Repeaters in Germany

Repeater maps of Germany can be found at: http://www.elschenbroich.com/, scroll down and look for "Releaisfunkstellen...." to find the maps.
There is also a database available at: http://relaislisten.darc.de/. This should be self-explanatory.

Further tips:

- Note that the bands in Germany are 144-146 MHz and 430-440 MHz.
- Make sure that your HT can transmit from 430-440 MHz before leaving, or else modify it first, for example from http://www.mods.dk/index.php
- Germany officially uses a 12.5 kHz channelization, so some repeaters may use these in lieu of 25 kHz channel spacing (but not many).
- 70 cm has a -7.6 MHz split in Germany, with the repeater outputs starting at 439.425 MHz and moving down.
- Many repeaters in Germany still require a 1750 Hz tone burst. Look at your HT's manual to see how to enable the 1750 Hz tone burst, since modern HT's can generate this tone.
- Some repeaters require CTCSS, use the repeater directory to find out the correct tone frequency.
- The APRS frequency is 144.800 MHz.

Clubs

There are 1,050 local chapters of the DARC that are spread throughout Germany, and you may be able to find a local club meeting where you will be visiting.

Locate the club(s) by looking through the list at https://www.darc.de/der-club/allgemeines/#c35450 to find one near where you will be. Then call-up their web page to see when they are meeting, or else send an e-mail to the provided contact address. Let us know if you need any assistance, due to language issues or geographic questions.

License Classes

It is important to know your license class reciprocal privileges under the CEPT T/R 61-01 recommendation, especially if you are a General or Technician class licensee. There is no requirement to submit any paperwork or pay a fee for up to three months as a visitor to Germany. Only if you hold a residence permit will you be able to receive a German call sign.

Extra & Advanced:  Full operating privileges (license class "A" in Germany)
General:  CEPT Novice privileges (license class "E" in Germany)
Technician:  No operating privileges under the CEPT T/R 61-01 or CEPT ECC/REC (05)06 recommendations in Germany (note that some other countries have a limited beginner license that may accept the Technician as equivalent)

Identification

Extra & Advanced: DL/call
General:  DO/call

What to Bring Along

1) Your original US license;
2) Proof of US citizenship (your Passport)
3) A copy of the FCC's CEPT Public Notice
4) HT's, etc. can be brought along without any customs declaration necessary, as long as you intend to take them home with you

Misc.

- Details on frequencies, modes, etc. can be found under Annex A in the document "AFuV March 2008 kurz_englisch.pdf" found under the Rules & Regulations menu on the left.
- Other information relevant to visitors from the U.S. can be found in this article from Mitch Wolfson, DJØQN, in the June, 2009 issue of CQ Magazine
- The U.S. amateur radio exams are given several times per year in Germany. These are given only in English and the license can be used to apply for a German license at the equivalent level (see above) for permanent residents. If you are a permanent resident, would like to become a radio amateur and do not speak German, this would be a good method to use. For a list of testing sites and dates, see: http://www.arrl.org/exam_sessions/search.

Moving to Germany?

This procedure is only necessary if you become a permanent resident of Germany and/or are staying here longer than the three month period covered by the CEPT T/R 61-01 recommendation.

If you are a civilian, use the procedure provided on the main visitor to DL page. If you are covered under the SOFA agreement, there is a different procedure. Contact the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), Alter Hellweg 56, 44379 Dortmund, Germany. Phone: +49-(0)208-4507-260, E-Mail: Dort10-Postfach(at)BNetzA.de for details.

The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club e.V. (DARC) was founded on September 8th, 1950 in Kiel. But this was not the start of Amateur Radio in Germany. It was just the start after World War II and the time before from the beginning in the 1920s.

The pre-war time under the Nazi-regime will not be described here by the author. There are several more or less historical stories and books available on it. The time of Amateur Radio under a communist system in Eastern Germany is also not mentioned here.

The road to the foundation of DARC was made easier by several hams from the allied occupation forces. The same counts for the first official DL licenses which have been granted a year earlier in 1949. It should not be forgotten that 1949 was also the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. A main task was the Amateur Radio Act which was a first Act of such a kind in Europe.

The first ham magazine was the “QRV”. In 1951 it got the new name “DL-QTC”. From the beginning it was only produced by members for members and never sold at kiosks. A further interesting matter which should be mentioned is that the DARC constitution clearly states that qsl service is only granted to members. This was and is based on a postal law.

In 1956 the DLD and the WAE awards were created and reached world wide acceptance within the following years. DARC members joined or initiated the first AR RTTY traffic in 1959, the first Moon-Bounce QSOs in 1960 and the first contacts with the AR satellite Oscar 1 in 1961. Also in 1959 a first IARU Region 1 conference was hosted by DARC in Bonn. A year later a the predecessor of the HAM RADIO Exhibition started at Lake Constance.

In 1962 a natural disaster “storm flood in the North Sea” showed that engaged DARC members may be good communications servants in such a time. In 1965 Oscar III brought a larger access to hams via the 2 m band and became a good tool to bring Amateur Radio to the acceptance of a broader audience. QSL became a more and more working load for DARC. In 1966 the first bigger sorting machine was constructed in Wuppertal, Rhineland. It became an interesting subject to a lot of visitors from other societies.

In 1967 the first VHF-licenses – only – have been introduced by the German P&T authorities. The opinion to that was very divided not only in Germany. 1969 DARC started to plan building the Headquarters in Baunatal near Kassel. The construction started in May 1971. In 1972 the DL-QTC got a new form and became “CQ-DL”.

1975 the Lake Constance Meeting was renamed to “Ham Radio” and was organized in Friedrichshafen, Bodensee. The WARC 1979 set new signs also for DARC. It was well acknowledged by DARC that some few members did a great international job by lobbying in Geneva. As a result out of this knowledge the DARC executive committee decided to give the international work together with the sister societies and the IARU more attention.

A year later the author was asked to build up a special “International Liaison Committee” with concrete liaisons world wide. The IARU Region 1 conference 1981 in Brighton became a good training ground and platform for future connections. In 1982 the first “Informal International Meeting” at the Ham Radio Exhibition was initiated by this committee. 1985 became the year of the Space Mission D 1. It was a high light for those being engaged in it.

After the German Democratic Republic (Eastern Germany) joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 also the hams from there – former organized in RSV – became members of DARC. In 1993 the Space Shuttle Mission D 2 started again with the remarkable engagement of German Hams. In 1997 the ARDF World Championship was organized by DARC in St. Englmar, Bavaria.

The year 2000 was not only the 50th anniversary of DARC but also the 25th of the Ham Radio, Friedrichshafen.

Written by Hans Berg, DJ6TJ, September 2002