IOTA NA144 - an exotic DXpedition - within repeater range.
by Frank N6RNX
What is it like working DX from a rare location?
With the morning fog still lifting, we were already sweating. A whole weekend and finally an opening to Europe. The pile up on 20 meter phone was already four calls deep and getting deeper. I had never been on the receiving end of a European pile up before, getting the calls in the log was not unlike getting all those letters down during the 20 word per minute code test. Using the RIT to swing back and forth to separate the calls was fast becoming second nature and the whir of the fan in the back of the radio kicked up yet another speed. This went on till either it was someone else's turn or the band went dead.
What is NA144 - so what?
Santa Cruz Island is located in the North Channel Island Group, just 18 minutes by plane west of Ventura in the Pacific Ocean. Islands On The Air, an amateur radio organization that originated in Great Britain, gives awards for collecting QSL cards from hams that operate from these island groups. This gives greater opportunities for both adventurers and wallpaper chasers as well. DXCC would only consider Santa Cruz as just another W6 call, but to IOTA members, NA144 is among the rarest spots on earth. One of the things that keep it rare is that the islands are really not resort locations. Most of the islands are State Park areas now with extreme restrictions to activities that might have ecological consequences due to the rare species of birds and plants there. These are not commonly visited islands and that makes them a good catch for European , Asian and African IOTA chasers.
What did it take to put this trip together?
It all started for me at the Visalia DX convention. This year we were celebrating the bottom of the sun spot cycle and with so little happening on the bands, especially for guys with modest stations, the IOTA presentations brought more than the normal amount of attention. A superb presentation was given by Martin Atherton, G3ZAY, and I promptly became a member (inexpensive and easy by the way.) My good friend Jim Zimmerman, KG6VI, also delivered an inspiring presentation on his trip to Santa Catalina Island and it looked easy, inexpensive and most of all, doable with my time limitations. I was now thinking of how I could get in on some of this fun.
Jim was putting a trip together for San Miguel Island and I accepted his invitation. San Miguel is the furthest out in the NA144 group and it would be battery power, QRP, and all the gear, including antennas, would have to be carried in by hand (backpack.) This was an interesting proposition for a desert island with no water in the middle of August but I was game. That trip got flushed later on by the Parks Department when they told us of the six foot antenna restriction. Not to be so easily thwarted, Jim came up with a plan B. Santa Cruz has a private ranch that will not only provide a place to sleep but also some of the best food I have had all summer! Hot showers, flush toilets and we could use generators.
Jim and I were to meet with two other hams at the Camarillo Airport and do this adventure as a foursome. I originally wanted to bring some kind of tower and yagi and all kinds of stuff but Jim's advise seemed wise: to pack very light with tried and proven equipment. The philosophy that simplicity meant reliability was our motto. I took my TS50, a 15square foot para-sail kite with a 400 foot antenna and a military surplus 32foot fiberglass whip antenna with radials and a tuner. All my gear was in 3 plastic boxes with foam packing. Jim's gear was nearly identical. We were a lean mean radio machine.
The other half of our team was Barry Bitteman, WB6UTY, and Tom Attwood, W6IXP. They had a different philosophy for packing on this trip. They had packed Kenwood 850's and backup rigs with a yagi, masts, G5RV, R5 and HF2V. They had approximately twenty cardboard boxes. I got to see how each worked in the field and I think I made the right choice for my first trip out. I still like the idea of a yagi though, it looks really good!
What were conditions like?
As we boarded the plane we saw another guy loading a bag labeled "COAX & WIRE" into our plane. We thought maybe we would be having company and on further investigation learned that this gentleman, Dave Parks is not only a ham but would be assisting us as one of the staff at Smugglers Ranch. He was a great help in putting together antennas and keeping us well taken care of during our stay.
The plane we went over on is called an Islander, a twin engine Short Take Off and Landing plane capable of carrying about six passengers and gear. The trip was short and the landing was interesting. As we approached the island, we flew towards a cliff that overshadowed a spectacular beach. I kept looking for the airstrip. Where is that airstrip? It can't be that dirt road that is only 100 yards long and goes over three hills doing it? At the end of the runway there were the remains of some old military vehicles and a shed that had been labeled "Santa Cruz International Airport."
The process of setting up and tearing down was just like any field day. The tent was provided to us and we brought everything else. We set up at the end of the airstrip and walked about one mile to the ranch house for meals and sleeping. It was very foggy in the late evenings making 80 and 160 impossible due to the static charges in the fog on the antennas. There was never enough wind to use the kite antennas we had so many hopes on using but the vertical antennas worked very well. They were easily deployed, loaded up nicely on all the bands and seemed to perform better than expected. The bands were not good enough to run multiple bands or multiple modes very often on the same bands. The afternoons were pretty dead leaving early mornings and early evenings the best. As we expected, Europe waited till we were almost tearing down before it opened up. It was a short opening. The IOTA contest gave us a lot of action for 12 workable hours. We had a great time.
What were other things of interest?
As long as the Parks Department doesn't impose restrictions on Smuggler's Ranch, This will be a great spot for this kind of activity or just relaxing. The island is full of foxes, sheep, pigs and goats. The ranch is delightful and the food is tremendous. It is the kind of experience you will remember for many years. Dave is working on the idea of putting in permanent antennas for future groups if there is an interest.
There are many interesting things to see and do on the island from hiking and fishing to hunting and relaxing. The beaches and views are very beautiful.
Would you like to do this?
I had a really fine DX chasing station for many years and now circumstances prevent me from having as good a station. Rather than throw in the towel on ham radio, I have decided to try to become the DX any time I can. One of the guys I talked to on 40 meter CW was a ham that was backpacking in the mountains over Santa Barbara and was using a 7foot whip and a battery operated QRP rig in his back pack. A ready to go, quick and simple radio station can make many locations just that. A tall mountain or a historical place or an Island nearby is probably of interest to somebody that would really like to have a small souvenir from that location. I am now ready for the next one.
Send Frank or Jim a note ? :Frank N6RNX or Jim KG6VI
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