Boris Švagelj, S57LO

It all started in '83 or '84 when Vanja, now S59AV, my dear friend and best man one day showed up with a strange box, with some buttons and a quite long antenna. »What is that ?« » A CB radio!« he proudly replied. »And with it you do…what? »Talk to other people!« »Hmm, interesting, show me!« A minute later he was talking to Franko, now S57JEL, a month or two later I became a member of the CB club, a few years later I heard of lessons for the third class ham operators, held by Marsell, S52ID, and soon got my first, 3 rd class licence and the call sign S56LSO, allowing me to operate on VHF and above, no code.

Radio club Piran - S58U, S59HIJ, S51LGT

I became a member of Radio club of Piran and got pretty scared, as the OM's in the radio club knew so much about this beautiful hobby that I did not got on the air for nearly a year! Then Vanja persuaded me to buy a VHF station. I started with first QSO's on FM and made a S5 Maraton, a hamlet contest. Things started to run, and soon the OM's from the radio club organised VHF contests on portable locations to teach us more and more.

My shack

I soon discovered that OM's had greatest fun when doing CW…and I was so bored during this periods as I didn't understood nothing. So I decided to learn CW! Vanja held lessons for the second class operators and I was there, with my wife making me company. Few month later we both passed the exams for the 2 nd class licence, allowing us to operate on 80, 15 and 10 meters and a new call, S57LSO. I bought my self good FT101 E, a tuner, cables, connectors, a multiband GP antenna…I got on the air and suddenly discovered how beautiful this hobby really is, doing QSO's using this old fashion way of communication!

At my home with Jose, EA7KW (with glasses), my wife Danijela, S57NKI and Manuel, EA7GTF during WRTC 2000 contest

I was working with a Russian plastic straight key on which I was learning cw, but had to buy a new one when I was speeding up my CW. We went to Pordenone, Italy , to a hamfair and I started to look for a key, and boy was I surprised by the variety of keys I found! I've chosen a WT 8 AMP key, and…Well, I got home with few other keys. I didn't know then that I will collect keys. I passed also the first class exams, got my last call S57LO…Vanja went to Friedrischafen Hamfair one year and I asked him to bring me some keys. He got me another 5 keys, but I knew details only for one, a Junker straight key. So I started to search for information on other keys and I ran into Tom, W1TP home page… and there you go! Now I have 100 pcs of, as my wife lovely calls them, places for dust to lay on! And the number is growing…

During WRTC 2000, in front of Radioclub Piran with Jose, Manuel and Miloš, S53EO

Regarding our hobby, I have to say that it made me a better man. Thanks to the guys form my radio club I learnt a lot, they respected me ( when I made my first dx, K1ZZ, they all congratulated and encouraged me, although I discovered later that you can work many US stations during the ARRL DX contest), they thought me that hamspirit, patience (115 QSO’s in my first WW CW sitting for 35 hours at the station, needed 15 minutes to receive a call sign), tolerance and many other things that everyone can apply in every day life are not just words on paper! Thank you, guys!

ZRS conference, Celje 2001, with Vanja, S59AV, Jelka, S57NW and Matjaž, S53AU

My favourite band is 7 MHz and I do phone only under the radio club contest call sign, S58U, when we do the SSB filed day and the Lighthouse activity weekend. I love to chat in CW and every QSO I make has the same importance for me, whether it is a neighbouring I, OE or 9A station or the hardest dx. In fact, I really do not like too much the expeditions TU 599 QSO's…

Hamfair Friedrichshafen 2003 with Bojan, S52ME, Zorko, S51IV and Leo, S50R

I have another two hobbies, which are also very important to me: I love to read belles lettres, especially science fiction, and I love to listen to music, rock and jazz being my favourites. I have about 700 books home and 1000 + old vinyl records. And, at the end, I have a very patient wife Danijela, and two beautiful kids, Rok, 5 years and Maja, 3 years, and all three are the joy of my life.

Hamfair Friedrichshafen 2002 with Dane, ST2T and Alen, S56C