International Lighthouse Weekend 2010

The Cape Schanck Lighthouse - AU0012

This particular event is permanently etched into my calendar. Very few events gain this status, so why has it achieved it. Great weekend away down the coast, some radio and good fun with a team of like minded people. This is not a contest, but a global event that activated some 447 lighthouses, of which Australia had some 57 entries.

It's a team effort with Carl VK3EMF sort of a un-elected leader, Joe VK3BKI good with the key and map reader, Jack VK3WWW high flyer with kites, Damian VK3KQ drives a big ute and me VK3CAM well take a few photos and try to write about the event. So a load of experience and personalities certainly flavours the weekend. Its also an opportunity to pack the camera and explore the coast.

This year we returned to Cape Schanck, a little over an hour from Melbourne, southern end of the Mornington Peninsular. Cape Schanck also offers very good accommodation on site in renovated Keepers' Cottages. The site also offers plenty of space to erect antennas, so it ticks all the right boxes. RF noise has been an issue in the past and that weekend has competed with the RD contest in previous years.

So late on Friday morning I arrived at Cape Schanck only to find no leader VK3EMF or his trusty navigator. Maybe a wrong turn somewhere. . . Plus the accommodation was only booked for one night, nothing that can’t be fixed. Tony the host sprang to action.

With no leader and a car full of gear I was reluctant to start setting up and stamp my layout on the site. Well I started slowly thinking the duo of Carl and Joe would appear, while it was still sunny. Time passed, vertical R5 up, Icom 775 in the lounge near the open fire place and ready to go. As I started to work a few contacts, the duo arrived. RF noise was about the same as other years, high. I apologised for establishing the station and trusted the location met with their approval.

Carl came equipped with his demountable poles, heaps of rope, and fritzel wire antenna, good for 10-80m. Friday afternoon would bring classic lighthouse weather, howling wind and driving rain, challenging conditions to erect the fritzel. I recall Carl uttering “I bet Damian is sitting on a hill watching this, waiting for us to finish, before joining us.”

True to Carl's prediction the big ute rolled up, job was completed and here was Damian. But Carl was now clearly focused on making some early contacts, so we are off and running, now with two antennas. Damian decided he would try 2 metres, so part of the team erected the 2 metre beam. This soon became a frustration with failing light, and a very high SWR. Something was clearly not right, too dark to check.

As early evening descended, the radio running hot and the operator somewhat cool, Joe undertook the hazardous job of lighting the open fire. Plenty of wood, paper, matches, perfect ingredients for smoke..! Soon the living room colours all appeared very grey, visibility dropped to zero, and someone kept calling CQ. Mayday could have been more appropriate. Radio chatter was now drowned out by the smoke detectors. Windows and doors were flung open and Joe started to fan the large cloud of smoke down the passage to front door. This operation was repeated a number of times. At this stage Damian tock over the fire lighting duties.

Both Friday and Saturday we worked well into the night. Late on Saturday Jack VK3WWW joined us and completed the team. The Saturday night election results offered some distraction, between contacts.

Sunday morning highlights, well there was actually two. Jack erected his kite antenna and mobile HF rig and soon started making good contacts. It was an impressive sight as the kite soared into the blue sky, easily developing lift from the strong north westerly winds. It was so simple, and worked so well. Thoughts of fitting a Yagi or vertical crossed my mind, quickly. But another incident was unfolding in the kitchen; nothing out of Master Chef, just Carl preparing his favourite hot breakfast. He must have been distracted, or didn’t read the instruction, “remove packaging before cooking the sausages.” Plastic quickly surrenders to heat, entombing the contents, before combusting.

These weekends are never the same, they offer something different and interesting every time. Funny events we reflect upon and live with even though truth may suffer a little in the relating. A great weekend was had by all.

On the contact side, heaps, plus 20 actual lighthouses worked.

VK3CAM...looking forward to the next one. . .