HF Highlights
Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX reports on the Islands on the Air contest and on the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
reports on the Islands on the Air contest and on the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
The RSGB IOTA Contest took place on July 25/26th and, despite receiving nearly 2500 logs, the organisers published the results only a month later, which may be something of a record. (I remember the days when major international contests’ results took nearly a year to be published!)
With sparse activity from North or South America, to do well in this contest requires making as many contacts as possible with Europe (and particularly British Isles stations because by definition everyone in the UK and Ireland is an Island station and therefore worth three times as many points as those on the mainland of Europe). Unfortunately, conditions were poor from here to Europe and my claimed score was well down on previous years, so I was pleased to receive a certificate for the highest-scoring station from South America. The organisers report that there was plenty of activity this year from stations in Japan and Indonesia. Although propagation was such that most of those were not heard here, it does bode well for the future of this contest, which in the past has always been very Eurocentric. We just need to increase activity from North and South America and in particular the Caribbean islands.
Full results are at: tinyurl.com/y6mgy85m
ILLW August 22nd/23rd
For me, one of the highlights of operating in August was participating in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW) for the first time. Bonaire has three lighthouses, none of which had ever been activated before, at least not to the knowledge of the organisers of ILLW. During a get-together of Bonaire’s amateurs, I suggested that the group should rectify this and put on a station for ILLW. Peter PJ4NX suggested that we go to the Spelonk lighthouse, located on the rough windward (eastern) side of Bonaire. It’s in a remote part of the island requiring four-wheel drive vehicles for access and, after nearly seven years on Bonaire, I had never been there so I jumped at the opportunity to discover a ‘new’ part of my island home!
I contacted the ILLW organisers and they issued reference number BQ0001 to the Spelonk lighthouse. However, in the week leading up to the activity weekend, Bonaire experienced several consecutive days of unseasonably wet weather with thunderstorms and localised flooding. The dirt track to Spelonk became impassable, even for four-wheel drive vehicles.
‘Plan B’ was to activate the Willemstoren lighthouse, Fig. 2, instead. This is at the southernmost tip of Bonaire and is easily accessible with a paved road right up to the lighthouse building. I explained the situation to the ILLW organisers and they issued BQ0002 to the Willemstoren light in time for the weekend.
We set up an HF station with my Icom IC-7300 powered by a Yamaha 2.5kVA generator owned by Bert PJ4KY to Peter’s ‘DX Commander’ multi-band vertical [see the review in the August 2020 PW – Ed]. Berry PJ4BZL provided the all-important barbecue and we all took cold bags with food and drinks. Fortunately, the weather had returned to normal so we were able to operate in the open air; the lighthouse building itself providing much-needed shade, Fig. 3.
This was very much a social event rather than a strictly operating event, but that fitted in nicely with the ILLW ethos which, it is emphasised, is not a contest. It was good to contact several other lighthouse stations during the weekend, including PA2TMS at NL048 on Texel Island, VY2PLH at CA051 on Prince Edward Island and KP2AD at VI001 in the Virgin Islands. Best DX by far was a 7MHz SSB greyline contact with Billy
YB6NE on Sumatra, who called in while Peter PJ4NX was operating. The weekend also provided an opportunity for some of the island’s less-active operators to get on the air. Erwin PJ4EL received his Bonaire licence just before ILLW so was able to make his first QSOs with the new callsign. We were also visited by Ish, a local lady who hopes to become licensed herself before too long.
The event was a real success and we are already planning to activate BQ0001 for ILLW 2021 – weather permitting, of course!
Meanwhile, over in Gibraltar, Kevin Hewitt ZB2GI reported that the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society activated Europa Point Lighthouse ZB2LGT, GI001, Fig. 4. Kevin, John ZB2JK, Francis ZB3Y and Andy Rainer all operated SSB with Derek ZB2CW operating CW. The station operated on 80m to 10m and comprised a Yaesu FT-450 running 100W into 10m of wire wound on a 9m telescopic fishing pole connected via a 9:1 balun. Kevin also operated on digimodes using a Yaesu FT-897 running 40W. The log included over 700 SSB and 250 FT8 contacts. Kevin commented “Great to work HFH regular contributor Etienne OS8D while I was operating SSB on 20m.The majority of SSB contacts were made into Europe on 20m. The majority of FT8 contacts were made into Europe across all the bands.”
Bill Ward 2E0BWX reports working DL0MFK/LH on 18MHz FT8 during ILLW. This station was active from the Karnin Lighthouse, DE013, on Usedom Island, IOTA EU-129.
There are more reports and full details of the ILLW programme on their website at: illw.net
Readers’News
Bill 2E0BWX sent in a short report of his activity on FT8 and FT4, including QSOs with special event station OE25DMT, commemorating 25 years of Austria in the EU, as well as DL0MFK/LH during the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend.
In addition to his activity as ZB2LGT, this month Kevin ZB2GI also operated portable from the great siege tunnels viewing
platform at the north end of the Rock, Fig. 5, using an Icom IC-703 with 5m of wire wound on to a 5m telescopic fishing pole and connected via a 9:1 balun, from the GARS club station using a Hexbeam antenna, from the top of the Rock, and from his home station.
Etienne Vrebos OS8D/ON8DN wrote that he had “not that many activities this month, even if I called CQ many times
direction east”. Etienne carried out some tests with European stations during which he confirmed that his 40m end-fed wire “is much better in receiving and transmitting than the Butternut [HF2V vertical]”. I would have expected that to be the case, but I would also expect the Butternut vertical to outperform the end-fed wire for DX stations on both 40m and 80m. I remember putting up a Butternut HF2V when, as G4JVG, I moved to Stevenage in 1995. Almost the first station I worked on it on 80m SSB was Betty Christian VR6YL, Fig. 6, wife of the late Tom Christian MBE, VR6TC, a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian of mutiny on the Bounty fame (she called me, so this was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time!) The Butternut was fairly useless for working around Europe, though!
Etienne also commented: “You’ve seen I made a lot of QSOs with Asia [see ‘Around the Bands’ below – Ed]... Japanese people are sometimes very difficult to understand but I love them because they are that polite and patient. That’s the fun of making SSB contacts, trying to use other languages, trying to understand and with a little experience make QSOs (short ones) with Russians just by knowing some easy and simple words.”
Tony Usher G4HZW reports that “28MHz seems to have run out of steam after an excellent summer. It had one last fling in midAugust and on the evening of the 16th South Americans were rolling in with huge signals. I half expected the band to open up to longpath VK and ZL! One of the stations worked was LU1BJW who sent me an e-mail thanking me for the QSO: it was our second, the first being in 1985! The Nordic Radio Amateur Union 28MHz Activity Contest, late on September 3rd, proved entertaining as I was using FT8 in contest mode for the first time. On 7MHz, looking at what others are working, the vertical is OK to the west but leaves a lot to be desired to the east. I think it could be due to the fact that I wasn’t able to bury radials on the east side. China and Thailand were new countries for me during the month, so I’m not complaining.”
Owen Williams G0PHY wrote that “The bulk of the DX I worked this month was in the All Asia phone contest with stations worked in Asiatic Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Oman. I heard one Japanese station and a couple of Thai stations. Outside the contest I worked into Canada and also had a QSO with 4S7JL/MM off the north-west African coast, he was a very strong signal. It reminded me of a tale my father told me when he had an Artificial Aerial licence and at the time was living in Liverpool. One day he heard an American with a very strong signal. He was a bit disappointed to hear he was a maritime mobile on the Manchester ship canal.”
Following the excitement of splendid propagation over the WAE CW contest weekend, Victor Brand G3JNB reports “It went quiet here for several days although I tried Andy 5Z4/G3AB in Nairobi on 20m, making several unsuccessful attempts. He used his new callsign 5Z4VJ, appropriate the day before our ‘VJ Day’ celebrations. Then, on 17m, Jeff TZ4AM Mali was logged. Routine 20m sessions involved OH0Z, the Åland Islands plus club station OE25XGM and the ever-present 4U1A in Vienna. Raising the ‘anti’, 2.5 watt CW contacts using an original ‘Miracle Whip’ antenna and my FT-818 on battery, added a little spice to the lockdown scenario. Several 20m contacts from indoors
and the garden included LZ3ZX, SP50BNV and YL3JD. Realising I really ‘needed to get out more’ I took the rig and tiny antenna up the hilltop above my village, Fig. 7. What a difference height above sea level makes: EUs with moderate strengths in the valley were blowing my head off! First call on 20m and Frank OV1CDX came straight back. An enjoyable couple of hours, with RL4F the best DX at 1528 miles. On August 22nd the 15 – 40m bands blossomed. 5Z4VJ was finally logged on 20m. Next day, CX1AA the Radio Club of Uruguay in Montevideo, was worked on both 15m and 40m, plus the Radio Amateurs Club Kourou FY5KE in French Guiana on 17m and D2EB Angola on 17 and 30m. And so it went on. C31US Andorra obliged on 40m, A61Q of UAE on 30m and 9Z4Y Trinidad on 20m. But no JAs, VKs or ZLs.
“So could it be true? This QRPer climbed the Hill to consult the Old Timer, asking if Cycle 25 really had started? Thoughtfully, he gazed at me and quietly replied ‘Patience my son... the Sundancers are still warming up’. Ah!”
Around the Bands
Bill 2E0BWX: 7MHz FT8: DG5YL. 14MHz FT8: OE25DMT and other Europeans. 14MHz FT4: IK1HJS. 18MHz FT8: DL0MFK/ LH. 18MHz FT4: F6KBF. 28MHz FT8: EA3GLE.
Etienne OS8D / ON8DN: 14MHz SSB: 5E7PA, 5T5PA, 5Z4VJ, 9V1YC, BD7BM, BD7DT, BG4OP, HS3PIK, JA1OGI, JE1RXJ, JG1OUT, JH1GEX, JH4UYB, JH9URT, JR1GSE, JY5MM, UN7QF, V85T, ZB2LGT.
Kevin ZB2GI: 7MHz FT8: K6JDC. 14MHz SSB: AJ2I, K1VYU, NL7WA (Florida). 18MHz SSB: 5T5PA, PY5QW + many Europeans. 18MHz FT8: 9Y4VF, CT3IQ, FG8OJ, K4AWM, K8CW, W1JX. 28MHz SSB: M3DDY.
The ZB2LGT log included: 3.5MHz FT8: LU5EPB. 5MHz FT8: HB0CC, K8MFO, N4UXP, W4CHA, N7GB, N6RW. 7MHz SSB: JM5CJZ. 7MHz FT8: 6E6E, BH4QYX, K7KE, KC2ZOR, N7IVV, NR0P, VA3DX, W4DWS, W0VHF. 10MHz FT8: EA4ESI. 14MHz SSB: 5B60AIX, 9H1DL (MT0001), 9Z4FE, CR5L (PT025), CX2CB, DL0HGW (DE0123), DQ100SL, HK1NP, II1L (IT177), IQ4RA/LH (IT0028), JG0CUK, LU1PHF/P, LU9DD, N2ED, ON9BD (BE0006), OS8D, PP5SEM, PY1FC, PY2HP, PY7BC. 14MHz CW: DK0RA/LH (DE0050), DL0HGW/LH (DE0123), GB0PLL (UK0222), OE4XMF/LH (AT0004), W0WP. 14MHz FT8: M0BSM/LH. 18MHz SSB: 5B60AIX, AE3CT, W5ZM. 18MHz CW: ZD7BG. 18MHz FT8: 9K2OW, CO6HLP, NP4W, PY2EBD, TA2K, W3FOX, W4DR. 21MHz FT8: 5H1FF, 9H1FL, BG2WRJ, HC2TMZ, PT7AAS, PU1JSV,
PU2OOC, PU4LSB, PU5AOA. 24MHz FT8: PE5I. 28MHz SSB: EA7AQR. 28MHz FT8: TK5IH, ZS6BUN, ZS6VLR.
Tony G4HZW: 7MHz FT4: A45XR, HS5XWY, K7BV, N1SNB, NB2P, NF3R, VE2CSI (Zone 2). 7MHz FT8: BG0BBB, KC1JMF, PT2ADM, VE1BZI, VE9FI. 28MHz FT8: 5T5PA, A71AE, CE3DOH, CX4CAW, CX7CO, HC1DAZ, HC1HC, LU1BJW, LU2FDA, LU3DI, LU4DTD, LU5FPJ, LU7PB, LU9HPO, LW2EIY, PP2CS, PU1SKS, PU2KRL, PU4TNT, PY1VOY, PY2DPM, RA9LL, RV9CX, UA9WOU, UN7LZ,
VO1CH, W1NRB, YV5JLO, ZD7MY. Owen G0PHY: 7MHz SSB: 4X1DX, UN9L. 14MHz SSB: 4S7JL/MM, A42K, HZ7C, UN9L, TA4CS, UA9A, VE9FI, VE2CSI. 21MHz SSB: 5B4AIF.
Signing Off
Thanks to all contributors. Please send all input for this column to teleniuslowe@ gmail.com by the 11th of each month. For the January 2021 issue the deadline is November 11th. 73, Steve PJ4DX.