HK3AB 1947 Colombia

Operator: Hector McCormick "Mac"

Around 1932, Mac ran a 50W short wave broadcast station near the 40M band called "Radio Colombia". After his regular program hours, Mac would shift his broadcast transmitter to the 40M ham band and work stations with his short wave callsign HJ2ABD. "In those days there were no ham tickets issued in this country", writes Mac, "but we used to get on the air just the same, with no trouble at all."

These are Mac's 3 homebrew transmitters that run 150W, 300W, 500W, respectively, from left to right.

Before WWII, Mac was assigned the callsign HK3CY and worked some 80 DXCC countries.

After WWII, Mac moved to Bogota with the callsign HK3AB. This is his home with tribander. He then moved to Bucaramanga and his callsign changed to HK7AB. "In this country, when moving from one district to another, the only change made in the call is the number, the letters remain the same", he writes.

Medal issued to HK7AB in 1957 by the Government of Colombia for the best HK on DX.

QSL from the estate of W8UAS
Photos and info from Don Chesser W4KVX DX Magazine #108, August 31, 1960.