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Story
I was a technical advisor with the IRAQI
airforce during 1957 at RAF Habbaniya and my call was YI2DX. My
equipment was a SX28 rx and a modified Collins TCS 6 tx
with suitable antennas for all bands. There was a RAF club
station YI2AM that I also used, it had a RCA 4336 tx and a SX28 rx
plus a few accessories and a lot of big antennas for all bands. There were
a couple of other radio amateurs, and we were all kept
busy by those chasing YI for DXCC and other awards, especially
W6AM and W6HX that wanted a QSO on every HF band.
The California boys were always in hot persuit plus
other W stns and others throughout the world.
I also operated mobile around Iraq and apart
from Baghdad that I knew very well I operated from Falluagh,
Ramadi, Babylon and other places that are now household names with the
recent activities that are taking place out there.
The lowest QRG in those days was 160 metres,
its a pity we did not have 136 khz !!
When visiting the villages the only way to get food
was to get invited into a local house, and the food would be lamb cooked in
a variety of ways, with chappati bread.
I still have a lot of photographs taken in those
days, the base at Habbaniya, villages, desert, antennas, operators and the
ham shacks.
In the light of recent events perhaps I ought to
write a book about bygone days.
de Mal/G3KEV/YI2DX
PS I still have some QSL cards for those that
need one !!!
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