eQSL from SN120MK - Maximilian Kolbe memorial station.
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120th Birthday of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe (SP3RN)
75th Anniversary of Radio Niepokalanów
Amateur Radio Activity from 08 January to 14 August 2014
Amateur radio operators wish to celebrate the birthday of their Patron,
St. Maximilian (8 January 1894). Although his life ended in martyrdom
in unusual circumstances, today we want to express the joy of his birth
and works: the foundation of the first Catholic broadcasting station,
Radio Niepokalanów, and appreciation of Amateur Radio.
Father Maximilian issued millions of printed publications and was
interested in the cinema, radio, and TV in their pioneering days. When
on a mission in Japan, he got acquainted with a radio station network
(1930) and started his own shortwave station in 1938. He applied for the
same in Poland.
The Polish Radio commenced broadcasting in 1926. Father Maximilian
spoke on the Polish Radio twice (08.12.1937 and 02.02.1938). To prepare
his Radio Niepokalanów for future service, he sent Brother Manswet
Marczewski to attend an amateur radio course conducted by the Warsaw
Shortwave Club. At the same time, he ordered the construction of the
radio building, antennas, and the transmitter in the Niepokalanów
Monastery.
Father Maximilian obtained oral permission for test transmissions. On 8
December 1938, radio listeners heard the station whose callsign was
spelled as follows: SP3RN – Stacja Polska 3 Radio Niepokalanów,
similarly to the way licensed amateurs would do it. The assumed
callsign, SP3RN is typical for Polish amateur radio operators or radio
clubs, not any broadcasting stations. Thus, there were monks in
Niepokalanów who knew about amateur radio movement and they chose that
callsign deliberately. The following evidence is provided by quotes from
Father Maximilian’s writings: (08.12.1938: „This Station [SP3RN] can be
found in your receivers outside the Polish amateur radio band, 41.4 m,
between 41.1 m and 41.4 m. …Allegedly, there are 50,000 radio amateurs.
Some will listen to us out of curiosity, others maybe with sadness…”
14.01.1939: ”The Radio Niepokalanów station worked on the day of
Immaculate Conception and the Sunday after, based on oral permission.
…We had to suspend transmissions until a written licence is issued.
However, our radio station can be rather of an amateur type.”)
The following special-event stations will operate to celebrate the two Anniversaries:
HF120MK (Adam SP5APU), Błonie
SN120MK (Edward SP5CGN), Błonie
SN120MMK (SP5KOG Club), Błonie
SN0MMK (SP5PEP Club), Warszawa
HF0RN (Jurek SP5NZA), Milanówek
SN0RN (Mariusz SQ5M), Teresin
SN75RN (SP5PPA Club), Niepokalanów, Warszawa
3Z120SMK (Janusz SP9BRP, Henryk SP9JPA), Kraków (08.01-28.01.2014 only)
II2SMK (Luca IZ2SOG), Varese, Italy (08.01-28.01.2014 only)
Polish and Italian Awards will be available for QSO’s (HRD’s) with those stations.
Henryk SP9JPA
Details:
http://stmaximiliansp3rn.blogspot.com
http://sp9jpa.blogspot.com
http://www.radioniepokalanow.pl
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Thank you Edward.