[NEWS] – Eric, GM5RDX updates DX-World readers:

[QRT]

Eric, V4/G5RDX is now QRT from St Kitts. He says there’s lightning in the area and bad weather is set to continue until his departure back to the UK. The weather system is right over St Kitts now. This from the National Hurricane Centre in Florida: A large tropical wave located near the Lesser Antilles continues to produce a broad area of disorganised shower and thunderstorm activity. Environmental conditions are forecast to gradually become more conducive for development while the system moves generally west-northwestward over the Greater Antilles and towards the Bahamas.

All in all it was a good radio trip, and one that has exceeded all of my expectations. Thanks to all the radio amateurs who managed to contact one of the stations I was operating, and apologies to those who tried but were unsuccessful. Logs have already been uploaded to QRZ.com and eQSL, and I will upload to LoTW and Club log in the next few days.

FOOTNOTE: Eric thanks thanks DX-World for all the help, advice and promotion with the DXpedition – "I’m very grateful, it has been very much appreciated by me. I’ll set to work on making my film of the event when I get home. I’ll send you a link to the video when it’s completed.”

TX’d for the first time in St Kitts (V4/G5RDX) last night at about 18:00 (local time) – good location with great take-off to the south particularly, but also getting 5/9 reports back from the UK and USA. Should be transmitting from here until Wednesday afternoon.

VP2EGM went QRT on Sunday evening, concluding five days of transmitting from Anguilla. After a busy IOTA weekend, much of Sunday was more relaxed. I was invited to join three different Caribbean HF Nets on 80, 40 & 20M, and connected with a really friendly bunch of Hams located across 11 different Caribbean countries. I was also delighted to be able to meet up with Keith VP2EKG in person, when he visited my temporary Anguilla QTH. Not only are we both Hams, but we both spent all our working lives in broadcasting. There was plenty to talk about.

Anguilla is a good place to operate Ham radio. Seventeen miles long and only three miles wide, the highest ground on the island is only a few hundred feet high, so you have excellent 360° take-off, with an ocean all around too. Noise from the main electricity supply here was very high, so I spent much of the time on Anguilla running from battery power, as this gave me S0 noise levels. I decreased the TX power to 70W to extend transmitting time between charges. Even so, signal reports of 5/5 from VK & ZL and several 5/9 +10dB into central Europe and the Canary Islands was very welcome.

Final tally from Anguilla, 1096 QSOs into 92 countries. Again, I was dealing with big pileups and collecting more great DX too. There were so many amateurs very keen to make contact with the VP2E Anguilla station.

On Monday, I transit through St Maarten and onward to St Kitts. I expect to be operating there by early evening, local time (GMT-4) as V4/G5RDX.

Experiencing a similar situation to that in St Maarten. Difficult band conditions here until around 20:30z. I start around then and push on as long as I can. 800 QSOs have now been logged in just two days and some outstanding DX for me. Anguilla seems to be a very sought after DX for many amateurs. Again I’m usually handling big pileups. I did a short live stream into my radio club in Scotland which was really nice, and I’ve also worked many of the club members on the HF bands too.

[JULY 24] – All done in St Maarten (as PJ7/GM5RDX). Over 1200 QSOs made into 70 countries. Heading to Anguilla today, transmissions as VP2EGM should commence at around 1800z.

[JULY 22] – I have an issue here with noise from local solar power equipment making operations not possible during the daytime. I’ve been operating now for the last two days from 20:30z (16:30 local time). Once I start transmitting I’m handling pileups almost constantly, a new scenario for me. I’m getting some excellent signal reports from all around the world with some great DX too. I’ve been grateful to many hams spotting me on the DX clusters. So far I have over 800 QSOs logged from my solo operation. Uploading logs to QRZ.com at the end of each period of operations and I will upload to eQSL, Club Log and LoTW on my return to Scotland.

The QTH at height – PJ7/GM5RDX

Following a successful "local DXpedition” to the Scottish island of Great Cumbrae (EU-123) for the 2023 IOTA Contest as 2M0VGT, Eric, now with his new full licence GM5RDX, has set his sights a little further afield. His 2024 IOTA Contest entry will take place from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, as part of his two week solo Caribbean DXpedition in July.

Appropriate licences and permits have been applied for and have now been approved, so it’s all systems go ! Initially touching down in Antigua, then transiting through the British Virgin Islands, Eric’s first operating base will be from the Dutch side of St Maarten, with the callsign PJ7/GM5RDX. The plan is to transmit from this island primarily from the Dutch side, but also mobile from the French side too as FS/GM5RDX. Then by taking the fast ferry from Saint Maarten, he will set up camp on Anguilla on the Thursday before the IOTA Contest, operating there with the local callsign, VP2EGM. On the Monday following the IOTA weekend, the final leg will see him returning to St Maarten and then fly onward to St Kitts & Nevis, for a few days operating as V4/G5RDX.

The radio setup will be very straightforward and minimalist, a Yaesu FT891 with MAT30 Tuner and a Sotabeams 10m telescopic travel mast. The antenna elements for the trip are G5RV dipole and wire verticals. The transmissions will be entirely HF voice with the ability to transmit from 80m to 10m SSB. The CEPT arrangements allow Eric to operate with his UK licence on the French side of Saint Martin, however an additional permit is required for the Dutch side, Sint Maarten. Visitors licences were applied for, and granted by the radio authorities in Anguilla and St Kitts & Nevis. Eric says, "I’m no stranger to long distance solo travel, but now being a fully licenced radio ham is adding a whole new dimension to travelling”.

Dates, locations and callsigns:

  • 19th – 23rd July St Maarten (NA105) – operating as PJ7/GM5RDX from primary QTH, or portable as FS/GM5RDX. I may be operating both callsigns on some days (ie FS portable in the morning and PJ7 afternoons and evenings). The majority of the operations will be from PJ7.
  • 24th – 28th July Anguilla (NA022) – operating as VP2EGM (including IOTA contest).
  • 29th – 31st July St Kitts (NA104) – operating as V4/G5RDX (Note: the authorities prefer me to drop the "M” RSL and have issued my licence accordingly).