🇬🇧 Profiles: Bert Bossink PA1BBO

🖼️ Photo of Bert in his shack. Certainly, he's wearing his wooden shoes.

I live in Hellendoorn, a small village in the eastern part of The Netherlands. I'm 47 years old. I became

interested in radio when I was very young. I had a lot of fun with a crystal radio. A miracle to me that it

worked without battery. I got my license when I was 17 years old. It was a license for VHF and up at that time.

No Morse included. I had a lot of fun working on 2 m, and experimenting with antennas. But as I got older, work

came, family came and the ham radio hobby got out of my sight.

🖼️ Hellendoorn, Bert's QTH. Can you spot his antennas?

In 2007 I got interested in HAM radio again, and at that time my license was upgraded to a full license, so I

could also operate on HF. I got interested in CW, and did a course with a straight key. Made some QSOs but never

got really over my key fright. As I was m not a phone guy, again the hobby got in the background. Till 2020 when

I started to work in the digital modes on HF. But during the year I got interested in CW again, and tried some

self-study. That didn't work. I came across the CWops CW Academy, and decided to sign up for the Beginners

Class.

And so I started in January 2021 in CW Academy. What a great way to learn CW. It's not only about learning CW,

but also about making friends. Of course, it is hard work, but also making a lot of fun. I'm really happy that I

came across CW Academy. Thanks to everybody who puts a lot of effort in it, also behind the scenes.

One thing to mention here is the "Buzz's Super-Secret No merit/No demerit Homework" of AC6AC. If you want to know

what it is? You have to sign up for a class with Buzz, because it is secret :-)

Since May 2021 my log consists for almost 100 percent of CW QSOs. My main interest is contesting.

My rigs are a Kenwood TS-520, which I sometimes operate, and a TS-440. Since October 2021 I have an ICOM IC-7300,

which I mostly use. Since I have not much room for antennas I'm using a G5RV Jr. Sometimes I put up a wire or

G7FEK temporarily to be able to work on 80 m. In the future I have plans to do POTA.

I work as an IT architect for the IT systems of the railways. Some other hobbies are beer-brewing, BBQ,

3d printing and repairing old mopeds.

I hope to work you on the air!

Personal note from Mike SQ6JNX: I met Bert in CW Academy run by CWOps in March 2021, we were students in

the same class. I share most, if not all the feelings about the Academy. We worked each other several times on

CW since then, and I consider Bert not only great OP, but also a soulmate. Keep pounding the brass, Bert!