Friday, June 14, 2024

15 June: Activation (attempt) of IS-0108 - Spákonufellshöfði Country Park

Our accommodations the night of 15 June are just a km away from a place I can't pronounce but will probably be able to activate due to its close proximity to our hotel.

Spákonufellshöfði Country Park has never been activated before and is on the northwestern coast of Iceland with a potentially good path to NA.

Starting time is tough to estimate as unplanned events sometimes join us for a while. I spent the first 45 minutes this morning getting a tire replaced on our rental car (and yesterday evening, changing the flat tire on the car on a lonely country road!)...but my best guesstimate is 1900-1930Z.

KX2, 10 watts, magnet-mount 1/4-wave vertical on car, CW only.

I'll start on the highest open band, checking for "openness" by looking at the DX cluster for spots between NA and northern EU. Whatever band those spots are on, that's where I'll be.

BTW, UTC time is also my local time.

Here's my fav pic from Day 1 in this awesome country:


This is Strokkur Geyser; it erupts every 4-6 minutes so we stayed a while and saw several. For one, I had my drone in the air, looking down as the geyser erupted (yes, I had permission). Amazing footage for the eventual video.

Hope to work a lot of POTA hunters Saturday evening.

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12 comments:

  1. Hope to work you this evening John, will be listening out for you. 73, Bas

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  2. OMG my computer locked. I had to grab the paddle and try. It was not what I wanted really. It was not what I expected from my first real CW QSO. But at least you probabely understood my intentions John. I could send you a (standard) report and a 73. I wanted to send something else but I was shaking too much ;-). Tnx for the CW QSO anyway. 73, Bas

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  3. PE4BAS: In The Log on CW!

    Thanks for the contact, OM - very good to work you... and I have it all on camera too! 73

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  4. Oh no, my errors on camera...well we'll see/hear. 73, Bas

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    1. No errors. My editing will make you sound like a professional telegrapher...

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  5. Heard you on 17m but had my KX2 so tricked out that I don't think you could hear me. If we connect on 20m it'll be with your old QMX.

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    1. I'm not sure if I'll be able to squeeze another activation in but I'm glad the QMX is seeing duty there. 73

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  6. Ayer 15 de Junio logre escucharte en CW, pero no me escuchaste a mi. Lo seguiré intentando domingo y lunes, te mando un afectuoso saludo desde Chile (Hector- CE3FZL)

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    1. Gracias, Héctor. ¡Hubiera sido un DX increíble! Ya estoy de vuelta en casa.

      73,
      John

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  7. Spákonufellshöfði = Spá konu fells höfði = Ghost wife mountain head. Sounds like a scary place to be for a long time ...

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    1. Thanks for the translation, Sverre. We are safely two hours away now...!
      73

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