PA90CII First Transatlantic Radiocontact

[IK0ZCW]

PA90CII is a special call to memorate the the achievement OM Henk J. Jesse (SK) made 90 years ago. The first recorded incident of a Radio Amateur being prosecuted ever must surely be that of Henk J. Jesse. Using the self-awarded call sign PCII, H.J. Jesse, then an 18-year old (!) schoolboy, made in 1923 the first two-way transatlantic amateur radio contact from the Netherlands when he exchanged messages with American station 2AGB. The QSO lasted over two hours and was in CW. The output stage of Jesse's home-made transmitter comprised three vacuum tubes (valves) in parallel and consumed 350 watts; a wavelength of 113 metres was used. However when news of this feat leaked out he was prosecuted and found guilty in 1925. He was then congratulated for his engineering achievement and not sentenced. In 1983, 60 years after this ‘first’, Henk J. Jesse recieved from the Dutch Government the call PA0CII to honour his achievement in 1923. Henk was the only Radio Amateur in the Netherlands who recieved a call without taking a ham radio exam. Henk Jesse is SK since 2001. QSL via PA2LO by Dutch QSL-bureau