Our family holidays in South Sardinia were just AWESOME! I had a great time with the family and our friends but also some time for ham radio. Almost 700 QSOs were logged in two weeks on the IS0 island, IOTA EU-024. The focus was on SOTA activities (and what else 😀), I have managed 30 SOTA points by 8x SOTA activations, 5x of them were the first ones (ATNO), some of them are really nice, quiet and picturesque summits. It was too hot for longer tours so the daily schedule looked like an early morning activation and spending the rest of the day at the beach. IS0 in the summertime is just about looking for wonderful and warm beaches rather than hiking and climbing mountains in the hot sun at 35°-40°C. And, unfortunately, It would have taken a long drive to reach the highest peak on the island - IS0/IS-001, Punta La Marmora, 1834m. So, I skipped it, maybe next time then 😉. Here is a brief summary of my SOTA activations:
From all of them activated I liked Monte Maria, IS-216 the most, where I had to free climb the very last piece to the "Steinmandl". It was a wonderfully sunny and slightly windy morning. I enjoyed the absolute solitude and idyllic view from the summit for a long while before I got on the air for a half an hour. The signals there are clear as the clear sky above your head. Operating from the top while the orange sun cheerfully rises over the blue sea, and together with my friend Spartacus who listened attentively to the wind and soft clicks of the Morse key, such moments will remembered for a long time. IMHO, SOTA in IS0 is something for nature connoisseurs and lovers, but not for point collectors. Even an one-pointer (especially a pathless one) here might be difficult to reach, but you are usually rewarded with a great all-round view and solitude. Punta Eva, IS-195 is another nice hike where you will need to find your own way to the activation zone.
Spartacus and me had to start the hikes very early in the morning (~ 6 AM) to avoid the daily heat and get back in time for breakfast. Usually, this resulted in short runs of around 20 to 30 minutes on 20m and 30m. When I had a little more time, I diligently continued on other bands until there were no more takers. The 20m band was the best choice. A lot of QSB on 30m. No operation on 40m, sorry 😉. A total of 207 SOTA QSOs were logged.
I managed one WWFF activation, IFF-1685 by 70 QRP QSOs in CW, and only because this one was on a fairytale sandy beach close to our second QTH. I found a nice operating spot under the pine trees near the beach and alternated between running the radio and swimming in the crystal clear and warm water 👍😁. The first call logged was KD1CT with 599💪. I had to learn that the IFFA has its own requirements for a successful WWFF activation validation, and that a log submission to WWFF can be unnecessarily complicated 😠. Of course I should have read the national rules first. Thanks goodness, and good news for all chasers, my activation and log have been accepted by the IFFA team. I had also planned a combined SOTA+WWFF activation but had to cancel it for family reasons as it would have taken a full day. Many IS0 summits require technically easy but long hikes.
I ran for a couple of hours in the WAE CW contest (~200 QSOs) and then occasionally. Despite high QRM in a range of S5-S7 I was able to log some nice DX like HK4, ZM4, LT6, VK9, VK4, etc.
Some impressions are held on the following pictures.
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