Radio amateurs celebrate 75 years of live connection to Antarctica!

Radio amateurs celebrate 75 years of live connection to Antarctica!

A very special celebration took place on September 1, 2025 in Baunatal: The German Amateur Radio Club (DARC) celebrated its 75th anniversary with an impressive event on the market square that attracted more than 1,000 visitors. The big celebrations offered a colorful program with a technology flea market and around 20 specialist lectures that covered both informative and entertaining aspects of radio technology. One of the highlights was undoubtedly a live connection to Antarctica.

Mayor Henry Richter brought greetings from Baunatal to Alex, a radio technician at the Neumayer III research station in Antarctica. The message traveled over 32,000 kilometers through space and was transmitted using a parabolic mirror at a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz. Christian Entsfellner, the federal chairman of the DARC, radioed with the special call sign “Delta-Charlie-75-DARC”. The answer from Antarctica was as exciting as it was informative: “29 degrees, 10 knots of wind, sunshine” was sent as a weather report.

A network across continents

The DARC is Germany's largest non-profit association of radio amateurs with around 33,000 members. What is particularly noteworthy is that Baunatal is the headquarters of almost 1,000 local DARC branches. In order to enter this exciting field, prospective radio amateurs must complete comprehensive training and prove their knowledge in a state examination at the Federal Network Agency. Stephanie C. Heine from Press and Public Relations emphasizes the importance of government oversight of these activities.

The importance of the radio amateurs is also reflected in their collaboration with the Baunatal fire department, which presented their vehicles. The fire brigade is in close contact with radio amateurs, as they can often maintain communication channels even under difficult conditions. This is worth its weight in gold, especially in emergencies.

School projects and research stations

But DARC's activities are not limited to local celebrations. In collaboration with AMSAT Deutschland e.V., an exciting project was launched that aims to equip ten educational institutions in Germany for radio operations via the QO-100 satellite. Particular emphasis is placed on involving students directly in the practical experiences and questions of the scientists at Neumayer Station III. Radio contacts have been possible via this satellite since February 2020 and offer students a unique opportunity to ask questions and communicate with on-site experts.

The DARC is focusing on promoting young talent: Charly Eichhorn, DK3ZL, will take part as a coordinator and support schools in discovering the fascinating world of amateur radio. The connection to Africa, for example to Namibia, is another exciting aspect of this expansion.

On August 30th, before the festival, numerous events took place in the Baunatal city center, which included a wide variety of offers. In addition to exhibitions and information stands, this also included a special program for young visitors. Free lectures and an evening party with live music and a buffet rounded off the program and ensured a successful start to the celebrations of the DARC's 75th anniversary.