"Calling the AMs and MMs is nothing but a waste of time", one of my DX-friends recently declared, "They do not even count for DXCC!"  Right, they do not even count for DXCC (and many other attractive awards and diplomas) - but is that really of so much importance? Compared with the rareness of entities on the DXCC Most-Wanted Lists, aeronautical-mobile stations (amateur-radio operators in airplanes: callsigns followed by /AM) belong to the so-called rare and maritime-mobile stations (amateur-radio operators on ships: callsigns followed by /MM) at least to the semi-rare category. Moreover, having a QSO with the two species is a thrilling event, and a lot of fun anyway. I think, contacting /AM- and /MM-stations is something out of the ordinary. 

A pity that only scarcely more than half of them send a QSL - as sort of a reward for enthusiasm. I'm eagerly collecting their QSLs since I started my amateur-radio activity. In this QSLhibition I'd like to show you a selection of the /AM- and /MM-cards so far received. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Be surprised by the variety of ships and vessels from where radio amateurs sent out their calls to contact their "terrestrial" friends: cargo and container ships, tankers, training ships with and without sails, simple sailing boats, ferries, destroyers and rocket cruisers (on peaceful mission, hopefully...), or simply a chartered boat to go on a far-away DXpedition in the South Atlantic and a river boat bound for an ecological expedition in the Russian north! Not to forget those maritime stations that are not really mobile at all... And those serving or having served the maritime-mobile service, and the many museum ships bearing testimony of a great past.

By the way, the colours of the needles on the map (thanks to the DX Atlas software which made the maps possible!) correspond with the background colours of the QSLs and its description, and show the aircraft's or ship's position during the contact. 

This collection will be continually extended.

                                                                                                                                                                            Hadi Teichmann, DJ2PJ

 

Abbreviations: F/S = "Feuerschiff", light vessel     I/B = ice breaker     L/S = light ship     L/V = light vessel     M/F = passenger ship     M/S = motor ship                M/T = motor tanker     M/V = merchant or motor vessel     P/V = polar vessel     R/C = rocket cruiser      R/S = research ship     R/V = research vessel     S/S = steam or sailing ship     T/B = torpedo boat

GKB4 and GKB5 (Portishead Radio)