the best rig in the market, for sure. But for digital, I prefer the Icom.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But your favorite mode is what?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
It used to be CW, we have condition, I was maybe 70% CW.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's always been the case. You've always preferred CW. Although you showed me a little tour of your shack before we started. You have a little bit of everything, so you're not afraid to move into different modes, when the mood suits you.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Well you know when you're retired; my boss is now the Packet Cluster. The Packet Cluster is now my boss. I open the Cluster, looking for something nice. Also I usually make a full contest in the year, the CQW, the CW, and SSB. I used to work for the number one. I was two time number one in the world, CQWW; I have here on the wall. One from Cypress in 1987, at Zulu, Charlie 4 DX, and month from here, from Israel, I'm 20 meters. I get a special permission for 4Z8DX on 20 meter CW. Many many times number one in Asia. My last CQWW was maybe two years ago when I see that condition is going down, down, down. So I say, I just participate for few hours. In fact, every weekend I looking for any contest I try to help the people. The Scandinavian contest, the Bulgarian contest, the Czech. I just call. I have many, many friends.
Over the 60 years that I'm on the air, I have so many friends so I just call them, make them the point. I know they need Israel and not so many Israeli band people on the air. So I know they are happy. After the contest, letters and emails that thank you so much for giving me the point, the multipliers, you know?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Do you remember a time when Israel had a lot more hams on the air?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, we are lucky. From 1991, Israel received one million people. From them, 100 people, amateur radio.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
This is Eric parenthetically, what Dov is referring to is that Israel absorbed one million Russian immigrants in the 1990s, as the result of the falling apart of the Soviet Union. Amongst that one million Russians were 100 amateur radio operators.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, very good operators. They know how to fix all the equipment and very skilled. I liked them very much. They don't speak Hebrew. They don't speak English. So they're mostly on CW, but very nice guys. So before 1991, was few. I remember we have VHF frequency, a simplex frequency for the DX-er. For many years we had five, six, always less than ten people elected in Israel, the DX-er. Now of course it's Whats-App. it's easy. We don't need simplex. But not so many active from Israel, lately.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I have the call book or at least the spread sheet. It has almost 2300 names of licensees in Israel. Was there ever a time when it seemed like there were actually more people operating say phone patches to North America? That's kind of what I remember maybe 35, 40 years ago. But when I was here briefly as a student. But as you say, it doesn't seem like there's that many people on the air anymore.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
What's happened, the 20,000 what you say, the old people make the examination and get novice. Most of them are on novice and things like that. They start and only 1,000 officially have license this year. 500 of them are members in our group, in the Israeli group. Half, and from the 500, maybe 400 on VHF. VHF, DMR, UHF, things like that, maybe 100 people. I know because we have Holyland contest every year in April. We receive maximum of 100 logs from the Israelis. At last year, it was 87 logs, but it's around 100 people have HF station here in Israel.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Now a word from QRP labs. This week I was listening to the ham radio 360 work bench podcast about the BITX40 transceiver. One of the participants of the discussion on the single band BITX receiver from Ashhar Farhan in India said that he was converting the BITX transceiver into a multi-band transceiver. He was using the multiple band pass filters and relay switching from QRP labs to make this work for him. So while Hans Summers' QRP labs has some great transceiver kits in their own right, you can still go to get filter modules, relay switching boards and other parts from QRP labs for someone else's kit project.
So there is a happy medium between rolling your own band pass filters and buying them off the shelf. That is to get them from QRP labs in kit form ready for your next radio project. QRP labs is my first stop for ham radio kits at a reasonable price. They should be yours too. Click on the link on the show notes page or let Hans know that you heard about QRP labs on QSO Today.
Now back to Dov Gavish, 4Z4DX. Most of our listeners are in the USA, and I know that you've operated from all over the world. If anybody goes into your QRZ page, they're going to see that you've been very careful about listing all of the places and all of the DXpeditions and stuff that you've been on. Does the world sound differently from Israel than it does from the USA, in terms of what you're working and what you're hearing mostly, and that kind of stuff?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, actually I was in the USA in a WRTC contest, in a German contest. And I operate a day QTH, K1TTT with a special whiskey radio one tango charley. This is an amazing QTH. This station, you don't know that no more condition on the air. Always condition, but thought it was great. What I seen in the States, is the 80 meter is very, very popular. I was on 80 meter in a contest and a N2KW was on 40 meter. It was SSB contest. I really had problem to find a clear frequency on 80 meters. Whenever I see "frequency" news, now it's a net fit. Many net frequencies on 80 meter in the USA. Here, this area, nothing at all.
Used to be many years ago, Russian net, but no more, not anymore, no net on 80 meters here. Here is empty, only in contest, 80 meters. He is open only in the contests. So amazing. I work from K1TTT almost all the States. Just unbelievable, I like it.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
With less than 100 Israeli low band operators active on the air, it would make sense that 80 meters is really quiet here. Because it would be just for local conversation, for the most part.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no, it's not only in Israel. If you open the 80 meter, also European. European also no [inaudible 00:22:51]. What you see in the morning on CW, only on CW, I could hear a couple of stations, it's also noisy. The 80 meter is very noisy on 80 meter. Not only in Israel. In Israel, we use 40 meter on the scan. Every Saturday morning on 7130, 10:00 o'clock local time. By the way, it's a tradition.
When I was a boy, I remember every Saturday, that's the time people build their own AM transmitter. So every Saturday, everyone check how is my audio, QOX, I changed the audio, I put DSP, I change, everybody build all the way change the equipment. This other was a place to check to get your report, to receive information how it look like. That's the local QSO.
We have, by the way, VHF, UHF and DML repeaters all over Israel. At any point, if you drive from north to south, from border of Lebanon to Iraq, there's always a repeater ready for you. Once in a week, in the Tuesday evening, we have a magazine on hour seven.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Which is the Tel Aviv repeater?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, Tel Aviv repeater. That's most of the people are active and listen what's the news.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
There's an effort to bring Allstar and DMR and connect them all across the country. At some point, I would imagine within the next year or so, we'll be able to talk on all the repeaters simultaneously. From one end of the country to the other.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, for sure, for sure. I also use the DMR and connect to my computer so I can talk to the world. No condition I can switch my computer and I can talk via DMR to the world. Although just stopped, when I come on they repeat it in the States. Also not so big activity.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You're a big DXpeditioner. Again, looking at your QRZ page, you have lots of call signs. How did you get into the DXpeditions and where have you gone? What's the most exotic place that you've gone?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
My first one was to Cypress, country near to Israel. There was a British club station in Zulu Charlie 4, and they asked me to come to help them to build the club station. So I told them I like to come to help but I like to get my own call sign. So they give me the ZC4DX, zulu charlie 4 DX, with this call sign I make a new score, 80 meters, world score. It was my first. I was two time in Cypress, in the CW, the CQW and also the SSB. It was a little one.
The next one was in 1995, the late King Hussein, which I know him very, very well because sometimes we make 80 meter and 40 meter. We talk, you know, no permission to the Arabic people to talk to Israel. We talk by night, hi Dov, hi His Majesty. So I know him quite well. One year after the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan, his idea was to organize an expedition in Jordan on Mount Nebo. If you remember from the Bible, what's happened in Mount Nebo?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Moses dies on Mount Nebo.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Also his 12 spies he sent into Israel to look what's going on there. So what's going on there, he sends me a fax, ask me to bring six Israelis. He brings six Jordanians. He make a special license, everyone has his own license. My Jordanian license is Juliet Yankee 8 Whisky Whiskey, and the group license he give us two licenses. For Mount Nebo, JY74 zulu. And from Amman, from the club station, the Hussein club station, JY74X. We stay about 10 days in a month and the King was one of the operators.
Everyone before started at QSO they said, "This is to show the world that Jewish Hebrew and Arabs and Jordanians can sit together and talk peace and talk to the world together." It was a great time, the King and just very, very good memories for the future.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
IS JY8WW call sign still valid?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Not valid, but I have just when I like to go there, I just have to send them a fax and no problem. Once you have your first license, it's easy to get again, the same call sign.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Now obviously King Hussein has passed away. Is there still an active club in Jordan?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
There is a club. There's two people are still active. I'm in contact with them. One of them is a Dr. Ali and one of them is one man from Serbia, working in United Nations, JY9 fox charlie. He's at the active station now, most active. I think he's working from the club. The call sign of the club is JY6 zulu, zulu. JY6ZZ. The club is still running there.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
There's an Israeli website where you have posted some stories. One of the stories is that you decided to go to Nepal and work DX from Nepal. How did that come about? How did that turn out?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have my first Nepal expedition was in 2003. All happened when Israel, when the IARU Convention was in Israel, in Tel Aviv.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's the IARU, the international amateur radio union convention, right?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Roger, roger. It was in 1999. I met Satish 91AA, I asked him I like to make an expedition to Nepal, in the memory from my friend, Fasa Morale 9M1MM and things like this. They say, "It takes about four years since we make it." I ask for the call sign 9 and 7 DX for ... Satish is a lawyer, very close to the King, the family of the King. His wife is one of the family of the King, very nice person.
His only two guys in Nepal are active, 9N1AA and 9N1HA. Now the daughter of 911AA just start lately I see. By the way, also start FT8, the digital mode. He was one of the first QSO I made a few days ago, really exciting. So I came to Nepal with my son for that 5 DX. I stop in India in Bombay, I met [Sala 00:31:11], via 2 whiskey sugar and two, three days with him in Bombay. There I left to Katmandu.
I also made 9 and 7 some guys from Norway. He and my son helped me to put my antennas. Just put three dipoles, for 20 dipole inverted V, for 20, 15 and 10. After a few days, I also put dipole for 40 meter. It takes about four days to get the license.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
What did you have to do to get the license, over those four days? It's my understanding that it was actually quite an undertaking?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
What you have to do is you go to 911AA. He's the key to get the license. He's a lawyer. He's printing a letter to the government, asking that Dov 4Z4DX looking for the license for seven days, 14 days, the rig, the equipment is Icom 7000, 100 watt. You have to pay each band $50. So I ask for four bands. I pay $200, but first I have to wait for the answer. Take about one or two days from the government.
When you get the answer, you have to go to the airport, to the bank to pay. No computer in the bank, so you have to wait another two days to get the permission that you pay. So after four days, you receive the license. You go on the air, and unbelievable pilot, unbelievable pilot just me and my son wake all days, all days just nonstop, nonstop.
Every one hour I change for RTTY, and wake. Many, many people it was the first time ever they worked in the pilot of RTTY. I also switch one day to SS TV, but no more the old what I have in the kibbutz I have no SS TV or the software called "Mix W". So it was easier than 50 years ago. It was my first 2003; I make about 27,000 QSOs back home. Make some trek in Himalaya with my son. I'm very happy.
What happened in 2011, in my age 60 years old, me and my wife decide to make my all year party in the Himalaya, to make 60 years anniversary in the Himalaya, that's what my birth was the idea. So we go six months before to Satish, is my wife and his wife. By the way, his wife is now also licensed. She got the license of Mr. Fasa Morale. She is 91 Mickey Mouse.
He gave us his car and we tour about one week to find the place. Because Katmandu is not good QTH for the DXpedition. It's noisy and it's down in the valley. So we find a big hill, 3,000 meter above the sea level that opens 360 degrees. Also there is a small hotel with a restaurant and a power supply and thing like that.
We announced that, in six months, we will be in the Himalayas with a group. So I call my friend from the Italian group, MDXC, the military DX club. It's Antonio, it's okay. So we organize 16 people ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
16 people from the Mediterranean DX club?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, from the DX club, from Italy, Belgium, French, charlie echo, Yankee bravo, and Mexico, XE1 Lima, Luis. Luis is a Jewish, my friend for many, many years. So we set up the station in November. We make six station on the hour, all mode, unbelievable, all the equipment and it was amazing how things go there just excellent condition. Excellent QTH, all organized by food, by electricity, and we have of course the people are [inaudible 00:36:51]. They also make some trekking in the Himalayas. We made about 30,000 QSOs.
We also helped a doctor, an American doctor, live not too far away from our QTH. We find him by chance. 9 November 1 Fox Echo, the doctor and he's there three years. He's call sign American. He was from Puerto Rico, whiskey papa 4 fox echo. I met him in the hospital after the DXpedition. I met from his QTH, CQWWCW. It was lucky. It was just after we finish. I have two days before going back home. What's going home with this guy, he's not CW. Only SSB. He told me that three years he's there and he cannot make any QSOs in the Himalaya and a good QTH.
I have this software, the digital software and I put him on the laptop and I teach him how to work digital mode like RTTY PSK and he was so happy the moment that we finished to put the software, he called CQ nine one fox echo and so many people call him and call him and call him. He's so happy every day he was just unbelievable. Because SSB in the Himalaya and 100 watt in dipole, we had no chance. But digital mode, you see this is a big difference.
So we're back home, we make nice QSL card, nice video and things like that and people are very happy. Lots of experience, every day we change the antennas and make a new one on 80 meters. Especially low band. We put new antenna in the morning, test it in the night and see what's going on. If it's better, if it's not, the other night we put another antenna. So it was really amazing on the technical side and also the communication.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
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I saw a picture of you, sitting in the water, off the coast of Israel. Literally in the water, the table's in the water, with all the gear on top of the table. You're making offering CW, making QSOs. That was part of the 4XOAI team. Can you talk a little bit about ... that was like islands on the air, something like that. Could you talk a little bit about what that DXpedition was about.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, I have two DXpedition on the water, one from Achziv island, the Mediterranean Sea, and one from the Dead Sea, actually last year. I start with the Achziv in 1992, when the IOTA, islands on the air start, I was looking for some island that Israel also can get number. Because I just start, I know we have some island around. So but the problem that to get the number from the RSGB for the Achziv island which is near Nahariya, near Lebanon border, this name must be on the map, one to one million. You must show the name Achziv island. This time was no internet, no Google.
I call my friend from University of Manchester in England. I know they have big, big maps. I call J3 zulu alpha Yankee and he find this name. So they give us a number, Asia 100. So in September 1992, what was my first time to Achziv island, three people what we do, we take a battery from the car. I learn that if you take battery from the car, you can work eight hours on the island no problem.
So you finished the DXpedition, you put the battery back to the car and you can go back home safely. Two kilometers from the shore, the rule of the IOTA it must be a minimum of one and a half kilometers, so it's good. It's about maybe 500 meter long and maybe 80 meter or 100 meter the other side, so not big island. It's only three places that you can put station because part of the island is full of water. So we find the places and we put one station for the Israeli and 40 meter, and two stations on the HF. We can wake 20 SSB and 17 CW, big, big pilot. This was our first time.
The second time we go in 1993, because I like to work with the States, I must stay on the island over the night. If you want to stay over the night, you need permission from the Army. You need also to talk to the Navy, to tell them that you are there. Because it's close to the Lebanon border, and they are making trips around. So we are also listening on special frequency for the Navy. So it's special permission, 1993, we get the permission. So we make many, many QSOs state side. Many people are happy I think. So 4X0AI is just Achziv island.
The second DXpedition water is year ago; we decide to go to the lower place in the world, in the Dead Sea. So we ask for the call sign, 4X429 Dead Sea. Because last year it was minus 429 minus ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Meters, so it's 429 meters below sea level.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right. So we get the permission. We organize six stations, Tel Aviv and we put all the antennas all the water. We have three EME beam, we have the X beam, big, big vertical 480 meters which worked perfect. It's on the water, just perfect. Also another vertical for 40 meter, on the water. So we make in four days about 30,000 QSOs.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's amazing.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah it was unbelievable condition. You think that because it's low you may be losing condition but I find out that it's very good because, if you are on water, the water give you the best, best communication.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Were you actually in the Dead Sea or were you in the evaporation ponds which are in the very south end of the Dead Sea there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no we're on the Dead Sea. We have permission to operate there. We have “sukkot matzil, b’anglit”?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You mean a life guard shack where the life guard lives on the beach during the summer?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah life guards. We use it. Actually it was quite new. We like to use this one. It's a big one so we also have small kitchen. People make food and coffee and things like that. The lady, owner of the show, was happy because we put this place on the internet. She got many people; she has 10 centers, 10 small rooms for rent. After we move from there, she be very very lots of work to do. Until now, it became famous because it is in a cluster everybody knows. It is called "bikini" that's the name of the place. So that's about to the DXpedition.
Then as I tell you before, I'm looking always for something different. So three years ago, I start with the WFF, Israel has about 150 parks. Like in America, they call NPOTA
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Israel has national parks.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
National parks and also Europe has national parks so together with the European, we start the DXpedition of the operations of the parks.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But the WFF means World flora and fauna.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right; it's very, very popular in Europe. If you open two frequencies every day, always the condition is very bad. 14044 or 14244 always someone struck [B 00:48:12]. Italian, Belgian, Holland, many Germans, British, even Japanese and French and Swedish. Many, many Swedish all Europe, 9 alpha, very, very popular. I made, listen carefully, 2,500 parks. I received a diploma, 2,500 parks. There are a couple of diplomas they make that we have specialists place with the people from Belgium make a special WWW/WFF/log search. When I operate from park, I upload my QSOs to the log search so everybody that with me can check in the evening to see if they're in the log. Also they give me a point, see, so I'm on the top of the Asia, the Asia activity.
So that's WWF, and then they started beginning condition going down. So looking for something that I can still work, because I see only in 2021 condition is back to the normal. So I start PSK 31, then it was slowly so people moved to PSA63, it's doubled, much better. Then K1JT, the professor, start with a WSJTX, the JT65, something unbelievable, this software was 10 watt. It's so sharp, it behave like using one kilowatt, receive and transmit. Do you hear about JT65?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Yes absolutely, but it's a really slow mode.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Okay So what happen, I agree with you, I make 10,000 QSOs with JT65 in one year. So I tell you, maybe a few weeks ago, I have about FT8, fox tango 8, so I immediately switch to the FT8, it's much, much better. Because JT65 I can make three minute QSO, every QSO three minutes. This one minute QSO, very quick, quick, quick. Unbelievable results, for example, this morning, I opened 20 meters, nothing. I switched fox tango 8 for CQ, answer me Ricky, Data, Japanese and if you hear the band, you just hear slowly, slowly some whistle and with this whistle make you QSOs and good ones. Because first you make his report, your report and then you say, R, R, R, roger, roger, roger. You might say 73.
If you not make two reports, one R R R, and 73, it's not contact. When I start, I don't know it in the beginning so I lost QSOs. He said, "No, no, it's not good, it doesn't make QSO, if it not make 73 in the end. Let's make good contact." So I make maybe in three weeks, I make maybe 300 QSOs, but not every day.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's pretty cool. When I first met you, it was at the club station in Raut Maccabee. At the time, you showed me that you had a briefcase that you carry around with you everywhere. What's in that briefcase now?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Now, I have two of them. Because one time I was with this suitcase in Herodian. You know Herodian?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Sure.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have some problem; I cannot transmit with the 7000. It's just 7000 and power supply and antenna tuner. I have Spider beam vertical, so from one meter it's opened to eight meter. One meter to eight meter. I have just G5RV. After this what happened in Herodian, I buy also seven one zero zero in another suitcase. I always take two of them. I used to take this 7000 with me every place in Israel and in the world, always with me, small one. All I have to do is just connect to battery or connect to power supply and ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Then you're on the air.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, I have small G5RV and the small overhead, and was a place to put on the tree in the hotel. In the hotel what I'm doing always I put the G5 above something with water, ha brecha.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The swimming pool.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
The swimming pool, yeah. In the night, always in the night, always it can wake QSO CW on 40 ... by the way 40 meter became the best band I can see all the DXpedition because this is a stable band. Always when it's 6:00 o'clock, when it starts dark, 6:00 o'clock in the evening till 6:00 o'clock in the morning, always condition on 40 meter. It's unbelievable.
In Israel, we start with European and then 11:`00 o'clock in the evening Japanese coming until 1:00 o'clock. Then the Japanese disappear and the United States is coming 1:00 o'clock local. 1:00 o'clock to 3:00 o'clock in the morning States side. 3:00 o'clock is about one and a half hours before sunrise; we start to get the really excess. You know charlie echo, charlie x-ray, VP2, J6, things like that. This 40 meter, always the best band.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If you had a crystal ball, if you were able to look into the future, what do you think ham radio in Israel's going to look like in 10 years?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I think at first we have to ... the problem is this three years until 2021, I think many people they may change their hobby. At least the new one, the newcomer. We have about maybe 20 people, 30 people, new one making examination every year. They make examination, coming on the air. Starting with simple license. Nothing has, so maybe survive only the people with good antennas will survive I think. Or the smart enough to change, to switch to a different mode. The digital mode, I think thanks to K1JT, it's a big, big help. Also, to me, I also think about what to do the next ...
What's amazing was no condition last weekend was RTTY contest, usually when you open up 50 meter dead. But what happened last weekend at the RTTY WW contest, 50 meter was open all day, also in the afternoon State side. It was Saturday, Sunday. When I finished the contest, Monday, again dead, dead, dead. Something amazing happened, something I don't know how to explain. Don't have any explanation.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I have no explanation, but one of the things that I hear from you, Dov, and this is why it's such a pleasure to talk to you, that is, is you're a guy that's not stuck on one brand or one operating mode. You'll do anything, including DMR, by the way because of your love of the hobby. I think that's probably why you probably are the best well known Israeli ham radio operator in the world. Because anybody that I run into they all go, "Do you know Dov, 4Z4DX?" I said, "Well sure, he's very well known in Israel." But you're also very well known around the world. Do you think that our building these DMR systems and these linked systems in Israel, do you think that might give some of the newer hams that are coming onboard a chance to at least work people around the world until the band comes back?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, I don't think so because they call. It's like the activity of HF. HF no activity, no condition. DMR and VHF and UHF, we have everything. We have condition, we have equipment. We have everything what we need, repeaters. But what's happening right now, I have DMI, I can open DMR, I can show you, I can call, nobody answer.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
It's a little frustrating, isn't it?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah. I call, anyone on frequency? QR red for the DX of the DMR. I can call like this all day, nothing to do.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Do you connect to the international hub?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No call, nothing. You mean the WWW? I have everything.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I think this is an interesting problem. This is why I see often times new hams are even frustrated by two meters and UHF, if that's the place they're starting. What advice would you give to new or returning hams to the hobby right now?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I make examination; I'm one of the VC volunteers. First of all, I met many, many new people and most of them are retired. In Israel, what happened was the children, they get the license, but they're going to the Army and make family and jobs. So you find them on the air after many years. What's happened many retired people that they dream, I hear them, "Oh it was my dream. I was in “halla kesher”. I was in the Army, I was there, it was my dream." So we have in the internet, the YouTube, the Israel launch a radio, put on a video 15 lessons for the locals. They have to pay to get the password and they make examination. They don't need CW anymore. Instead of CW, they have some examination.
They have examination by me, I check if they are ready to go on the air. If I say, "Yes," I sign it, send to the Ministry of Communication and they give them the license. So I meet so many nice people the last, I make it three years now, 20 people, unbelievable. Engineers, people that were in Mossad, people that was a big manager somewhere or really even one of them have a small ship. So with this ship we have decided to go back to Achziv, by the way, maybe in the near future. He's licensed and he sleeps on the ship, by the way, in Herzylia. He gets a license one month ago.
My advice, I always gives them advice, what would be the call sign. What I think it will be. I ask him to get radio navy, so he's now 4XY radio navy. So what I do I take them first of all with me to the park, I'm going to the park every two weeks. Or every four weeks I'm going to another park, operating portable, so I take them with me. I organize also; we organize it two times in a year field day in Israel, in April. Now we have field day in October, 14th of October, we have field day. So people coming to the field day, putting down station with antennas. Also we have now I start last year in Christmas, in Christmas I organize many, many DXpedition to church, to the Christian place. Last year it was around the Kinneret.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The Sea of Galilee.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Sea of Galilee, I brought last year four different DXpeditions with antennas, linear, power supplies, everything in small centers, small hotels and a special call sign, four different call signs. One was 4X2 Christmas, 4X7 Christmas, 4X3 Christmas, 4X9 Christmas and with a special diploma. If you work two of those stations, you are allowed to receive nice diploma from the Sea of Galilee. By the way, this is the same of what we do in the Dead Sea. Dead Sea also we started for the first time, very nice diploma from the Dead Sea.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If you bring the diploma to Israel, you can get a free baptism.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, but no paper, only via internet.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Oh I see, it's an internet diploma.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
You can print it in your home.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Oh, very cool.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Big, big diploma. I know very many people the Christmas; I make it so I have the diploma here in my computer. All I have to do is to put the call sign and the name and the date. So 200 people last time received the nice diploma from the ... you know the people I first see that many Christian people like it very, very much. This year in Christmas will be double. Will be eight stations, simultaneously, same time in 22 to 24, December will be eight station in Israel, with a Christmas call sign, from many Christian place. Like Nazareth, like Caesarea, Jerusalem, Mount Tabor, things like that. So I know people are very excited to do it. Also we have another small DXpedition, you hear about Exodus? The ship of Exodus?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The Exodus ship.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right, so these days celebrate 70 years for this ship coming to Israel. It was a big story. So the people that rent the ship they will be 1,000 people on the ship and they will be a nice communication from the ship to the island to the Gale-Tzahal, the Voice of Israel. One of the sons of the people of the Exodus ship will announce will read the paper, saying what his father says. We have two stations active on the air, one from the ship, will be 4X70 Exodus and one from the shore 4Z70 Arnon. Arnon was the name of the Mossad. It is the place that they speak to from the ship, Arnon was the name of the people who stay in the Mossad. That's the name. So we have two call signs on the air. This will be in November.
You know every month; we try to do something for the people, to make it more and more activity. As the people coming is not experienced people. We invited the new ones. So the new ones coming with us together to start the first time to see what is the DXpedition, what is QSO, what kind of log.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
And you're showing them the digital modes as well, so they can be successful.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yes, showing what kind of log too. With the call sign, what is EQSL, what is LBOW. Things like that. That's the story, that's the activity, always something on the air. I'm looking all the time something different, something that's unique, unique in the hobby.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Dov, I want to thank you so much for joining me on QSO Today. I think that anybody that's listening will be delighted to actually hear your voice.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Thank you.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If they haven't met you in person and hear about what you're doing here in Israel to be Israel's most probably famous ham radio operator.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Thank you so much.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
It's my pleasure. Thanks, 73.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
73.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That concludes this episode of QSO Today. I hope that you've enjoyed this QSO with Dov. Please be sure to check out the show notes that include links and information about the topics that we discussed, go to www.qsotoday.com and put in 4Z4DX in the search box at the top of the page. If you would like to sponsor the transcription of this episode or any of the previous QSO Today episodes into written text, the cost is $67 US dollars. There is a button on the right side of the show notes page to start this process. Support the QSO Today podcast by first joining the QSO Today email list. I will not spam you or share your email address with anyone. Become a listener or sponsor, monthly or annually, by clicking on the sponsor buttons on the show notes page. Finally, let Amazon pay us, at no charge to you, by using our Amazon link on the show notes pages before you enter Amazon to do your shopping. Amazon gives us a small percentage of everything that you buy, your privacy is assured, as we do not see who is purchasing and what is being purchased. By supporting the QSO Today podcast, you offset my out of pocket expenses to record, produce and host now over 166 episodes of QSO Today.
I'm extremely grateful for your support. QSO Today is available in the iTunes store now and a host of podcast services and applications. I still recommend Stitcher and Pocketcast for your computer or smart phone. It's the easiest way to listen. Until next time, this is Eric at 4Z1UG 73. The QSO Today podcast is a product of KEG media inc who is solely responsible for its content.
All right, thank you. I was born in the kibbutz, near Nazareth. In the age of eleven, I lost my mother, so my father, 4X4VB, looks for some hobby, that can he and me can make together. So that's the time we start this hobby. We learn from the books. In Israel, every year in Passover we have a test. First we go to the novice and then after a year, I get my full 4Z4DX license. Later I'm also 4Z1DX but I'm so famous with this 4Z4, so I didn't change it. I stay with this call sign.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
So the way that ham radio licenses are structured in Israel is that the 4X1 and the 4Z1 are the highest level of license. But you must've gotten some kind of special permission to keep the 4Z4 with the higher grade of license. Or do you hold both licenses?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have both licenses, but I have 450,000 QSOs in LOTW and EQSL, so I don't have any reason to change the call sign anymore. So I have two licenses.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But you have special permission to operate 4Z4DX in the extra class area of the band?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Roger, roger.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's the nice thing about Israel. It's small enough you can actually do those kinds of things.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
My son, by the way, is 4Z5DX, my son Matan. He's also active.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
As active as his father?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, not much. He's busy married, his job. He has another hobby, Iron Man. Not so much, but time to time, he operate from my station.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You and your father were hams back in the 60s. What was ham radio like in Israel in those days? Were there lots of hams?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, very few. We start with on AM equipment, 40 watt and dipole. Then we changed to a surplus receiver and 10A equipment, 10 watts CW and we built in the kibbutz three different HB9CV mono beamers so we quite loud, quite loud, only 10 watts.
In the Six Day War, we had many, many volunteers from Columbia in the kibbutz. They come to the shack and speak to their father in Columbia and the QRM and so on. It was very, very hard for them to make a good QSO. So this Columbian guy sends me TL4, my first direct TL4. It was my equipment, 300 watt. My first one so I was really, really loud with this transceiver, those days, in the end of the 60s. Starting the 1970s.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
So that was your first commercial equipment there at the kibbutz. What did you do for antennas? Were you using wire antennas? Or did you build your own themes. What did you do there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah we start with a dipole and that we built in the kibbutz, three mono banders HB9CV for 20, 15 and 10 and it worked quite good.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Those were home brew or commercial?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Home brew, all homemade.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
When you say"HB9" these were the call sign of the guy that designed these?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yes, call sign of he who designed it. It's two element beam. It's very famous here, very famous.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I read on your QRZ page that you were early into SS TV. How did that start for you in Israel?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
After we receive the direct TR 4, and we're looking for something different, I always looking for something different in this hobby, so the SS TV looks like something that I must start with it. We buy an old robot model, robot 400, SS TV to the shack and we start working making QSO. Instead of using F1, F2, F3, we just change the cartoon. Cartoon number one, Security X, cartoon number two, my name is Dov. Number three, thank you for the QSO and things like that. So this is the first SS TV. It works fine. I make 100 QSOs and I really like it.
My father and me, we use the same station. I have to go to the Army so he stays alone at home and he starts something new. It was just after the War and many people from all over like to hear to talk to the Israeli station. He makes 14320 Jewish net, Jewish net. I think still now this net active. They speak English. They also make a special bulletin, called "Chaverim," without bounds of faith. Because the friendships are forever, is what my father did. I was QRT for seven years because I was in the Army. I was a colonel then. Then I back home. I married, two kids, and I moved to another city near Tel Aviv, called Ramat HaSharon. Then I build everything new. I buy my first Kenwood, we have someone from Volvo Company. His name is Israel and he brings all the Kenwood equipment with a very good price to the Israeli.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
By the way, I remember Israel and his Volvo Company. He was the importer for Kenwood.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right. So I start with all the Kenwood. I start with 120, 130, 140, all of them. 440, 470, 850, 930, and my last one was 950. After the 950, the Kenwood was, I don't know what the quality maybe changed. So I moved to Elecraft, so I still using now the Elecraft 7300 for the digital mode. I start something very, very new after the JT65, just a few days ago, I started the FT8, It is just unbelievable how this digital mode make when no condition, nothing on the air, I call CQ and in the middle of the day, calling me everywhere, all bands. In the morning 20 meters, then it switch to 50 meters, after 50, 70 meters. When it's dark, we start 30 meters. At midnight 40 meters, very, very strange. For CW,
I'm using my case three line. K3, and the KPA500 and I use to have big antennas. The KLM, 6 cm KLM. Above I have the 402 B8, two elements for 40 meter. But I sell the house five years ago, because no one in house. So I have big, big house and only me and my wife. So we move to a small house now, a new one. But no more big, big antennas. So now what I do I establish QTH, up in Galilee. I'm operating remote. I have the Icom 7100 in Galilee. Why the Wi-Fi, I use the remote from here. So Wi-Fi fine and I like it very, very much.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Are you using like a remote rig or some kind of attachment that goes in the middle of that in order to make that work? Or does the 7100 just, it is IP out of the control head, so you can just plug that into your router?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
The station is on a gurney, I only have the head of the 7100.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
How do you connect the head to the internet?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have Wi-Fi and I have also two boxes made in Scandinavia. Its LIC 1258, radio radio charlie 1258mk2, remote , made in Kalix, Sweden, made in Kalix, Sweden. So it's in two boxes, price is about $500 for the two boxes. One box here, one box in the gallery. It works fine.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's pretty sweet, and do you have beam antennas that turn and stuff up there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I could do everything with a remote. How I can open the linear, I can turn the antenna, everything I can do. By the way, I just come back from Germany, from Friedrichshafen; I was there with an Israeli group. On back home, I stop in Liechtenstein in HB0 whiskey, Romeo. I remember the last time I was in Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein is a country between two big mountains. It's impossible to go out to make QSO, and I visit my friend, HBOWR, I tell him, "Oh what's going on with HF?" He told me, "We're lucky; we received a big house and a mountain". We are four people in Switzerland and we have a password. Everyone can go and we build the same as I have. The same remote station, also the same box. The same box is made in Sweden. Now they can go and they make QSOs. I stay a few hours in his shack; I make many QSOs in Liechtenstein, from the remote station there.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I think this remote control stuff is going to be popular in Israel. Because we live in a kind of high density situations with a lot of electronic noise. So finding a friend with a hilltop house is probably going to be the number one thing for us out here. Let me go back a little bit, just to get a bigger picture. Did ham radio play a part in the choices for your education and career? Did you work in radio or something like that?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no. It's only hobby. It's only my hobby. Also now I volunteer. I'm teaching a small people here in Herzylia. I volunteer in Ministry of Communication for examination. It's only a hobby.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
When you say you volunteer teaching small people. Is that people that are short or young people?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Young people.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You already mentioned what your rigs are, what's your favorite rig?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I like the K3 for many years, but tell you the truth, last year, when Icom 7300 come to my shack, I most of the time, and also the condition not so good, so most of the time, digital modes. And the Icom is a little bit better in digital mode, simple, only one cable.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
One USB cable, right?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Right, one USB cable.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Amazing.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have USB for the K3. I have the signaling, but it's complicated. I have problems to turn and to tune and everything. This 7300 I connect just one cable and I use LKYVSK and when the condition is so bad, that's what you have to do is digital mode. Of course I like K3; I think it is the best rig in the market, for sure. But for digital, I prefer the Icom.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But your favorite mode is what?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
It used to be CW, we have condition, I was maybe 70% CW.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's always been the case. You've always preferred CW. Although you showed me a little tour of your shack before we started. You have a little bit of everything, so you're not afraid to move into different modes, when the mood suits you.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Well you know when you're retired; my boss is now the Packet Cluster. The Packet Cluster is now my boss. I open the Cluster, looking for something nice. Also I usually make a full contest in the year, the CQW, the CW, and SSB. I used to work for the number one. I was two time number one in the world, CQWW; I have here on the wall. One from Cypress in 1987, at Zulu, Charlie 4 DX, and month from here, from Israel, I'm 20 meters. I get a special permission for 4Z8DX on 20 meter CW. Many many times number one in Asia. My last CQWW was maybe two years ago when I see that condition is going down, down, down. So I say, I just participate for few hours. In fact, every weekend I looking for any contest I try to help the people. The Scandinavian contest, the Bulgarian contest, the Czech. I just call. I have many, many friends.
Over the 60 years that I'm on the air, I have so many friends so I just call them, make them the point. I know they need Israel and not so many Israeli band people on the air. So I know they are happy. After the contest, letters and emails that thank you so much for giving me the point, the multipliers, you know?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Do you remember a time when Israel had a lot more hams on the air?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, we are lucky. From 1991, Israel received one million people. From them, 100 people, amateur radio.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
This is Eric parenthetically, what Dov is referring to is that Israel absorbed one million Russian immigrants in the 1990s, as the result of the falling apart of the Soviet Union. Amongst that one million Russians were 100 amateur radio operators.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, very good operators. They know how to fix all the equipment and very skilled. I liked them very much. They don't speak Hebrew. They don't speak English. So they're mostly on CW, but very nice guys. So before 1991, was few. I remember we have VHF frequency, a simplex frequency for the DX-er. For many years we had five, six, always less than ten people elected in Israel, the DX-er. Now of course it's Whats-App. it's easy. We don't need simplex. But not so many active from Israel, lately.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I have the call book or at least the spread sheet. It has almost 2300 names of licensees in Israel. Was there ever a time when it seemed like there were actually more people operating say phone patches to North America? That's kind of what I remember maybe 35, 40 years ago. But when I was here briefly as a student. But as you say, it doesn't seem like there's that many people on the air anymore.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
What's happened, the 20,000 what you say, the old people make the examination and get novice. Most of them are on novice and things like that. They start and only 1,000 officially have license this year. 500 of them are members in our group, in the Israeli group. Half, and from the 500, maybe 400 on VHF. VHF, DMR, UHF, things like that, maybe 100 people. I know because we have Holyland contest every year in April. We receive maximum of 100 logs from the Israelis. At last year, it was 87 logs, but it's around 100 people have HF station here in Israel.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Now a word from QRP labs. This week I was listening to the ham radio 360 work bench podcast about the BITX40 transceiver. One of the participants of the discussion on the single band BITX receiver from Ashhar Farhan in India said that he was converting the BITX transceiver into a multi-band transceiver. He was using the multiple band pass filters and relay switching from QRP labs to make this work for him. So while Hans Summers' QRP labs has some great transceiver kits in their own right, you can still go to get filter modules, relay switching boards and other parts from QRP labs for someone else's kit project.
So there is a happy medium between rolling your own band pass filters and buying them off the shelf. That is to get them from QRP labs in kit form ready for your next radio project. QRP labs is my first stop for ham radio kits at a reasonable price. They should be yours too. Click on the link on the show notes page or let Hans know that you heard about QRP labs on QSO Today.
Now back to Dov Gavish, 4Z4DX. Most of our listeners are in the USA, and I know that you've operated from all over the world. If anybody goes into your QRZ page, they're going to see that you've been very careful about listing all of the places and all of the DXpeditions and stuff that you've been on. Does the world sound differently from Israel than it does from the USA, in terms of what you're working and what you're hearing mostly, and that kind of stuff?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, actually I was in the USA in a WRTC contest, in a German contest. And I operate a day QTH, K1TTT with a special whiskey radio one tango charley. This is an amazing QTH. This station, you don't know that no more condition on the air. Always condition, but thought it was great. What I seen in the States, is the 80 meter is very, very popular. I was on 80 meter in a contest and a N2KW was on 40 meter. It was SSB contest. I really had problem to find a clear frequency on 80 meters. Whenever I see "frequency" news, now it's a net fit. Many net frequencies on 80 meter in the USA. Here, this area, nothing at all.
Used to be many years ago, Russian net, but no more, not anymore, no net on 80 meters here. Here is empty, only in contest, 80 meters. He is open only in the contests. So amazing. I work from K1TTT almost all the States. Just unbelievable, I like it.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
With less than 100 Israeli low band operators active on the air, it would make sense that 80 meters is really quiet here. Because it would be just for local conversation, for the most part.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no, it's not only in Israel. If you open the 80 meter, also European. European also no [inaudible 00:22:51]. What you see in the morning on CW, only on CW, I could hear a couple of stations, it's also noisy. The 80 meter is very noisy on 80 meter. Not only in Israel. In Israel, we use 40 meter on the scan. Every Saturday morning on 7130, 10:00 o'clock local time. By the way, it's a tradition.
When I was a boy, I remember every Saturday, that's the time people build their own AM transmitter. So every Saturday, everyone check how is my audio, QOX, I changed the audio, I put DSP, I change, everybody build all the way change the equipment. This other was a place to check to get your report, to receive information how it look like. That's the local QSO.
We have, by the way, VHF, UHF and DML repeaters all over Israel. At any point, if you drive from north to south, from border of Lebanon to Iraq, there's always a repeater ready for you. Once in a week, in the Tuesday evening, we have a magazine on hour seven.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Which is the Tel Aviv repeater?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, Tel Aviv repeater. That's most of the people are active and listen what's the news.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
There's an effort to bring Allstar and DMR and connect them all across the country. At some point, I would imagine within the next year or so, we'll be able to talk on all the repeaters simultaneously. From one end of the country to the other.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, for sure, for sure. I also use the DMR and connect to my computer so I can talk to the world. No condition I can switch my computer and I can talk via DMR to the world. Although just stopped, when I come on they repeat it in the States. Also not so big activity.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You're a big DXpeditioner. Again, looking at your QRZ page, you have lots of call signs. How did you get into the DXpeditions and where have you gone? What's the most exotic place that you've gone?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
My first one was to Cypress, country near to Israel. There was a British club station in Zulu Charlie 4, and they asked me to come to help them to build the club station. So I told them I like to come to help but I like to get my own call sign. So they give me the ZC4DX, zulu charlie 4 DX, with this call sign I make a new score, 80 meters, world score. It was my first. I was two time in Cypress, in the CW, the CQW and also the SSB. It was a little one.
The next one was in 1995, the late King Hussein, which I know him very, very well because sometimes we make 80 meter and 40 meter. We talk, you know, no permission to the Arabic people to talk to Israel. We talk by night, hi Dov, hi His Majesty. So I know him quite well. One year after the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan, his idea was to organize an expedition in Jordan on Mount Nebo. If you remember from the Bible, what's happened in Mount Nebo?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Moses dies on Mount Nebo.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Also his 12 spies he sent into Israel to look what's going on there. So what's going on there, he sends me a fax, ask me to bring six Israelis. He brings six Jordanians. He make a special license, everyone has his own license. My Jordanian license is Juliet Yankee 8 Whisky Whiskey, and the group license he give us two licenses. For Mount Nebo, JY74 zulu. And from Amman, from the club station, the Hussein club station, JY74X. We stay about 10 days in a month and the King was one of the operators.
Everyone before started at QSO they said, "This is to show the world that Jewish Hebrew and Arabs and Jordanians can sit together and talk peace and talk to the world together." It was a great time, the King and just very, very good memories for the future.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
IS JY8WW call sign still valid?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Not valid, but I have just when I like to go there, I just have to send them a fax and no problem. Once you have your first license, it's easy to get again, the same call sign.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Now obviously King Hussein has passed away. Is there still an active club in Jordan?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
There is a club. There's two people are still active. I'm in contact with them. One of them is a Dr. Ali and one of them is one man from Serbia, working in United Nations, JY9 fox charlie. He's at the active station now, most active. I think he's working from the club. The call sign of the club is JY6 zulu, zulu. JY6ZZ. The club is still running there.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
There's an Israeli website where you have posted some stories. One of the stories is that you decided to go to Nepal and work DX from Nepal. How did that come about? How did that turn out?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have my first Nepal expedition was in 2003. All happened when Israel, when the IARU Convention was in Israel, in Tel Aviv.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's the IARU, the international amateur radio union convention, right?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Roger, roger. It was in 1999. I met Satish 91AA, I asked him I like to make an expedition to Nepal, in the memory from my friend, Fasa Morale 9M1MM and things like this. They say, "It takes about four years since we make it." I ask for the call sign 9 and 7 DX for ... Satish is a lawyer, very close to the King, the family of the King. His wife is one of the family of the King, very nice person.
His only two guys in Nepal are active, 9N1AA and 9N1HA. Now the daughter of 911AA just start lately I see. By the way, also start FT8, the digital mode. He was one of the first QSO I made a few days ago, really exciting. So I came to Nepal with my son for that 5 DX. I stop in India in Bombay, I met [Sala 00:31:11], via 2 whiskey sugar and two, three days with him in Bombay. There I left to Katmandu.
I also made 9 and 7 some guys from Norway. He and my son helped me to put my antennas. Just put three dipoles, for 20 dipole inverted V, for 20, 15 and 10. After a few days, I also put dipole for 40 meter. It takes about four days to get the license.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
What did you have to do to get the license, over those four days? It's my understanding that it was actually quite an undertaking?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
What you have to do is you go to 911AA. He's the key to get the license. He's a lawyer. He's printing a letter to the government, asking that Dov 4Z4DX looking for the license for seven days, 14 days, the rig, the equipment is Icom 7000, 100 watt. You have to pay each band $50. So I ask for four bands. I pay $200, but first I have to wait for the answer. Take about one or two days from the government.
When you get the answer, you have to go to the airport, to the bank to pay. No computer in the bank, so you have to wait another two days to get the permission that you pay. So after four days, you receive the license. You go on the air, and unbelievable pilot, unbelievable pilot just me and my son wake all days, all days just nonstop, nonstop.
Every one hour I change for RTTY, and wake. Many, many people it was the first time ever they worked in the pilot of RTTY. I also switch one day to SS TV, but no more the old what I have in the kibbutz I have no SS TV or the software called "Mix W". So it was easier than 50 years ago. It was my first 2003; I make about 27,000 QSOs back home. Make some trek in Himalaya with my son. I'm very happy.
What happened in 2011, in my age 60 years old, me and my wife decide to make my all year party in the Himalaya, to make 60 years anniversary in the Himalaya, that's what my birth was the idea. So we go six months before to Satish, is my wife and his wife. By the way, his wife is now also licensed. She got the license of Mr. Fasa Morale. She is 91 Mickey Mouse.
He gave us his car and we tour about one week to find the place. Because Katmandu is not good QTH for the DXpedition. It's noisy and it's down in the valley. So we find a big hill, 3,000 meter above the sea level that opens 360 degrees. Also there is a small hotel with a restaurant and a power supply and thing like that.
We announced that, in six months, we will be in the Himalayas with a group. So I call my friend from the Italian group, MDXC, the military DX club. It's Antonio, it's okay. So we organize 16 people ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
16 people from the Mediterranean DX club?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, from the DX club, from Italy, Belgium, French, charlie echo, Yankee bravo, and Mexico, XE1 Lima, Luis. Luis is a Jewish, my friend for many, many years. So we set up the station in November. We make six station on the hour, all mode, unbelievable, all the equipment and it was amazing how things go there just excellent condition. Excellent QTH, all organized by food, by electricity, and we have of course the people are [inaudible 00:36:51]. They also make some trekking in the Himalayas. We made about 30,000 QSOs.
We also helped a doctor, an American doctor, live not too far away from our QTH. We find him by chance. 9 November 1 Fox Echo, the doctor and he's there three years. He's call sign American. He was from Puerto Rico, whiskey papa 4 fox echo. I met him in the hospital after the DXpedition. I met from his QTH, CQWWCW. It was lucky. It was just after we finish. I have two days before going back home. What's going home with this guy, he's not CW. Only SSB. He told me that three years he's there and he cannot make any QSOs in the Himalaya and a good QTH.
I have this software, the digital software and I put him on the laptop and I teach him how to work digital mode like RTTY PSK and he was so happy the moment that we finished to put the software, he called CQ nine one fox echo and so many people call him and call him and call him. He's so happy every day he was just unbelievable. Because SSB in the Himalaya and 100 watt in dipole, we had no chance. But digital mode, you see this is a big difference.
So we're back home, we make nice QSL card, nice video and things like that and people are very happy. Lots of experience, every day we change the antennas and make a new one on 80 meters. Especially low band. We put new antenna in the morning, test it in the night and see what's going on. If it's better, if it's not, the other night we put another antenna. So it was really amazing on the technical side and also the communication.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Now a word from QSO Today. I'm able to keep the lights burning at QSO Today to create now a 165 weekly episodes without missing a week because about 5% of the listeners that QSO Today podcasts, either make a generous donation or have become listener sponsors. Only 5%. To say that I appreciate this support would be an under-statement. Because it reduces my out of pocket expenses to create, host and syndicate the podcast to your favorite podcast listening device.
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I saw a picture of you, sitting in the water, off the coast of Israel. Literally in the water, the table's in the water, with all the gear on top of the table. You're making offering CW, making QSOs. That was part of the 4XOAI team. Can you talk a little bit about ... that was like islands on the air, something like that. Could you talk a little bit about what that DXpedition was about.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, I have two DXpedition on the water, one from Achziv island, the Mediterranean Sea, and one from the Dead Sea, actually last year. I start with the Achziv in 1992, when the IOTA, islands on the air start, I was looking for some island that Israel also can get number. Because I just start, I know we have some island around. So but the problem that to get the number from the RSGB for the Achziv island which is near Nahariya, near Lebanon border, this name must be on the map, one to one million. You must show the name Achziv island. This time was no internet, no Google.
I call my friend from University of Manchester in England. I know they have big, big maps. I call J3 zulu alpha Yankee and he find this name. So they give us a number, Asia 100. So in September 1992, what was my first time to Achziv island, three people what we do, we take a battery from the car. I learn that if you take battery from the car, you can work eight hours on the island no problem.
So you finished the DXpedition, you put the battery back to the car and you can go back home safely. Two kilometers from the shore, the rule of the IOTA it must be a minimum of one and a half kilometers, so it's good. It's about maybe 500 meter long and maybe 80 meter or 100 meter the other side, so not big island. It's only three places that you can put station because part of the island is full of water. So we find the places and we put one station for the Israeli and 40 meter, and two stations on the HF. We can wake 20 SSB and 17 CW, big, big pilot. This was our first time.
The second time we go in 1993, because I like to work with the States, I must stay on the island over the night. If you want to stay over the night, you need permission from the Army. You need also to talk to the Navy, to tell them that you are there. Because it's close to the Lebanon border, and they are making trips around. So we are also listening on special frequency for the Navy. So it's special permission, 1993, we get the permission. So we make many, many QSOs state side. Many people are happy I think. So 4X0AI is just Achziv island.
The second DXpedition water is year ago; we decide to go to the lower place in the world, in the Dead Sea. So we ask for the call sign, 4X429 Dead Sea. Because last year it was minus 429 minus ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Meters, so it's 429 meters below sea level.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right. So we get the permission. We organize six stations, Tel Aviv and we put all the antennas all the water. We have three EME beam, we have the X beam, big, big vertical 480 meters which worked perfect. It's on the water, just perfect. Also another vertical for 40 meter, on the water. So we make in four days about 30,000 QSOs.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's amazing.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah it was unbelievable condition. You think that because it's low you may be losing condition but I find out that it's very good because, if you are on water, the water give you the best, best communication.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Were you actually in the Dead Sea or were you in the evaporation ponds which are in the very south end of the Dead Sea there?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, no we're on the Dead Sea. We have permission to operate there. We have “sukkot matzil, b’anglit”?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
You mean a life guard shack where the life guard lives on the beach during the summer?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah life guards. We use it. Actually it was quite new. We like to use this one. It's a big one so we also have small kitchen. People make food and coffee and things like that. The lady, owner of the show, was happy because we put this place on the internet. She got many people; she has 10 centers, 10 small rooms for rent. After we move from there, she be very very lots of work to do. Until now, it became famous because it is in a cluster everybody knows. It is called "bikini" that's the name of the place. So that's about to the DXpedition.
Then as I tell you before, I'm looking always for something different. So three years ago, I start with the WFF, Israel has about 150 parks. Like in America, they call NPOTA
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Israel has national parks.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
National parks and also Europe has national parks so together with the European, we start the DXpedition of the operations of the parks.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
But the WFF means World flora and fauna.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right; it's very, very popular in Europe. If you open two frequencies every day, always the condition is very bad. 14044 or 14244 always someone struck [B 00:48:12]. Italian, Belgian, Holland, many Germans, British, even Japanese and French and Swedish. Many, many Swedish all Europe, 9 alpha, very, very popular. I made, listen carefully, 2,500 parks. I received a diploma, 2,500 parks. There are a couple of diplomas they make that we have specialists place with the people from Belgium make a special WWW/WFF/log search. When I operate from park, I upload my QSOs to the log search so everybody that with me can check in the evening to see if they're in the log. Also they give me a point, see, so I'm on the top of the Asia, the Asia activity.
So that's WWF, and then they started beginning condition going down. So looking for something that I can still work, because I see only in 2021 condition is back to the normal. So I start PSK 31, then it was slowly so people moved to PSA63, it's doubled, much better. Then K1JT, the professor, start with a WSJTX, the JT65, something unbelievable, this software was 10 watt. It's so sharp, it behave like using one kilowatt, receive and transmit. Do you hear about JT65?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Yes absolutely, but it's a really slow mode.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Okay So what happen, I agree with you, I make 10,000 QSOs with JT65 in one year. So I tell you, maybe a few weeks ago, I have about FT8, fox tango 8, so I immediately switch to the FT8, it's much, much better. Because JT65 I can make three minute QSO, every QSO three minutes. This one minute QSO, very quick, quick, quick. Unbelievable results, for example, this morning, I opened 20 meters, nothing. I switched fox tango 8 for CQ, answer me Ricky, Data, Japanese and if you hear the band, you just hear slowly, slowly some whistle and with this whistle make you QSOs and good ones. Because first you make his report, your report and then you say, R, R, R, roger, roger, roger. You might say 73.
If you not make two reports, one R R R, and 73, it's not contact. When I start, I don't know it in the beginning so I lost QSOs. He said, "No, no, it's not good, it doesn't make QSO, if it not make 73 in the end. Let's make good contact." So I make maybe in three weeks, I make maybe 300 QSOs, but not every day.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That's pretty cool. When I first met you, it was at the club station in Raut Maccabee. At the time, you showed me that you had a briefcase that you carry around with you everywhere. What's in that briefcase now?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Now, I have two of them. Because one time I was with this suitcase in Herodian. You know Herodian?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Sure.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I have some problem; I cannot transmit with the 7000. It's just 7000 and power supply and antenna tuner. I have Spider beam vertical, so from one meter it's opened to eight meter. One meter to eight meter. I have just G5RV. After this what happened in Herodian, I buy also seven one zero zero in another suitcase. I always take two of them. I used to take this 7000 with me every place in Israel and in the world, always with me, small one. All I have to do is just connect to battery or connect to power supply and ...
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Then you're on the air.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, I have small G5RV and the small overhead, and was a place to put on the tree in the hotel. In the hotel what I'm doing always I put the G5 above something with water, ha brecha.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The swimming pool.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
The swimming pool, yeah. In the night, always in the night, always it can wake QSO CW on 40 ... by the way 40 meter became the best band I can see all the DXpedition because this is a stable band. Always when it's 6:00 o'clock, when it starts dark, 6:00 o'clock in the evening till 6:00 o'clock in the morning, always condition on 40 meter. It's unbelievable.
In Israel, we start with European and then 11:`00 o'clock in the evening Japanese coming until 1:00 o'clock. Then the Japanese disappear and the United States is coming 1:00 o'clock local. 1:00 o'clock to 3:00 o'clock in the morning States side. 3:00 o'clock is about one and a half hours before sunrise; we start to get the really excess. You know charlie echo, charlie x-ray, VP2, J6, things like that. This 40 meter, always the best band.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If you had a crystal ball, if you were able to look into the future, what do you think ham radio in Israel's going to look like in 10 years?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I think at first we have to ... the problem is this three years until 2021, I think many people they may change their hobby. At least the new one, the newcomer. We have about maybe 20 people, 30 people, new one making examination every year. They make examination, coming on the air. Starting with simple license. Nothing has, so maybe survive only the people with good antennas will survive I think. Or the smart enough to change, to switch to a different mode. The digital mode, I think thanks to K1JT, it's a big, big help. Also, to me, I also think about what to do the next ...
What's amazing was no condition last weekend was RTTY contest, usually when you open up 50 meter dead. But what happened last weekend at the RTTY WW contest, 50 meter was open all day, also in the afternoon State side. It was Saturday, Sunday. When I finished the contest, Monday, again dead, dead, dead. Something amazing happened, something I don't know how to explain. Don't have any explanation.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I have no explanation, but one of the things that I hear from you, Dov, and this is why it's such a pleasure to talk to you, that is, is you're a guy that's not stuck on one brand or one operating mode. You'll do anything, including DMR, by the way because of your love of the hobby. I think that's probably why you probably are the best well known Israeli ham radio operator in the world. Because anybody that I run into they all go, "Do you know Dov, 4Z4DX?" I said, "Well sure, he's very well known in Israel." But you're also very well known around the world. Do you think that our building these DMR systems and these linked systems in Israel, do you think that might give some of the newer hams that are coming onboard a chance to at least work people around the world until the band comes back?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No, I don't think so because they call. It's like the activity of HF. HF no activity, no condition. DMR and VHF and UHF, we have everything. We have condition, we have equipment. We have everything what we need, repeaters. But what's happening right now, I have DMI, I can open DMR, I can show you, I can call, nobody answer.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
It's a little frustrating, isn't it?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah. I call, anyone on frequency? QR red for the DX of the DMR. I can call like this all day, nothing to do.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Do you connect to the international hub?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
No call, nothing. You mean the WWW? I have everything.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
I think this is an interesting problem. This is why I see often times new hams are even frustrated by two meters and UHF, if that's the place they're starting. What advice would you give to new or returning hams to the hobby right now?
Dov, 4Z4DX:
I make examination; I'm one of the VC volunteers. First of all, I met many, many new people and most of them are retired. In Israel, what happened was the children, they get the license, but they're going to the Army and make family and jobs. So you find them on the air after many years. What's happened many retired people that they dream, I hear them, "Oh it was my dream. I was in “halla kesher”. I was in the Army, I was there, it was my dream." So we have in the internet, the YouTube, the Israel launch a radio, put on a video 15 lessons for the locals. They have to pay to get the password and they make examination. They don't need CW anymore. Instead of CW, they have some examination.
They have examination by me, I check if they are ready to go on the air. If I say, "Yes," I sign it, send to the Ministry of Communication and they give them the license. So I meet so many nice people the last, I make it three years now, 20 people, unbelievable. Engineers, people that were in Mossad, people that was a big manager somewhere or really even one of them have a small ship. So with this ship we have decided to go back to Achziv, by the way, maybe in the near future. He's licensed and he sleeps on the ship, by the way, in Herzylia. He gets a license one month ago.
My advice, I always gives them advice, what would be the call sign. What I think it will be. I ask him to get radio navy, so he's now 4XY radio navy. So what I do I take them first of all with me to the park, I'm going to the park every two weeks. Or every four weeks I'm going to another park, operating portable, so I take them with me. I organize also; we organize it two times in a year field day in Israel, in April. Now we have field day in October, 14th of October, we have field day. So people coming to the field day, putting down station with antennas. Also we have now I start last year in Christmas, in Christmas I organize many, many DXpedition to church, to the Christian place. Last year it was around the Kinneret.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The Sea of Galilee.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Sea of Galilee, I brought last year four different DXpeditions with antennas, linear, power supplies, everything in small centers, small hotels and a special call sign, four different call signs. One was 4X2 Christmas, 4X7 Christmas, 4X3 Christmas, 4X9 Christmas and with a special diploma. If you work two of those stations, you are allowed to receive nice diploma from the Sea of Galilee. By the way, this is the same of what we do in the Dead Sea. Dead Sea also we started for the first time, very nice diploma from the Dead Sea.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If you bring the diploma to Israel, you can get a free baptism.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yeah, but no paper, only via internet.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Oh I see, it's an internet diploma.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
You can print it in your home.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Oh, very cool.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Big, big diploma. I know very many people the Christmas; I make it so I have the diploma here in my computer. All I have to do is to put the call sign and the name and the date. So 200 people last time received the nice diploma from the ... you know the people I first see that many Christian people like it very, very much. This year in Christmas will be double. Will be eight stations, simultaneously, same time in 22 to 24, December will be eight station in Israel, with a Christmas call sign, from many Christian place. Like Nazareth, like Caesarea, Jerusalem, Mount Tabor, things like that. So I know people are very excited to do it. Also we have another small DXpedition, you hear about Exodus? The ship of Exodus?
Eric, 4Z1UG:
The Exodus ship.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
That's right, so these days celebrate 70 years for this ship coming to Israel. It was a big story. So the people that rent the ship they will be 1,000 people on the ship and they will be a nice communication from the ship to the island to the Gale-Tzahal, the Voice of Israel. One of the sons of the people of the Exodus ship will announce will read the paper, saying what his father says. We have two stations active on the air, one from the ship, will be 4X70 Exodus and one from the shore 4Z70 Arnon. Arnon was the name of the Mossad. It is the place that they speak to from the ship, Arnon was the name of the people who stay in the Mossad. That's the name. So we have two call signs on the air. This will be in November.
You know every month; we try to do something for the people, to make it more and more activity. As the people coming is not experienced people. We invited the new ones. So the new ones coming with us together to start the first time to see what is the DXpedition, what is QSO, what kind of log.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
And you're showing them the digital modes as well, so they can be successful.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Yes, showing what kind of log too. With the call sign, what is EQSL, what is LBOW. Things like that. That's the story, that's the activity, always something on the air. I'm looking all the time something different, something that's unique, unique in the hobby.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
Dov, I want to thank you so much for joining me on QSO Today. I think that anybody that's listening will be delighted to actually hear your voice.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Thank you.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
If they haven't met you in person and hear about what you're doing here in Israel to be Israel's most probably famous ham radio operator.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
Thank you so much.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
It's my pleasure. Thanks, 73.
Dov, 4Z4DX:
73.
Eric, 4Z1UG:
That concludes this episode of QSO Today. I hope that you've enjoyed this QSO with Dov. Please be sure to check out the show notes that include links and information about the topics that we discussed, go to www.qsotoday.com and put in 4Z4DX in the search box at the top of the page. If you would like to sponsor the transcription of this episode or any of the previous QSO Today episodes into written text, the cost is $67 US dollars. There is a button on the right side of the show notes page to start this process. Support the QSO Today podcast by first joining the QSO Today email list. I will not spam you or share your email address with anyone. Become a listener or sponsor, monthly or annually, by clicking on the sponsor buttons on the show notes page. Finally, let Amazon pay us, at no charge to you, by using our Amazon link on the show notes pages before you enter Amazon to do your shopping. Amazon gives us a small percentage of everything that you buy, your privacy is assured, as we do not see who is purchasing and what is being purchased. By supporting the QSO Today podcast, you offset my out of pocket expenses to record, produce and host now over 166 episodes of QSO Today.
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