K1LZ Krassimir “Krassy” Petkov
Team: North America 1 (Team Leader)
Country: USA
Age: 58
Occupation: CEO of Milara, Inc. and ACOM North America
Krassy received his first license in 1969 while in sixth grade (12 years old) where he operated from club stations LZ1KCZ and LZ1KDP in Bulgaria. He received the call sign LZ1SA after passing Level C, B and A examinations in 1996. George (LZ1GS) was his mentor from the beginning. Other callsigns were N1QQO (1991), AA1ND and then K1LZ (2006).
His formal education includes a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science in Mechanical Systems for Robots and two years of special Engineering Mathematics.
Krassy is the CEO of Milara, Inc. and ACOM North America. He is the cofounder of ACOM with LZ1JK. He has been a major financial contributor (ACOM amplifier loans and paying for shipping expenses) for many DXpeditions in the last 10 years.
He was a key player on the N8S Swains Island (April 2007) and 5A7A Libya (November 2007) DXpedition teams. In 1999 he organized a DXpedition with PY5EG to ZX0F. He was also a member of the CY9SS, TS6A, and YI9PSE expeditions.
Krassy is very active in the ARRL DX and CQ World Wide contests each year from his location in Jamaica 6Y1V or 6Y1LZ and his own QTH in USA as K1LZ.
This will be Krassy’s fourth appearance in WRTC. Previous efforts were WRTC 1996 San Francisco with LZ2PO, WRTC 2006 Brazil with LZ1HM, and WRTC 2010 Moscow with K1ZM. He was a member of the WRTC 2006 Fund Raising Committee and contributed all of the amplifiers and antennas for the event.
“For me WRTC2014 is special because it is my fourth and maybe will be my last one. It is in Boston area where I live. I love to enjoy my time with all my friends around the world. I consider them not as competitors; I consider them as my brothers. And I really wish them good luck!”