In the same year, 1965, I participated together with two other radio amateurs, Nik Pisarov (LZ2JF) and Angel Lichev (LZ2UG), in a republican championship for establishing radio contacts by radiotelegraphy. At this championship we won first place in Bulgaria with LZ2KBA and according to the competition regulations, the three of us received the title of „MASTER OF RADIO AMATEUR SPORT“.

After completing my high school education in 1962, like everyone else at the time, I had to go to the barracks. I was assigned to the city of Kardzhali in a communications platoon. From the very beginning, the platoon commander, after checking me as a radio operator, assigned me the task of training young and old soldiers in radio telegraphy, in addition, I had to start working at the radio station and maintain radio contact with the division in Haskovo. After I returned from the barracks in 1964, I started working at the radio factory in Veliko Tarnovo and it was completely clear to me that radio engineering would be my profession in life. A year later, I enrolled to study radio engineering at the V. Lomonosov Technical School in G. Oryahovitsa. After completing my radio engineering education in 1968, I was entrusted with training future workers for the radio factory in Veliko Tarnovo in the radio club. In the meantime, I received a permit to build a radio station and in 1971 I started building a transceiver in my spare time at the radio club, which lasted until 1972. At this point I must say that I was given a small financial assistance from the radio club for the construction of my transceiver. At the same time I married a German citizen and had to leave to live permanently in Germany (at that time it was the GDR). In the summer of 1972 my transceiver was exhibited at TNTM in Plovdiv where it was awarded and I received a Soviet watch and a diploma as a prize. This was the third transceiver made in Bulgaria. The first transceiver in Bulgaria was made at that time by Kiril Drundarov (LZ2ZK) also from the radio club in Veliko Tarnovo. The second transceiver was made at the same time in Kazanlak by Nikolay S. Pasturmov (LZ1YI) and was also presented at TNTM.

In 1972, we built a small house in the „Kartala“ area to „move“ the radio station during competitions. Later, I left in early December with my transceiver for the GDR and after great difficulties and detention at the border for Romania, which is why I arrived one day late in Leipzig, much to the disappointment and worries of my wife in Germany. Later I received in the GDR, then my first German initial DM9BJM, and after the official change of all initials I received the second initial Y29JM with which I worked until 1988 from Leipzig. In 1973 I presented my transceiver at the radio amateur meeting of all radio amateurs from the GDR in Leipzig and then my transceiver was awarded a diploma for the second time and printed in the German magazine Funkamateur 1974.

In Germany, this transceiver was ranked fourth out of all German exhibits, for me it was a big award. Of course I also received a German diploma (GDR) which unfortunately I no longer have. In the summer of 1988, I moved with my whole family to West Germany – Bavaria, and my transceiver had to stay in Leipzig. A move out of the GDR was absolutely impossible. And so I parted with my transceiver, which I had been building for almost a year in Veliko Tarnovo. After we settled in Nuremberg later, I received a new initial DJ0GB, which I still use today. All this was very difficult at that time, given the political conditions at that time. In the GDR I worked as an electrical engineer at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig and later as a tour guide-translator in Russian with Soviet groups who came to the GDR on excursions. This job was very interesting and I worked there for exactly 10 years until „perestroika“ came, and then I started working in the computer industry as a maintenance technician for a computing station in a company in Leipzig until 1988.

My Facebook-site is https://www.facebook.com/NikoAwramow

Материалът NIKO AVRAMOV – DJ0GB (ex. LZ2DJ) е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

YORDAN GAYDAROV: I was in eighth grade when a girl came to enroll in a radiotelegraphy course. I had heard about Morse code and had even listened to telegraph signals when I was „walking“ on the short waves of our home radio. They enrolled me almost by force and I went to the first meeting, driven more by curiosity. The radio room was located in the center of G. Oryahovitsa, in a former store and was equipped with 4 long tables, a dozen Morse keys and a buzzer. Our instructor was Petko Nikolov – a radio operator in the then TABSO. I was not particularly impressed by the first lesson, but gradually I got carried away and began to quickly master the material. I was the youngest in the course, but I progressed the fastest. This impressed Nikolov and he praised me for being very musical. Everyone laughed out loud because they knew I played the violin. Nikolov encouraged me and sometimes took extra care of me. Later he started taking me to the club radio station and showing me how to make radio connections.
Of course, I was far from being able to work the radio station myself. I remember that it was located in the attic of the DOSO building. The transmitter was 25 watts and a „Windom“ antenna. I can’t remember what the receiver was like, but I remember that it only received telegraphy.
We were terribly jealous of LZ2KBA, because he broadcasts with a „whole“ 50 watts.

I put on my headphones and immersed myself in the vast air. Petko, on the other hand, explained to me in detail what he was receiving and what he was transmitting. He also began to introduce me to the codes and abbreviations. When I finished the course and could already receive and transmit about 80 characters per minute, he suggested that I make occasional radio connections on telegraphy. At that time, we were not working on AM. And since I did not yet have a „C“ class, and the rules were very strict, I made radio connections using his name, in his presence, of course.
In the tenth grade, I was accepted into the motor flying course and I left amateur radio behind, which I regret. I did not become a pilot, but I fell seriously behind in amateur radio activities. That is why, when my family moved to Dimitrovgrad, I immediately looked for a radio club. Its head turned out to be a young and very nice man Mladen LZ2MC /sk/ and he welcomed me into the team.

Luckily for me, the club had an automatic machine and I started to train hard. After a few months, I was receiving 100 characters per minute.

During that time, I worked on the club radio station LZ1KRA. I took the „C“ class exam and after passing it successfully, I started working completely legally.

When I entered the barracks, it turned out that I was the best radio operator in the unit and they immediately included me in the duty calculations.

Here I will open a parenthesis and admit that from time to time I allowed myself to make a connection on 3.5 megahertz under the initials LZ1KDG, the last letters of which corresponded to my name.

After my family moved to live in Lyaskovets, I was happy to find out that a radio club had been founded there, which I quickly opened and started working on LZ2KLC. My appearance was warmly received, since the station was left without operators. Before me, Dimitar Staykov LZ1FO, who at that time was a soldier in G. Oryahovitsa, had worked there from time to time.

The transmitter was the work of radio technician Stoyan Zlatev and worked with a GU-50 end lamp. We used a „Long Wire“ antenna with a length of about 80 meters, attached at one end to the dome of the church. And I still can’t explain how the priest allowed this to happen. With this antenna we could hear each other quite well around the country and the world. Another question is what harmonics we „sowed“ around, and who had heard of KSR back then?
The receiver was Russian /I don’t remember which one/ with a second oscillator grafted to it so that we could receive telegraphy. We worked actively in this type and even allowed ourselves to participate in domestic and international competitions.

At the republican championship held in 1966, we first moved to the plateau above Lyaskovets and positioned ourselves next to the then television repeater from which we got electricity. We stretched out a G5RV antenna and started the tests. It turned out that we could hear each other perfectly all over the country. And after the competition it became clear that we had placed third, which was a great success for us.

I was sitting on a box instead of a chair and I remember that at the end of the competition I realized that I could not get up from my seat.

The head of the radio club in G. Oryahovitsa was a former military man, who with his inadequate orders managed to drive away the best operators of LZ2KAF. As a result, Stefan Krastev LZ2DB, Todor Papazov LZ1WR, Pavlina Dzhipova joined LZ2KLC. Three girls from Lyaskovets also came: Pepa, Dora and Elena and this is how the new team was formed, and I was appointed as the manager. I can definitely say that in this composition we were one of the most active amateur radio stations in the country.

In the meantime, I was accepted as a student at the University of Veliko Tarnovo and since I lived mainly in Veliko Tarnovo, I joined the LZ2KBA team. At that time, the head of the radio club was Hristo Devdzhiev, and later Ivan Popov LZ2SA.

The material base of LZ2KBA was significantly better, and there was also a good operator team. More active sports and competitive activities were taking place. The more powerful 1-kilowatt transmitter also contributed to this. But even there we used a mediocre „Windom“ antenna and it created a lot of interference to the television and the People’s Army House.

During contests, I always worked on LZ2KLC, and the operators Nikolay Pisarov LZ2JF and Angel Lichev LZ2UG remained on LZ2KBA. During the rest of the time, I also worked actively on LZ2KLC. In 1971 I started working at Radio Stara Zagora and joined the team of LZ1KSZ, and later LZ1KWT. In 1988 I received permission to work on my own radio station with the initials LZ1UC.

Материалът A true Radio-Ham е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

Despite the fact that I was born in Sofia in 1943, my family moved to Tarnovo at that time.

After 1965, Tarnovo received its real name Veliko Tarnovo, due to its greatness as the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.

My family lived in my grandfather’s house, which was on the site of the northern wing of the Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo.

My first steps in amateur radio were in this house.

My father, Stoyan Zayakov, despite being a high school teacher, was very interested in radio and constantly subscribed to the magazine „Radio“. Thinking back on those years, I think what I read in the magazine made me start to become more and more interested in radio. It’s not about amateur radio at all, but about radio. Seeing my interest in radio, one of my aunts gave me a radio tube (6K7) with which I was able to make my first receiver.

At that time, my same aunt had started working at the Palace of Pioneers, which was located on Tsarevets.

In 1956, the first group for training telegraphers and, of course, radio amateurs was formed at the Palace.

When my aunt told me, I signed up without thinking. Siika Yancheva taught us, who managed to prepare us for the first radio connection. We knew Morse code, code abbreviations, how the initials and prefixes of many European countries are formed.

Nikolay Pisarov and I graduated as the top students in the group. We were allowed to make our first contacts on the air, which happened on 07.01.1957.

In order to progress faster with the study of the Morse code, and also to learn to transmit with a manual key, I had initially made myself a 50Hz buzzer with an electromagnet and a metal plate, and later a Morse code generator from a telephone receiver, microphone and battery.

While our training was going on, we often passed by the radio club of Tarnovo, but I personally did not dare to enter.

It seemed to me that there were only great radio amateurs inside, whose capabilities I wanted to reach as soon as possible.

To our joy with Nikolay Pisarov, at that time he had met Boncho Vassilev, then an instructor in the radio club.

After a few days, Boncho Vassilev introduced us to the District Radio Club of Tarnovo District.

It was as if heaven had come to the world for both of us, although now that I think about it, at that time there was an English military receiver of the BC type and a separate transmitter with a 35-watt RL6P35 tube and an AM modulator on the table. At that time, there was still no SSB.
The antenna then, and for a long time after that, was a Windom VS1AA.

Our instructor as operators was Kiril Nestorov, and Boncho Vassilev dealt with technical issues. At that time, we were only allowed to listen and orient ourselves in the sequence of operator activity, get used to the initials, study the ranges and other tasks of that kind.

I admit, at that time many and different countries could be heard with only one windom, which prompted us to be able to sit down and work as operators as quickly as possible.

To our joy, this happened in two or three months, and with the arrival of warm weather and the opening of the bands, we received a work permit. And now I remember with a smile our great passion for as many connections with Americans as possible. Strange as it may seem, during that time we worked with all continents on AM and CW. Other types of work did not yet exist.

In the following years, we formed a team with Nikolay and participated in almost all the contests. What sketches we had, working with a manual key and trying to win republican competitions. We liked it and started changing the transmitter of LZ2KBA. In about two years, the final stage was already with GU81 and our signal was heard better and better. They also changed the receiver with a better one. Perhaps because of my greater desire for design work, during that time I dealt with the power amplifier and various other designs and failures.

During those years, we met a number of other members of the Tarnovo Radio Club, such as Hristo Tsenov – who at first did not have a call sign, but after completing his transceiver he received LZ2AA, Miro Bozgunov – LZ2BK, Zdravko Gabrovski – LZ2ZJ, Lazarov, Lyubo – LZ2FW and several other boys and women – who did not have initials, but were quite active in the women’s competitions at the club station.

In addition to making connections and participating in competitions, which took up most of our time, we helped build the transmitters for the city radio clubs in the district (at that time Gabrovo was also part of the Tarnovo district). I will never forget how we had joined some international competition that continued into the night. Somewhere around midnight we heard a stone hit the window. It was my uncle who had come with a log to take me home.

When we learned to work well, Father Kiro (that’s what we called him) would call us early in the morning to go fishing and after we returned to the club we would make a page of the diary with Americans and other DX. Why it was like that I appreciated later, when I began to understand the 11-year activity of the sun. In 1958 there was a maximum of solar activity and with one 50 watt station we could hear each other all over the world.

In the following years I met Ivan Popov – LZ2SA, Lyubo Grigorov – LZ2FW, Dimitar Raykov – LZ2LY, Parvan – LZ2SW and Veliko – LZ2WS Velikovi, Kiril Drandarov – LZ2ZK, Angel Lichev – LZ2UG, Dimitar Komitov – LZ2XW and others, but please forgive me, I don’t remember them well.

This is how my life in the District Radio Club went, until 1960. In 1961, I reduced my activity, because I was preparing to apply to a higher educational institution. I really wanted to apply to the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering University (now TU-Sofia), but our father had passed away, and after me there were two more well-educated sisters, and in order to have more funds left for them, I enrolled in the Air Force Pilot School. In the following years, until 1966, when I graduated, I had reduced my activity as a radio amateur. However, in one of the following years, I participated with Nikolay – LZ2JF in the republican championship and we won it. We had already made many participations in the championships with good results and were made masters of sports. Until my graduation, I was not an active radio amateur.

Immediately after graduating, I hurried to open my own radio station, for which Zdravko Gabrovski helped me by lending me his transmitter. Initially, I had written as the desired initial LZ2WZ (later LZ2VZ, etc., something from Vesselin Zaiakov), but I received LZ2WC. On my first visit to the Central Radio Station, I asked Uncle Stancho why he hadn’t given me any of the desired ones, and he replied that he hadn’t looked at them. When he saw that WZ was reserved, he put his finger on WA, started moving it along the next initials, and gave me the first free one. At first, I felt bad, but I started working from Pleven until the fall of 1966, when I was sent to fly from Tolbukhin (now Dobrich).

My stay in Tolbukhin was a year during which quite interesting things happened to me. At that time, Dimitar Galmadiev was the head of the radio club and he called me to participate in shortwave competitions. At the republican HF competition in 1967, which was in the spring, we decided to participate with two keys, two receivers, and one transmitter. To our great surprise, we won 3rd place with a single G807 end lamp. When I think about what powers are used now…

When it got warmer, Dimitar – LZ2FA started to persuade me to join the radio detection team. I wasn’t sure if the bosses would let me, but maybe with the help of the DOSO at that time, they agreed to participate. We held a training camp with a few people and set off for the republican championship. I was very surprised when Galmadiev decided to run with him on Tolbukhin’s team. Maybe the others felt bad, but we weren’t embarrassed. Galmadiev was first, I was third and we won first place as a team. After that, I was called up to the national radio detection team, and after I participated in Czechoslovakia, I realized that this sport was not for me. Maybe because of the exceptionally good food for pilots and the fact that I had already entered into a civil marriage, I had started to gain weight and it was becoming more and more difficult for me to run. Thus ended my career as a radio detection competitor.

In the fall of 1967, I was transferred to the Military Air School as a lecturer. For about a year, I reduced my activity to a minimum in order to prepare for my lectures and become a good lecturer. I became especially active after in 1968 I managed to complete my first transceiver, my own development. At that time, maximum solar activity was beginning, the transceiver worked on all bands and it gave me great pleasure to work on 10 meters. The transceiver had two PL500s and they could hear me well. As a lecturer, I would get home from work at around three o’clock and during the summer I made an exceptionally large number of DX on 10 meters. I even remember my initials had appeared as an interesting and regular DX in QST. In the following years, I managed to make an amplifier with three GU50s.

During the 1968/1969 academic year, I was sent to a 10-month retraining course in Sofia. I can’t say why, but I started visiting LZ1KVV, where Ivanchev was the head. We didn’t know each other, but he probably studied me and started asking me to make an SSB transmitter, not a transceiver yet. At that time, Kotseto Chobanov – LZ1WD had already launched such an SSB transmitter.

I agreed and together with Petar Genov we started to compile the circuits from the experience we had. Later, Dimitar Zvezdev – LZ1CZ, who was studying and had started working at the club, joined us. And so little by little we managed to launch an SSB transmitter.

We also had to make a step with GU50, but I wasn’t able to participate until its completion because the course was over and I had to go home to Pleven. The step was completed by Dimitar Zvezdev.

During my stay in Sofia, I regularly participated in the contests in the LZ1KVV team. At that time we became good friends with Yanko Bogdanov – LZ1VL, Spas Spasov – LZ1HW, Nikolay Radoslavov, batko Vancho, Pero, Margarita Petkova – LZ1YL, Hari – LZ1GU, Chavdar Levkov – LZ1AQ, Veselin Iliev and many more, who will hardly get angry if I don’t mention them.

Until 1972, I can’t say that anything else happened to me except lectures, flying and radio communications. In 1971, I prepared for graduate school and won the competition. When I started to deal with my scientific growth in 1972, I temporarily closed LZ2WC, and I gave my equipment to Nikolay LZ2JF, during which time I think he made many interesting connections. After I graduated from graduate school at the end of 1975, I had prepared myself with a full set of parts, elements and chassis for the hybrid UW3DI.

In addition, I started buying tubes for high jump and not long after I had a new transceiver, a three-stage GU50 and a three-element monobander on 20 m, W3DZZ, dipoles for 80 m and 40 m. I started working with a new initial – LZ2CQ.

Why did I start working with a new initial. While I was working with LZ2WC I had told in the TRC how some hams giggled when they gave me the initial. In the following years, Sotir Kolarov – LZ1SS always thought of this when he saw me and although with good feeling he recalled it. In 1976 I was in the TRC with the intention of activating my closed initial. We were talking with Kliment Kozhuharov – LZ1CQ and at that time Sotir passed by us, smiled and hinted at my initial. Clement got angry, took my documents and changed my old initial to LZ2CQ, telling me that he would be pleased if we were namesakes. Before that, they had already started giving initials with the same suffixes and different numbers. That’s how this story ended.
In 1976 I started working quite actively. I had antennas for 80m and 40m and I participated regularly in various Bulgarian competitions.

On 20m I had the opportunity to work with a relatively good antenna and make many DX contacts. For several years I had more than 270 parties on 20m, working in the evenings and on Saturdays early in the morning.

In the following years Nikolay – LZ2JF was finishing his UW3DI transceiver and asked me for help. He arrived at our place and we started finishing the transceiver together. He was very surprised when he turned on my transceiver and with the first turn of the frequency knob, he heard some station from the Pacific, which he had never heard before. In the evening we discussed what he would do the next day while I was at work. Just like me, he worked DX in the morning and late evening, after finishing work. As far as I remember, working with DX-s at my station prevented him from doing anything to build his own station, but he was pleased with the new countries he had made.

Despite my desire, I still didn’t have time to get down to business with VHF. I won’t be working at VHF from Pleven anyway, due to my busy schedule. In 1982, I became an associate professor and deputy head of the department where I worked.

In 1984, I became head of the department. Until 1987, nothing interesting happened in my amateur radio life.

In the fall of 1987, I moved to Sofia, where after 1989, after buying a house, I began to actively engage in amateur radio. Especially after my eldest son brought me a factory transceiver from Germany.

My greatest activity as a radio amateur began after 1998. I already had a lot of measuring equipment, a mechanical workshop and a desire to work. Together with my colleagues LZ2HM and LZ1VDR, we started building powerful amplifiers for 50MHz and 144MHz. For 432MHz and 1296MHz, we bought ready-made amplifiers. At first, we tried to make antennas for these ranges, but we decided that, except for 50MHz, for the other ranges it would take a lot of time and we bought ready-made ones.

Our first participations started from Vitosha, then we went to the peaks of the Stara Planina. We made a lot of connections with neighboring countries, and we started to increase our most distant connections. It gave us a lot of pleasure if during a competition a sporadic appearance appeared.

Until 2006, we did not have our own permanent HF station and we went to work from LZ9W, which with each passing year became better equipped and more powerful.

In 2006, Andrey – LZ2HM had contacted 5B4AIF – Norman, who was an active radio operator and was taking his first steps in HF.

When we arrived in Cyprus, on shortwave there was one tri-band Italian Eco antenna and one vertical on 80 meters.
Norman had taken the contest initial C4I. Nevertheless, we started the contest and made about 3 million points, while the Russian group on the island was making 25 to 30 million depending on the contest.

We talked and in the following years we brought 8 and 12 element logperiodic antennas from AKOM, a shorty-forty antenna for 40m, which we modified to Moxon and it started working better. On 80m we had a delta loop, and on 160m an inverted v.

We started to get a little under 10 million points. We were still not satisfied.

Norman and I bought a piece of property next to each other and started building the new C4I radio station, which later became quite famous. Contest after contest one group was making connections and another group was building a new antenna. In 2010 everything was ready and we started not only making 25 to 28 million points but also won two of the big international competitions. Just when we thought we were at the top, a lawsuit was filed against us and the judge decided that we had to take down all the antennas. At the end of 2010, we took them down and C4I went silent.

Now I only have fun with VHF.

This is my amateur radio activity. I still dream of building a radio station in Bulgaria like in Cyprus, but at 70 it is not easy.

Veselin Zayakov, LZ3CQ (ex LZ2WC, LZ2CQ), 5B4AIV, LZ3A
2012

Материалът The hobby I loved for life е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

Siika Yancheva

The station’s LZ2KBS is Nikolay Pisarov

Материалът LZ2KBS – Pioneer Palace Veliko Tarnovo е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

LZ2KAC /after 196…2/3??/= LZ2KBA

Anniversary initials:

LZ13CWT

LZ40KBA

LZ2KAC

THE BEGINNING

In 1946, the „Union of Radio Technicians in Bulgaria“ was established, which later transformed into the „People’s Union for Sports and Technology“ and then into the „Voluntary Organization for Defense Assistance“

This marked the true beginning of an organized radio amateur movement in Bulgaria. One by one, clubs, courses, and training units in radio engineering, radio design, and radio communications began to spring up all over the country. In 1952, the first collective radio stations began to operate – LZ1KAB in Sofia, LZ2KAC in Tarnovo, and others.

The first exam for class „B“ was held by an interdepartmental commission on October 25, 1951. This was a very important event, because after the first pass an exam, permits for construction and permanent use of club radio stations can now be issued. Until now, only temporary permits have been issued to radio amateurs class „C“ for some notable dates or for the participation of radio stations in competitions. And such are currently only LZ1KAB and LZ1AA, officially reopened in 1951, now as a radio station of the „Radio Communications“ department of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Radio and Television Association. Immediately after the exam, documents are submitted for construction of the Turnovo station LZ2KAC, the first outside Sofia….

On May 27, 1952, in Turnovo they receive a permit for construction of a transmitter for LZ2KAC. Kiril Nestorov is confirmed as the chief, and Nikolay Yordanov, Todor Borisov, Evgeniya Stoeva are being trained as operators, until now only listeners.

Kiril Nestorov: „Since 1949. I started working at the National Radio and Television Station as a storekeeper, then a milling machine operator. But I was always drawn to the radio. The material base at the beginning was a few keys, a few headphones and a radio receiver set. At a district competition in 1951, I became the first with 60 characters. I was sent to Sofia for class „C“. Dimitar Petrov taught us codes and abbreviations. When I returned, I was appointed as an instructor.

We formed a council for the club. The deputy commander for the political part of the then Military School headed our council. We used such activists back then. On February 1, 1952. I was appointed head of a radio station in the OK of DOSO, but there was no radio club yet. And since there was no club, what kind of head would I be. My first job was to equip two small rooms that were given to us for a design and telegraph room. I submitted documents for a club radio station. I named it LZ2KAC. There was already LZ1KAB, the next in line was supposed to be „KAS“. Such was the example from other people’s democratic countries. But some comrades named their radio stations after their cities. For example, LZ2KST, but Stalin is no longer Stalin, it is Varna. So we will perpetuate Stalin’s name. I considered it incorrect and started in order Gabrovo – LZ2KAD, Elena – LZ2KAE, Gorna Oryahovitsa – LZ2KAF, etc. I became the godfather of all of them. “

I considered it incorrect and started in order Gabrovo – LZ2KAD, Elena – LZ2KAE, Gorna Oryahovitsa – LZ2KAF, etc. I became the godfather of all of them. “

Memoirs of Kiril Nestorov

The first radio engineering teachers in the Tarnovo „Radio Amateur Committee“ were Panayot Nikolov and Geranliev – both employees at the post office. Geranliev would later describe this time as: „A time of negligible material and enormous moral basis“, and Nikolov would add: „A time when, in our desire to teach others, we taught ourselves“. And indeed – a pair of headphones, a buzzer with a battery, several useless relays, radio tubes with reduced emission, coils, two or three books from the magazine „Radiosvyat“, a tattered textbook on radio engineering from Getov… and nothing else – this was the entire material part of the radio amateur circles held in schools. Some of the „charkovets“ were donated by another teacher, Stefan Cholakov, and the radio design boards were made by the radio engineering instructor Nikolay Penev. The most prominent students of the clubs are Marin Slavchev, Veselin Tsonev and Vladimir Marinov.

„I do not know what the beginnings of other radio clubs in the country are, but for the Tarnovo club I firmly claim that it was illuminated by the light of unusual enthusiasm, of dedication to the amateur radio business“.

On 11.IV.1952, ten people – three postmen, one officer, two radio technicians, two employees and two students founded the „Tarnovo District Radio Club“ at the OK of DOSO. Shortly after this date, the club’s members were already 41.

In the spring of 1952, Kiril Nestorov, N. Yordanov, T. Kolarov, Marin Slavchev and Veselin Tsonev prepared the chassis of the club transmitter with files and sheet metal shears. The brackets and sheets were given to them by Krastyo Radoslavov – the director of the „Chervena Zvezda“ factory in the town of Debelets. Under the leadership of K. Totev, Kiril Nestorov – an amateur radio designer and Kosyu Bostandzhiev – an experienced professional radio technician, they assembled the transmitter according to Boris Konyarov’s scheme. Around these „old masters“ constantly hovered 16-year-old Nikola Yordanov and Todor Kolarov – guys for everything – wind this coil, give me a soldering iron, go to the post office for a GV6 radio tube…. The assembly progressed slowly, due to the constant lack of one or another „chark“, which must be found immediately. During the construction of the transmitter, the listening activity of the future operators intensified. The most active were Todor Borisov and Nikolay Yordanov. On 27.V.1952, the permit for LZ2KAC was received. In the summer, the transmitter was finally completed and on 5.VIII.1952 Nestorov stood at the switch and almost all day tried to make connection by calling CQ. But something is not working… Kosyu Bostandzhiev makes a light joke – he goes downstairs and calls him from an oscillator with a Ukrainian initial from Kiev… . Euphoria. Only at 18:30 they establish the first radio contact with UA3KFB from which they receive a relatively good rating of 569. Then Nikolay Yordanov and Gramatikov sit on the station. Subsequently, the operators of LZ2KAC are Evgeniya Stoeva, Tsanka Gencheva with class „C“, Vladimir Marinkov, Todor Kolarov and the first pioneer operator in the country class „C“ Tosho Tsankov Mitev.

New people in the club
1953 was characterized by an increase in the material base, an increase in the qualities of the club members, the station operators and a slight increase in massification. New people also arrive at the club, attracted by the club radio station’s activities.

For example, a lively, smiling young man comes from Gabrovo – Boncho Vassilev. Having graduated from secondary technical school, under the expert guidance of Eng. Konyarov he has become an experienced instructor in radio engineering and amateur radio. He immediately organizes courses in amateur radio in various enterprises – in the carpentry cooperative, in the „Hristo Kamburov“ Industrial Training Institute, in the district hospital. He also works tirelessly in the club – courses in radio engineering, radio engineering, amateur radio. At the same time, he is the head of the radio station, the warehouseman and the designer of new transmitters for the radio stations in the district. He also finds time for active work on the air from LZ2KAC, even late at night, until 2 or 3 am, and sometimes until the morning. As the statistics show, 25% of all connections are his. The students who come by train from nearby villages and towns in the morning and leave in the evening say openly: „We want Boncho to teach us“. „Extraordinarily active and sociable“ – does not hide his enthusiasm for him the head of the radio club Trifon Kolev, who also came from Gabrovo and enriched the Turnovo radio club with his organizational experience and technical knowledge. „To award him with a diploma for active activity“ – decides the council of the radio club.

Hristo Tsenev arrives from Svishtov region: „Well, who is this Boncho of yours that I constantly listen to in Dekov?“ Hristo graduated from the commercial academy in Svishtov in 1953 and when he had to do the mandatory internship, he indicated Turnovo. And after the internship at DSK he stayed in Turnovo forever. Here is what he says: „I have been a radio amateur since 1950 and I had a linear receiver on which I enjoyed listening to the work of LZ2KAC, sometimes Kiril, sometimes Trifon, sometimes Boncho and I decided: only Tarnovo, that’s where people work“. He helps in the work of the HF section of the club, is the deputy head of the radio station and a permanent member of the club council. Since 1958 he has been broadcasting with his initials LZ2AA with a 50 watt transmitter that he built himself.

We should not miss the name of Stoyko Dulev, who in 1954 became chairman of the club council. He is a little older /born in 1914/ from Lovech, head of the District Post Office. Morning and evening he visits the club – encourages successes with kind words and criticizes failures with a light remark. A remarkable tactician in human relations – he led the club in the best way and success was not long in coming: from 1955 to 1957 the Tarnovo club was the leader in the country in reporting the activities of the clubs to the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Youth Union.

During this period, both young and old worked diligently in the club, constantly increasing and consolidating their knowledge. At the end of 1955, Kiril Nestorov took the exam for class „A“ and passed it with honors. Pencho Penchev /LZ2AC sk/ and the students Todor Kolarov and Mihail Bozgunov /LZ2BK sk – ex LZ2LZ, ex LZ1LZ / also passed the exam for class „B“ with honors.

RADIO DESIGN
It is difficult to speak of an established beginning for the radio design activity of radio clubs, circles and radio engineering courses. The first buzzers, detector receivers, then linear and receivers specifically for the amateur radio ranges for listening activities, the first transmitters until the first transmitter of LZ2KAC was built – this is a long way in the difficult conditions of lack of materials, but very strong enthusiasm of the young radio engineers dreaming of becoming engineers in this direction. In addition to the „old“ in the club, the very young 15-16 year old Todor Kolarov and Nikolay Yordanov already have 2-3 years of experience in technology and have made several designs of buzzers, receivers.

Indicative of the creative activity of the designers is the second regional radio exhibition held in the spring of 1954. A well-decorated hall, a portrait of A.S. POPOV and constructions made by radio amateurs: A complex combined device made by Hristo Nenov, a worker from the DIP „Vasil Kolarov“ Gabrovo. In a carefully crafted box, he has built a concert receiver, an oscillator, a tube high-frequency generator with Morse code and modulator, a portable tube meter and output meter. Boncho Vassilev and Marin Slavchev have made a powerful 60-watt amplifier, and B. Vassilev also presents a VHF transmitter. Kiril Nestorov presents his carefully prepared board-teaching aid for a 4-tube receiver. Borislav Aleksiev from Gabrovo has also made a four-tube super. The student Todor Kolarov presents his receiver for amateur ranges. The other student N. Yordanov presents his automatic Morse code.
In 1956, 8 new radio stations were opened in the district: LZ2KAV in Dryanovo with Iliya Penev in charge, LZ2KHN in Sevlievo with Andrey Andreev in charge, LZ2KAE in Elena with Petko Petkov in charge, LZ2KAJ in Tryavna with Bonka Koleva in charge, LZ2KBA- with Kiril Nestorov in charge and LZ2KBS with Siika Yancheva in charge in Tarnovo, LZ2KAD with Trifon Kolev in charge and LZ2KWD in Gabrovo. The transmitters of these radio stations were built in the district radio club in Tarnovo, by the team of the design section under the expert guidance of Boncho Vassilev. A total of 13 transmitters were made in 1955/1956 and were distributed to the clubs. In addition to the above-mentioned beneficiaries, LZ2KAL village of Alekovo, LZ2KSQ – Svishtov, LZ2KBK Pavlikeni were also beneficiaries. The amateur radio club LZ2KAV at the „Andrei Zhdanov“ wagon factory assisted in the production of the chassis and front panels of the transmitters. The factory management gave the green light for these developments. The transmitters are similar externally, but have differences inside, mostly in the final stage depending on what lamps were available and what class /“B“ or „C“/ station the transmitter is for. And the receivers used were scrapped by the army – mostly German, with which the BA was armed during the Tsarist era. When replaced with Soviet, the obsolete equipment, transmitters and receivers, were provided to the radio clubs. Also, the communication equipment from TABSO, which was brought out for use, was provided to the clubs.
In 1956/57, the construction of a powerful final stage for the radio station of the district radio club began – the amplifier has a final tube GU-80-500 w, and has replaceable coils for the range – probably due to the lack of a suitable switch at the time.

LZ3CQ : „Initially, the final stage was made by someone with a large lamp with a round bulb, but it did not give much power and did not work on the shorter wavelength ranges. In the spring of 1957, Nikolay Pisarov and I had transferred from the Pioneer Palace-LZ2KBS to the city radio club-LZ2KAC and we started competing in the republican championships. I do not remember who brought the GU-80 and of course we immediately started planning how we would put this lamp in the final stage. The two of us, with the help of Boncho Vassilev and Kiril Nestorov, managed to find a way and put the lamp in the stage. The big problem was finding a good switch (some bakelite or textolite ones kept appearing) and we decided to put a replaceable coil. rnThe stage started, started to adjust and with its help we reached the title of master of sports. rnI remember stage until 1961, when I graduated from high school and left the city. rnLZ3CQ “

This transmitter with GU80 continued to exist until about 1970 – the interesting thing is that the permit was for 980 watts of direct current power in the final stage. /info from LZ2SA/

In parallel with the manufacture of transmitters, receivers and transmitters for „fox hunting“ for 3.5 MHz are also being made – the two-meter range is also being mastered.

YL and XYL in the club
From the very beginning of the club, women and girls were involved in studying radio communications. They learned Morse code, studied radio engineering.

Jubilee initials:

LZ9CWY – IX WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL – SOFIA 1968

LZ13CWT

LZ40KBA

Материалът LZ2KAC/LZ2KBA е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

Training of radio operators in Oryahovitsa. The photo is from 1952-54.

In May 1953, the amateur radio station LZ2KAF was opened with Boyan Adzharov (sk), who was a class „B“. At the beginning of 1954, Adzharov returned to his native Plovdiv region for a few years, and the LZ2KAF premises were sealed due to the lack of another operator with class „B“ to take over the functions of the responsible person. In 1954, Strahil Bogoev LZ1BA, who was originally from the Pirin region and had passed the class „B“ exam, arrived at the airport. The issuance of the class certificate and the documents for the responsible person of the station were slightly delayed, but at the beginning of 1955, LZ2KAF was back on the air. Bogoev was not idle during this time, with the help of the district radio club in Tarnovo, they built a new transmitter.

LZ2KAF 1955 to the left of the receiver is the seller

LZ1BA 1978

1958/59 the radio club became full-time and for A former military man was appointed as the chief, who introduced his own rules. The station’s equipment was replaced with a factory military one, or more precisely, the transmitter is „RSB-F-3“ – with batteries and umformers, the receiver is „US-P“.

LZ2KAF 1961

The station set up in this way is not operational as for the needs of amateur connections. Despite the difficulty, there are operators at the station and connections are made almost around the clock. Most are students from the newly established /1959/ technical school of electrical engineering. The most active are Racho Kazakov, Ivan Dimitrov, Hristofor „FORI“ Mihaylov/LZ2DW/, Pavlina Dzhipova – works on CW, Yordanka „Dasha“, Yordan Musliyski /LZ2EY (sk).

LZ2KAF op FORI

LZ2KAF existed like this until 1967, when all LZ2KAF operators moved to work on LZ2KLC – for those unfamiliar, the distance between the centers of the two cities was 2 km, between the outer houses then it was 600m, sidewalks on both sides of the road, and very regular motor transport every 15-20 minutes. So the head of the club was left alone and agreed to dismantle the transmitter for parts, and delivered the other parts needed to build a new transmitter in the classic VFO-BU-FD–FD-PA design. The entire construction of the chassis and the electrical part was supervised by Nikolay Granitsky /then 18 years old/ who is also the designer of this transmitter. Then a 250 watt final stage with GK71 was built. Everything was done manually – cutting with a hacksaw, filing, drilling holes and openings for the lamp bases with a manual non-electric drill. The district radio club gave us two KV-M receivers and a great competition began between the operators for a greater number of connections, for more DX.

Then a 250 watt final stage with GK71 was built. Everything was done manually – cutting with a hacksaw, filing, drilling holes and openings for lamp bases with a manual non-electric drill. The district radio club gave us two KV-M receivers and a great competition began between the operators for a greater number of connections, for more DX.

With the new „hammer“ – that’s what we called the transmitter, things took off, we also began regular participation in international and domestic competitions, and achieved the first prizes. Especially for LZDXC, we regularly took a P-250 from the local communications unit.

LZ2KAF 1969 LZDXC -Todor LZ1WR and Stefan LZ2DB

In 1969, the most active on the air were Todor Papazov/LZ1WR,CT7AEQ/, Hristo Rachev/LZ2HG/, Lilyana „Lilly“ Yordanova – working on CW and Stefan Krastev/LZ2DB/.

LZ2KAF – 1969 from left to right Stefan LZ2DB, YL Lilly, Hristo LZ2HG and Todor LZ1WR

In 1973, Hristofor Mihaylov /LZ2DW/ constructed an attachment to the „VOLNA-K“ receiver and the „knocker“ – that’s how we got a telegraph transceiver that contributed a lot to operational work during competitions. Around the end of 1974, with the purchase of a legal CW/SSB transceiver, we also appeared on SSB. After 1975, there was a strong increase in the number of operators at the station and the making of radio contacts around the clock. This may be due to the fact that after 1972, the head of the club was Ivan Enchev – an excellent organizer of various events in the club. Then for the first time and then repeatedly we moved with all the equipment of the radio station in the area of ​​the Lyaskov Monastery, to a small house of a former television repeater. There was a ŽR pole that we extended to about 18 meters and installed an Inverted Vee ANT for 80/40,20/15 meters. The place was wonderful, without city electrical interference. Participation in many international competitions, making many DX QSOs, are the result of a series of youthful enthusiasm.

During its existence as a full-time club, the radio club in G. Oryahovitsa was primarily a training center for training radio operators, starting with elementary school students (grades 5-8), high school students, and training conscripts-radio operators for the army. A large number of these young people showed interest in amateur radio and became operators of the club station. Later, some of them lost interest and this activity remained a memory for them as a youthful hobby. For some, however, the „magic“ of amateur radio became a lifelong hobby. Regardless of whether they began their initial training in this or another club, they were operators of LZ2KAF and are considered its graduates.

QSL back

We had to prepare the design of this QSL in one night, because by chance someone managed to „break through“ in the printing house of the Russian Space Agency. The project was made on A4 format with colored paper, on the right the fortress and the text were made by some artist-friend of someone in the club. At that time we had a hard time finding a typewriter with Latin letters for the text on the back. What you see is from the Internet – it was offered for 1$.

After Ivan Enchev – club manager is Stefan Krastev /1977-1979/, then there are Milan Genov/LZ2BN/, Balkov,

Crowns/ex LZ2WU/ and the last one was Mihail Bozgunov LZ2BK (sk)/ex LZ2LZ/.

The first personal amateur radio station in G. Oryahovitsa was owned by Dimitar Drachev LZ1BC(sk) for a period of 3-4 years / 1962-1965 ?/ with the initials LZ2BC.

Later around 1972/73 Kostadin Petkov LZ2HL built his own transmitter, and later a transceiver at 3.5 and 14 MHz according to the scheme of Chavdar Levkov LZ1AQ.

Under the guidance of Ivan Kovandzhiev – a teacher, training in „fox hunting“ is conducted with equipment donated by the Orkage radio club.

During its existence as a full-time club, the radio club in G. Oryahovitsa was primarily a training center for training radio operators, starting with students in elementary grades /5-8th grade/, secondary school students and training conscripts-radio operators for the army. A large part of these young people showed interest in amateur radio and became operators of the club station. Later, some of them lost interest and this activity remained a memory for them as a youthful hobby. For some, however, the „magic“ of amateur radio became a lifelong hobby. Regardless of whether they began their initial training in this or another club, they were operators of LZ2KAF and are considered its graduates.

LZ2BH Borislav Penkov Borisov, Pavlikeni

LZ2BN Milan Genov Milanov village of Dolna Lipnitsa

Материалът LZ2KAF – Gorna Oryahovitsa city radio club е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.

Anton Ivanov (LZ3AI, LZ2F266) with his teacher Stefan Getsov (LZ2PS, LZ2F166).

Материалът LZ3AI (LZ2F266) and LZ2PS (LZ2F166) е публикуван за пръв път на Галя и Тони - Галанто.