Ham Radio in Lithuania History: 1918-1940 Antanas Zdramys LY1DL

From Marconi to W.W. I 1900s: first radio amateurs after Marconi experiments. 1-7 miles QSOs No stations over 200m 4000 amateurs in 1917 (most in USA) 200m band alocated 1000 miles distance reached Radio amateurs in W.W. I (3/4 from USA)

After WW I Hiram Percy Maxim proclomation – meeting in NY (11 veterans) ARRL reetablished Vacuum tubes invented – 1st 2000 miles

1921-23: first transatlantic Paul Godley (ARRL) experiments 1921: 30 USA stns hrd fm EU 1922: 315 USA hrd in EU, 2 G and 1 F hrd in USA, but no QSO even with 1 KW 1923: experiments on 130m and 90m. November 1923: Schnell (1MO) and Reinartz (1XAM) QSO with Deloy (8AB) on 110m

1924-25: ham radio withdrawn from HF, only 160, 80, 40, 20, 10, 5 m bands left First EU-VK QSO on 40 m. IARU founded on April 17, 1925 in Paris (about 200 delegates from 23 countries)

B. Talutis LY1X – 1st ham in LY 1918: first QSO on 300m in Šiauliai 1927: QSO with France fom Kėdainiai (LYT) 1928: ET1X 1931: LY1X 1932: first license

LY stations before 1930 LY1HB B. Heraldas: first phone QSO with Saarbrucken from Biržai LY1E – Eljaševičius from Kaunas LY1MB – E. Bartninkas from Marijampolė LY1B – O. Benkis from Klaipėda V. Vanagas: YL2BV (student in Riga)

1931-1932: First licenses 1931. LY1X started appealing April 23, 1932. Permission No. 11865 – First licence to operate 1932 licences: LY1X LY1AA LY1J LY1S

1932-1938 1933: LY1AC, LY1MB, LY1ZB 1934: LY1B, LY1AE, LY1AB, LY1AG, LY1SV 1935: LY1AF, LY1AD, LY1AI 1936: LY1AL, LY1AN, LY1HB, LY1KK, LY1S, LY1VV 1937: LY1AK, LY1AV, LY1AH, LY1AP, LY1AS, LY1AT, LY1AU, LY1AX, LY1AY, LY1AZ 1938: LY1AE, LY1AJ, LY1AO, LY1AQ, LY1AW, LY1BA, LY1BB, LY1BC, LY1BD, LY1BE, LY1BF, LY1BG, LY1BK, LY1BL, LY1BM, LY1BN, LY1BO, LY1BR, LY1BT, LY1BV, LY1CV, LY1BX, LY1BQ, LY1BJ, LY1CA

Birth of LRMD LY1AA and LY1J actions P.O. box No. 100 in Kaunas LY addresses in Call Book Magazine Proposal to establish LRM First Meeting (Kaunas, March 4, 1933) LY1AA, LY1AB, LY1AC, LY1AD, LY1E, LY1J, LY1S and LY1ZB Lithuanian Short-Waves Radio Amateur Society (October 2, 1938)

1939 60.000 amateurs in the world: 35 morse code lessons from LY1J trx 45.000 in USA 64 in LY 35 morse code lessons from LY1J trx English class (17 pers. audience) Book “Radijo mėgėjas”: 3000 copies 22.000 QSLs printed 2.235 LT income, 1.830 LT expenses

CQ LRM - First contest 1939.02.12 06:00-24:00 phone 1939.02.19 06:00-24:00 telegraphy 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 m. Trophies for winners, awards for all Results: phone: LY1J (54), LY1AT (44), LY1AP (44), LY1S (44). SWL: Ms. Balčiūtė (60), Mr.Stanėnas (59), Mr. Starevičius (52). Results: CW: LY1S (34), LY1BX (34), LY1AI (30). SWL: LYR04, LYR09.

Second LRM contest 1940.02.11 06-24, 40 and 80 m. Telephony winners: LY1AP-432, LY1S-420, LY1AT-390. 25 participants. Telegraphy winners: LY1BX-390, LY1J-264, LY1AT-228. 17 participants. SWL telephony: V.Severinas-3336, (8 participants) SWL CW: (3 participants) V.Zelenkevicius - 540.

1940 LRM regular traffics and bulletins: 1940.01.07 LRM annual meeting Nr. 1: 1940.01.30 Nr. 2: 1940.04.19 1940.01.07 LRM annual meeting President: Petras Vanagaitis LY1J Secretary: Simas Grina LY1AR QSL manager LY1KK Log books printed (packs of 200 pages) Cold winter, but good DX conditions on March. LY1S made 70 QSOs with USA during 1940.03.06-07. 70% telephony S9 reported.

Plans for 1940-41 Establish HQ - so far every other week in one Kaunas restaurant More CW lessons (LY1AT radio) Next book Next contest Consultation centre Monthly QTC Radio broadcasts every 2 weeks on 41m LRMD pins production (started on 1940) Special QSL stamps (LY1BG QSL manager) Library for LRMD members

Licensing in 1940 In general the work of Lithuanian radio amateurs is subject to the laws issued by the government in 1939 The permit to keep a short wave transmitter is given to persons not younger than seventeen and who have passed the necessary examinations During the first year the new radio amateur can work only at telegraph and later also at the telephone. Only 50 watts first 2 years. Exams on 1940.02.12. 27 invited, 9 participated, 6 passed.

Beginning of WW II The private radio transmitters was stopped at 6 o’clock on the 17th September, 1939 1939.10.28: LY1J and LY1S moved to Vilnius with army and established communication to Kaunas. They visited SP amateurs in Vilnius, but found only a few. Transmission once more allowed from 1940.01.03, but communication between belligerent states in Europe was forbidden. 1940 March: transmission forbidden in: OE, ON, XZ, VE, OK, OZ, OH, F, DL, G, EI, LX, PA, Z, LA, P, CT, YO, ZS, SM, HB. ES: Stopped on 1939.10.17, allowed from 1939.11.03

IARU Applied on 1939 Voted for LY: K, SU, VY, PA, ZL, YV, F, CT, G. No votes against. Today no info about initiation. Re-initiated on 1992.

Survived LY hams Almost everybody emigrated LY1AP lives in USA LY1VV S.K. on 2000. LY1BX still active, honor member of LRMD.

Wilenski Klub Krotkofalowcow (tnx UY5XE) Date of foundation WKK - 29.12.1929 (55 members: HAMs + SWLs). President - kpt. Roman Siekierski (SP3MR). 11.05.1930 - president Dr. Adolf Kopec. 15.05.1931 - WKK (27 HAMs) - one is 5 founders of PZK. 06.11.1931 - president Dr. Adolf Kopec. 11.06.1933 - president inz. T.Dabrowski.

Nw QRU, 73! Товариство Прихильникiв Радio Литви засвiдчує найкращi бажання Львiвському Клубовi Короткохвильовцiв з нагоди ювiлею 80-ої рiчницi !