ZS6/PB5X – 23 November 2023 operating from the Radioshack of ZS6TT
After my business trip to South Africa last November (2023). Finally I had the pleasure of meeting my good friend Bani ZS6TT (see photo below). Bani is a long time HAM radio operator who I have known for over 15+ years. In the past Bani has lived in various parts of South Africa due to his profession and in accordance to the S.A.R.L. where the call sign prefix indicates the province where you live, he had to change his call sign quite often (e.g. ZS1ACZ, ZS4U, ZS5TU and more)
So I’ve been fortunate to have worked him all over South Africa from all the different locations he’s lived in. Our “gazillion” QSO’s sometimes lasted well over an hour before the propagation faded away or he or I had to go QRT when our XYL summon us. In my 20+ year career as Radio HAM I had the pleasure of meeting several good friends from all over the world (see the eyeball QSO tab). Sometimes at the HAM fair in Friedrichshafen and other events or even in their countries when I was visiting for business or pleasure.
As 2024 has only just begun and I have already made several business trips within the EU this year, I have the upcoming opportunity to visit South Africa again for business. But you can imagine that after the wonderful visit I had last November 2023, it is considered a no-brainer to combine business with pleasure again. Therefore, and after consultation with my direct manager, I decided to take the XYL with me and take a short holiday.
So the idea is that we have 10 days of vacation before I escort the XYL back to the airport and stay another week for business. So during our stay together with Bani and XYL we will have a great opportunity to see many nice places including the Kruger National park, natural hot springs and many more other places.
So during this holiday period we simply will be “John & Jane Doe the Tourist” trying to spot the BIG 5 and I will be doing the “business thing” the last week after the XYL already has left for home. But besides all of this, we will definitely have time to play and do HAM radio. Because thanks to this “lifestyle” we all are much in love to, it makes it possible to meet friends all over the world and despite culture, political differences and/or religion, when it comes to HAM Radio, we are all have the same understanding for our beautiful hobby(lifestyle).
I(we) hope to work you coming April 2024 and will I focus on any DX. So if you hear me calling CQ DX, don’t hesitate to call me…
73 Roberto PB5X – ZS6/PB5X
Eyeball QSO with ZS6TT in his Radioshack back in November 2023