Big balls

Credit where credit is due: there are not many people out there capable and determined to pack up radios, antennas, fly and sail to the other side of the world to activate a rare island. Not to mention the obvious: to sort out accommodation on arrival, secure food, setup antennas at the new location, and then stay on air 18 hours per day, for almost two weeks running endless pileups. Unless you’ve done it yourself, you have absolutely have no clue how physically and mentally challenging such an undertaking really is.

Gerben PG5M has done just that: he is now on Pitcairn Island, operating as VP6G. He is running two stations simultaneously, on 40-10m; CW & FT8 using DX Commander (40-10m) and a Hexbeam (20-10m), staying there until April 14.

The pileups are just massive. I’ve managed to get him on 30m and 20m and I consider myself lucky. Pitcairn is rated 62nd on the most wanted list with hordes of Europeans chasing VP6G around the clock.

Again, hats off to this brave Dutchman who equally passionately runs Morse code and FT8 providing an opportunity to tens of thousands of amateurs around the world to snatch a ‘rare one’.

Radios of choice? Two SunSDR transceivers. Say no more.