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Carl Mason GW0VSW and his expedition is just such an example. This summer, he visited the second largest island of the Balearic Islands for a week as part of his long-awaited vacation. Menorca is located 225 km SE of Barcelona, 53 km from west to east and 23 km from north to south. It has approximately 220 km of coastline with beautiful beaches. The highest peak is called Monte Toro and is 358 meters high. The most famous monument is the Cathedral of Ciutadella, but the Romans, Byzantines and British and Spanish colonizers left their mark on the island.
I was very happy when I got the leave. Together with my family, we used a last-minute trip and went to Menorca for a week during the holidays. We flew about two and a half hours from Cardiff to Mao na Menrka International Airport. Our destination Playa del Fornells in the north of the island was only a 30 minute drive away. According to the brochure, we had a good idea of the accommodation and found it easily. There was even no problem with the placement of the antenna!
Týždeň nie je dlhá doba, preto som bol pri rádiu iba skoro ráno, kým ostatní spali, alebo neskoro večer. Z predošlých dovoleniek na Zakhyntose EU-052 a Tenerife AF-004 som mal zariadenia QRP Plus, tuner MFJ-971, polovičnú G5RV a batérie. Tentokrát som použil IC-706 a pulzný zdroj SEC-1223. Tranceiver dával možnosť zvoliť si výkon, akým chcem pracovať – od QRP po QRO v závislosti na podmienkach šírenia. Výbavu uzatváral malý kľúč Mk8.
All that remained was to stretch the antenna. However, there was no suitable tree nearby, but I asked the group from the opposite block if I could hold one end on their balcony. The half G5RV thus had one end at a height of about 6 meters and at a 45-degree angle it descended above the path to the window of our bungalow. After hitting the power button, I could finally howl QRV!
Podmienky na 14 MHz boli dobré a tak som prvé QSO urobil práve tu. Prvýkrát sa EA6/GW0VSW dostala do éteru so 70 wattmi na druhý deň o 15.34 UTC. Na CQ odpovedal Ian VE2DOH z Beacosfieldu pri Montreale s výborným signálom za 599. Bol som rád, že ma zavolal, pretože sme sa stretli na pásme už viackrát. Môj report bol tiež 599, čo znamenalo, že anténa funguje dobre.
Nasledoval malý pile-up DL, LZ, OK, ON a UA staníc. Za dve hodiny som tranceiver vypol a išiel na večeru. V očakávaní ďalších spojení som nastavil budík a išiel spať. Po raňajšej káve som o 5.13 UTC začal dávať CQ. Niektoré signály, zvlášť z USA boli v enormnej sile. Do logu sa dostal aj Mat N2FOC z New Yorku a Alf SM7ENF Z Boru, či Ken VK3BXN.
Výborné podmienky ma nadchli, znížil som výkon na 5W a preladil na 14,060 MHz. Prvou QRP stanicou bol Vitas LY2FE, ktorý pracoval s tranceivrom K2 do LW antény iba s 2W. Vymenili sme si reporty 579. Ďalšou stanicou bol Jack W7CNL z Idaha, pre ktorého bola EA6 novou 2xQRP zemou. Aj pri silnom QSB a QRM sme si vymenili reporty 439 ešte kým sa stratil v šume.
IC-706 with CW filter has proven itself. The G5RV worked great until…. until after a day at the beach I found a note from the hotel manager to remove the wire above the walkway. Once again, salvation came in the form of rooms above us. I attached one end to them, the other went to the garden. Thus the L-antenna was created. Oh, what the G5RV can handle!
We spent our days on the beach enjoying the sun's rays or riding in a canoe. One day I rented a car and we went to see the island. We passed a number of small villages, were in the highest village at an altitude of 150 meters above sea level, and saw countless historical monuments. I was impressed by the lighthouse at Cape De Cavalleria, even though it was necessary to walk several kilometers of very bad road.
Počasie bolo celý čas fantastické. Spolu s dobrým jedlom a vínom nám bolo smutno, že sa dovolenka končí. Bol to výborný relax a tak sa nám tu páčilo, že Menorcu určite ešte navštívime. Za týždeň som urobil 118 QSO na piatich pásmach do 28 zemí DXCC. Bolo potešiteľné, ak mi niekto povedal, že som mu dal novú zem či IOT-u. Po návrate domov ma už čakali prvé direkty. Ktovie kam pôjdeme na ďalšiu dovolenku? Jedna vec je však istá – určite si so sebou vezmem rádio!