The Tortola Excursion

Cal White V31EA

At least once a year we all get edgy and need to go somewhere. I was getting that feeling, so at the next Texas DX Society (TDXS) meeting I brought up the possibility of going to the island of Tortola (NA-023) in the British Virgin Islands. Immediately, several hands came up and the trip was filled!

Our completed DXpedition crew consisted of four members of the TDXS bunch: myself, Cal White, WF5W; Paul Franz, W5PF; Bill Frink, K5WAF; Bob Mennell, WB5IUU, and our companion, Nancy Kott, WZ8C, stateside Queen Bee of the FISTS group.

We planned to use the two Kenwood TS 480HX’s, two SteppIR Big IR verticals and some wire for dipoles. We had ICE filters to insure we would be able to operate side-by-side radios. The Alpha amplifier company provided T-shirts and DX Engineering donated some hats.

Computers had been set up to tie into both radios and have programs in place for RTTY.

We rented a five-suite villa on Smugglers Cove, which had been a landing spot for pirates in the days of old and set the theme for our trip. The pictures that we saw on the internet of the land around the villa did not give us a good feeling for the antenna layout. There didn’t appear to be a lot of open space and power lines were right near the building. The villa also has a Condo Association that didn’t look favorably on our activity when we first explained it to them in an attempt to get permission to operate. Amateur Radio is not well-known in Tortola (there are less than a dozen licensed Hams on the island), and they were concerned that we would cause interference to the neighborhood. Eventually, we obtained prior permission from the local powers-that-be to erect the antennas with the understanding we had to put up $1,000 extra security deposit. That says something about the area.

Paul, Bill and I planned a stop in San Juan for a look around before continuing to Tortola. Tricia, K5WAF’s XYL, said she had been looking at a hotel in San Juan, The Convento, for 30 years and this was the first time to get there.

What a trip! The Convento lived up to its reputation. We were ready for luxury all over the place. Good walks, good shopping, nice weather and good food, and last but not least, great beds and pillows. What more could we ask of this place for only 24 hours? It had been 45 years since I had seen El Moro castle, it remained exactly the same as I remembered it.

We almost had a tragedy before we left. The SteppIR Big IR Vertical arrived at my QTH in Tomball, Texas in 8-foot sections on the Friday before we were set to leave. The new travel regs only allow 62 inches, even for sports bags. A quick call over the weekend resulted in SteppIR sending spare couplers overnight for alteration to the support fiberglass tubes. They were then put into the sport tubes for shipment. On arrival at San Juan, both sport tubes looked like they had been run over by a 10-ton truck. Continental gave us vouchers to buy new sport tubes. We checked the contents and the antennas, including the stepper motors, were not hurt, so we proceeded with the damaged tubes (no other choice).

We arrived in Tortola at 3:45 p.m. on 11 July. A new-found friend from 20 Meters, the Voice of the West Indies, George Collingston, VP2VQ, was waiting outside the Customs area at the airport to welcome us to his island. Our rental vehicles, two new 4x4 SUVs, were parked and waiting as well. We waited at the airport with George for Nancy’s flight to arrive. Then we all went to supper at the famous Pussers restaurant in Road Town.

Bob was supposed to be on the same flight as Nancy, but he missed that flight and had to take the next one out, meaning he had to be picked up at almost midnight. The ride out to the villa was something else; by this time it was very dark and raining. High mountain roads, very rough and rocky side roads and steep, really steep hills near the water.

But the ride was worth it. What a luxury accommodation! We each had our own suite with a/c, TV, bath, balcony porch, etc. The whole place was wired for internet access and a computer was available in the common area on the second floor.

Arriving at the villa, our first priority was to get on the air. We put up a vertical by the pool, clamping it to a light fixture. We set up the radios on the main balcony outside the kitchen/dining area. In retrospect, Nancy thought it would have been smarter to put the rigs inside the villa rather than out in the open, because the insects were a distraction at night. They grow some very big bugs on Tortola! They didn’t bite, but they were attracted to the computer screen lights and persistently dived at us while we were operating (this bothered Nancy because they kept getting tangled up in her hair, but wasn’t a big problem for us he-men types!)

The first night found some of us on the air at about 11 p.m. with one vertical up and running. That worked till about 2 a.m. when we all really got tired...6 a.m. found us outside working on the other vertical and the dipole. Bob saved the day with his kit of ACE hardware goods. All the odd pieces we needed were there and provided in his kit. Propagation was not good, the DX runs really did not start till afternoon. We then made up for lost time. No particular pattern, just Europe, U.S. and a smattering of Asia.

Dinner that night was out and about again. This DXpedition may just set the standard for our future trips with two SUVs, the spouses had one to do the island exploration, lunches and shopping while we were Hamming away and we had the other one for use in case of emergency or if we needed to get something from town. Talk about a win-win situation. In Tortola, they drive on the “British” side of the road. Luckily, Bill and his XYL have had experience with left-sided driving.

On Friday 13th, we went into town to pick up Nancy’s license. While we were there, we thought we’d take a chance and ask for a local call to use during the IARU contest rather than have to send VP2V/home call. Mr. Woodley of the BVI Telecommunications section advised that it was unusual for any foreigner to get a local call. We pleaded that the time to use a 10-letter call would take us twice as long as anyone else in the contest. He evidently felt sorry for us as he gave us a new call just for the contest, VP2VEA. We were elated! A quick lunch was had at a local marina and then back to the shack.

Now at 8 p.m. we were all ready for the FISTS Sprint! Bill, Bob and I are FISTS members. The Sprint went well, not spectacularly, but well considering the lousy propagation; we all worked a bunch of FISTS folks and Queen Bee Nancy was able to talk to her flock. The Sprint finished at midnight. We checked the logs and prepared for the IARU contest at 8 a.m. next morning.

I started it off and then we took turns during the day until night time then Bill and I were to work the night shift. However at about 4:30 a.m. Bill went missing. He later denied sneaking off to bed, but he did leave Nancy to hold the fort till I awoke at about 5:15.

The verticals worked, but not as well as we wanted. We had put up a 40/15/20 dipole and that one really did the job. Not sure, but we may have needed more radials for the verticals. For the IARU Contest, our total was 926. Of those, 240 were SSB, with Nancy and Bob making the most of them. Then it was time to go to bed.

Now that the contest was over, we all could return to more leisurely Hamming. I can’t take this overnighter stuff so well any more, I slept until noon. I was told the band openings were not so good anyway. Bill and Paul spent the afternoon trying to get the RTTY machine up and running and giving the Europeans VP2V on that mode. Bob was in town making the local merchants rich and Nancy dug out the GHD straight key and hoped to open some bands.

That night was another night on the town to another exotic, beautiful Caribbean delightful restaurant on Carrot Bay. We all finished up with freshly made Key Lime Pie. After all, we can’t Ham all the time and we do have to eat, don’t we?

We came back to the Villa from that gastronomical experience and found the bands open and ready for us. 30 Meters was wide open. I worked that band till my arm got tired and then traded off to Nancy to keep it going.

Tuesday morning found us back on 40 and 20 working a little harder for the Qs — until 8 a.m. when Bob’s XYL Sue made her famous sweet potato pancakes. All DXing stopped while we enjoyed that breakfast. Then, our group of Hams got all gussied up and drove into Road Town to the Government offices of Disaster Management. We had previously been contacted by George, VP2VQ, to put on a presentation to a group of 18 employees regarding amateur operations and how they tie into government efforts for disaster management. We all felt privileged to be a part of that presentation.

The program was well received and who knows, there may come some Hams out of this group. George will follow up and see what he can stir up.

This last afternoon was spent on the bands; Bill now had both computers commandeered on one radio. Bill’s true character finally came out. He was in fact the group’s “Ham HOG,” which he now admits to being. (An ever-so-slight, gentle push on the side of his chair dislodged him for the next hour or so.)

At 4:30 p.m. we took down one of the verticals and one of the 480 stations and both of the ICE filters for packing. We were then off to George’s home for dinner at 7 p.m. It’s hard to keep from making superlatives about such a Ham experience, but I would say George’s home and shack have to be described as fantastic.

George had a catered meal for all of us. We met his lovely wife Gilda, daughter Nicole, and son, Joseph. We were treated to use his station for some contacts, including a couple from our home area, W5PDW and K5CX.

George is on the radio most Monday and Wednesday afternoons on 14.260. In fact, that is where our initial contact was made.

We arrived back at the villa about 10:30 p.m., fully content. We tried to get some interest in the radio, but we were all really ready to pack and get on the road, so the lone radio sat waiting till sunrise. The bands were so bad that only a few more contacts were made before we shut the operation down.

We arrived back at the airport on Beef Island early and were lucky that all of us got a flight to San Juan an hour earlier than scheduled and our sport tubes holding the SteppIRs were not even a problem of weight or length.

But at San Juan it was another story. Bob had the biggest load to carry, four bags packed with goodies, gear and his ACE hardware. The Agriculture folks apparently thought his tools were some sort of disguised fruit as they opened all his bags and inspected each one. We had the time, but it was a hassle.

Nancy departed shortly after that to Chicago so she didn’t have to wait very long in San Juan, but en route to Detroit, O’Hare airport was closed because of lightning. There was a 12-hour delay to get a flight part of the way home and then she had to find a car for the last leg of the trip. The rest of the crew had to wait in San Juan as several flights had been delayed in the New York area and they had to come in and leave from our designated terminal prior to our flight. Ours left an hour late but was a good flight home.

On arrival in Houston we all went our separate ways home happy, contented Hams, having completed another really nice DXpediton.

From the XYL Perspective (totally unsolicited — really).

Many people have never had the opportunity to really know what a DXpedition is. Even many Ham wives don’t have a clue of the value it can bring into your life. The Hams plan the trips and we spouses reap the benefits. Having been on five of these DXpeditions, I can say it is a break from housework and boredom of everyday life. We can get up when we like, shop all we want, eat at wonderful cafes and have no cares in the world. The men have fun with the radios and we women feel like royalty. So I can say I am blessed to have a husband who is a Ham. I hope for many more trips to come my way.

Thanks guys, Pat White (XYL of Cal)

Need I say more? Where to next? C U on the bands. 73, Cal, VP2V/WF5W