History
History of the Mako Radio Amateur Club
The tradition and the culture of the people, who live in Mako town at Maros River, deal with agricultural production mainly. This fact determines their manner of life and field of interest. And in spite of this fact, already in the early years of the last century the marvel of the radio did not avoid these people either. In the second part of 1920s years broadcasting listeners associations and clubs were founded one after the other in Hungary. One of these was founded in Mako in 1926. Later on, when news arrived to Mako about French and American amateurs, who could contact each other over the ocean by home made transmitters and receivers, more and more people thought that may become a radio amateur.
In January of 1934, when the National Association of Hungarian Radio Amateurs was founded, there was a member in Mako, an 18-year-old young man, namely Ferenc Baron. A TPTG transmitter was the first one which emitted electro-magnetic waves from Mako, that was made by him. The marvel caught his friends and acquaintances too. A small fellowship was formed soon participated by Gabor Szakats, Istvan Karolyi, Antal Soos, Zoltan Hadik and Ferenc Biro. What a marvellous experience and enormous pleasure was each overseas contact! These experiences determined the development of equipments, of course.
The radio amateurism was unable during the World War II. The amateur bands were deaf. After the War the radio amateurism was filled in ideology matter here according to being political idea. In 1948 was founded the Hungarian Freedom Association, and after 1956 was founded the Hungarian Sports Association of Defence. The main goal was the supervision and confinement of the activity of radio amateurs by this semi-military Association. There was need more than ten years for recovery of radio amateurism in Mako. In the end of 1959 old and expectant radio amateurs came together in a poor equipped "club-house", at Megyehaz street 1. The gathering force was the experiencing of radio communication and the addiction of electro- and radio techniques. Lajos Kucsera, who was an excellent radio amateur with great experience, moved in Mako, interceded by the veteran local amateur Ferenc Baron.
Great plans were decided. The club-secretary was Lajos Kucsera. The club members were Ferenc Baron, Endre Santa, Sandor Marosvari, Janos Szabo, Janos Szucs, Mihaly Majsai, Sandor Bakos, Karoly Halasz and Zoltan Benke. They decided to build a transmitter, but they thought the most important thing to learn Morse codes. A transmitter for 3,5 MHz band with a 6L6G final tube in it was made soon and they put up a "windom" antenna. The club station with HA8KCI call sign had already took part on the fall OK (Czechoslovakian) contest. The young radiomen reached also good advancement in learning. They made short-wave listening in 3,5 MHz band in nights when the propagation was the best. The enthusiasm was boundless; they spend their all spare time with radio almost every night and day.
In 1962 a new transmitter was built with an OS51 final tube. Both its design and feature was excellent of that 5-bands transmitter; it stood its ground in radio amateur companies. It served the education and recreation of radio amateurs for more than ten years. In the first time it could work on telegraph method only, but not long after a voice modulator stage was built in. They made 4-5 thousand contacts yearly and they took part on several amateur contests. They gathered a lot of Awards of course. The membership was 12-15 men. Beside the stable persons, new interested appeared for longer or shorter interval. But the demand level was already high. They wanted only like men who interested radio and technical knowledge, could learn Morse codes to send and receive easily. Ferenc Baron and Lajos Kucsera got great condignites in educate amateurs who later determined the corn of Mako Radio Club.
In 1969 the club-secretary had to move to Mezotur because of the change of his family and job circumstances. Than Matyas Szanto took over the club-secretary’s duties. His main aim was to increase the number of technical devices. During the Maros river’s flood in 1970, a radio communication was served by Mako Radio Amateur Club. The inhabitants of Mako were evacuated into Hodmezovasarhely. There was a continuous, non-stop radio communication between Mako HA8KCI and Hodmezovasarhely HA8KCS club stations during that time. This connection helped a lot forwarding the occurred organizational tasks and information. The radio amateurs in Mako and in Hodmezovasarhely helped to a lot of despaired families to look for their lost deemed relatives.
In the meantime the leading of radio amateurism was changed in Hungary. Instead of the Hungarian Sports Association of Defence came into the Hungarian Association of Defence, that had eased on so tight supervision which was earlier. On the other hand more pre- and after training was required from club members in behalf of central aims. The amateurs could made their hobby in only case if they were the member of the Hungarian Association of Defence. Otherwise the clubs were equipped with so modern technical equipments that the members could not earn individually.
In the summer of 1971 the club-secretary’s duties was took over to Sandor Bakos, then in May of 1973 to Mihaly Majsai, who seemed a good organizer. First of all he organized the renovation and comforts of club rooms. In December of 1973 in "Radiotechnika" magazine a publication reported about the regeneration in a full page article, titling "A Hundred and Ten Days of Mako Ones". The article was illustrated with photos. On one of the picture we could see the transmitter room corner with a new FT-250 Japanese SSB transceiver on the table.
Soon after, radio aerials were made for all amateur bands. The professional work was improved thanks to the ordered environment. The number of members was increased happily. Different departments were created. Among them the Amateur Radio Direction Finding department was created too. The ether-work of the club was excellent. In December of 1974 a Radio Amateur Memorial Sheet was issued by Mako radio amateurs. The Memorial Sheet was reachable for those amateurs anywhere on the world who had made contact with amateur stations in Mako, or surround of Mako. The challenge like this could be success only case, if eager-minded and active radio amateurs were at the back.
Some junior clubs were set up in Mako that were aided by Mako Radio Amateur Club. A junior club was established at Mako Technical School, with Zoltan Benke management, and in a village Kiralyhegyes, with Janos Nemeth management. The boundless enthusiasm was exemplified well by Janos activity. He was a farmer, who lived in a near farm, called Bogarzo, had built an battery-powered transmitter, using own vitality and idea only. In this way he could reach a level of amateurism, which allowed him to educate young men.
In 1982 the Radio Amateur Club of Mako moved in a new place, at Attila Jozsef str. 6, so called "The club-house of the Hungarian Association of Defence". The club members settled in quickly into the rooms that were a bit close quarters, but more comfortable as old ones. After when they put up the antennas, they took part in a lot of home and international contests.
In meantime the radio-engineering had developed to high degree. Instead of tube equipped radio sets appeared transistor-, and later integrated-circuit equipped ones. A lot of new technical field came ahead for the amateurs, what they might discover and learn. Those who wanted to reach higher success on radio communication, already did not build their radio sets themselves, but bought them. In the end of 80s years it was a speciality that the Hungarian radio amateurs got one-two factory-made equipments during their Western European tourist trip. At Christmas 1989, during the revolutionary situations in Romania, western-made portable VHF transceivers were used by Mako radio amateurs. They settled out to the border of Nagylak, and made contact with other amateurs, who were in Mako and Szeged at aid organisations. They kept on a perfect, continuous telecommunication system, while there was need for them.
The political and economical change had happened in Hungary too. The Hungarian Association of Defence expired. The radio amateurs could get licence based on personal rights, if they got degree by international examination rules. The National Association of Hungarian Radio Amateurs was already not an exhibition association showing itself to West, but had become a brotherhood which operated by radio amateurs.
In September 3, 1990 an inventory was put in of property of Mako Radio Club of Hungarian Association of Defence. This property was hand over to the Mako Radio Club of Hungarian Association of Technical and Sports Clubs. This club was established by ten amateurs in April 27, 1990. The new club-leader was Lajos Nagy. It means the old, eager-minded amateurs stayed together. Although it was a difficult thing to orienting in labyrinth of system change, but they felt necessary to keep on their radio club.
Almost a year passed, a new change had happened. The club became an absolute autonomic association, which was declared by a registry order. The new name was Mako Radio Amateur Club. The club-secretary’s duties stayed by Lajos Nagy, but there were the old members, as Ferenc Baron, Endre Santa, Janos Nemeth, Mihaly Majsai, and so on. In the middle of 90s years some determinant members, as Ferenc Baron and Sandor Bakos died. The number of members was around 40 invariably. Once a week the Mako radio amateurs met to discuss about the technical news, to exchange their experiences, to tell each other about the special radio contacts.
The club wanted to keep abreast of developing of radio-engineering. They made a pocket radio node in the town, which was a junction point for foreign amateurs’ direction to the Hungarian digital net. Successful experiments were going on, and a lot of contacts were done in the new, usage working methods, as RTTY, SSTV, pocket and satellite contacts. Mainly the young amateurs took part on the contests. Although the equipments already were not up-to-date, they reached nice successes on both HF and VHF bands. The reputation of the town was enhance by both success contests and every contacts too.
From 1993, a yearly regional radio amateur meeting has been being organized by initiation of Sandor Mandoki. A lot of amateurs take part on these meetings from different part of the country and other side of the country border. These shows facilitate personal meetings for those who have frequent contacts with each other by using their radio sets. The program is technical and friendly talking, common lunch, and the inevitable flea market.
The club moved in a new place, Megyehaz str. 20. in 2000 and Mihaly Racz was elected for club leader by the members' vote. The millennial and the next years brought a significant change in the life of Mako Radio Amateur Club.
To obtain financial means, benefit, sponsorship are very important things in favour of persistence. Beside the common field of interest as a gathering power, have to engage communal tasks too. In 2008 the radio club moved in the "Jozsef Galamb" technical secondary school, where the club room itself, the heating, the lighting, and so on are provided. In change for this accommodation the club-members share in the afternoon spare time activity of the students. New young members can assure the continuance, that the histories of the Mako Radio Amateur Club can continue.
On the other hand the electronic, the radio-engineering had developed high level. Nowadays the internet, the mobile phone, the satellite television, e.t.c. are a natural thing for everyday men. The world has been opened for the people. This technical improvement is bear upon the field of interest of young men and it follows from this it can determine the future goals of the Mako Radio Amateur Club.
