Has Ham Radio Lost Its Soul? VK9DX Has Thoughts

Nick Hacko VK9DX is one of ham radio’s most colorful voices, an elite contester, watchmaker, refugee-turned-builder, and unapologetically opinionated character who somehow manages to be equal parts philosopher and entertainer. Broadcasting from Norfolk Island, a tiny speck in the South Pacific with a population of just 2,000, Nick joins me for a conversation that ranges from Cold War-era Yugoslavia to CQ WW strategy, remote island station building, and why contesting still matters in an increasingly automated world.

Nick traces his ham radio roots back to the golden age of Yugoslav contesting, where domestic 80-meter battles were treated with the intensity of world championships. After fleeing the Balkan conflict in the early 1990s, he chose Australia over Canada for one simple reason: ham radio. Decades later, during the COVID lockdowns, he bought property on Norfolk Island sight unseen and moved there with little more than an IC-7300 and a wire antenna. What followed was a one-man effort to build a serious contest station under extreme logistical constraints, shipping delays, antenna height limits, and near-total self-sufficiency.

But what makes Nick fascinating isn’t just the contest results. It’s the way he talks about radio. Contest weekends aren’t “all-you-can-eat buffets,” he says. They’re birthday parties with friends. He pushes back on hyper-optimized contesting culture, argues for more recognition of station builders, and makes the case that amateur radio’s future depends on keeping the hobby human, welcoming, and fun for operators at every level. One moment he’s discussing phased vertical arrays and propagation windows across the Pacific; the next he’s joking about hiding from his wife during SSB contests or revealing his CB radio alter ego.

This was one of the most enjoyable and unexpectedly thoughtful conversations I’ve had about contesting culture, island life, and the personalities that make ham radio so compelling.

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Nice interview of a thoughtful and enthusiastic ham.

73 Tom W9YW

 

NO LOTW
Will not contact . NEVER .
Club log … FREE FOR ALL
his Words..
$ 5.00 NEVER for you .
Get Rich .

K8PG Paul

 

Maybe ham radio hasn't lost its soul, but it probably has lost its funk.

Except maybe in Germany.....

 

Ya I tend to agree. Every ham should strive to be courteous enough to quickly (and now super easily) confirm a QSO via LOTW/Clublog/QRZ or the myriad of other fast and easy e-loggers is seen as a $5 at a time money grab. And that mostly defeats the fellowship of ham radio.;

Work VK9NT ..He is always loud on Norfolk Island and has confirmed every Q quickly over the years and it's very appreciated by the DX community.

 

ham radio is like a box of chocolates...you never ever know what you get.....it should be enjoyed in moderation...guilt free

 

Sadly a segment of hams have managed to turn one of the most non-pecuniary hobbies into a for profit endeavor.

Sorry, but no electronic contact in a log is worth any amount of money to me whatsoever and to me it has nothing to do with the amount, but everything to do with the other operator's character.

 

HAM HAS BECOME NOT FUN ANYMORE OF ALL THE NETS GOING ON YOU TRY CALLING CQ THEY SAY FREQ IS IN USE YOU GO TO ANTHER FREQ THEY SAY YOU CAUSING QRM CANT PICK A CHANNEL ANY MORE SO NOW I DO NOT QSY ANYMORE BECAUSE I WANT TO USE MY PRIVALAGE ALSO

 

If you hear no one … its your frequency
No rules to save a frequency.
Just keep on CQing do not let them
bother you .Have Fun 73 Good luck

Paul K8PG

 

yes

 

I have VK9JS … 9 bands CW
2 SSB 3 QSL cards .Jim Smith been gone awhile … He Was a Great guy and fellow amateur op.Met Jim in 1980’s Dayton.

NOT I QSO FOR $$$$$

K8PG Morse Music

 

I always confirm on QRZ, It works.
WD4NC

 

Why are you yelling ? There are a bazillion frequencies to use and for you to say "I do not QSY anymore" is
just you adding to the problem.

 

The only way I confirm a contact is with a QSL card mailed to me.

 

...you have to also remember that many of those hams are now SK.
Great interview, thanks

Geoff vk3sq