C5 AF-060 photos

In order they were on the camera....

The boat that took me to AF-060

 And Christine (not a radio amateur)

The Gambia coast... about mile or so into the Atlantic.... note the typical warm/hot Gambia weather... not that  day, it was cold!

I set-up literally as the boat landed so was away from the bird nesting areas. As required by the warden. Note the seaweed I was at high water mark!

Christine carried on walking as I operated...

Terns... lots of them... I think called carrot terns (beaks looks like carrots)

Pelicans.

The remains of the old lighthouse is a prize nesting site and the highest thing on the islands. Don't think I'd like to be here in rough weather though as the waves could cover this place. It is a big sand bar really.

Pelicans

Terns... and see the little baby terns too.

Sort of fluffy grey with orange legs and beaks.

 Me operating photo taken from the lighthouse... note water had gone out a bit since arrived.... that is the Gambia coast in the back ground.

When I started I was almost sitting in the water... this was as dry as it got.

 The guide (in orange top) and the boat man on the left.

Stuffing the most important bit inside the life jacket the log book!

bye bye bijol islands...

Dropped camera... so I knackered it I think...

Scandanavian IOTA 2013 and 2014

Was asked to list the IOTA trip days and locations for those IOTA QSL chasers

14/6/2013 oz/m1kta/mm
16/6/2013 sm/m1kta/p from mainland (sm7ucz qth)
17/6/2013 sm/m1kta/p ditto
18/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu138 utlangan
19/6/2013 sm/m1kta/p ditto
21/6/2013 sm/m1kta/p ditto
22/6/2013 sm/m1kta/p North Of Kalmar Paskallavik
23/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu037 oland sandvik campsite
24/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu037 oland speudde beach
25/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu037 oland lange erik light house north oland
26/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu037 oland sandvik
28/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu037 oland sandvik
30/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu138 tjurko
30/6/2013 sm7/m1kta/p eu138 sturko
1/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p ditto
2/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p torshamm
1/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p eu138 utlangan
2/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p eu138 utlangan
3/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p eu138 langoren
4/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu030 bornholm
5/7/2013  sm7/m1kta/p mainland
5/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu029 mon
6/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu029 lolland
7/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu172 langeland
8/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu172 langeland
9/7/2013  oz/m1kta/p eu172 sio

2013 IOTA contest I was on EU138 Utlangan SM7/M1KTA/P
I came 18th in the DXpedition 24h mix single operator assisted QRP category (135 QSO, 16 IOTA... you can find it hard to get that number up from a rare IOTA!) 13840 points.

2014 IOTA contest I was on EU037 Garpen SM7/M1KTA/P
I cam1 11th in the DXpedition 24h mix single operator unassisted QRP category (265 QSO (double previous year!), 30 IOTA and 58650 points

2015 IOTA Contest I expect I will be on EU138 Utklippan
(or EU011 St Agnes with SCC M1K)

C5X

Thought I'd have a listen and see if you can work them qrp .... 4 hours of non stop listening and sending m1kta when heard the c5x up..... only to them hear them answer someone else... until... finally I got them at 17:22 UTC 15m 21.009.168 qsx 21.010.724 cw abt 17:20, I was 100% on macros and if I blinked it was all over, lot faster than my C5 operating, I got lot of learning to do hihi!

http://m1kta.ham-radio-op.net/m1kta/c5x_qsowithm1kta15m.wav

about 21 seconds in...

KX3 10W cw (so not qrp) into a 6BTV vertical.

So can be done almost qrp :-)

High winds

I'm sure loads of other in UK are having high winds... I just had sustained 35mph winds, no gusts and it took out several fence panels, antenna supports (even guyed) and a G7FEK I had just put up so I'm off air for a bit.

torroids to ID

Anyone got any idea WHAT those torroids are?

Sort of a light purple/mauve colour.

It is the LPF in a RM HLA300 (so not qrp)

VQ9 DX trip by M1KTA.... no chance.

Reminded of the school report from my second year in Geography when it was suggested that sometimes I really need to focus on the topic and must try harder..

I have tried and tried over a couple of years almost every way I can think of to try and get out to VQ9 to operate, as it is technically a British territory and part of the Commonwealth you'd think it would be possible...but got nowhere.

Finally had the response...

", it is not possible for private individuals to visit Diego Garcia.  There are no exceptions to these restrictions, it is not simply a matter of security clearance."

Unless you are a contractor to the USAF and a US citizen it doesn't seem to be possible. Most odd as the place is British and the US are a guest :-)

Perhaps when/if the US lease runs out it might be possible?

Ho hum.... add it to the list of DXCC that I must try harder to get to one day.

K regional prefix.... looks less likely.

I was curious as I oft travel to parents in Cornwall... could I use it? If so  how does one go about applying for the NoV etc....So I asked OfCom......(foolishly expecting a decision perhaps) this was the response.

"The proposal to allow the regional indicator is currently being considered by our legal advisers.  We cannot say more than that at present and unfortunately cannot give an indication of when or indeed if this will happen."