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.
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.
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.
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 !
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.
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