The history

 

It is a story that goes back to 1989. I had just got the full license (1988)and now the passion for DX got me involved. One of the first new-one was really 8Q7, by application, by an OM German, one of the 2000 islands that make up the archipelago of the Maldives. Sending me a QSL to confirm the link, the German friend, at my request, sent me all the information that could be used to obtain permission to broadcast from that wonderful country.

 

Well, that information is left in the drawer until January 1998 ... when one day, a group of friends, lovers of underwater photography, they asked me: << Come with us to the Maldives? >>. It has been a while hang up that dream when I put those sheets of paper ... the dream was about to come.

 

I immediately contacted the Ministry of Communications and the Maldives, with extreme speed I got their answer. Confirming their seriousness and kindness was when I saw respond by fax that the name assigned to me was 8Q7DF, what I had requested.

 

I could not help but think to recall everything that could occur: by 'RTX antenna, feeder cables, replacement parts.

 

I had to fit everything into one of those aluminum briefcases that we hams know well ... I could not help but think of a TS-50 with its AT-50. The problem was the power supply as it was delivering at least 20 amps, but the size of those that are currently on the market were not the case. I remembered the great Yaesu FP-757 no longer in production. A phone call to my dear friend Massimo Ik1LBO Albisola me solve the problem, he has used one ... is ideal.

 

I just had to think about the antenna. I had a chat over the Internet with our American friends of the previous expedition 8Q7AA. I do know of their disappointment in using directives, dipoles and all that needs to great heights from the ground ... their maximum performance they had with some simple vertical radial earth oversized (and that's what I'll do then). Did not want to opt for a classical vertical load because of their difficulty of calibration, weight and assembly, but do not even want to use a simple vertical wire. It 's always the Maximum IK1LBO I solve the problem proposed me the new NEW-MULTICRES, vertical to the tuner, without coils, 8 meters high, only 4 kilograms. Dismantled occupies only 1.40 meters and fits comfortably in a pocket for fishing rods.

 

I do some tests to verify operation of the operation of the equipment ... everything is perfect. The reports I get are good, sometimes excellent.

 

At this point, those who see me as surely mistake me for a fisherman ... fisherman, but QSO.

 

Then arrive by fax from the Ministry of the Maldives, a copy of the temporary license that will allow me to pass the Customs input to Male (the capital) without a hitch.

 

On May 1, arrival at Milan Malpensa Airport and the customs authorities did not create any problems. Travel with double hand luggage ... the case with the equipment and the bag fisherman, a 9 hour flight direct.

 

The only control I had was their arrival in Male. An officer asked me to open the case and show him permission ... a moment of terror, then ALL OK ... green light.

 

Waiting for me, in addition to the very kind lady Adriana, head of the village of Alimatha, 'I surrender the original license, there was a temperature of about 35 degrees with a humidity of 90% and no wind.

 

I just have to reach the destination with the group and try to give me a great location for operations. I can get a room on the northwest side of the island. The sea, the sky, the vegetation and the fauna suggest the equatorial paradise.

 

The village consists of about 90 Bungalows arranged all around the island ... about 1 kilometer perimeter.

 

Do not wait, in 20 minutes (and this makes me think of emergencies) install the antenna, the station, connect the cables and at 14:00 Zulu are already receiving the first signals.

 

There were certainly a lot of friends who were waiting for this moment, seen only after calling a couple of times, I was attacked by a huge number of answers.

 

But I had to deal with the generators that provide energy to the tiny island ... QRN to S7 of 40, 20, 15 m.

 

Fortunately, at least 10 were clean. I have to work with the AIP inserted all the time.

 

It is not easy to find for the first time on the other side of the Pile-Up. I had dreamed of this moment for a long time and I wanted gustarmelo completely. I begin to route traffic, sometimes heavy ... Signals are coming from central Europe, especially Italian, French, Polish, German ... the Russians there, indeed. Sometimes I have to work in Split.

 

In the equatorial propagation does not open until 11:00 / 12:00 GMT (the 16/17 local) and at least that happened to me in 10 days of operations. In 20 meters, the propagation is exceptional since it opens the signals are mixed ... JA with DL, UA with EA, along with VK and VU ... incredible.

 

The 15 meters you have a little more orderly, but not as we are used to here in Europe ... The JA are many. Purtrroppo 10 meters are not very open, but I can always do some work from 14:00 to 17:00 GMT, especially with Japanese and Russian.

 

The 40 meters give me satisfaction, but the deeper you go the higher frequency noise increases.

 

The first day of activation, I found myself in the air together with the 'ARI International DX contest as you can work a lot of stations, including Italian, who sought the multiplier. At the end of the count, after 10 days of work with about 4 hours of operation daily average, I can grind more than 3500 QSOs ... I am satisfied, because I have not had any problems with the equipment.

 

Unfortunately, the North American stations were not lucky ... their signals are weak and rarely manage to overcome the noise created by the generators.

 

It 'hard to imagine what can happen to you during the operation, but everything went really well. Perhaps only once, when he was approaching a lightning storm, I was afraid. The lightning is discharged into the sea around us with a frequency of 2 per minute ... After a heavy downpour that lasted 10 minutes the sun was back.

 

Around 12:30 GMT on May 11 I the last link with a French station and then I decide to remove the little station ... This with a bit of melancholy for the stations that I have not been able to connect and who were still calling, but also satisfied with the result. Male airport waiting for us to return the next morning.

 

I have to thank all the friends who have helped me in getting started, research and preparation: in particular IK5NTI, I5XUZ, I5EUS, IW5BHU, IK1LBO, IK5VLZ, IK5ZUM, IK7JTF, IZ5BTC, IZ5BTK, so the whole ARI Massa-Carrara.

 

The hope is that we can return to being active early from another island, more or less important, more or less close ... maybe with a few friends OM ...

 

Lorenzo IK5MDF - 8Q7DF