Sunday 11 April

The shifts start operating, transport during the night is arranged.

Today a small team erected antennas in high heat and humidity. There are no chilled beverages on the island during the day because the refrigerator in the restaurant has too little space and there is electricity only between 17.00 and 23.00 (and 07.00 to 11.00 on workdays). But by the time we have dinner, the beer is nice and cool.

The three operating sites are distributed along the island’s 5-km circumference road. From the Guest House to the RTTY station is takes 10 minutes by foot, to the CW station it’s  about15 minutes more and to the SSB station it’s a total of 20 minutes. The operators sit two at a time on motor scooters to move back and forth between the stations for shift changes, and those being relieved bring the bikes back to the central gathering area at the Guest House. Wearing a helmet is mandatory. The island police have issued us a special exemption that allows us to travel for shift changes between 23.00 and 05.00.

The food, which is served between 07.30 and 08.30, 11.30 and 12.30 and 19.30 to accommodate shift changes, consists of rice with a wide range of other ingredients and side dishes: cabbage, Vietnamese sweet potatoes, shrimp, tofu cubes along with plenty of vegetables and fish and modest amounts of meat.

Monday 12 April

A visit from the local authorities

Early this morning, a group of early risers completed the infrastructure of the RTTY site (headquarters). There was a certain amount of urgency because a delegation consisting of the military, Minister of Communications, representative of the People’s Committee and customs officials toured the various camps. They were hosted by team leader Hans-Peter HB9BXE and Bac Ai XV2A, president of the Vietnamese Amateur Radio Society. The members of the delegation spent the following night on the island and traveled with a military speedboat back to Dong Ha the following morning.

Our headquarters site is closest to the Guest House and the restaurant, but the wooden cottage that serves as the HQ and the RTTY site lies on a romantic seaside location.

Saturday 10 April

At the SSB bunker a 4 square antenna was erected. The beach is not sandy but rather is made up of large black stones of lava. A few of the local inhabitants helped us with the antennas.

Friday 9 April

In the SSB camp, Hans Ruedi HB9BHW and Rolf HB9TVR went on the roof of the concrete bunker to set up a 5-band Spiderbeam. A few soldiers from the island garrison helped with setting the support lines. The 18-year old soldiers spend 18 months on the island.

The SSB bunker, which shows some damage from shelling during the war, nonetheless makes a comfortable impression now that it has been cleared of goat droppings, all sorts of dirt and grime and pieces of concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. All it took was some time with an improvised broom.

During Friday evening we could make our first QSO:
•  SSB: RU9UD, 13.01 UTC
•  CW: JA2JRW, 13.21 UTC

Check out the pictures in our web album.

    
3W6C Island Communications Team: Paul Schreier, AA1MI/HB9DST, Christina Toporitschnig, HB9BQW, Thomas Parthier, HB9BSH