*MEET* 1DA004 Max

On the Apennine Peninsula of southern Europe lives 1DA004 Max; a friendly and professional guy, stacked with technical know-how and DX-pertise, and highly regarded in the worldwide radio community…

Well-practiced in the ancient art of DX work, both on Freeband and ham QRGs, 1DA004 Max (Seen pictured above) connects with the Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) in October, 2025, after several years playing his trade with the AT’s.



History reveals that 1DA004 Max has been involved in radio comms for more than a quarter of a century, kicking off an interest in our fantastic hobby in the 1990s.

During this time, he’s nailed a staggering sum of 305 DXCC entities and this sees him riding high in the top bracket of DX Hunters in the entire 11m Community.

As a radio sports enthusiast, this extreme DX-Guy has also achieved considerable success in contests on Freeband QRGs.

What’s more, the numbers are equally impressive on regular ham bands!



On top of surpassing membership expectations in the DX Hunter category, 1DA004 Max also fulfils criteria in the DXpeditioner section on the back of several successful overseas ventures.

In fact, commendable on-air operations in Morocco (76), Mozambique (204), Cape Verde (205) and Fernando De Noronha (285) all feature in an imposing dx adventure resumé; one which is certain evolve in the coming years with his new Delta-Alfa callsign.



On the word of the updated DA-RC Directory, 1DA004 Max resides in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, a stone’s throw from the scenic shores of the Adriatic Sea.

Known for its medieval cities, rich gastronomy and seaside resorts, this charming region extends from the 1,200 km long Apennine Mountains to the Po River—the longest river in Italy—in the north.



His residence is in Forli, the capital city of the Province of Forlì-Cesena, an area of considerable cultural and artistic significance, and pretty landscapes.

In keeping with Italy’s centuries old yachting tradition, Forli is home to luxury yacht industry leaders, Ferretti.

These guys make multi-million dollar Sports Cruisers, Mega Yachts and Super Yachts.



According to 1DA004 Max, prominent local landmarks include a medieval fortress named The Rocca di Ravaldino which is now used for concerts and exhibitions; the Villa Carpena, a museum dedicated to Mussolini, Italy’s leader during WW II; and the Palazzo Romagnoli which displays Italian art collections, including works by De Chirico.



Let’s take a look at 1DA004 Max shack now, and as the pictures show, it’s one eclectic masterpiece of high-end brands and DX hardware.

Obviously, Max demonstrates a penchant for Icom rigs as the famous logo is splashed right across the bench!

In fact, IC-756 PRO III, IC-7300, IC-7610 and IC-7800 transceivers compete for air-time on a tabletop eppervescent with DX affluence.

For VHF and UHF weak signal work, however, 1DA004 Max turns to a Kenwood TS-790 base radio.



Signals—super-charged by a homemade amplifier—are dispersed into the atmosphere via an impressive array of antennas, across no less than 4 towers.

A series of large yagis and verticals—catering for a range of bands—are a threatening presence in the skies of his neighborhood.

Among them is a 5 element yagi for 27 MHz operations which dwarfs the surrounds.

This horizontal work of art ensures his signal is always at the forefront of rare dx pile ups and one of the most dominant QRZs on the international call frequency, 27.555 MHz USB.



QSL INFOS

PO Box 24, 47121 Forli-Centro, Italy