He passes on his passion for amateur radio
Created: 02/14/2022, 09:53
By: Ulrike Osman
Wolfgang Förtsch is an enthusiastic radio operator and hobbyist.
Young people can learn the tools for this hobby from him.
© Weber
Wolfgang Förtsch has been passing on his enthusiasm for electronics to children and young people for more than 20 years.
Fürstenfeldbruck – He tinkers with them, sends them on treasure hunts with radios and is happy when some even find their later career in the technical field.
Because of this commitment, he is the man of action in February.
When Förtsch became interested in the subject, he was about the same age as his protégés are today.
When he was twelve, his parents took him on a boring Sunday visit.
The 25-year-old son of the house took pity and went to his room with the boys.
There was an amateur radio station there.
The glow of the radio tubes
"The radio tubes were glowing and the voice of another radio operator came out of the loudspeaker," recalls the 71-year-old.
"That was when I was infected with the electronics virus." Förtsch belongs to the Brucker local branch of the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC).
There is also a radio station in his clubhouse.
It roars from the speakers.
Förtsch gently turns the frequency knob until an English-speaking voice can be heard reporting that the weather is fine in Wales.
"It's like fishing," says Förtsch.
You don't know in advance which fish will bite.
Amateur radio operators make spontaneous contacts all over the world, sometimes they even get to know each other personally later on vacation trips.
That's why amateur radio hasn't lost its appeal despite global digital communication possibilities.
"And you don't need a Telekom," adds Förtsch.
In addition to sparking, there is electronics tinkering.
Beginners deal with kits.
With the help of Förtsch and other supervisors, advanced learners make radios, small robots, Morse code devices or loudspeakers that make cell phones sound better.
Anyone who volunteers or knows someone who does volunteer work can take part in the “Mensch der Tat” campaign.
Applications are possible via www.ehrenamtsboerse-lkr-ffb.de.
If someone suggests another person, the nominee must sign the application before it is returned.
This is done either by email to ehrenamt@buergerstiftung-lkr-ffb.de or by post to Ehrenamtsbörse, Münchner Straße 5/ 3rd floor, 82256 Fürstenfeldbruck.
A jury consisting of representatives of the community foundation, the VR-Bank and the district office selects the winners.
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"Where else do young people get something like this?" asks Förtsch.
A theremin is currently registered for "Jugend forscht".
"It's an electronic musical instrument." Förtsch proudly reports that Theresa Thoma used to do handicrafts and radio under his care.
Today she is 27 and most recently spent a year as a radio and IT technician at a research station in Antarctica.
Overall, however, the proportion of girls in the group is "miserable".
After all, the father of two and grandfather of four has already brought one of his granddaughters with him.
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular FFB newsletter
The fact that he gets along well with young people is believed to be true of the friendly, easy-going 71-year-old, who has absolutely nothing to do with being a senior.
He also goes on weekend trips with his youth group.
At the destination, the participants can set up antennas, locate transmitters, and go on a treasure hunt with radios.
Whoever finds the treasure chest first and cracks the code to open it by correctly answering the quiz questions can attack the contents - mostly sweets.
Because of Corona, Förtsch started "home crafting".
Tools and components were delivered to the door without contact, and questions were answered digitally.
Why did the former electrical engineer, who has lived in Bruck since 1960 and spent most of his working life at Siemens,
going to all that trouble?
He wants to ensure that there are young people in the electronics industry - and he's delighted when the young people's eyes light up when what they've made works.
You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck here.
