Thomas Beiderwieden discovered his passion for radio early on. In his professional life, he is responsible for voice and data networks at Allianz AG; privately, he has devoted himself for many years with full enthusiasm to the traditional method of communication using antennas and radio equipment. “Amateur radio is a highly technical hobby with many facets,” he says. “You need to understand high-frequency technology, computers – and people.” For 45 years, he adds, it has never bored him for a single day.
Almost as long as he has been active as a radio amateur, he has been a member of the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC), the largest association of amateur radio operators in Germany and Europe. In the late 1990s, Beiderwieden came into contact with VDE and gave a technical lecture as an expert. Soon after, he began organizing events himself and eventually joined the board of VDE Rhein-Main, which he has chaired since 2021.
Among other things, it is thanks to Thomas Beiderwieden that DARC and VDE have been in close exchange since 2023 and have even signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in science, research, education, and knowledge sharing.
For Beiderwieden, the connection is obvious: “Both organizations are built on enthusiasm for technology. Without that, you can neither operate radio nor belong to VDE.” The associations are also united by a common challenge: “Both need more young people. We must try to inspire the next generation for STEM fields.” Through their cooperation, both organizations have the opportunity to reach a broader audience, he says. He not only focuses on engaging young people but also networks VDE liaison professors in his region and contributes to the establishment of committees and working groups – for example on the important topic of lightning protection and grounding of antenna systems.
Joint initiative by the VDE and the DARC: a stratospheric balloon sent to an altitude of 23 kilometers.
| DARC e.V.
