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There was a time when the Hermagor district was radio-silent. Amateur radio operators existed, yes, but the local chapter ADL805 was little more than a name on paper. An organisational unit without life, an entry in the records of the ÖVSV — nothing more.
That this has changed is down to one person: Christopher Kommetter, OE8CKK, from Waidegg. A teacher of computer science and physics by profession, in amateur radio he set himself a clear goal: to bring the radio amateurs of the district back together.
From Paper Back to the Bands
What began as an idea became visible in 2023. The first club evening in Kirchbach attracted not a handful but around 25 radio amateurs, including guests from other Carinthian chapters and even from other provinces. A trial became a launch: monthly meetings, plans for joint activities, and not least the almost daily Dobratsch round on the repeater. Every Tuesday, a DMR Dobratsch round also took place on talkgroup 2328.
Chris also managed to get people back into the AOEE — the All-OE amateur radio contest on 1 May — ensuring that Hermagor was no longer a dead zone, even on a national level.
Under his leadership, quite a few radio amateurs also found their way back — people who had barely used their licence for years, some even for decades. Thanks to his efforts, they are back on the bands today, breathing new life into amateur radio.
That is the real achievement. Reviving a local chapter doesn’t mean changing an entry. It means reaching people, building trust, and creating a reason to come together again. That is exactly what OE8CKK did — with initiative, persistence, and a healthy dose of enthusiasm for the hobby.
My First QSO
I still remember my own beginnings well: as a newcomer on the repeaters, the first calls, and my very first QSO — with OE8CKK, of all people. What followed was far more than a single radio contact. There was plenty of joint operating, tinkering, and laughter. It’s precisely this mix of technology, learning and fun that makes a local chapter come alive — and OE8CKK embodied it from the very start.
One topic he shaped in particular: SOTA on the 2-metre band. With his precise, well-thought-out presentations, he made Summits On The Air tangible for many of us and showed that you don’t need an HF base station for it. A summit, a handheld radio and some antenna knowledge are enough.
What Remains
Christopher Kommetter is no longer the chapter leader today. His legacy, however, is unmistakable — in the truest sense of the word: 2-metre SOTA is alive in OE8. An active community doesn’t create itself, and it doesn’t disappear overnight when the foundation is solid. Anyone who builds a structure that continues to run without them has done truly good work. Real groundwork is recognised by the fact that it outlasts its builder.
And the connection hasn’t broken off: Chris, OE8CKK, and I are still active together, entirely independent of any club membership. Good radio and genuine radio friendship don’t need a membership card. It’s great that the shared operating continues.
So at this point, a sincere thank you to OE8CKK: for the idea, for the impulse, and for a local chapter that might not exist in this form today without him.
Amateur radio connects: genuinely, authentically, and not just because it’s a nice slogan.
73 de Michael, OE8YML
Background and source on the re-establishment of the local chapter: Wilfried Buchacher, “Amateurfunk verbindet die ganze Welt”, Gailtal Journal, 13 March 2023, gailtal-journal.at.
