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DJ5CW - Fabian Kurz - Ham Radio Bio
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <base href="//fkurz.net/ham/"> <META HTTP-EQUIV="CONTENT-TYPE" CONTENT="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <title>DJ5CW - Fabian Kurz - Ham Radio Bio</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"> <meta name="keywords" lang="en" content="Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK, ham radio, QRQ, yfklog, yfktest, cwbiff, ebook2cw"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/fkurz.css"> </head> <body> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="50%"> <h1>Ham Radio Bio of <a class="h2link" href="/ham/">DJ5CW</a></h1> <em>Life is too short for <abbr title="Telegraphy abbreviation for slow morse code">QRS</abbr>℠</em> </td> <td width="25%"> Fabian Kurz<br> Frohschammerstr. 8<br> D-80807 München (<a href="../dl.txt">map</a>)<br> Germany </td> <td width="25%"> phone: +49 89 54578182<br> mobile: +49 174 6926713<br> E-Mail: <a href="mailto:fabian@fkurz.net">fabian@fkurz.net</a> (<a href="/pgp.txt">PGP key</a>)<br> Amateur Radio callsign: DJ5CW<br> </td> </tr> </table> <hr> <p><a href="//fkurz.net/">Fabian Kurz</a> → <a href="/ham/">Ham Radio</a> → <a class="navself" href="/ham/bio.html">Bio</a></p> <hr> <div style="float:right;background:#cccccc"> <a href="/stuff/duga3.jpg"><img src="/ham/bio/duga3-small.jpg"></a><br> Standing in front of the antenna of the infamous "Russian<br> Woodpecker" / <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duga_radar">Duga radar</a> in the Chernobyl exclusion zone<br>(Ukraine, 2018).<br> </div> <h2>Fabian Kurz, DJ5CW</h2> <p>Born 1983, married, no children. Engineer, pacifist, vegan, atheist. First licensed (as DG9YFK, VHF+) in November 1997 at the age of 14, upgrade to <b>DJ1YFK</b> and first contacts in Morse code in March 1998, changed to <b>DJ5CW</b> in December 2021. Also holding an US extra class license (<span title="DJ1YFK in reverse CW!"><b>WB6LQR</b></span>, ex AD5UR) and the Polish callsign <a href="/ham/so5cw/"><b>SO5CW</b></a>.</p> <h3>1983 - 2003: Rheine</h3> <p>I grew up and developed my interest in amateur radio in <a href="http://www.rheine.de/">Rheine</a>, JO32QG, from where I mainly operated between 1997 and 2003. My first callsign was DG9YFK (VHF/UHF only), issued on my 14th birthday. In early 1998 I took the <a href="http://lcwo.net/">Morse code</a> exam, received my new callsign DJ1YFK and started operating on the HF bands with a FT-301 and wire antennas in CW only (often QRP), later upgraded to a <a href="/ham/ft890/">FT-890</a> and eventually I started building my own equipment, e. g. for the longwave band at <a href="/ham/136khz/">136 kHz</a>.</p><p>My main interests which I developed at that time, high speed telegraphy and contesting, have followed me through my whole ham life so far.</p> <h3>2003 - 2008: Dresden</h3> <p>After finishing school, I spent five years studying electrical engineering (with a focus on RF technology) at the <a href="http://tu-dresden.de/">Dresden University of Technology</a>, often operating and contesting on the HF bands from the <a href="http://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/">campus club station DL0TUD</a> in JO61UA, and from <a href="http://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/dm7a">DM7A on the Fichtelberg, JO60LK</a> contest location, mostly on 23cm.</p> <div style="float:right;background:#cccccc"> <img src="/ham/bio/sp_dj1yfk_p.jpg"><br> Operating at <a href="http://www.sp5zcc.dxing.pl/">SP5ZCC/SN5Z</a> during the<br> IARU R1 CW Fieldday 2009.<br> </div> <h3>since 2008: Munich / München</h3> <p>After graduation from TU Dresden with a diploma in electrical engineering, I am living and <a href="https://www.mobility.siemens.com/global/en/company/innovation.html">working as an engineer</a> (RF and embedded stuff) in Munich, Bavaria (JN58SE). As time permits, I enjoy getting on the air from the local contest station <a href="https://www.dl1a.de"><s>DL1A / DM9K (@DJ6ZM)</s></a> (QRT) or from the club station of the Siemens Employees' Amateur Radio club <a href="http://dl0sa.jimdo.com">DL0SA</a>. At home I have a small station (Elecraft K2, 10W) with a <a href="/ham/DJ1YFK_JN58SE_3.jpg">15m long vertical antenna on top of a 4 storey building</a> (extended through an open skylight window), which works surprisingly well.</p> <h3>Off-air Activities</h3> <p>Besides my activities <a href="/ham/logs/">on the bands</a> I am a High Speed Telegraphy / QRQ enthusiast; 9 times winner of the German Cup of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_Telegraphy">High Speed Telegraphy</a> (between 2000 & 2012), member of the <a href="http://telegraphy.de/darc_hst.html">German HST Team</a>, winner of four gold medals (RufzXP 2009, 2010, 2012; MorseRunner 2011), three silver medals (RufzXP 2011, 2013, 2018) and four bronze medals (2006, 2008 MorseRunner, 2014 RufzXP, 2018 Transmitting) in international HST competitions between 1999 and 2018.</p> <p>Developer of the multilingual Morse course and practice website <a href="https://lcwo.net/">"Learn CW Online", http://lcwo.net/</a> and author of various <a href="/ham/">ham radio programs</a>, e.g. <a href="/ham/ebook2cw.html">ebook2cw</a>, a popular <a href="https://lcwo.net/text2cw">text to CW</a> converter. </p> <p>Developer and sysop of the very popular <a href="https://rbn.telegraphy.de/">CW Club RBN Spotter</a>, a Web and Telnet frontend to the <a href="https://www.reversebeacon.net/">Reverse Beacon Network</a>.</p> <p>President of the <a href="https://morsecode.nl/shsc%20club.html">SHSC</a> and <a href="https://morsecode.nl/ehsc%20club.html">EHSC</a> Telegraphy Clubs.</p> <p>Sysop of the <a href="https://www.bavarian-contest-club.de/2024/09/aus-dem-dx-cluster-db0sue-wird-da0bcc/">DA0BCC</a> DX Cluster and the <a href="https://lists.bavarian-contest-club.de/">mailing lists</a> of the <a href="https://www.bavarian-contest-club.de/">Bavarian Contest Club</a>.</p> <p>Running the Award Tools for the <a href="https://hsc.dj1yfk.de/">HSC</a>, <a href="https://foc.telegraphy.de/">FOC</a> and <a href="https://cwops.telegraphy.de/">CWops</a>.</p> <h3>Club affiliations</h3> <p><a href="https://www.darc.de/">DARC</a> (DOK <a href="https://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/">S07</a> since 2005, 1997-2004 N16), <a href="https://www.pzk.org.pl/">PZK</a> (<a href="https://ot31.pzk.org.pl/">OT 31</a>), <a href="http://www.highspeedclub.org/">HSC</a> (1754), VHSC (371), SHSC (157), EHSC (115), RTC (125), <a href="http://www.agcw.org/">AGCW-DL</a> (2666), <a href="http://www.g4foc.org/">FOC</a> (1796), <a href="http://www.arrl.org/a-1-op">ARRL A-1 Operator Club</a>, <a href="http://www.cwops.org/">CWOps</a> (1566), <a href="http://www.wwyc.net/">WWYC</a> (10), HACWG (123), LZCWC, <a href="http://www.skccgroup.com/">SKCC</a> (1982T), <a href="http://www.gdxf.de/">GDXF</a>, <a href="http://www.bavarian-contest-club.de/">BCC</a>, <a href="http://lidscw.org/">LIDS</a> (127), <a href="https://fists.co.uk/">FISTS</a> (18721), <a href="http://www.cwjf.com.br/">CWJF</a> (867), <a href="https://essexcw.uk/">ECWARC</a> (540), <a href="https://spcwc.pzk.pl/">SPCWC</a> (444), <a href="http://qrp.ru">RU-QRP</a> (422), <a href="https://pi4ntc.nl/">NTC</a> (99), <a href="http://www.ariloano.it/marconiclub/">MCARI</a> (903), <a href="https://groups.io/g/BUG">BUG</a>. </p> <p> Winner of the GACW Certificate of Excellence 2009. Recipient of the DARC Horkheimer Preis, 2021. Recipient of the FOC Al Slater G3FXB Award, 2024.</p> <div style="float:right;background:#cccccc"> <a href="/stuff/2022-07-VHF.jpg"><img src="/ham/bio/vhf-jn58tf-july-2022.jpg"></a><br> VHF contesting from from JN58TF - Fröttmaninger Berg<br>July 2022 - ODX: YR5C 845km<br> </div> <h3>On the air</h3> <p>Other than my regular activities as <a href="https://rbn.telegraphy.de/activity/DJ5CW">DJ5CW</a> and DF0HSC, and semi-regular activities as <a href="/ham/so5cw/"><b>SO5CW</b></a> from near Warsaw (KO01), you might have heard me with one of the following calls:</p> <p><b>DJ1YFK</b> - my callsign from 1998 to 2021 * <b>DF0RE</b> and <b>DK0QQ</b> (various contests/fielddays, 1998 - 2003) * <b>PA/DJ1YFK/p</b> (EU-038, 1999 and IOTA-Contest 2003) * <b>IR3HST</b> (HST championship in Pordenone 1999) * <b>OZ/DJ1YFK/p</b> (at OZ7HVI, EU-029) and <b>5P1ER</b> (from Copenhagen - TNX OZ1AA) * <b>SM0/DJ1YFK/p</b> (at SK0UX - TNX SM0JHF) * <b>SK9HQ</b> (IARU Contest 2000) * <b>SK0TM</b> (a few QSOs when visiting the Technical Museum July 2000 and again April 2017) * <b>DA0RTC</b> (11-17th Dec 2000) * <b>YR0HST</b> (Special-Event-Call of the HST championship in Constanta 2001) * <b>OY/DJ1YFK/p</b> (Summer 2001) * <b>TF/DJ1YFK/p</b> (Summer 2001) * <b>DA0HSC</b> (50 Years of HSC, August (?) 2001) * <b>8Q7ZZ</b> (Maldives DXpedition in 2002) * <b>IK5/DJ1YFK/P</b> (San Vivaldo, September 2002) * <b>DA0AA</b> (CQWW SSB M/M) * <b>9A/DJ1YFK/p</b> and <b>9A7P/P</b> (from Pazin, IARU HF, July 2003) * <b>DF0DX</b> (WAE CW 2003) * <b>DL0HSC</b> (HSC Contest February 2004) * <b>YU0HST</b> (HST Championship in Nis, September 2004) * <b>DM1A</b> (M/S WAE CW 2005 from DL0WW) * <b>DR1A</b> (several M/M operations, WPX and CQWW) * <b>DA0CA</b> (M/2 WPX 2005) * <b>DP4K</b> (RDXCs) * <b>SP0WWYC</b>, <b>3Z1LH</b>, <b>SP1/DJ1YFK</b> (WWYC Meeting in Darlowko, Lighthouse POL003, August 2005). * <b>DA0DD</b> (800 years Dresden) * <b>DP4T</b> (CQWW CW 2005, 2010 M/S @ DJ4PT†) * <b>PP5WRTC</b>, <b>PP5/DJ1YFK</b> and <b>PT5V</b> (WRTC, July 2006 Brazil) * <b>4O7WWYC</b> (3rd WWYC Meeting in Serbia, August 2006) * <b>LZ5HST</b> (5th IARU Region 1 HST Championship, Primorsko, Bulgaria, September 2006) * <b>PI4ZI</b> (PACC 2007, 2009 M/M) * <b>DA0WWYC</b> (4th WWYC Meeting Munich 2007) * <b>SP75E</b>, <b>SP/DJ1YFK</b> (SP-DX-Contest 2008 at SP5ZCC/SN5Z, CW Fieldday 2009) * <b>LZ8WHST</b> (8th HST Worldchampionships, Obzor, September 2009) * <b>OE9R</b>, <b>OE/DJ1YFK</b> (January 2011, CQWW 160m, REF CW in Bregenz) * <b>DA0HQ</b> - Various IARU HF Championships since 2008 * <b>E7/DJ1YFK</b> (February 2011, in and near Sarajevo, tnx E71DX and E73M) * <b>DA0HST</b> (May 2011, WPX CW M/M) * <b>ZS6/DJ1YFK</b> (August 2011, IARU Region 1 conference, ZS6IARU) * <b>HB9HST, HB9/DJ1YFK</b> (10th IARU High Speed Telegraphy World Championship, Beatenberg, October 2012) * <b>SP/DJ1YFK</b> (WPX CW, K2 + wires from KO01nu, May 2013) * <b>LZ2013HST</b> (September 2013, 11th IARU HST, Borovets, Bulgaria) * <b>4O0HST</b> and 4O/DJ1YFK (September 2014, 8th IARU R1 HST, Bar, Montenegro) * <b>LZ14IARU</b> (September 2014, IARU Region 1 Conference, Albena) * <b>F/DJ1YFK</b> (March 2016, Marseille, JN23QG) * <b><a href="http://fkurz.net/ham/YL_DJ1YFK_K1.jpg">YL/DJ1YFK</a></b> (March 2016, Riga Old Town, KO26BW) * <b><a href="http://fkurz.net/ham/OE_DJ1YFK_Vienna_2016.jpg">OE/DJ1YFK</a></b> (April 2016, Vienna IARU Region 1 Interim Meeting; May 2016, JN88EE) * <b>OM/DJ1YFK</b> (May 2016, Bratislava, JN88ND) * <b>MM/DJ1YFK</b> (August 2016, Edinburgh, IO85JW) * <b>F/DJ1YFK</b> (Aug./Sep. 2016, s/w France, IN94RT, IN93GL) * <b>OZ/DJ1YFK</b> (April 2017, Copenhagen, JO65HP) * <b>HA/DJ1YFK</b> (August 2017, Budapest, JN97ML; September 2017, Gyor @ HA1AG, JN87TO) * <b>DL17IARU</b> and <b>DR17IARU</b> (IARU R1 General Conference, Landshut, September 2017) * <b><a href="http://www.gb2rn.org.uk/">GB2RN</a></b> (visiting the HMS Belfast, November 2017) * <b>DL80FOC</b> (May 2018, 80 Years <a href="//g4foc.org/">FOC</a>) * <b>4U1A</b> (January 2019) * <b>LX/DJ1YFK</b> (April 2019) * <b>DA2X</b> (November 2019 & 2022, CQWW @ DF0SAX) * <b>DA0EQP</b> (occasionally, after May 2020, <a href="https://www.qrqpoint.com/">QRQPoint</a>) * <b>I4/DJ1YFK</b> (November 2021, Bologna/Rimini) * <b>DM8T/P</b> (CW Fieldday 2023) * <b>CT9/DJ5CW</b> and <b>CT7/DJ5CW</b> (Funchal, Madeira; Lisbon, Portugal, October/November 2023) * <b>I/DJ5CW</b> (June 2024, Napoli, Italy, JN70DU) * <b>OK/DJ5CW</b> (October/November 2024, Prague, Czechia, JO70FB) </p> <p>I am QRV <em>every day</em> on the HF bands (160m - 10m) and occasionally on 6m, 2m and 70cm, almost exclusively in Morse code (<a href="https://rbn.telegraphy.de/activity/DJ5CW+SO5CW">RBN stats</a>, <a href="/ham/logs/">logs</a>). Any speed from QRS to QRQ.</p> <p>Happy owner and builder of Elecraft K2 #5054, owner of a second hand K1.</p> <h3>Other interests</h3> <p>Linux/Unix, programming (mostly ham related software in <a href="http://www.perl.org/">Perl</a>, <a href="https://www.php.net/">PHP</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_%28programming_language%29">C</a> and <a href="https://golang.org/">Go</a>), foreign languages, veganism (cooking and baking; environmental, ethical and health aspects) and reading.</p> <hr> <p><a href="/">Fabian Kurz</a> → <a href="/ham/">Ham Radio</a> → <a class="navself" href="/ham/bio.html">Bio</a></p> <hr> <p>Last modified: Saturday, 15-Mar-2025 19:19:44 CET</p> </body> </html>