ARI Parma APS (IQ4AD): Decades of Radio, Innovation, and Community Service

Parma, Italy – The A.R.I. (Associazione Radioamatori Italiani) Sezione di Parma APS, identified by its call sign IQ4AD, is a highly active and deeply integrated local chapter of the Italian Amateur Radio Association. With its roots tracing back to December 4, 1949, ARI Parma APS is one of 289 local sections of ARI, an organization founded in 1927 with Nobel laureate Guglielmo Marconi as its Honorary President. ARI itself was recognized as a Moral Entity by Presidential Decree in 1950 and has been listed as a Civil Protection volunteer organization since 1998.

The section is currently located at VIA UMBERTO TERRACINI 7/A, 43123 PARMA PR. For inquiries, you can contact President IK4UOA Cavazzoni Andrea. Meetings are held every Friday from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. You can also find more information on their website: www.ariparma.it.

The Essence of Amateur Radio

The "Amateur Radio Service" has been recognized internationally since the 1927 International Telecommunication Union Conference in Washington. This recognition stems from radio amateurs' contributions to technical progress in radiocommunications, their self-learning capabilities open to all, their wonderful role in fostering international relations through messages of peace without distinction, and their constant availability in emergencies. The current definition states: "A service of individual training, intercommunication, and technical research carried out by properly authorized persons interested in radiotechnology, who have only a personal interest, without any profit motive."

Today, the ARI Parma section, with around fifty members, collaborates with the national ARI headquarters to:

• Unite radio amateurs for scientific and cultural purposes and assist those interested in radio activities and related fields.
• Promote the development and experimentation of new radiocommunication technologies.
• Provide services to members, such as access to their library, technical laboratory, and association equipment, while also promoting activities open to non-members like seminars, roundtables, and technical and recreational meetings.
• Collaborate with authorities during emergencies or necessities by providing expertise and resources for alternative radio communication services. Regional activities are coordinated with the Regional Committee, where ARI Parma participates with its own delegates.

A Legacy of Community Engagement and Emergency Response

ARI Parma engages in numerous and diverse activities. They regularly collaborate with schools across the City and Province of Parma, from elementary to university levels, to spread interest in radio, its history, applications, and associated technologies. Over the years, they've worked with institutions like ITIS, IPSIA, Liceo Marconi, Corazza Elementary School, the Faculty of Engineering, and middle schools in Sala Baganza, promoting knowledge of radiotechnology and electromagnetic wave propagation through practical projects and laboratory exercises. Many of these initiatives have received patronage from the Municipality or Province of Parma.

ARI Parma has participated in public projects and events involving students and young people, including Christmas events with Poste Italiane (2010-2012), collaborations with Casa della Musica/Casa del Suono on occasions related to the anniversary of Marconi's Nobel Prize (2009 onwards), and participation in events like "Paese in gioco" in Trecasali.

Throughout its history, ARI Parma has been crucial in civil protection exercises in Parma and, tragically, has intervened in disaster-stricken areas:

• The CER group from Parma assisted communities affected by the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
• A large group of Parma radio amateurs provided assistance in Senerchia (AV) after the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.
• In November 1982, 23 Parma radio amateurs offered their services during the Po river flood in Sissa (PR).
• They were also present during the 1987 Valtellina disaster.

Today, ARI Parma ensures an alternative communication network in emergencies. They maintain a station in the Prefecture's Operations Room, from which they can connect via radio to the Ministry of Interior through the Civil Protection Department in Rome, the Operational Center, various regional radio and coordination rooms, and maintain contact with radio amateurs in activated zones. The local Prefecture regularly calls upon ARI Parma for operational tests from their Operations Room (Sintonia Tests, approximately every three months) to identify and remedy any communication issues proactively.

The Prefecture's radio room in Parma was recently activated by ARI Parma radio amateurs following the Baganza torrent flood in October 2014, which disabled important mobile phone and internet systems.

ARI Parma manages two repeater bridges, one of which (RU5 – IR4UN) located on Monte Cassio (PR), is part of the regional Civil Protection network.

Contests, Expeditions, and Technical Education

ARI Parma actively participates in numerous contests, which are a significant amateur radio activity that enhances technical knowledge and operational skills. These "radio sports" challenge operators worldwide to make the most contacts over the greatest distances in challenging propagation conditions. The "Field Day" is a particularly sporting variant, conducted from field stations using portable batteries or autonomous generators, independent of traditional electrical grids.

SOTA (Summits on The Air) is a blend of radio and outdoor sports, where radio amateurs conduct Field Day-like activities after reaching mountain peaks, carrying their radio gear, antennas, and batteries, thus testing their physical and athletic abilities.

Some members practice ARDF (Amateur Radio Direction Finding), also known as "radio foxhunting" or "fox T-hunting." This technical-sporting activity involves locating hidden low-power transmitters in a given area, combining orienteering skills, radio direction finding, and athletic endurance to find the "foxes" in the shortest possible time.

A large group of members focuses on new technologies, including digital transmissions and microwaves, continuously pushing the boundaries of utilized frequency bands.

Other members activate field radio stations at historical or touristically interesting locations like castles, abbeys, lighthouses, or lakes. This promotes the natural and artistic beauties of the territory both directly via radio contacts with amateurs worldwide and subsequently through personalized QSL cards illustrating the location or event. The section's own radio station can also be moved to interesting locations and operated by members; it was recently activated from the bastions of the Parma Citadel on June 17, 2017. This form of tourist promotion is seen as valuable, especially for recurring cultural events like the Verdi Festival.

Radio and radio amateurs have always been, and continue to be, an important and often indispensable technical-operational support for other sports events, in collaboration with sports groups for activities like rally car races or athletic and running competitions. In these instances, ARI Parma radio amateurs provide "radio assistance," ensuring timely and constant real-time communication between race headquarters and various timekeepers and controllers at different checkpoints along the route, thereby enhancing overall safety during the event.

Since May 2004, the section headquarters has hosted "Conversations on the 1st Friday of the month," monthly meetings open to all, covering technical topics in radio-electronics.

Some members formed the Monte Giogo Scatter Group, revitalizing and partially restoring the historic site of the former NATO base on Monte Giogo near the Lagastrello pass. They also collect vintage amateur radio equipment, forming an "Itinerant Museum" while awaiting a suitable permanent location. This group has also established a collaboration with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology for research activities related to the study and electromagnetic monitoring for potential links to seismic events.

In 2011, the Parma Section organized the Sport Radio and Electronics Exhibition in collaboration with and under the patronage of the Municipality of Parma, held at the Parma Congress Center as part of the "Parma European City of Sport 2011" events. This historical, sporting, and cultural exhibition also included an amateur radio exchange market.

In 2012, a new collaboration began with AIPo (Interregional Agency for the Po River), with members reactivating disused equipment from AIPo's HF radio network.

During the May-June 2012 earthquake in Emilia, some ARI Parma radio amateurs responded to the call of the ARI Regional Committee President (based on the agreement between the Emilia-Romagna Region and ARI for Civil Protection activities). Their participation was crucial in organizing operational radio networks in the earthquake-affected areas and activating radiocommunications at the Operational Center in Mirandola (MO).

ARI Parma participated in "Evento Enigma" as part of the European Researchers' Week, culminating in Researchers' Night (September 26, 2014). This initiative, promoted by the European Commission, involves researchers, institutions, universities, and museums from across Europe to foster scientific culture through public engagement. On this occasion, European radio amateurs exchanged messages using original WWII Enigma cipher machines or emulation software.

The ARI Parma Section was present at the 1st and 2nd Electronics Fairs at Fiere di Parma (November 29-30, 2014), making significant organizational contributions, a tradition continued in subsequent editions in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Education and Official Recognition

As a training ground for new radiocommunication technicians, ARI Parma organizes free radiotechnology courses, open to all, aimed at preparing interested individuals to pass the ministerial exam for the radio operator's license. This license is essential for operating from institutional radio rooms and for applying for a personal radio operator's license. Since 2016, this annual course has received the patronage of the Municipality of Parma, and in recent years, it has helped an average of 5 people pass the ministerial exam annually. Many members, trained at ARI Parma, also regularly volunteer for other civil protection associations.

ARI Parma collaborates with the Regional Civil Protection Agency, providing operators for the Permanent Unified Operations Room (SOUP) during various summer campaigns for combating forest fires.

ARI, as a member of IARU (International Amateur Radio Union), supports the IARU initiative to propose the recognition of Radiotelegraphy (CW) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The Parma Section seizes every opportunity to commemorate this heritage through articles and initiatives related to radiotelegraphy. Since 2015, a free, open-to-all telegraphy course has been conducted at the headquarters. This semester-long course is repeated annually and has received the patronage of the Municipality of Parma since 2016.

Since September 24, 2015, ARI Parma has been registered in the Register of Free Associative Forms of the Municipality of Parma, under number 222.

The technical-scientific dissemination efforts also include courses on specialized topics, particularly new electronic components or access to advanced technologies rarely approached by the average radio amateur (microwaves, digital modulations, etc.). In 2016, a free Arduino platform course, open to all and sponsored by the Municipality of Parma, was held. In 2017, for the first time, a PHP, HTML, MySQL programming course was launched, extending into 2018. This course teaches common and modern programming languages and techniques for developing dynamic programs and websites to about ten students.

Thanks to the availability of many members who have consistently collaborated with the local Prefecture for years, ARI Parma's technical contribution and professionalism are highly valued. Following guidelines from the Ministry of Interior, the Parma Section (in collaboration with the Fidenza Section) was called upon by the Prefecture in 2016 to verify the functioning of radio equipment in the COM (Mixed Operational Centers) of the Province and to conduct connection tests between the COMs and the CCS (Rescue Coordination Center) located at the Parma Prefecture.

In 2017, ARI Parma, with the patronage of the Municipality of Parma and the collaboration of the Club dei 27, developed an original initiative to commemorate Giuseppe Verdi. Between the anniversaries of his birth (October 10) and death (January 27), the special call sign station II4GV (issued specifically by the Ministry) was active on various amateur radio bands to remember the Maestro through contacts with radio amateurs worldwide. On October 10, 2017, the special radio station was set up in the Cittadella, providing public visibility to the commemoration and attracting numerous citizens.

ARI Parma collaborated in organizing and participated in the conference "Radiocommunication in Emergency: Scenarios and Opportunities" held in Parma on November 25, 2017, which received significant acclaim and important recognition.

All activities of ARI Parma are non-profit and have been sustained solely by membership fees until recently. In February 2020, a referendum among members led to ARI Parma's transition to a Social Promotion Association (APS). On December 30, 2020, the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani – Sezione di Parma APS was officially registered with the Regional Register under number 6886.