Over the past weekend, members of Neterra's amateur radio club, LZ1KRN, engaged in LZDX—a shortwave contest uniting radio enthusiasts worldwide. Once again, Neterra's Trakia Teleport served as a hub, linking with over 170 locations across the globe.
Despite meticulous preparation and the participants' experience and enthusiasm, nature's force proved mightier than anticipated. The competition commenced amidst cold winds, an overturned antenna, intense efforts, and lightning-fast reactions.
Fortunately, within the next 24 hours, the seasoned radio amateurs surmounted these challenges, forging an impressive 171 radio connections spanning thousands of kilometers from Bulgaria.
"Our connections extended to the US and Canada. Yet, the most exotic, in my opinion, was with the island of St. Helena," shared Neterra's founder and CEO, Neven Dilkov, a longstanding radio enthusiast and co-founder of LZ1KRN. Saint Helena, a British overseas territory, resides in the remote South Atlantic, 1,950 km west of southwestern Africa's coast and 4,000 km east of Rio de Janeiro in South America.
Radio amateurs embarked on their journey over a century ago, driven by the desire to connect with individuals across the globe. This passion evolved from aiding in crises and natural disasters to the joy of assembling personalized equipment and ensuring its functionality. This hobby not only fosters extensive knowledge but also cultivates friendships worldwide.
Neterra's LZ1KRN Ham Radio Club was established on June 14, 2017, by technology enthusiasts keen on fostering global connections and promoting technological knowledge. For nearly seven years, the company's employees have embraced this hobby, participating in international contests, and hosting interactive radio workshops.
"It's thrilling—we're a sizable group visiting diverse locations, managing logistics, transporting antennas and supplies, ascending to higher altitudes because, with VHF, height reduces interference, enabling more distant radio connections. The competitions involve sitting at the radio station and calling out 'CQ,' which translates to 'Calling everyone,'" expressed Dimitar Gamishev, a dedicated member of the amateur radio club.