In memory of Ahron Kirschner 4X1AT
some personal reflections

With great sadness, I must report that my partner in this newsletter for the past 20 years, Ahron Kirschner 4X1AT, has passed on.

I think I first met Ahron at some of the functions of the Israel Amateur Radio Club in the later 70's. With the advent of 2 meter FM and accessing the Tel-Aviv repeater from my Negev QTH, I got to know Tel-Aviv area hams and was invited to their homes. I remember being a guest at a barbeque party at Ahron (then 4X4AT) and Shoshie 4X6OL's, and seeing how they had turned their home into the Holon-Bat-Yam amateur radio club house, and were elmering scores of people who became hams thanks especially to Ahron's efforts and generosity.

In 1982, at the IARC Annual General Meeting, Ahron nominated me to IARC executive committee, Not knowing better, I accepted, and because of my physical distance from the center of the country and inability to attend most council meetings, I began my writing career offering English-language reportage of Israel Ham Radio news for the IARC HaGAL magazine and the late American 73 Magazine.

During my three year sojourn at art school in Tel-Aviv, Ahron approached me about making my English-language news reportage into a monthly newsletter. Ahron offered the use of his computer (still a rarity in the mid-80's) and he and Shoshie took care of the printing and mailing of the newsletter to subscribers around the world. As it turned out, Ahron had a very good command of the English language and proved to be a prolific writer. This partnership gave birth to HaGAL International, which has continued all these last 20 years. Without Ahron, this venture would never have come to be.

When I moved back to the Negev, we continued collaborating in our joint writing of the newsletter through packet radio. Ahron and Shoshie continued to print it out, stuff and label the envelopes and mail it out every month with the regularity a fine Swiss clock.

Over the years Shoshie and Ahron visited me and my family here on the kibbutz, and we kept regular contact.

Of course, I'm sure, many will tell of Ahron's many other accomplishments and ventures... the DX-peditions and special radio operations around Israel, the establishment of the annual IARC presence at the Ham Radio fair at Friedrichshafen Germany, teaching so many people to become hams, etc. etc. All of this was done at his own personal expense, without a thought about being remunerated.

As we know, Ahron was, as today's politically correct terminology would call it, "physically challenged." Having contracted polio in the 1950's I believe, Ahron was confined to a wheel-chair. Yet, he never gave the impression of being a handicapped person, never letting his disability stand in his way. He built a successful business, raised a fine family, and accomplished much more than most able-bodied people ever did. I shall never forget seeing him single-handedly negotiate a flight of stairs on his wheelchair, quite a feat indeed.

Ahron, the last number of years were unkind to you and made it impossible to enjoy life and your beloved ham radio. Now you have been released and continue the great cosmic journey beyond the ionosphere.
I send much love to you and all your dear ones.

In friendship,
Ron Gang, 4X1MK

- . . . –

THE 4X6KJ REPORT

On my recent trip to the USA, your scribe made a visit at ARRL Headquarters in Newington. Accompanying me was Yuval 4X1FN and Steve K2WE. We set out in the morning and did the 160 km (each way) in about 2 hours driving.

Arriving at the ARRL HQ we were cordially greeted by Dave K1ZZ (CEO of ARRL) and by Bill NC1L (Head of the DXCC Desk).

A number of issues were discussed. Our displeasure was brought forward about the 5A (Libya) operation. If you recall, this operation refused to answer calls from 4X/4Z stations, as well as from foreign operators trying operating in Israel to get points for the CQWW contest from here.

In the mean time, the DXCC applications which I brought with me for various members were processed in my presence.

At the time, nothing was known about the bombshell that would fall a few weeks later about the dropping of CW examinations, a decision by the FCC.

DXCC:

As mentioned in the previous issues, DXCC cards can be “field checked” at home (in Israel). There are a few rules to adhere to. Cards for 160 meter, or older than 10 calendar years, or deleted countries can not be “field checked”.

Study Course:

A new course for amateur radio will get underway, providing there are enough students, at the beginning of February at the IARC office. Those interested, should contact or send an e-mail to 4X6KJ@IARC.ORG

The course is expected to last 3 months.

Social Event Dinner:

The IARC is organizing an “Iruah Chevrati”, a festive evening, open to all. The program sports a dinner, door prizes, a DJ with life music as background and /or dancing as well as an entertainment group specializing in Balkan dancing.

The venue is Netanya, the 22nd of February 2007.

See the advert in this magazine.

Let the Treasurer know if you plan ro participate.

At this same gala dinner, new membership cards will be distributed to those that have paid their membership for the year 2007, Also, those that still have to receive their credit card size licenses can get them there, and last but not least, a new up-to-date “CD Callbook” disk will be handed out.

In view of the fact, that the World Wide cancellation of the Morse (CW) requirement for HF entry has been decided by the FCC. IARC is now struggling with the question what to do? The executive will bring a proposal to the Ministry of Communications, but before that we have to know exactly what we want.

This is not to be taken lightly. It has far more consequences than one can think of at the spur of the moment.

So if you happen to have any good ides, feel free to write to us.

Joseph 4X6KJ

and the winners are…

2006 HOLYLAND CONTEST RESULTS

This past year’s contest was most active in spite of being at the low end of the sunspot cycle. From outside of Israel 98 single op’s submitted logs in the multi-mode category, 110 in the SSB slot, 109 in the CW-only pigeon hole, 16 in the new QRP category, 9 multi-operator entries, 15 SWL’s, and another 15 check-logs were sent in. From Israel we had 13 mixed-mode single ops, 14 CW-only entries, 30 SSB’ers, 4 mobile station logs, 5 multi-operator stations, 3 portables and 31 4X/4Z operators sent in check-logs. That makes a grand total of 472 logs that perennial contest manager Mark 4Z4KX had to contend with.

Died-in-the-wool contest fanatics should go to http://www.iarc.org/contests/ on the internet to get the complete detailed results that brother Mark has so painstakingly tallied. Yet for your reading ease and pleasure, we’ll present you here with some of the highlights…

In the first place of the mixed-mode category, DL5WW made 278 QSOs to rack up 52,001 points, OM4JD in 2^nd place with 273 QSO’s, 45,804 points and OP4K operated by ON4JZ in 3^rd place with 251 QSO’s and 45,474 points.

Top multi-operator stations were UU7J, DL0AS, and DL0AS with 340, 236 and 126 QSO’s, 78,323, 40,392 and 14,964 points respectively.

Top three CW placers were LY1CM, EU1AI and LY2BO with 109, 107 and 101 QSO’s, 12,584, 11,826 and 11,016 points respectively.

The top three SSB’ers were LY1R, DJ1AA and IK6XEJ with 205, 188 and 156 QSO’s, 34,362, 29,500 and 20,865 points respectively.

HA1ZZ/qrp racked up 134 QSO’s and 14,863 points to place first in the new low-power (QRP) category.

OM3-27707 logged 313 QSOs making 68,303 points, the new Holyland Contest Short-Wave-Listener record.

Single operator continental winners were UA9ACJ for Asia, DL5WW Europe, VP2E North America, HC1JQ South America and VK8AS for Oceania.

As far as Israeli stations go, Single-Op mixed-mode leaders were 4X6FR, 4Z1UF and 4X4YM with 1749, 1124 and 1091 QSOs, 629,905, 232,560 and 207,075 points respectively.

The Israeli CW leaders were 4Z5ML, 4Z5LY and 4Z5AD with 877, 812 and 913 QSOs, 219,762, 212,580 and 207,720 points respectively.

The top SSB’ers were 4X1IM, 4Z5JM and 4Z5LZ with 1490, 1059 and 892 QSO’s, 529,655, 459,025 and 248,358 points respectively.

4Z5NB/m was top mobile making 501 QSO’sand 120,225 points; 4X2M/m being top multi-op mobile with 837 QSO’s and points; 4Z4SZ top multi-op fixed station with 1356 QSO’s and 202,044 points; 4Z4DX/p first single-op portable making 449 QSO’s for 78,795 points.

The 2007 Holyland Contest is scheduled for April the 21^st. The rules are available on the IARC website. The big change this year is the addition of a new category – Digital.

- . - . . - -

At the outset of this year, the American Federal Communications Commission decided to drop the Morse code examination for ALL classes of amateur radio licenses. This is a watershed decision.

For a few years we have been debating this issue in the IARC, yet the unofficial stance in the decision-making circles has been to wait and see what the Americans would do. Now the time has come!

The IARC Council in its January 9^th meeting delegated Miki 4X4KK to prepare a number of alternatives to the CW examination. The proposals will be put before the members of the IARC at the next General Membership Assembly for a vote, and this decision will be brought as our recommendation to the Ministry of Communications.

- . . . –

The ANNUAL IARC SOCIAL EVENT is to be held in Natanya on Thursday evening, February 22^nd. On tap is a huge feast, entertainment, a raffle, and much more. Come one, come all!

- . . . –

That’s it for now! All the best to our readers in the new calendar year 2007: good DX, ionospheric and gentlemanly conditions. 73!

HAGAL INTERNATIONAL

January - February 2007