We’ve made 1100 QSOs as GS6PYE/P from Lunga in the Treshnish Isles (EU-108). The boat’s here, and we’re on our way back to join the rest of the group as GS3PYE/P on Mull. 73s!
Phil Wise M0DEG (MM0DEG while in Scotland) – Yet another Red Gate software geek, keen on walking up hills with radio kit and activating SOTAs. This is his first trip with the Camb Hams. Operating on 20m in this picture.
Martin Atherton G3ZAY (GM3ZAY while in Scotland) – Our best CW operator, seasoned DXPeditioner, global traveller and linguist (counts Gaelic as one of the languages he knows), brings along a lot of decent equipment on these trips, from radio equipment to camping gear. President of the Cambridge University Wireless Society. Doing CW on 30m when this picture was taken.
Robert Warner G1SAA (GM1SAA while in Scotland) – Another gadget freak – regularly acquires new toys, and brings along plenty of decent radio equipment on these trips. Coffee or tea, white. Enjoys data modes, as well as microwave band ATV. Operating PSK63 on 20m when this picture was taken
Geoff Wilkin G0DDX (GM0DDX while in Scotland) – Bit of a petrolhead, into his kit cars, and has been known to show us how to rebuild brake lines in 20 minutes. Always has tools with him to fix anything vehicle related – definitely a valued team member! Tea or coffee as long as it’s milky. Doing CW on 40m when this picture was taken.
Steve and Dom have reported that they survived the first night on Lunga although it was a very wet and windy and they’re down to one radio due to a tent leak during the night.
Update: Pleased to report that the radio survived its soak test!
Yesterday (Sunday 29th April), a small group of 5 operators left the main team on Mull to come to the uninhabited island of Lunga in the Treshnish Isles (IOTA EU-108).
G3VFC, G4HUN, M0BLF, M0MJH, M1ACB boarded a tourist boat to Lunga at lunchtime. The boat comes to Lunga to drop off a number of tourists – mainly birdwatchers – who want to take photographs of the island’s large puffin colony. Unlike the tourists, however, we were staying the night, and so we had to bring a lot of gear with us.
Within about an hour of landing, our three tents (one operating tent, and two others for sleeping in) had been erected, as had verticals for 40m and 20m. We were soon on the air using an IC-706Mk2G and an FT-897. By nightfall, we had 822 QSOs in the GS6PYE/P log. (Note the number ‘6’; the team on Mull are using GS3PYE/P.)
This morning, as I type this lying uncomfortably on the floor of one of the tents, the weather has changed for the worse. Yesterday it was bright and sunny, if a little windy. The wind has died down a bit, but it’s now overcast, and we had some rain overnight. Unfortunately, the operating tent leaked slightly, and we suspect the Yaesu rig has water in it, so we’ll only have one rig for the rest of the day, until we can dry the affected rig out. We will be on later today, though; we’re off-air right now because we’re using the generator to cook our breakfast and heat our tea, but we will be back shortly!
We leave Lunga this afternoon, so if you need the Treshnish Isles, you have only a few hours left to work us. Please do call us; we want to get to 1000 QSOs before we leave.
M1DST made a video and uploaded it to YFrog of Rob M0VFC operating GS3PYE/P on 40m after finishing building this brand new K3.
Peter Goodhall 2E0SQL (2M0SQL while in Scotland) – another SQL geek (callsign gives that one away), web developer, keen contester and another great team member. Doesn’t do coffee, prefers tea. Developing cloud-based logging tools in his spare time. Prefers WordPress over Joomla. Operating on 80m when this picture was taken
Robert Chipperfield M0VFC (MM0VFC while in Scotland) – resident logging software programmer, SQL geek, photographer, videographer and all round great team member. Can’t start the day without coffee. Getting better at CW. Still finding bugs and improving the logging software, while we use it! Operating on 40m in this picture.