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Erik SM0AGD in his Kanton shack

Story of Erik, SM0AGD

During the 1982 Pacific odyssey I came on the air from islands like: ZK1, 3D2, C21, T30, T2, FW, KH8, ZM7, T31, KH1 and T32. Most of the QSOs I worked from Canton Island. This island used to be a US Airforce base in the middle of the Pacific but when we arrived there were only a few caretakers left. There were no parties or other social activities going on. So I could install myself in an empty hangar and devote all my time entirely to DXing. We were staying at Canton two weeks and I had some 19.000 QSOs signing alternately T31AE and SM0AGD/KH1. This was possible because Canton had a joint administration between USA and Kiribati, so in the same shack I could operate from two different DXCC countries. I had big pile-ups all the time and I enjoyed it very much.

You could see on a picture above or my T31AE QSL card, there is a sign on the wall, I turned it around every day at 00Z. One day T31AE, next day another DXCC country - KH1, from the same shack.

Map of Kanton Island

Please take a look at the map of Kanton above. In the south west side of the lagoon I hope you can see some staight lines, that used to be landing areas for flying-boats blasted by Pan American Airlines when they in 1939 where preparing Transpacific flights using their Flying Clippers. The first landing took place on Aug 24th 1939. Then came World War 2. During the war US Air Force had a base on the island. They built landing strips (on land) in the north west corner of the island. Later in the 1960´ies NASA used Canton when they picked up astronauts after the Mercury and Gimini space flights.

We will stay in that north west part of the island. In 1982 there was a lot of installations left, buildings, high antenna towers etc. I hope something is left today. On the middle west side is an opening into the lagoon, there is a dock where our boat can stay. Last time I was operating from a building some 50 meters from the boat.

On the original picture there is also info printed with small text. We will try to enlarge and print copies of it. It will be interesting to compare when we get there!

T31AE QSL card

QSL card of T31AE.

SM0AGD/KH1 QSL card

SM0AGD infront of his radio shack on Kanton Island AD 1982.

ZM7AG QSL card

This was Atafu Atoll so unfortunately I can't see my old friends this time.

T31JS QSL card

Last major DXpedition to Kanton?

Was this the last major operation from Kanton Island? In 1988 Jim Smith VK9NS made some 12,000 QSO's on 6 bands during his 17 day stay on the island. At that time there was 17 "islanders" on the island.

T31JS QSL, side B

This is my only QSL from T31, so I will still need Central Kiribati on CW!

This page was written and designed by Lech Slawomir Tomczak, LA7MFA

Last updated Tue Sep 7 09:20:32 MET DST 1999