Planning for the 2008 expedition to the South Core Banks Cape Lookout has begun. We will be activating Cape Lookout, and hoping to pass out QSO’s during the RSGB IOTA contest again. Our operations on Cape Lookout will be from July 25th through July 28th, weather permitting.
For 2008, we are hoping that Barry, K4CZ will be tossing his hat into the ring. An extra operator will be a big boost.
We are planning to activate Cape Lookout again this July 2008, once again as N4A. So island chasers can look for us sometime during the last weekend of July. We will be most active on HF during the RSGB IOTA contest, and may spend much of the rest of the time looking for propagation on 10m or 6m.
The RSGB IOTA is an interesting contest, falling as it does in mid-summer. Propagation conditions are different in the summer, so it is always a mixed bag. But it is worth operating just to explore summertime propagation. The IOTA is much more popular in Europe than it is here in the US, so the odds of working DX are also better. You can work any station, anywhere, but the island stations are the multipliers. The RSGB has an FAQ on IOTA on their web site as well as the full 2008 IOTA contest rules.
Operating at Cape Lookout like this is really a miniature DXpedition. The only creature comfort is the availability of a few small cabins that can be rented from the vendor serving the National Park Service. The cabins have running water and plumbing, but that is it. Everything else is hauled in on the ferry that provides transport to the island, which is three miles offshore. There are no paved roads, and the Outer Banks are barrier islands, i.e., all sand, all the time. A 4WD vehicle is advised ֠no tow trucks for miles. No tall supports for antennas either. An always lots of mosquitoes and midges looking to snack on your hide.
Sound like fun yet?
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