With more polar bears than residents, Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it’s known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes; the Northern Lights are also visible during winter, and summer brings the “midnight sun”— sunlight 24 hours a day.
Additionally, serious Dx Adventurists will confirm that it’s one of the most attractive dxpedition locations on the planet too!
Svalbard Amatør Radio Klubb is a club for ham radio operators in Svalbard (Spitzbergen) and offers rental of their club station to paying guests.
When you rent the this station you get access to the guest station hut, which is normally equipped with an Icom IC-7300 transceiver and the antennas which, depending on the WX which can be very harsh, are usually in good working order.
There is a desk for visitors to set up their equipment (See pictured left) and reportedly good internet connection for communication with DX markets, Cluster usage, etc.
ACCOMMODATION
The Svalbard Amatør Radio Klubb station does not provide any accommodation for visitors so you must make your own arrangements and fortunately there are some good options available.
The closest accommodation to the station (approx. 350m), and probably the cheapest, is Rysskyi Dom Guesthouse.
Information about places to stay and things to do on Svalbard can be found at https://en.visitsvalbard.com/ .
STATION INFO
Pictured above, the small timber hut provides room for our shack/radio room and a living room with a kitchenette.
The radio room contains two contest stations and a guest station.
If you rent the station you can use the guest station (See details below) but not the contest station which is for members of the club.
Antennas:
- 26m high tower (Pictured right)
- 160M double L antenna
- 80m inverted V
- 40M – sloper
- Optibeam 10M/12M @ 30m
- Optibeam 15M/17M/20M @30m
- Multiband vertical
Guest Station:
Contest station:
- Yaesu FTDX-3000
- Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark V
- SPE Expert amplifiers
- Microham micrometer
SUMMARY
- Shack Name: JW5E Rental Shack
- Continent: Europe (EU)
- Ham Prefix: JW
- 11m Division: 171
- Latitude: 76.50 N
- Longitude: 21.75 E
- IOTA: Spitsbergen Island; Svalbard Island (EU-026)
- ITU Zone: 18
- CQ Zone: 40
- Owners: Svalbard Amatør Radio Klubb (Inger JW8KT, xyl of the late Mathias, JW5NM)
- Address: In the settlement Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen
- Website: http://jw5e.com/
- Cost: NOK 900 or 100 EURO per day (Payment must be made in advance and when they can confirm recipient of such you’ll be provided with further information and a key for the station)
- Getting There: By plane from Oslo, with a short stop in Tromsø; a trip of about 4 hours total and the shack is just a 10 minute drive from the airport.
- Email: booking@jw5e.com
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