The Qatar Amateur Radio Society (QARS) is participating in the International Amateur Radio Contest – CQ WW SSB 2019, which is held annually and is ranked as the most important international radio amateur competition on the global calendar in the field of radio hobby.
The association participates in the competition, under the support and guidance of HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, Chairman Board of Directors of QARS. QARS bagged fifth position in the world and first in Asia in the last edition of the competition. Many Qatari amateurs have expressed their desire to be a part of the national team time and again due to its good reputation and outstanding results it achieves every time.
As part of the preparation process for the competition, the association has set up an international station at the headquarters of the Qatar Scouts and Guides Association Al Khor City and has allotted six stations working on all international frequencies, as well as processing towers and antennas and all the necessary equipment and computers. The association is participating in the international call signal of the Qatar Amateur Radio Society (A73A).
In this context, HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said that the participation of the society in this year’s competition is exemplary, as all the requirements of the competition have been provided. A pilot station has been set up at the same level. It is characterised by a number of modern devices and high-quality antennas.
Dr Ahmed Hamad al-Mohannadi, Vice President of the QARS, stressed upon the importance of participating in such international competitions that reflects the true status reached by the Radio amateur associations in the world.
He further said that the society has provided all the facilities to the Qatari members to participate in the competition and do well. It reflects the true image of Qatari amateurs and their excellence in the hobby to many international amateurs who have been participating in the competition for many years from different countries of the world.
Talking to Community, Sabaan Mismar Mubarak al-Jassim, General Secretary of QARS, said, “I thank Abdullah Bin Hamad al-Attiyah for his patronage of the Qatari amateurs and his continued support for the society. The Qatari Radio society has a great place in the world thanks to the generous patronage it gets from the state through the ministries and institutions of the government and the continuous efforts of the board of directors and members of the society.”
He added, “The purpose of the ham (amateur) radio competition is to connect with the world. The competition that we are hosting is one of the biggest competitions of ham radios in the world. Usually, in one such competition, maximum six amateurs take part for 48 hours. However, this competition has two teams each comprising of six contestants. We also have four amateurs as spare contestants. In total we are using six tower antennas and four other antennas. The highest antenna is 15 metres high. We have used this place away from the city to ensure strong radio signals close to the sea. This competition is taking place for the 10th time in Qatar.”
Max Vanrymenant, one of the contestant from Belgium, said, “I passed my exam as amateur radio in 2000 in Belgium. Since then I have been very actively taking part in such activities. I have participated in the competition before in my home country and this is my second time in Qatar.
“I am very impressed by the hospitable and friendly nature of the people in Qatar. It is like being a part of a family. People in Qatar are getting more and more involved in amateur radio. I often say hello to my friends in Qatar through radio when I am in my country. For me it is only a hobby. It can also be used as a means of communication in remote areas in times of natural calamities. It is very easy to set up a radio antenna and start communication process.”
GROUP: Contestants and organisers of International Amateur Radio Contest u2013 CQ WW SSB 2019. Photo by Shemeer Rashed
