View of the town of Elena, where club station LZ2KAE was established in 1956
LZ2KAE — Amateur Radio Club in the Town of Elena
Organized amateur radio activity in the town of Elena dates back to the 1950s. The club maintained an active educational program, featuring a dedicated classroom equipped for 20 students.
Among the key activists of the club were Ivan Gradinarov, Ivan Syarov, and Lyuben Nikolov.
1. Founding of LZ2KAE and Early Contest Activity
Club station LZ2KAE officially aired in 1956. Its first transmitter was custom-built at the regional radio club in Veliko Tarnovo. The first appointed station manager was Petko Petkov.
In 1957, the club’s operators began participating in national contests. In the national YL/XYL championship, operators G. Hristova and N. Pairatanova represented LZ2KAE.
2. Individual Operator Callsigns in Elena
Over the years, several individual amateur radio stations operated from the town of Elena:
- LZ4RE — Ivan Blagoev Ivanov
- LZ2AM — Rusi Nikolov Rusev
- LZ2DU — Dimitar Yordanov Kovachev
- LZ4NN — Nikola Angelov Nikolov
