On 9th September 2012, I spend my first day in the morning from Pattaya to Koh Chang by local bus and minibus and then on my dxstination Koh Chang Island (AS-125) on the Gulf of Thailand’s eastern seaboard looking for ham-friendly accommodation.
It’s hot WX on Koh Chang (also named Elephant Island), Thailand’s second largest isle after Phuket, but the scenery is good with views of high mountain peaks covered with thick tropical rainforest and pristine white beaches. So I take many photos on my son’s camera hihi.
In the afternoon, at about 14.00 UTC, I find a resort, move my belongings into a nice bungalow and begin looking for a position to put the long wire antenna.
I find something not very high, only 3 meters from the ground and to the west and east. The site of the antenna is okay.
Soon I am active as 153DA/AS-125 on the international calling frequency 27.555 MHz USB, but I hear nothing after many CQ calls from my Icom IC-706 transceiver.
Later, I have contact to Australia with 43SD180 Geoff in North Queensland the first station in my log at 08:57 UTC. I RX him at R5 S4 on my QSY frequency which is 27.590 MHz USB.
At 09:59 UTC I’m working 79WO189 Jack also at R5 S7 from his home on Luzon Island (OC-042) in the Philippines.
I copy him at R5 S9 + 10 db and am lucky to have contact with the Dutchman every day until I leave the island.
On September 10, I’m calling many times on Triple 5 and eventually one station is calling me back. He is 97PG001 Ilan from the Middle East DXCC of Israel.
It’s a very nice surprise for him to copy me also from his QTH along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
At 13:08 UTC I’m also working this day my friend 153SD777 Jan back on the Thailand mainland, approximately 1000 km away.
I have a very nice 5/7 copy on his signal at 13:08 UTC and later also at 16:11 UTC.
At 15:55 UTC I work fellow DA-RC member 3DA012 Roger from the south American DXCC of Brazil and I’m very happy to put him in the log.
Unfortunately, propagation lasts not a long time and the band is soon closed.
On day 3, after I have an amazing trip on an elephant at one of the elephant camps on the island, I come back in the afternoon and hear dx stations from Europe calling.
At 5/1 26DX021 Matt in the English city of London is a difficult copy but in the log.
After this exciting contact, a few other keen EU IOTA Hunters call in on the frequency and I log stations from France (14 division), Spain (30 division) and Greece (18 division).
In the evening I hear 104RA001 Marc and 104AT149 Gerard from Corsica Island (EU-014) and have good contacts with them at 13:48 UTC and 14:33 UTC respectively.
Then, from my island QTH 310 km from Bangkok, I hear North American station and famous IOTA Hunter 2AT042 Joe not very strong but have the contact with him. He is in the log and very happy as it is a new iota for him.
Unfortunately, the propagation is not stable during my stay on Koh Chang Island.
I have 17 contacts with 12 different DXCC and 6 different regions…Europe, Oceania, North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia.
I am also spotted by Cluster dk users in Japan (25 division) and Bulgaria (178 division) although no contacts are made with these stations.
In April 2013 I am planning part 2 for this rare islands on the air (IOTA) activity and will next time take the Bamby antenna. Maybe I will have better propagation for this trip.
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