For years, Burzenin has gone beyond the traditional amateur-radio gathering. The organizers emphasize that the event is a place for builders with varying levels of experience — both those designing their own equipment and those building from available documentation or ready-made kits. Lectures, demonstrations, workshops, opportunities to consult on personal projects, and the competition PUK – Useful Amateur Radio Device.
From antennas to analyzers and interference
This year’s Convention featured an extensive program running simultaneously in several rooms, as well as outdoors and in the field. On Friday alone, participants could hear, among others, Krzysztof SP7WME, who spoke about simple and effective antenna solutions, and Władysław SP9GNM who presented practical experience related to the construction of Cubical Quad antennas. The program also included spectrum-analyzer measurements conducted by Wojciech SQ3BKI.
A report by Antoni SQ8AZT, representing the Puławska Amateur Radio Group, confirms the practical nature of these gatherings. The antenna presentation covered solutions for HF and VHF, while the lecture on Cubical Quads also presented elements of actual constructions and discussed experience gained during their assembly.
Saturday brought an even greater concentration of topics. The program included, among other things, navigation-system interference, RF PCB design in KiCad, EMI/EMC issues, working with a VNA, the use of ferrites in RF installations, the basics of operating on VHF, SOTA, artificial intelligence in amateur-radio applications, and precision frequency measurements as part of FMTLab.
Particular interest in the report SQ8AZT was sparked by a presentation on navigation-signal interference. It covered jamming, spoofing, and meaconing, as well as ways to identify this type of interference. The program also included a meeting with representatives of the Office of Electronic Communications, during which examples of unusual interference encountered in practice were presented.
Another technical highlight was radio-technology measurements using a VNA. Michał SP9XWM discussed the basics and practical applications of antenna analyzers and vector network analyzers. According to a participant’s report, the presentation also included a practical measurement of a filter operating at around 800 MHz.
PUK – projects created by amateur-radio operators
One of Burzenin’s most distinctive features remains the PUK – Useful Amateur Radio Device. Its aim is to promote the independent design and construction of electronic devices used in amateur-radio practice, as well as self-education and teamwork. The rules cover, among other things, transmitters and receivers, antennas, measurement equipment, other functional blocks, and software.
This year’s exhibition featured a wide variety of projects. Antoni SQ8AZT highlighted, among other things, oil-cooled dummy loads by SP3SWJ as well as a large medium-wave receiving antenna built by SP1PT. The latter construction took the form of a multi-turn loop on a wooden frame, equipped with a variable-capacitor tuning circuit.
The PUK exhibition clearly reflects the character of the entire Convention — the devices on display are not limited to theories or visualizations. They are real, completed projects that can be examined up close, while their authors are available to discuss them and exchange experience concerning their construction and the solutions used.
More than lectures
Burzenin also includes outdoor activities. This year’s program featured the first ARDF competition organized during the Convention, transmitter-building workshops for radio-orientation sports, and outdoor „fox hunts” for children and adults. A separate workshop session was also prepared for the youngest participants.
On Saturday, a several-hour flea market, traditionally a place to look for parts, components, and radio equipment, was also open.
Socializing was also an important part of the Convention. On both evenings, the organizers arranged gatherings under the shelter, while Saturday’s program also included taking an official group photograph.
Burzenin remains a place for hands-on technical work
The Amateur Radio Technical Convention grew out of the QRP Workshops. The first editions were more intimate and focused on low-power operation. As interest grew, the format expanded to encompass the entire amateur-radio community and a much broader range of technology. Burzenin nevertheless remained primarily a place for building, experimenting, and exchanging experience.
This year’s edition continues that tradition well. Alongside classic antenna and measurement topics, there were sessions on PCB design, electromagnetic compatibility, satellite navigation systems, artificial intelligence, and precision frequency measurements. The program therefore covered both fundamentals useful to beginners and topics aimed at more advanced builders.
An important element of the event remains the opportunity to meet directly with people working in specific areas of technology. The combination of knowledge shared during lectures with the opportunity to see working projects, antennas, and measuring instruments is one of Burzenin’s most distinctive features.
Official Convention website
Full Convention program
Antoni’s photographic report SQ8AZT