Born in Spain 135 years ago, Manuel "Manolin" Alvarez Alvarez grew up in Cuba where he and his family settled in Caibarién -- the same coastal city where members of the Radio Club de Caibarién have been calling CQ since early September to bring attention to his legacy. Special event station T46W is on the air through to the 29th on HF using CW, SSB, FM, FT4, FT8 and RTTY.
Manolin was both a broadcaster and a telegrapher. He held the amateur radio callsign CO6MA for 70 years as an active ham He was also skilled at building electronics, constructing his first receiver in 1919. Only a year later, he became one of the earliest operators to transmit radio signals from Cuba. He helped get the region's first radio station, known as 6 EV, on the air in January 1923. The radios he'd built allowed many listeners to enjoy radio programming he transmitted, hosting music as well as live sports commentary.
His long tenure in radio eventually led his involvement in 1985 in starting CMHS Radio Caibarien. Manolin died one year later at the age of 93. That radio station remains on the air, three decades later.
