EI5EM Page

My name is Tony Breathnach. I live in Dublin, Ireland. One of my favourite hobbies is
Amateur (Ham) Radio. I hold the call-sign EI5EM since 1981. The main aspect of the
hobby which interests me is operating Morse Code on QRP (low power) homemade
radio equipment.

Ham radio is strictly controlled by international agreements. Each country is allocated
an alphanumeric identifier. Ireland has the allocation EI and EJ. My EI5EM callsign
identifies me as an Irish amateur (experimenter). To qualify, I had to pass a written
radio theory and regulations examination and also a Morse Code test, sending and
receiving at 12 words per minute.

In 2003 the Morse requirement was abolished. In my opinion this was a pity. Morse
Code was the first means of wireless transmission. It existed before voice transmission
was possible. It is a language in itself. It is my view that any amateur who hasn’t tried
Morse Code is missing out on a integral and historical part of our wonderful hobby.

Ham radio is a hobby of self-training in radio theory and operation. Many amateurs
experiment in building different types of aerials (antennas) and compare their
performance. Others enjoy building their own radio equipment, while others simply just
like chatting with others on the amateur radio bands. There are many facets to the
hobby.

My interest is in building and operating my own radio equipment. I derive great
satisfaction from making contact with other stations using home built equipment. For
most of my contacts I use Morse Code. I just love this mode of communications and I
am always striving to improve my sending and receiving speed.

In the early days of wireless (radio), amateurs were at the cutting edge of the
technology. Unlike these days, commercial equipment was not available, so most built
their own. These days commercial equipment is the norm and construction of equipment
has declined. However, about twenty-five or so years ago the Low Power QRP (5 Watts
RF limit) movement gained popularity.

Many national and international QRP clubs were formed. These clubs encouraged
equipment building by publishing articles and circuit designs in their newsletters and
periodicals. Many commercial QRP kits were also made available. The QRP movement
has continued growing and is evocative of those early days of radio when learning was
achieved by building and experimentation.

I enjoy operation at QRP power levels because I am thrown in at the deep end and I find
myself competing for contacts with other amateur radio stations running power levels
hundreds of times more powerful than mine. QRP operating requires great skill and
patience. However, there is a great sense of satisfaction and achievement when a
successful contact is made. The satisfaction is much greater still if the equipment is
home-made.

Many QRP operators also build their own equipment. Some design and build their own
transmitters and receivers. Others build from kits of parts or from plans or circuit
diagrams. These days there are many suppliers of kits. Elecraft is one of the most
popular. I can highly recommend kits from this company, having built the Elecraft K2
and the compact KX-1. More details of these kits are available by following my Links or
clicking the Elecraft logo on this page.

The ARRL, RSGB, G-QRP Club and QRP-ARCI offer many excellent books for sale
dedicated to construction of QRP radio equipment and operation. There are links to
these sites on this page.

Many QRP operators are also CW (Morse Code) enthusiasts. CW transmission is more
reliable than voice transmission. This is particularly so at QRP power levels. CW radio
transmitting and receiving equipment is also much easier to build. Even though Morse
Code is now not an obligatory requirement for obtaining a radio amateur licence, it is
still widely used. If you would like to learn the Morse Code just follow the link on this
page.

Another interest of mine is the Vintage Radio Museum in Howth. This is located in the
historic Martello tower in the town. The museum has its own amateur radio station with
the callsign EI0MAR. Following the link below will take you to that page.