Here is 14DA028 Phil’s story following his dx adventure to Fort Bloqué Island in south Brittany for 14DA/AT097…

03/08/13 Morning:

At 5h45 GMT, I pass across to the small Atlantic island at low tide with my portable station to be on air at 6h28 GMT. 

The weather is very nice 23° today at the old military base with little wind.

My station is composed of an Icom 706MKII transceiver, a Heil Traveller headset, a Bamby antenna, a KL501 amplifier with 150w to 250w output and a 88A/h 570A battery.

First station ITL is 47DX054 Leif from the Kingdom of Denmark at 5/9+20, followed by French countrymen 14AT190 Dany at 5/7 and 14AT369 Alain at 6h34 GMT.

Meanwhile, the wind from the surrounding ocean is 50/60km and the Bamby antenna is good.

The propagation is open at this time but sporadic.

After some success behind the microphone, I go QRT for the morning at 9h03 GMT with 36 stations ITL, from 12 DXCC and one DA-RC member, Fred 14DA049.

03/08/13 Evening

Like previously, I’m active again from the small DIFM referenced island in the evening but only 4 QSO in 1 hour are achieved. 

Much of the time is spent admiring the pristine sand beaches of the mainland and listening on the call frequency for sporadic openings.

I start at 19h21 GMT and pass QRT at 20h00 GMT after many CQ DX calls on the international call frequency…27.555 MHz USB.

It’s very hard because many AT35Y stations are on the air at this time.

First station ITL is 14DX049/P Chris from Department 24 whom is on Holiday. 

He is followed by the CHTI Friends — 14GT061 JC, 14HF817 Rod and 14HF215 Anto. 

The last QSO is with Anto at 19h28 GMT.

04/08/13 Morning

I start from Fort Bloqué Island at 6h54 GMT with Eddy 14EF056 at 5/8, followed by 47CT118 at 5/8 at 7h13.

Some visitors from the small guest house are curious when they see me on the island — speaking but with nobody else around — and a large antenna nearby. 

I explain our great hobby and the passion for islands by Dx adventurers and islands hunters and they are impressed. 

Interestingly, the Fort Bloqué Island is for sale so perhaps they are here with this in mind…

Some minutes after that, I have another visitor. 

It’s a NICE SURPRISE to see my Breizh friend Hervé 14HF028 who stays with me for 2 hours. 

We decide to go QRT at 10h00 GMT because the tide rolls back in very fast and we do not want to be stranded on the isle.

The last QSO for today is 14 Oméga 157 at 9h25 with a 5/6 signal report making the log tally for today 18 QSO on 6 DXCC.

Log Data

• 58 QSO
• 13 DXCC:  Italy (1), Germany (13), France (14), Greece (18), The Netherlands (19), Sweden (21), England (26), Spain (30), Portugal (31), Denmark (47), Corsica (104), Poland (161) and Croatia (328).

73 de Phil 14DA028