I would love to bring the FT817 along too and know there are no registered SOTA summits there so will maybe work IOTA instead. Does anyone have any experience of using a transceiver there, and more importantly, does anyone have a reliable contact there in order to assist in processing the paperwork? Fyi, I’ve already downloaded a licence application form & submitted it by email but haven’t had a reply yet. I’ve have also emailed an Op (that runs a Net) & the President of ABARS and haven’t heard back from either of them
There’s a huge contest station (V26K) on the island owned by an American crew that can be rented. Just prior to COVID I inquired and separately applied for a license (required to operate from the island) and heard nothing back despite inquiring again. Gave up once COVID arrived.
… & wow… what a station !! Our many taxi rides took us past it a number of times and I wish I could have tried out some of those antennas. Fyi, it was a public holiday when we arrived so I got in touch with the licensing authorities a few days later and everything was sorted out online inc. the payment. So, a couple of days later, I had my Antiguan license!!! I intended to go up to Boggy Peak with the FT-817 but couldn’t in the end and had to make do with some coastal high ridges - I managed to work a few ‘local’ stations, i.e. N. Carolina & San Jose. I also reached Spain.
The antenna farm view (grabbed whilst driving past):
The antennas do look impressive and I think renting the station includes them plus a concrete block house. You need to bring radios, amp etc etc but that written i’d definitely welcome an opportunity to operate from Antigua.
Mind you amps aren’t always essential as I was in Saint Lucia in Dec 2016 with a 100w radio and managed to rack up 1,200 voice contacts over 6 days. I was super happy. I might of nabbed more but I shared the place with 7 other operators.
