Traffic conditions : TRX : Icom 706MKIIG & Yaesu FT100 ANT : Bambi (quad 1 elmt) & A99 Power Supply : Power generator unit +battery 60A
QTH : ME044, Grand Ribaud island, referenced EU070, between Giens and Porquerolles ( dep83 ).
Christian had prepared everything, Zodiac (the boat) and car were ready. Once the team gathered, the departure took place ; It was 14h30. Once arrived to the harbour, two ways with Zodiac were still necessary to take the material and the operators on the island. Even if the sky was clear, the sea was shaken, and the beach where we had foreseen to camp did not be anymore than a sand band, too narrow to receive us. These two ways took a long time. Equipment has been sheltered on the boulders, the sun were down, we were going to have to do the installation by night. But where ?
A little bit higher on the cliff, two old boards has been discovered and allowed, once put on a big shrub, to obtain a sufficiently glides surface to put the radio equipment.
The Bambi antenna installation had been made quickly, on the top of the cliff, and around 22h30, after a conclusive ROS check, the first calls were launched with the 60A battery. The propagation was opened and lasted until 3 o clock in the morning. Poland, British islands were listened with very good reports. The first French stations arrived equally, but more QRP, and, towards 2 o clock in the morning, we had an opening on North America and Canada…
After some hours of rests, the transmissions resumed, towards 7 o clock in the morning. We also took advantage of the light of the days, to improve the installation: covering of bivouac, installation of A99 antenna…
The propagation remained opened on 14 division during a good part of the morning, but decreased in middle afternoon… So much the better because, at this moment, we have been visited by the owner of the island, who did not seem appreciate these 3 guys, who roosted in its cliff. He finally asked us to leave… We had not the choice, the sea was calm now, and we have decided to attempt a new installation on the sand band (on the public domain)...
We profited from it to dismantle the A99 because the tests have not been conclusive, and we needed more cable… (the bivouac has been moved but not the Bambi antenna !).
As soon as the emissions resumed… opening towards South America: Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama were added on the log, as well as Bruno on the British Virgin Islands. The propagation felt down definitively, about midnight, what enabled us to spend a calmer night than the previous one. The propagation, this Sunday, has been very sporadic, but the brief openings, excellent towards North and West France, the signals coming frequently to +10,20,30 db. In the end of the morning, contact with Martine 128, announcing us a storm on the continent… what we could visually confirm ! The Bambi antenna was therefore moved and taken back down of its heights, to be installed near the radio shake. Around 18h30 the first drops of rain were coming. We have had no contact for one hour, then we have decided to put end to the first part of ME044.
The return was quick and we were to Martine 128 and Christian 129 QRA, around 23H…
Balance sheet of the activation: 269 stations contacted, on 28 divisions. 3 pairs of shoes gave up the ghost in Grand Ribaud cliff. To the last news, the zodiac would have suffered equally a lot.
:bj: Many Thanks to 083 Roger for the gift of the Bambi antenna, to 019 Jacques for the power generator unit and the battery, as well as 128 Martine for the logistic. Translate by 14AT243 Bruno.
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