HB9HIN: Hans's Swiss station, from CB to the QO-100 satellite
We head for the Swiss Plateau to meet Hans (HB9HIN) and his station, as meticulous as it is eclectic. Here, a wall of world clocks and a genuine antenna switching matrix sit alongside a collection of patiently restored vintage CB sets. A station that tells, in pictures, the story of a whole journey: from the CB years to operating via the geostationary satellite QO-100.
🔗 About this article: this profile is based on the article that the USKA's HBradio magazine (issue 6/2023) devoted to Hans-Peter Kohler, HB9HIN, under the title “Medical professor becomes radio amateur” (written by Hans himself), as well as on his richly illustrated QRZ page. The biographical details come from that article. Thanks to Hans and HBradio for sharing.
👤 Who is HB9HIN?
Behind the callsign HB9HIN is Hans, a Swiss radio amateur based on the Plateau, in locator square JN36 (Bern region). His story has even made the specialist press: the USKA's HBradio magazine devoted a profile to him with the evocative title “Medical professor becomes radio amateur” (issue 6/2023). A fine example of a late vocation, where a demanding scientific career leads, when the time comes, to a passion for radio.
On QRZ, Hans makes the rather unusual choice of writing nothing: no biography, no long equipment list, but an impressive photo gallery. And that gallery speaks volumes.
What strikes you immediately is the meticulous care lavished on the station: an entire wall of clocks set to different time zones (the hallmark of the DX operator), home-made antenna switching panels, band plan charts displayed within sight, and sets arranged to the millimetre. Opposite, a second passion leaps out: a fine collection of vintage CB sets and receivers, often lovingly restored.
At HB9HIN, two worlds live under the same roof: that of CB and the receivers of yesteryear, and that of the most modern amateur radio, right up to satellite operating. One and the same passion for radio, spanning several decades.
Overview of HB9HIN's shack: wall of clocks, antenna switching matrix and band plans on display. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
🩺 From medicine to radio: an unusual journey
In the HBradio article about him, Hans tells his own story, summed up by the title: “Medical professor becomes radio amateur”. Licensed at 60 and on the air for only two years: why so late? Radio could have come much earlier.
In 1981, Hans completed his training as a radio and TV electronics technician (his first career path) and, during his apprenticeship, was already passionate about CB. Taking the amateur radio licence straight afterwards would have been logical, but life decided otherwise. He went back to studying, obtained his Matura at the Feusi school in Bern, then took up medical studies at the University of Bern. A demanding career followed: clinical doctor, then professor of internal medicine, divided between teaching and research, including a stay of several years at the University of Leeds in England.
Always curious about technology, he was one of the first people in Switzerland to install satellite reception, tracking down his dishes at FERA (the Swiss radio and TV trade fair) in Zurich, so that he could watch Sky News in his living room in the early 1990s.
Then came a third path: politics. Elected to the Köniz parliament in 2005, then to the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern in 2014, he switched to full-time politics in 2018 as a municipal councillor in Köniz (the 4th largest municipality in the canton, with more than 43,000 inhabitants), responsible for education and social affairs. As president of the cantonal health committee, his medical expertise proved invaluable during the Covid crisis.
And it was Covid, in fact, that turned Hans into a radio amateur: lockdown freed up time, which he devoted to revising the exam questions, with his old HP 41CV calculator and his formula sheets brought out for the occasion. In early 2020, at the age of 60, he passed the exam and received the callsign HB9HIN. The suffix “HIN” is no coincidence: it is a nod to “Health in Net”, a secure communication standard in the healthcare sector.
Licence in hand, he set up a shack in a former kitchen under the roof of his century-old house (planning permission came through in autumn 2021). His motto, which he likes to repeat: always try things for yourself, adapt, modify and start again, and seek to understand why something works, or doesn't.
| Stage | Hans's journey, HB9HIN |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Federal diploma as a radio and TV electronics technician; passion for CB during the apprenticeship |
| 1980s-90s | Matura (Feusi school, Bern) then medical studies at the University of Bern |
| Career | Doctor, professor of internal medicine, research at the University of Leeds (England) |
| 2005 | Elected to the Köniz parliament: start of his political involvement |
| 2014 | Elected to the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern |
| 2018 | Municipal councillor in Köniz (education and social affairs) |
| Early 2020 | Passed the amateur radio exam at 60, callsign HB9HIN |
| Autumn 2021 | Permit obtained and shack fitted out under the roof |
📻 The modern amateur radio station
For today's operating, Hans has a well-equipped operating position, with several major brands gathered around his control desk:
HF Transceivers
Elecraft, Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood sets share the desk, with fine panoramic displays (waterfall) for scanning the bands.
Linear amplifier
An Expert amplifier backs up the transceivers to give the signal some extra punch in pile-ups.
Dedicated receiver
A separate Icom receiver and several screens allow constant listening and comparison, in the finest tradition of listening operators.
Quality audio
A Heil microphone and an antenna tuner complete the chain, for clean and comfortable phone operation.
One of the station's HF transceivers, with its panoramic display. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
The Expert linear amplifier, ready to support HF operating. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
🗼 A very varied antenna garden
A station that operates everything from CB to satellite needs an antenna system to match. And on that front, HB9HIN is well provided for:
Verticals and Yagis
Several vertical antennas and directional Yagis, with an excellent clear view over the surrounding countryside.
Magnetic loops
Attractive tuned loops, including a Baby Loop with its coupling coil: unobtrusive, they radiate surprisingly well from a small space.
Receiving antennas
Beverage antennas strung across his garden for receiving on the low bands, and a wideband discone for listening.
Multiple bands
Enough to cover HF, the 4 m band, 11 m (CB) and VHF/UHF, plus a helical antenna and various wires.
One of the station's magnetic loops, unobtrusive but effective. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
Vertical antenna installed in the garden, standing on a carefully built concrete slab, with a clear view over the Swiss Plateau. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
A Beverage antenna strung across his garden, invaluable for receiving on the low bands. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
💡 The magnetic loop lesson: people often think a loop cannot be a good DX antenna. Hans proves the opposite. With patience, experience and a precise tuner, he makes QRP SSB contacts (a few watts) as far as Australia, as well as a contact with 50 W to the Falkland Islands. As he puts it: try it yourself rather than believing received wisdom.
🛰️ The big leap: the QO-100 satellite
Among the most telling images in his gallery is a small dish pointing at the sky: it is the antenna for the QO-100 satellite (Es'hail-2). Positioned in geostationary orbit, this amateur radio satellite provides permanent coverage of a huge area, from South America to Thailand.
For an operator, working via QO-100 is a small technical feat and hugely satisfying: you need a 2.4 GHz uplink transmit chain and a 10 GHz downlink receiver, all perfectly aligned. The fact that Hans is active there says a lot about his curiosity and his desire to keep pushing his limits, far removed from the clichés about CB.
HB9HIN's dish for the geostationary satellite QO-100 (Es'hail-2). (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
To see in practice what operating via QO-100 looks like, here is an excellent video (in French) explaining how to transmit to this geostationary satellite:
Video: “Emettre vers le satellite Oscar 100”, by F1GWR (YouTube).
📼 The other passion: CB and vintage receivers
While the modern station is impressive, it is perhaps Hans's collection of CB sets and vintage equipment that is most touching. It features names that will thrill anyone nostalgic for the 27 MHz years:
Midland
A whole series of Midland sets and handhelds, base and mobile, often accompanied by their original documentation.
Lafayette, Zodiac, Tokai
Cult brands from the golden age of CB, from base stations to small handhelds, in remarkable condition.
Swiss Sommerkamp
A Sommerkamp TS-5624SC set still bearing the label of its Ticino importer (SOKA, Lugano): a genuine piece of Swiss radio history.
Restoration
Some photos show the chassis opened up: Hans does not just collect these sets: he repairs them and brings them back into service.
💡 CB, a respectable passion: at HB9V, as at our partner Phonicom, we draw no distinction between CB and amateur radio. Many operators started on 27 MHz before taking their licence. HB9HIN's station is the finest illustration of this: the two worlds echo each other there with the same respect.
A CB base station from the collection, carefully displayed. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
A collectable Sommerkamp handheld, a witness to the history of radio in Switzerland. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
The operator in his element: Hans (HB9HIN) at the heart of his station. (Photo: © HB9HIN, via QRZ)
🖼️ The gallery of his station
Over to the pictures! Click a thumbnail to view it full size. Navigate with the arrows (on screen or with the left and right keys on your keyboard), and close with the cross, the Esc key or by clicking the background.
All photos: © HB9HIN (Hans), via his QRZ page.
🇨🇭 What this station inspires in us
HB9HIN's station is a wonderful reminder that amateur radio does not come in a single format. You can be a sharp DX operator, active even on the QO-100 satellite, while openly cherishing a fondness for CB and old receivers. Each passion feeds the other.
At HB9V, the Radio Amateurs of Canton Vaud club, we love these station profiles that spark ideas: a loop antenna to try on a small balcony, a shack layout to copy, the urge to get started on satellite, or simply the pleasure of restoring a set from another era. And as Hans himself puts it, it is never too late to become a radio amateur. Congratulations to him on this station, and on such a fine journey.
📻 Fancy getting started, from CB to HF?
Whether you dream of a CB set, an HF transceiver or an unobtrusive antenna, our Swiss partner will advise and equip you.
See the radio equipment →🤝 Our partners
Phonicom.ch, radio specialist in Switzerland
Like HB9HIN, Phonicom does not separate CB from amateur radio: the shop equips CB operators with CB accessories (antennas, dummy loads, coax, antenna mounts and magnetic bases) just as it does radio amateurs (HF/VHF/UHF transceivers, amplifiers, tuners, antennas from the major brands). Beginner or experienced, enjoy personal advice and delivery within Switzerland.
Visit phonicom.ch →📚 Also on HB9V
- 📻 CB radio and emergency equipment: 27 MHz, a passion that is still very much alive
- 🗺️ Swiss Amateur Radio Band Plan: all the bands, from HF to 23 cm
- 📊 Radio Propagation Conditions: Complete Guide: for successful DX contacts
- 🛒 Phonicom, the Swiss radio shop: CB and amateur radio, without distinction
📖 Sources: HB9HIN's QRZ page (Hans); profile “Medical professor becomes radio amateur” published in HBradio 6/2023 (USKA). All photos: © HB9HIN, via QRZ. This article is an independent profile with no commercial connection, published as a tribute to a fine Swiss station.
Article written by HB9HPG for HB9V.ch, Radio Amateurs of Canton Vaud
Profile based on HB9HIN's QRZ page, with our thanks
73 and good DX! 📻
