Heritage on the airwaves

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Heritage on the air (H.O.T.A) is an amateur radio group that strives to motivate radio amateurs to learn more about history, and to keep history alive by activating a multitude of historical sites by using SSB, AM, FM, CW radio frequencies, even with heliographs.

Corné Conradie, a local radio amateur and member of the Eden Radio Club, with the call sign, ZS1COR, spoke to Mossel Bay Advertiser about H.O.T.A.

He said: "In short, the radio amateurs visit a historical site. They take their radio equipment, set it up and start broadcasting information about the specific site all over the world.

"Two-way conversation continues with numerous recipients and other information such as signal strength, set-up and more are then discussed.

"Email addresses are then exchanged and information about the site and photos are then sent to radio amateurs that have been contacted during this activation.

"This is to promote our heritage and very old buildings and sites of importance. Radio amateurs have great fun going out in the field and visiting places and areas where history was made."

Conradie said: "Even if you do not like history, there are places that were visited that might be of interest to you."

Radio amateurs need a license to be able to communicate on the radio spectrum of frequencies.

According to Conradie, a few sites in the Mossel Bay area have been activated. On Saturday, 29 October, the St Marks Cathedral in George was activated.

The Glentana shipwreck was activated on Friday, 11 November, and on Saturday, 19 November, the radio buffs visited the Post Office Tree (Posboom) at the Dias Museum complex, which was also activated.

Corné Conradie with his radio, communicating from the Dias Museum Complex.