N2KJM/VP9, /C6A John in Bermuda and the Bahamas, 1993-94

K2WK, you're 59 from N2KJM/VP9

My buddy Jeff, N2MZH/VP9 [now AJ2U], and I from the Sonesta Beach Hotel in 1993 in Southampton Parish, Bermuda. This was my first time being DX. Band conditions were bad, but it was amazing how many people wanted to talk to us!!!

Jeff and I used an Icom 730 in a Samsonite suitcase! Antenna was 2 spools of wire run out and attached to a tuner. Still, we worked many stations, and I ran Europe on cw.

Bermuda is such a beautiful country and the people are great. Should you ever get to Bermuda, make sure you get your reciprocal license, and meet the friendly locals on the VP9AX repeater. If you plan to do HF, please, let me know, as I need more /VP9's for my Bermuda 100 award!

WF3H, You're 59-100 N2MZH/C6A

In 1994, we did another dual-family trip this time Jeff and I decided to schedule it to concur with ARRL DX SSB contest. This was our first contest as DX, and what a blast. The contest was done at N4JQQ's vacation home in Treasure Cay, Bahamas. It was great, we took the radio out on to the front patio and worked the piles while sitting under a palm tree sipping lemonade - NOW, THAT's THE WAY to CONTEST!

We curtailed our night-time operation to keep the noise down in the small villa. But, early bird Jeff got on 40m before 6am, and woke up the whole neighborhood! (For those who haven't heard it, waking up to Jeff's voice yelling CQ Contest is not the most enjoyable way to be awoken! :-) Becky and I had to leave early, so I didn't get to finish the contest, *sigh*

Jeff has continued to go on exotic vacations, but I had to curtail it since we just bought a new house. But, I will SOON return to the air with an exotic prefix, I promise that!

Click here to read about Super Contest Man, how I got started into ham radio contesting.

** UPDATE ** I made it to Bermuda in Mar. 1998/99/00 for the ARRL DX SSB contest. Read about it here!

** UPDATE 2 **  And aloha from Hawaii - Feb. 2001 ARRL DX CW.  Read about it here!