How it started

Hi there, my name is Ruud, and I'm a Dutch lorry driver for about 25 years.
As son of a radio/television electronics repairman I grew up as a normal person
with a fascination for electronics and equipment.
 As my father also had a hobby as shortwave listening amateur and later as licensed radio amateur
(PA0ALD Silent Key)
 it was certain I should walk the same direction.
However, I wasn't fond of graphics and mathematics etc, so I dropped that in the third grade of high school and took up my languages.
At 17  I left school with a diploma and worked for a few years at several jobs.
 
At my 18th I got my drivers license and started at my fathers company as an outdoor delivery and pick-up driver in the repair shop. After a very nice year there I became, unintended, a taxi driver in my home town Den-Haag also known as The Hague, the governmental capital city of The Netherlands.
 In time, I met a colleague who was a lorry driver on weekdays and a taxi driver on the weekends. I soon started with my truck drivers license and the necessary papers and my freedom started. I drove around Europe from Scandinavia to Spain/Italy and from Great Britain to Poland.
 At this time I also had the same hobby and interests as my dad and whenever I was home I spend my time behind my  radio equipment on the FM and CB frequencies, in those years forbidden and illegal.
I once tried to get my radio license but failed the test due to lack of time caused by my job. I left it for what it was. A little accident in december 2002 helped me to find some time (5  1/2 months) to really start learning again. In November 2003, I succeeded in my wish to follow in my fathers footsteps.
I know now he is very proud of me. I'm still doing C.B. radio in my truck with other drivers,  now I'm also mobile QRV as a licensed hamradio amateur on VHF/UHF and also HF.  Especially on the Dutch repeaters you can hear me as I drive along Holland and Belgium.
 That's reach enough for me at this time. Now I have  more time to spend on my hobby.
 I wanted to get one step further in April 2005 as I hoped to get my F(ull)-license which allowed me to be fully QRV on HF.
 I failed then because of my father's illness. They discovered cancer spread out in his body. The doctors gave him a few months. My thoughts were with him, instead of focussing on the right answers. So I had to try again the 2nd of November 2005. I told myself I must succeed now.

In November 2005 however my father died 2 days after my test for the Full license.....I failed one question too many. 
There were some problems with one question which had possibly two right answers. Saturday morning the letter with the result came in by mail and I knew for sure that I flunked, but hoped for that one question to be removed from the answers. With that I would have had enough points.
Dad died earlier that night. I couldn't tell him the result, good or bad.

In April 2006  there would be another chance for me and I told myself this would be the last time. I  took my books and started studying again. By this time I felt no pressure and was quite relaxed in the days to come for the final test. I started with the easy questions and then the difficult ones and I felt rather good about it. Honestly I don't believe in the occult things, but I was sure he was looking over my shoulder and helped me through the exam. In fact, I'm convinced he forced my pencil in the right direction for three answers.
 
Anyway I passed this time and got my F(ull) license. Before he died I asked my father what my callsign should be in case I succeeded. "That's quit simple!" he said. "They know you as PD9RD, yes...? Or 9RD as you always say...yes?" (He hated that, so he told me). "And you come from Holland, you are a real Dutchman. The whole world knows Holland as PA land, so keep it that way and only change it into PA9RD!"  And so I did.

 At this time I got a girlfriend who was also a licensed radio amateur. Unfortunally my father never had the chance to meet her in person. He only knew her from the monthly contest on 2 mtr.
Later on as Anneke and I became closer and closer,  I moved from  VOORBURG, a small town near The Hague to a small village called HEERJANSDAM located south of Rotterdam the biggest harbor city in Holland.
I stopped with working as European trucker and became a regional driver. Home every evening and lots of time for the hobby. I bought a transceiver from Yaesu, the FT-2000 and a 3 EL beam.

In september 2007 I married my girlfriend, now my wife Anneke (PB7YL) and a few days later we moved again to
our house in a  smaller village in the countryside of  "De Hoeksche Waard", named HEINENOORD (JO21FT).
Anneke then changed her callsign into PB7XYL.

I hope to meet you sometime on any band. You can find me mostly on 20 Mtr.
Since a few weeks I'm active again in DIGI modes, especially PSK31 and RTTY.
Besides being a member of a couple of clubs like:

EPC  # 9233            DMC # 2582          CDG # 0286

Hope to see you somewhere on my screen!

WHEN I THINK OF ALL THE QSO'S TO GAIN
IT GIVES ME HEADACHES AND STRAIN
 BUT IT'S A JOYFULL WAY
TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY
JOIN MY DIGITAL BRAIN

                                                            Ruud Driessen sk sk

 

For now bye, bye
73 de RUUD  PA9RD
Heinenoord

 

 

 

 

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