Radio amateurs of “Nikola Tesla” at the Springs of the Sana River
There are days you remember not just for the numbers in the log, but for the whole experience — and this Saturday Field Day of the Radio klub “Nikola Tesla” team from Banja Luka is exactly one of those. Under the club callsign E74BYZ we set off for one of the most beautiful locations the western part of our country has to offer — the Springs of the Sana River, registered in the POTA program under the reference BA-0032.
https://youtu.be/3FxoeazUSsY?si=E9CFQCvZlawyw8lf
Early morning and the smell of coffee
The day began the way every good amateur-radio adventure should — with coffee in town and a good atmosphere. The team consisted of Srđan E77SR, Stevo E73CV, Aleksandar – Aco E75MG, Daniel E75YZ, Slaviša E76TP and Milan, our future colleague who does not yet hold a licence but who will soon sit the amateur-radio exam and who used this day to see first-hand what awaits him on the air.
Already at 7:00 the wheels started turning and the convoy headed for the destination. Along the way Aco E75MG met us and organised a hearty breakfast at his weekend cottage — hospitality that set the right tone for the whole day. After a break from driving and refreshed, we set off on the last stretch towards the Springs, where we arrived around 9:30.
Antennas up, fingers on the key
The first activity on arrival was, of course, setting up the antennas. Srđan E77SR strung out his proven EFHW for the 40–10m band, while Daniel set up a dipole on a tripod. There was no need to delay — as soon as the wires were in the air, we started the activation.
Srđan took his place at the CW table, working QRP power with his reliable QMX on 40m, and soon strung together the first 10 contacts. At the same time Daniel E75YZ put the Kenwood TS-590SG on FT8 and in a very short time made just as many contacts. The result was quick and clear — within an hour the reference BA-0032 had been officially activated. We devoted the rest of the day to piling up additional contacts and enjoying the very thing this hobby exists for.
A change at the helm
As happens at a good Field Day, the tables changed operators. Stevo E73CV took the helm at the QRP CW table and, with Aco’s Icom IC-705, added a series of new contacts to the log. Slaviša E76TP continued working the Kenwood in digital modes, while Aco E75MG opened SSB on the 7 MHz band and caught correspondents by voice.
Nature that keeps calling you
It would be unfair to keep quiet about the fact that the natural beauty of the location constantly drew us away from the work we had come to do. The emerald water of the springs, the peace and the greenery around us — all of it was enough to make our gaze wander more often towards the river than towards the S-meter. But we did not give in: with freshly chilled beer and the occasional “ljuta”, we carried on at the same pace until 18:00, when we packed up satisfied with what we had done.
Pecka, dinner and an “Ostoja”
The road then took us on towards Gornja Pecka, where the friendly staff of the Pecka Visitor Centre welcomed us with a hearty dinner — a real reward for a day spent on our feet and on the radio. We took the opportunity to try the local craft beer “Ostoja” as well, which was exactly what a local speciality should be — fantastic.
The day’s tally
With around sixty contacts made on CW, SSB and FT8, we concluded another successful working day. Full of impressions, we returned to Banja Luka around 20:30. Another successful Field Day of the E74BYZ team is behind us — with good company, beautiful nature, clean propagation and logs that speak for themselves
We are already looking forward to the next Field Day!
73 de E74BYZ