Since it’s December, we thought it would be fun to share an article from our May 1977 issue on a DXpedition to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The visit actually took place in the spring of 1976 and ironically, included Easter … which the author tells us — at least back then — was the favorite holiday of the year for the locals! Enjoy…
This story picks up where Bill left off in our September issue. Bill operated as ZK2AQ and A35NN from Tonga and Niue Islands then set sail for Xmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
Enroute from Niue to Western Samoa, I reflected on the ZK2AQ operation and decided to take a critical look at the expeditions beam antenna.
Don Schliesser, W6MAV, president of the Northern California DX Foundation had contacted me at ZK2 and advised that the foundation was interested in our propagation research. The NCDXF has been instrumental in aiding several DX oriented radio expeditions and their participation was certainly welcome at a critical point in time. By agreement the foundation was going to ship a linear to Singapore and if other equipment was to be needed or replaced this was definitely the time to find out.
Phil Williams, 5W1AU, along with Pete 5W1AZ, met me at the airport in Apia and by the time we arrived at Phil’s home the gray of evening had set in. Determined to check out the beam, we assembled it in the dark and then climbed the tower with the antenna cradled between Phil and I, finally securing it at the forty foot mark. The project consumed the better part of the evening, providing me with sufficient confidence in the array and supplying the islands mosquito population with a fine three course banquet. At one point a fight developed between a few of the more aggressive dive bombers over who had the landing rights at the forty foot mark. Phil settled the argument by momentarily slipping, seeing that we were also capable of flight
