INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE WEEKEND 

The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend took place from 0001 UTC on Saturday 22 August until 2359 UTC on Sunday 23 August 1998 when radio amateurs of the world joined in the fun of the weekend by establishing stations at 151 lighthouses, lightships or maritime lights in 38 countries. 

Stations were active in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. European stations averaged 700 contacts with one station but others who had two stations QRV (for non-hams, "QRV" is a Q-signal meaning "active" or "in operation") had just over 1000 contacts. 

In South Africa nine stations were QRV from lighthouses and although three station reports are still awaited, the tally of contacts and countries worked is , contacts +/- 1000, countries +/- 150. 

KP4ES, El Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan lighthouse, made 817 CW contacts into 115 countries and on SSB 525 contacts into 51 countries. 

LU5WW at Punta Delgada lighthouse installed two stations, one an Icom 735 with a long wire for low bands and the other with a Kenwood TS-850 with a 3 band 4 element yagi on a portable 9 M high tower. They had about 200 CW QSOs and 600 in SSB. 

In the U.S.A. W2GSB set up three HF stations, 1 VHF packet and a VHF/UHF FM station. They netted 723 QSOs in 20 countries, 45 US States and 6 Canadian Provinces. 

Germany, DA0LRS operating from the lighthouse at Roter Sand made 806 QSOs of which 450 SSB, 259 CW and 97 FM into 41 countries. DL0EM, Lighthouse Campen, had over 600 mixed QSOs and the lighthsip Borkumriff, DL0BRF, 180 QSOs. 

Whilst in New Zealand, condition on 40M were at times difficult due to poor propagation. One club, Titahi Bay ARC, managed to operate from an old communication site which is currently equipped with a rhombic pointing at the UK which can be switched instantly from short-path to long-path, three vee-beams, a long wire and a 160 M loop. Other clubs were more adventurous - Papakura Branch drove down to Cape Egmont Light and established themselves with a 3-element tribander and 40/80M trap dipole and used a TS830S and TS440 with a SB200 linear making 725 contacts in 48 countries. Nelson Branch camped out at the old Nelson Light on the Boulder Bank and Hastings hired the DOC hut at Cape Kidnappers. Gibraltar ARS, four operators, set up at Europa Point lighthouse and using dipoles for 10, 15, 20 and 40M made just over 1000 contacts. 

In the U.K., GB2KHL, Kinnaird Head at Scotland's Lighthouse Museum, with one station worked in excess of 500 stations, and GB2LBN at Barns Ness made just over 700 contacts with 80M being their usual stalwart band. GB2SCA, Scarborough Lighthouse, using an FT1000 with an inverted V, 90 feet above the sea made 255 SSB & 76 CW QSOs on the Saturday and had a total over the two days of over 650 contacts. GB2LAY, Ayr Lighthouse, had two HF stations. With a TS-430 for 40 and 80M using dipoles, and for 20M a ground plane fed by a TS-850 with a TL-922 linear and they made a total of 1184 contacts, of which 69 were CW, into 66 countries. GB2SLS, Spurn Lightship in dock at Hull, made 719 contacts over the weekend. GB2LMG, Mull of Galloway, used TS850S and IC746 into a 3 element yagi and a W3DZZ, and in-between Barbies made 445 QSOs. GB4FLL, Leasowe lighthouse, had a FT1000 with ATU, two antennas, a doublet for 80 metres and a G5RV at a slope of 35 degrees in a North/South configuration. They had a partial blackout on the Sunday with noise at 5/9 but made 400 contacts. 

Most stations reported that band conditions were average on the Saturday but on the Sunday about 1200 UTC somebody switched the propagation off. Everybody has reported having a great weekend 'playing radio' and already have plans to make their station better for next year. 

Next year the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend will be from 0001 UTC on Saturday 21 August until 2359 UTC on Sunday 22 August 1999. 

At the same time will be The Northern Lighthouse Weekend, when stations will be specifically established at lighthouses in Scotland and the Isle of Man. So come and join in the fun, establish a station at a lighthouse or lightship- permission MUST be obtained from any interested parties, during the weekend. If you require any further information just contact me and I will do all I can to help. If you have already chosen your site could you let me know the callsign you will use, QTH and QSL information? This will be used to create a list of participating stations and issued to other amateurs and radio amateur media. 

Remember the event is NOT a contest, each station decides how they will operate their station regards modes and bands. We have found that when it is quiet they have a natter and when there is a pileup they convert into a type of contest mode. We wish the operators to enjoy themselves and have fun while making contact with as many stations as possible. Some operators say fun - 10,000 contacts - OK, but we request that stations take some time to work the slow operator, the newly licensed and QRP stations too. 

Participating stations are requested to add LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after their call. We use the event segment of the 5 Classic bands with a centre frequency if conditions are bad, at least we have one place we can (try to) meet. 

CW
80m 3.510 - 3.540 Khz  Centre 3.521 +/- 
40m 7.005 - 7.035             7.021 +/- 
20m 14.010- 14.040           14.021 +/- 
15m 21.010 - 21.040          21.021 +/- 
10m 28.010 - 28.040          28.021 +/- 

PHONE 
80m 3.650 - 3.750 Khz  Centre 3.721 +/- 
40m 7.040 - 7.100             7.051 +/- 
20m 14.125 - 14.275          14.221 +/- 
15m 21.150 - 21.250          21.221 +/- 
10m 28.300 - 28.400          28.351 +/- 

The 40 and 80 M frequencies are for European stations, if you are outside Europe you can use any authorised frequencies So, come and join us, the more the merrier. Vy 73s from Scotland, Mike GM4SUC e-mail : gm4suc@compuserve.com packet : GM4SUC@GB7AYR.#78.GBR.EU