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| Anse Barbarons in Mahe' island - Some broadcasting antennas |
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| I always dreamed to be in other side of DX, in a
pretty sunny island with exuberant green vegetation, but as first time exotic tour ('99) I preferred a very low profile radio activity and to enjoy the vacation together with my wife, since the destination chosen is really a nice vacation trip place first of all. Here you can find a few photo taken by me and so you can have a small idea yourself. Now I understand why it is so important to get an overall idea about the places if you plan a serious radio activity anywhere, for best take off of radio waves and installation places for antennas. This was a very pleasant two weeks holiday in a wonderful place, four degrees south of equatore, approximately 1,500 Km east of Africa, in the warm beauty of the Indian Ocean. Rep. Of Seychelles is about 115 islands archipelago spreading over 1,000,000 sq. Km with a tropical climate (temp range 24° C to 30° C all year round) but lying out of the cyclonic area. My amateur radio activity was volontary limited to max one hour per day, took place from the two main islands. We visited also La Digue island in a one day tour without any radio activity. La Digue is. is maybe the most photographed island in the world. First week was in Anse Barbarons located about in the central-south west part of the island a good location takeoff for south pole and east Africa with an high hill toward Europe-North America, and there is a big broadcasting antenna installation that broadcasts programs toward East Africa. I must say that with my TS570DG rig I did not experience heavy problems with that station, but I did not operate below 7 MHz (do you remember the last LA DXpedition to Sao Tome S9LA, they did experience heavy problem about that, see Topband reflector mail archives and they said that passband filters could be of help) but take off was not so good with my vertical too far from sea water (antenna was an R7 with about 30 meters RG58 coax, so power to antenna was not higher than 60-70 watts). By the way, 80 meters band is not allowed in S79. Anyway I experienced fine foods and our excursion tours of the island very pleasants. The second week I moved to Praslin, the "Coco de Mer" island and in the inside fly it happens to be fisically weigthed with your baggage at the check in, so it is better be light, otherwyse you make the fly and your baggages come with another one, with some worry about it. It happened but everything was fine. Mahe is. is IOTA AF-024 as well as Praslin is. Here are some photos taken by myself (IK4AUY). Come back to Seychelles one day. Maybe, who knows? Of course QSL is via IK4AUY. Best 73, Sergio. Here are some general links to Seychelles. |
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| Seychelles Magic | Seychelles Unique | Air Seychelles | Seychelles METEO |
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| Anse Barbarons in Mahe' island - Some broadcasting antennas |
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| My R7 vertical in Mahe island |