bl2.jpg (25047 bytes)CS8B

DIP - Diploma das Ilhas Portuguesas / Portuguese Islands Award

Ilhas da Ria de Aveiro - Beira Litoral

 

Being comfortable at home working DX doesn't really makes my way into this hobbie and 3 years after I got my HAM license I was kind of fed-up looking at the same pictures hanging in the my radio shack walls ! I really wanted to get out in the field but being a HAM for a short time didn't really helped to be invited to some of the DX'peditions hapenning at the time, not even to an IOTA activation...
My longtime friend Francisco CT1EDY was also very keen about the idea of going somewhere.

 

bl8.jpg (144334 bytes)By early 1993 we both read about the Portuguese Islands Award DIP and asked for a list of qualifying Islands (have a look at the list below), for our surprise 17 of them were in the nearby Aveiro Lagoon Natural Haff-Delta.

Francisco CT1EDY being a seaman with an extensive navigation experience made plans for the activation of "Ilha do Amoroso DIP BL-012" and by July 1993 Vaz CT1FS, Ernesto CT1CIH, Francisco CT1EDY and Jos� CT1EEB activated for the first time this small Island with the callsign CS8B.

In the photo you can see the Amoroso Island Base and the dipole antennas hanging in the top of only house there. 2200 QSO's made in 3 days.

bl7.jpg (16537 bytes)

 

 

 

Right photo shows the multiband vertical used in Amoroso Isl., note the extreme low-tide and deep fog.

But this was not to be our last word in the matter and after Amoroso we planned a wide operation to 3 more new-ones for DIP, the target was July 1994 (just before the IOTA Contest) also to serve as a training to our planned contest effort from "Ilha da Insua IOTA EU-150".

The same Team joined by Eddie CT1ETO set Base camp in "Ilha do Monte-Farinha DIP BL-001" and stayed for 5 days making side trips to "Ilha dos Ovos DIP BL-003" and "Ilha da Gaivota DIP BL-005" for a total of over 5000 Q's with the call CS8B and CS8B/p.

 

 

 

bl1.jpg (26523 bytes)

 

In the photo you can see Jos� CT1EEB (operating), Francisco CT1EDY and Vaz CT1FS in the Monte-Farinha Island radio shack.

By 1995 I moved to a new QTH in the fisherman's town of Murtosa, this place is just the best you can ask for radio, Murtosa is surrounded by the Aveiro lagoon by 3 sides (north, west and south) making of it the best ground you can ask for your antennas (salty water) but also very close to the lagoon islands making it easy to ask any fisherman to sail you there. Its just backpack and go... the closest harbour is 500m. away !

 

 

bl5.jpg (31989 bytes)

 

Indeed, since I moved, getting to this DIP's became easier and I got active from several of this spots joined by other DIP enthusiasts like Lopes CT1CJJ and Jorge CT1FMX for short 1 day operations.

 

The photo shows Jos� CT1EEB/p and Lopes CT1CJJ/p active from "Ilha da Gaga DIP BL-004", the list below gets you thru all DIP's activated until the present time, have a look at the Beira-Litoral Group and see from what places we have been on.

 

 

bl3.jpg (150717 bytes)

In the spring of 1998 the well known Australian IOTA activator Mal VK6LC came to Murtosa for a visit, weather was awful but anyhow he came up with the question "Do you blokes got any place we can go for a DX'pedition ?", "-No worries mate ! we can get you to "Ilha do Monte-Farinha BL-001" the biggest of the lagoon Islands".

No matter the weather "Ti Artur" our boat master got us there, I don't think Mal VK6LC was too impressed about the small boat we were sailling  but after facing one typical heavy rain/wind storm in the middle of the lagoon he got the right idea that the Portuguese can be as crazy as the Aussies, Hi !

Looking at the photo you can see the very grey stormy sky of Monte-Farinha, Mal VK6LC making QSO's as CS8B with Samuel CT1EEN watching, our boat master "Ti Artur" and me with the water-proof.

 

 

List of Portuguese Islands activated and callsigns:

(if you feel theres missing information please send me a mail with the updates to: [email protected])

(Agradecemos a sua ajuda para completar esta lista, por favor envie as suas informa��es sobre actividades do DIP para: [email protected] )

DIP/IOTA Ref. Island Callsigns
AL-001 / EU-145 Ilha da Culatra CT0NH, CT0DIZ, CT4NH/p,CR1C, CS5C, CS7AHU/p, CT1EPV, CT1ESO/p, CQ2C, CT1EEB/p
AL-002    Ilha de Tavira CS0TI 
AL-003 / EU-145 Ilha da Barreta CR4NH, CQ4DIZ
AL-004 Ilha da Armona CR5A, CT1BLD/p, CT1EXC/p
AL-005 Ilha do Martinhal CT4NH/p, CT1AFN/p
AL-006 Ilha de Faro CT1EDX/p
AL-007 Ilha das Cabanas CQ4I
AL-008 Ilha do Coco CQ4I
AL-009 Ilha da Cobra CQ4I
AL-010 Ilh�u das Alturas CQ4I
AL-011 Ilha dos Gemidos CQ4I
AL-012 Ilh�u do Pego CQ5I
AL-013 Ilh�u das Ratas CQ4I
AL-014 Ilh�u do Cabo CQ4I
AL-015 Ilh�u das Trombolas CQ4I
AL-016 Ilha da Margalha CQ4I
AZ-001 / EU-003 Ilha de Santa-Maria All CU1 Stations
AZ-002 / EU-003 Ilha de S�o Miguel All CU2 Stations
AZ-003 / EU-175 Ilha Terceira All CU3 Stations
AZ-004 / EU-175 Ilha da Graciosa CU3AN/4, CU4AH, CU4AB,CU4AA, CU4AC, CU4AX
AZ-005 / EU-175 Ilha de S�o Jorge CU5AM, CU5AE, CU5AG, CU5AO; CU5/CT1EEB
AZ-006 / EU-175 Ilha do Pico CU6AB, CU6AQA, CU6NS, CU6PI, CU6AD, CU6ARA, CU6AC,CU7AB/6
AZ-007 / EU-175 Ilha do Faial CU7AA, CU7AL, CU7AM, CU7AO, CU7BA, CU7BC, CU7AG, CU7AH,CU7BJ, CU7GH, CU7AR,CU7AD, CU7AF, CU7/ZD7HG, CU7/CT4NS, CU7/KY0T, CU7/CT1EEB
AZ-008 / EU-089 Ilha das Flores CU8AA, CU8AH,CU8ARA,CU8IOTA, CU8AG, CU8AI, CU8EME, CU8AK
AZ-009 / EU-089 Ilha do Corvo CU95C, CU9B, CU9C, CU9CNE, CU9AA, CU9/CU8AA, CU9/WA6K, CU9/CU3AV
AZ-010 / EU-175 Ilh�u das Cabras CU30C
AZ-017 / EU-175 Ilh�u da Praia CU4/CT1EEB, CU4/CU3DX
BA-001 / EU-167 Ilha do Pessegueiro CQ7P, CT1ESO/p, CT8FMX/p, CT1AHU/p, CT1BXH/p, CQ2P, CT1CJJ/p, CT1EEB/p, CT1EEN/p, CT1END/p, CT1ENQ/p, CT1ETZ/p, CT1/ON5NT/p; CT1/WT2O
BA-009 Ilha do Moinho CT4UW/p
BA-010 Ilha do Monte Branco CT4UW/p
BA-011 Ilha da Juromenha CQ2U
BA-012 Ilha de Bacelos CT4UW/p
BA-013 Ilha de Bacelos pequena CT4UW/p
BA-017 Ilha da Leziria Internacional CQ2U
BB-001 Ilha de Idanha CQ5END/p, CT1END/p
BB-002 Ilha A Nova CT1END/p
BB-003 Ilha dos Tr�s postes CT1END/p
BB-004 Ilha do Marechal CT1END/p
BB-005 Ilha de Carmona CT1END/p, CT1EEN/p, CS1E
BB-006 Ilha da Estrada CT1END/p
BL-001 Ilha do Monte-Farinha CS8B
BL-002 Ilha da Testada CT1CJJ/p, CT1EEB/p,CT1FMX/p
BL-003 Ilha dos Ovos CS8B/p
BL-004 Ilha da Gaga CT1CJJ/p, CT1EEB/p,CT1FMX/p
BL-005 Ilha da Gaivota CS8B/p
BL-007 Ilha do Parrachill CT1EEB/p, CT1FMX/p
BL-008 Ilha da M�-do-meio CT1CJJ/p, CT1FMX/p
BL-012 Ilha do Amoroso CS8B, CT1EEB/p, CT1FMX/p
BL-013 Ilha da Morraceira CS8B
BL-017 Ilha do Gramatal CT1CJJ/p, CT1EEB/p,CT1FMX/p
ES-001 / EU-040 Ilha da Berlenga Grande CT0B, CR1BI, CT0BI,CQ7CBI/p, CR6END/p, CR7EEN/p,CR8EDX/p, CQ1B,CQ5MEG,CS2B, CS5B,CQ1B, CT7B,CQ5B,CT1AHU/p, CT1BOP/p, CT1DIZ/p, CT4NH/p
ES-002 Ilha do Baleal CS0CBI, CS7B, CT1CBI/p, CT1FMX/p
ES-003 / EU-040 Areal do Bugio CT1AHU/p, CT4UW/p, CT1BXH/p
ES-004 / EU-040 Ilha do Bugio CS4B, CT1AHU/p, CT1BOP/p, CT1DIZ/p, CT4NH/p
ES-006 / EU-040 Ilha dos Farilh�es CT1DNP/p, CT1BWW/p,CT1CBI/p
ES-009 Ilha do Rato CT4UW/p
ES-010 Ilha do Cambalh�o CT4UW/p, CT1EGH/p
ES-011 Mouch�o das Cor�as CT4UW/p
ES-012 Mouch�o do Bolinhas CT4UW/p
ES-021 Ilh�u das Pombas CT1AHU/p, CT1BXH/p,CT1FMX/p
ES-022 Ilha da Terra CT4UW/p, CT1FMX/p
ES-024 Ilh�u da Papoa CT1AHU/p, CT1BXH/p,CT1FMX/p
MA-001 / AF-014 Ilha da Madeira All CT3 stations
MA-002 / AF-014 Ilha de Porto Santo CT3BY, CN,DN,EG,ET,FT,YJ,GC, CT1DNP/CT3, CT3/W6TEX,CT3/GW4TTU,DJ0MW/CT3
MA-003 / AF-046 Ilh�u do Ch�o CT9F
MA-004 / AF-047 Ilhas Selvagens CR9SI, CQ3S
MA-005 / AF-046 Ilha da Deserta grande CS9DI, CS3MW/p
MI-001 / EU-150 Ilha da Insua CT1UE/p, CT1ZW/p, CT1BY/p,CT1UD/p, CQ2I, CT1DNF/p, CT1EEB/p, CT1ENQ/p,CT1ETZ/p, CT1FAK/p, CT1FDR/p
RI-001 Ilha de Almourol CT1AHU/p
RI-003 Ilha da Agolada CS6EDX/p
RI-005 Mouch�o de Alhandra CT1FMX/p, CT1BXH/p
RI-007 Mouch�o do Lombo do Tejo CT1FMX/p, CT1BXH/p

Nomenclature:

AL: Province of Algarve

AZ: Autonomous Region of the Azores

BA: Province of Baixo-Alentejo

BB: Province of Beira-Baixa

BL: Province of Beira-Litoral

ES: Province of Estremadura

MA: Autonomous Region of Madeira

MI: Province of Minho

RI: Province of Ribatejo

BACK TO MAIN PAGE