Attendees at the Regional Amateur Radio Conference in Veliko Tarnovo (March 11, 1972)
Radio clubs – a place for the patriotic education of youth
Regional Amateur Radio Conference of Veliko Tarnovo District (1972)
On March 11, 1972, the report-election conference of amateur radio clubs in the Veliko Tarnovo district took place, attended by regional Komsomol youth officials and numerous active radio amateurs.
In his main report, the secretary of the Regional Radio Club, Ivan Popov (LZ2SA), reviewed the operational achievements of the preceding period, emphasizing technical youth training and radio sports expansion.
1. Training, Athletic Titles, and First Pioneer Radio Camp
- Mass Youth Training: Over 650 young students were actively training across various regional radio courses, with over 200 competing in regional and city meets.
- Bulgaria’s First Pioneer Radio Camp: The district pioneered Bulgaria’s first summer youth radio camp school, hosting 53 pioneer students for intensive training in Morse code telegraphy, radio construction, foxhunting (ARDF), and operating practice.
- National VHF Champions: The club’s operating team claimed 1st Place in the National VHF Championship. For top athletic performance, Ivan Popov (
LZ2SA), Nikolay Pisarov (LZ2JF), and Dimitar Raykov were named among Bulgaria’s top athletes for 1970.
2. Engineering Successes at TNTM
Veliko Tarnovo radio homebrewers achieved top honors at the III and IV National TNTM Technical Expos in Plovdiv:
- Ivan Popov (
LZ2SA) and Kiril Drandarov (LZ2ZK) were awarded Gold Badges and Diplomas for their advanced HF transceivers. - The engineering team took 1st Place overall for their homebrew HF SSB station.
- The technical section designed automated 3.5 MHz foxhunting transmitters and developed standardized 144 MHz transceiver kits for local club assembly.
3. Critical Analysis and Strategic Directives
The conference also identified operational shortcomings to be addressed:
- Student Retention: Addressed student drop-out rates in beginner code classes and urged stronger outreach in secondary schools.
- Station Inactivity: Noted that several club stations remained mostly QRT (inactive), denying students live operating time. Highlighted shortages of QSL cards and modern equipment at smaller local clubs.
- Radio Multi-Event Athletics: Formulated plans to boost high-speed telegraphy, traffic handling, and orienteering in collaboration with military signal units.
A major facility upgrade was announced with the upcoming construction of a new dedicated radio club building and sports facility in Veliko Tarnovo. Delegates elected a new Regional Club Board and representatives for the upcoming National Conference in Sofia.
By Jordan M. Gaydarov (1972)
