SWL

The UBA and Short Wave Listeners

Listening is an important part of radio amateurism. You can make a quick start with this hobby, without taking an examination, by getting to know the possibilities of radio amateurism while listening. Many candidate radio amateurs were first Short Wave Listener for a while, and this is certainly an excellent learning school if they want to become active on the various amateur bands immediately after obtaining their radio amateur licence.

While listening, you will enjoy radio and build up experience in this very special world of radio amateurs.
As a radio amateur you can experiment with technology, antennas and receivers and gain experience in the properties of radio waves. In the UBA, you will find colleague radio amateurs as well as enthusiastic listening amateurs, with whom you can build up experience in the field of radio communication.

As a listening amateur, you can also make contact with the heard radio amateurs. Via reception reports, QSL cards, which are distributed for free worldwide for UBA members via the UBA QSL bureau. Many radio amateurs reply to these reports with their own QSL card. To send QSL cards you use a special personal "call".

All members of the UBA get a member number, the ONL number. Even those who have been radio amateurs for many years, keep an ONL number with the UBA. The ONL number is used by the radio amateurs as identification (their "call") on their SWL QSL card and this "call" is of course needed to receive QSL cards via the UBA QSL bureau. The ONL identification number, unlike the call sign of the amateurs, has not been allocated by BIPT.

The UBA ONL committee stimulates the listen amateurs in Belgium with their hobby. Each listen amateur can go there with his questions. A special section in CQ-QSO (the UBA's bimonthly magazine) is regularly reserved for the ONLs. The ONL manager is responsible for this ONL column. This column brings news specifically for listen amateurs and reports on all their activities. All UBA contests have a special ranking for the listen amateurs.

Although the UBA is an association of radio hams, it is obvious that listening hams, and especially the aspiring radio hams, are also coveted members of the association. Apart from this group of temporary radio amateurs, there is a very small group of radio amateurs who, for certain reasons, do not want to become radio amateurs. This group of radio-enthusiasts is also very welcome in our association.

A listening amateur does not have to take an exam at BIPT or apply for a licence for anything. He does, however, have to be in order with the legislation concerning the use of receiving equipment outside the broadcasting bands.