Arriving on the Grande Island (MA016) on October 28 around 16h for our new DIFM Islands activée we met the friendly owner of the campsite before taking possession of the mobile home in which we would stay for the duration of our IOTA dx adventure.
This was, for us, a nice meeting indeed since the owner is originally from the Nord / Pas de Calais, close to 14DA021 Eric, more precisely Sainte Catherine les Arras D-62, and we talked a lot with him and especially about our region of yesteryear to today and how much it had changed over the years.
14DA021 Eric and I prepared the new Manche island station which consisted of duel Yeasu FT-857D and ICOM IC-706 transceivers, a homemade lightweight wire skypper and bambi antennas, a KL501 amplifier and a battery for power.
We then spent a little time activating 14DA/MA016 for the 2016 World Islands Contest (WIC) before friends 14DA049 Fred and 14AS049 Anthony joined us a few hours later.
In the log for this picturesque island DXstination (Grid Square: IN88FT), we started with 14FAT123 Pierrick at 18h07 with a signal of 4/1, followed by other enthusiastic island hunters across Europe.
Eventually it came time to take our marks and to settle in the mobile home after many hours of driving, allowing Fred and Anthony to take control of the mic and attack the band with “CQ DX” calls.
We were also an island ahead so they had to make up for it hihi.
Since it was not very open on 11m at this time, however, we spent the time discussing and planning future projects and contemplating some of the 200 hectare island’s beautiful sights.
The hours passed and it was time to go to sleep because it is near 2am and the night is going to be short because we would be awake early to continue our WIC work on this small Department 22 isle.
We resumed on MA016 each day with much gusto but alas the spread did not allow us add many more island hunters to the log.
On Sunday 30/10 it was time for 14DA021 Eric and me to take the road in the direction of the North after having spent a superb week end on the islands of Breton and to see again the friends.
Also to please the hunters d ‘ Islands for this 1st of the World Islands Contest 2016.
Our DA-RC mates Fred and Anthony had decided to stay one more day in order to activate MA133 the Corbeau Island but with a beautiful scare. See their report for all the details hihi!!!!!!!!
In disappointing band conditions, we totalled 37 QSOs on MA016 with 7 DXCC: France (14), Italy (1), Corsica (104), (Denmark (47), Spain (30), Germany (13) & Austria (35).
A great THANK YOU to all of us to have followed us on our Breton journey. Certainly the spread was not at the top but we can do nothing alas due to conditions on 27 MHz at this time.
We had a great time on radio as well as between us in the mobile home, the WX was as expected with a little sun, no wind and mostly no rain, seasonal temperature with a maximum of 14 ° which is perfect for a month of October.
Encore Thanks to all of the Team: 14DA021 Eric, 14DA028 Phil, 14DA049 Fred & 14ATS049 Anthony.
A high quality QSL card, designed by 14DA028 Phil, is available from the QSL Manager whom is 14DA021 Eric.
73 de Phil, 14DA028
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