DSWCI Member of Honour: Niels Jakob Jensen
23rd January 1923 - 16th August 2007.
Edited and photo collected by Anker Petersen, Chairman of DSWCI
Niels
Jakob Jensen was probably inspired to shortwave listening by his
father, Mr. J. E. Jensen who also was a shortwave listener. They
listened during World War II to the Danish broadcasts from the BBC and
later from the CBC. As a young veterinarian, Jakob began DX-ing
in 1949 when he came across a broadcast in Danish from Radio
Brazzaville. His receivers were a 5 tubes Bravour from 1936, a
4½ tubes Meteor Junior from 1948, a 5 tubes Philips from 1950, a
13 tubes Blaupunkt Granada from 1959 and an OTRA (= Trio) 9R-4J with 9
tubes.
Living in Vejle in 1951, Jakob joined "Det ny Radio Blads
DX-Klub - Giraffen" (The Danish DX-Club) in a Radio magazine. As member
no. 230, he became one of the most active contributors to this half
yearly bulletin with SW Tips like (Times are in Danish Normal Time):
52,11 m Prins Bernhard Zender, Paramaribo 0030-0100
50,25 m La Voz Dominicana, Dom. Rep. 0330-0400
50,00 m Emisora Nuevo Mundo, Bogota 0400-0415
41,72 m Radio Mahgreb each evening after 2200
41,61 m Emisora Institute Laboran, Spain 2300-2400
40,81 m Radio Club de Cabo Verde strong 2130-2300
30,08 m Radio Kabul, Afghanistan Sundays 1740-1745
30,08 m Radio AEF, French Equatorial Africa 1800-2000
25,17 m Em Regional dos Acores, Ponta Delgada 1900
25,10 m Radio Encarnacion, Paraguay 2130-2300
16,84 m Comm. Service of Radio Ceylon 0515-0630.
When
"Giraffen" ceased early 1955, some of the active members decided to
establish another Shortwave Club on a private basis. On the 18th
of November, 1956, six DX-ers founded "Danmarks Kortbølgeklub"
in the home of Poul Ginnerup in the town of Aars in Northern Jutland.
The eldest of these was Jakob (then 33 years) and he was elected the
first Chairman with member no. 0003. He stands in the third row behind
the others on this photo:
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In
addition he became Editor-in-Chief from 1959 for the Danish and
English versions of Shortwave News and one year also editor of the
Shortwave Tips! He had no typewriter, so Knud Eriksen, Leo Dupont and
others did type the editorials and tips from his handwritten notes.
Jakob
was a technical monitor for Radio Japan from 1953 till 1972. He placed
a receiver in his office at the abattoir in Frederikshavn in order to
check their reception each morning. He was also a serious DX-er on the
tropical bands. His densely handwritten post-cards with the latest tips
were appreciated by many members. He also sent out many reception
reports and received a lot of nice QSL's, letters and pennants from the
radio stations.
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| NJJ proudly demonstrates some of his pennants at the AGM at Hotel Caleb, Vejle on 21st November 1965. |
Thus
he became one of the very fiery souls who spent most of their sparetime
to organize the DX-Hobby in Denmark. Already after one year the total
membership had reached 64, mostly Danes. Later on more and more members
from abroad joined and the Club was renamed to the Danish Shortwave
Club International (DSWCI). NJJ resigned from his jobs at the end of
1962 at a time when the Club had more than 200 members. In 1966 he
ceased DX-ing and left our Club.
During these hectic years
several DX-ers did visit the very hospitable home of Jakob, his Swedish
born wife Ulla Britta and their three sons. Some of their guests were
Torre Ekblom, our first UK Representative John B. Ambler, Kurt
Ærenlund Pedersen and myself who got much inspiration to this
hobby.
John Ambler wrote in SWN October 1961:
"I was
especially impressed with the detailed sincerity that Jakob was able to
convey to the Club members. I know he spent a very large proportion of
his sparetime, in his days as Chairman, devoted entirely to the good
running of the DSWCI.”
“The daily visit to
Frederikshavn Post Office to clear Box 53, of the constant stream of
correspondance, and Jakob then busily writing postcards in reply. His
Morris Oxford car was also used as a mobile office, the steering wheel
being his desk, a break from driving was nearly always put to good
account by answering further correspondance from near and far. Jakob
certainly made a very great contribution to the Club."
We
invited Jakob to our 25 and 50 years jubilees and had the pleasure to
see him in Aars in the home of Knud Rasmussen on 21st of November 1981:
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But
at the 50 years jubilee of DSWCI, he phoned me in Vejers regretting,
that he for health reasons was unable to attend. But he became very
surprised and honoured that the Board had decided to appoint him as
Member of Honour. 15 months later he passed away at an age of 84 at the
Hospital in Thisted after some months of illness.
On www.dswci.org/specials/njj
we publish most of the QSL cards and pennants, this great DX-er
received in the 1950'ies and 1960'ies. Each QSL-card is shown with
front- and back page in chronological order.
Jakob certainly realized the motto of our Club in his very personal way: "Friendship through knowledge".
