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| The history of the English School Radio Club - 5B4ES |
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Officially the English School Radio Club (known most commonly as 5B4ES from its callsign) was founded in 1969. However, students in the school were engaged with radio electronics much earlier before that. Donald wood in particular was very interested about the hobby of Amateur Radio and enjoyed talking out of school with people having deep knowledge about the subject. This led him in helping his fellow classmates getting knowledge about the whole idea. The result of this initiative of his was the foundation of the English School Radio Club in 1969.
Before 1963 15 Amateur Radio stations existed in
Cyprus
. In 1963 however the government of
Cyprus
called in all the existing licences and did not gave any more. These forced these fifteen stations to stop transmitting or transmit illegally. Only 5B4ES managed to obtain a 60 hour license during contests from the government. Here the members worked continuously using shifts for 21/2 days. For a period of time 5B4ES and 20 stations from the British bases were the only ones existing (legally) in
Cyprus
. Gradually and as more and more people were interested in the hobby in
Cyprus
, the Cypriot government started issuing proper full year licenses (which 5B4ES holds today) putting in charge the Ministry of Communication and Works.
From the beginning, for its transmitting place 5B4ES obtained the shack next to the headmaster’s house that was previously occupied by the English School Scout Troop. For a period of time after 1974 the shack was shared with the School’s foreman Mr. Kostakis. Half of the shack was used by 5B4ES and the other half served as a henhouse for Mr. Kostakis. In the late 1980’s however the whole of the shack was occupied by 5B4ES. Unfortunately, due to lack of maintenance the conditions of the shack were heartrending by 2007. After a lot of effort by the club’s members, ex-members and school staff the shack was renovated in 2009 under the Headmaster Mr. Stuart Haggett. As the headmaster described it himself ... the club’s shack looks now palatial!
Throughout its history the club has changed its callsign several times to reach the legendary 5B4ES callsign and the special contest callsign P39P which it holds at present.
Special callsigns used from 5B4ES with year first used in parenthesis:
5B30ES (1990)
5B5E (1992)
C40R(1992)
H2FP (1993)
H25Z (1993)
P30ES (1993)
P39P (1994 – first used in 1994 CQ WW DX SSB contest)
Today, 5B4ES is one of the school’s most successful clubs and one of the most well known amateur radio clubs worldwide. It engages itself in a very wide spectrum concerning electronics. This includes amateur radio contests, practicals in physics, electronic equipment projects and lectures over the HAREC examination syllabus. Its activities also include the infamous “souvlaki days” were the members gather together at the club’s shack and make their own “souvlaki”. Here is a brief contest history for 5B4ES:
|
Year |
Contest |
Mode |
Category |
Power |
Call |
Score |
QSOs |
QTCs |
Mults |
Zones |
Countries |
Operators |
|
1973 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
746200 |
1408 |
N/A |
N/A |
49 |
133 |
Ops |
|
1983 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
1094620 |
1670 |
N/A |
N/A |
52 |
177 |
5B4MF, 5B4NK, 5B4NN, Achilleoudis, Papadopoulos, Eugeniou |
|
1984 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
1318500 |
1815 |
N/A |
N/A |
48 |
202 |
5B4LP, 5B4MF, 5B4ON, 5B4OQ, 5B4OS, 5B4OX, 5B4OY, 5B4PB, 5B4QL |
|
1988 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
2457000 |
2641 |
N/A |
N/A |
79 |
243 |
5B4VH, 5B4WM, 5B4WN, 5B4WS, 5B4XD, 5B4XF, 5B4XN, 5B4YG |
|
1988 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
LP |
5B4ES |
942256 |
1683 |
949 |
358 |
N/A |
N/A |
5B4VH, 5B4WM, 5B4WN, 5B4XD, 5B4XN, 5B4XF |
|
1989 |
CQWW |
CW |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
943936 |
1092 |
N/A |
N/A |
84 |
217 |
5B4WN, 5B4XN |
|
1989 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B4ES |
2904330 |
2565 |
N/A |
N/A |
92 |
298 |
5B4WN, 5B4WS, 5B4XF, 5B4XN, 5B4YS, Charralambides, Georgiou, Tolias |
|
1989 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
LP |
5B4ES |
953398 |
1796 |
1250 |
313 |
N/A |
N/A |
5B4WS, 5B4XN, 5B4XF |
|
1990 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
|
5B30ES |
? |
? |
N/A |
N/A |
? |
? |
5B4WN, 5B4WS, 5B4XN, 5B4XF, Charalambides, Georgiou |
|
1990 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
LP |
5B30ES |
1450224 |
1807 |
1550 |
432 |
N/A |
N/A |
5B4WN, 5B4XN, 5B4XF |
|
1991 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
5B4ES |
2508350 |
2647 |
N/A |
N/A |
77 |
248 |
5B4ACY, 5B4YN, Marios, Julio, Chris |
|
1993 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
HP |
C40R |
1392110 |
1915 |
1899 |
365 |
N/A |
N/A |
5B4AFM, 5B4AHZ, SWLs |
|
1994 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
HP |
P39P |
1196520 |
1891 |
1649 |
338 |
N/A |
N/A |
5B4AFM, 5B4AHZ, Theodoros, Nicholas |
|
1995 |
CQWPX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
9,633,638 |
3819 |
|
763 |
|
|
5B4AFM, 5B8AH, 5B8AJ, Nicholas, Petros |
|
1995 |
WAEDC |
SSB |
Multi Operator |
HP |
P39P |
1955960 |
2280 |
2000 |
457 |
N/A |
N/A |
SWLs |
|
1996 |
CQWW |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
5B4ES |
3148860 |
3046 |
N/A |
N/A |
86 |
281 |
Pateras, Ioannides, Rousos |
|
1996 |
All Asian DX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
H25Z |
338856 |
2017 |
|
168 |
|
|
Nicholas P, Andreas, Nicholas R, 5B8AH, 5B4AFM |
|
1997 |
CQWPX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
C40M |
8,513,496 |
3513 |
|
636 |
|
|
5B4AFM, 5B8AH |
|
1999 |
All Asian DX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
393302 |
2161 |
|
182 |
|
|
Constandinos, Antonis, Demetris, Vasilis, George Z. George G. Michalis |
|
1999 |
CQWPX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
5,978,259 |
2582 |
|
673 |
|
|
Ops |
|
2000 |
All Asian DX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
813890 |
5285 |
|
154 |
|
|
VASSILIS EROTOKRITOU (suspect possible error in score/QSO listing) |
|
2000 |
CQWPX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
6,099,000 |
2670 |
|
760 |
|
|
Demetris Vassilis George Christakis Antonis Nicholas Fernando Michael |
|
2001 |
CQWPX |
SSB |
MS |
HP |
P39P |
4,645,443 |
2342 |
|
627 |
|
|
Vassilia Christakis Demetris Antonis Christos Fernando |
40 years have past since 1969; 40 years of amateur radio, 40 years of fun and enjoyment, 40 years of excellence for 5B4ES. The club now flourishes. It counts currently over 20 members and its ex-members count over a hundred. For many of its ex-members it has proved of vital importance for their future as it introduced them in the world of electronics and physics which they chose to engage with in their studies. Above all however it has provided for all its members countless hours of fun and a lifetime experience.5B4ES’s history is a profound one and it continues to grow year by year, day by day.
This is the history of 5B4ES, our history and a history you can be part of it and never regret it!
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