Dinis
In the Galapagos we met Don Guido Rossio and I believe the only Ham (HC8GR) in the archipelago at the moment. Four American aficionados supplied the materials and the towers were build in Finca Chelito II, El Junco, Don Guido's farm.
The antenna farm consists of four towers of 50 meters high each, installed in a square of 60 meters by 60 meters, orientated in a north east direction.
The radio shack is behind and in the middle of towers #1 and #4.
Tower #1 is a 20 meters band with 4 yagis, which are pointed in different directions. Tower #2 is a 10 meters band with 5 yagis, which are pointed in different directions. Tower #3 is a 15 meters band with 5 yagis, which are pointed in different directions. Tower #4 is a 40,12 and 17 meters bands with 2 yagis, which are pointed in different directions.
At 50 meters height, between towers #4 and #1 and towers #1 and #2 are 2 dipoles for 80 meters bands. Also between towers #2 and #3 and towers #3 and #4 are 2 dipoles for 40 meters bands. From tower #2 to the ground there is a dipole for 160 meters band and one as well from tower #3. There are also 2 listening antennas at 3 meters height from the ground of 250 meters each.
Tower #5 is Don Guido's personal antenna and at 18 meters height he has 1 tribander for 20, 15,and 10 meters bands and 1 VHF Marine.
The building at ground level has an open plan kitchen, eating area, a small office and private accommodation. Next floor up are the sleeping rooms. Each room has its own shower/toilet. On the last floor is the radio room, with an outside patio. This is an all business room with lots of equipment, cables, computer keyboards, 7 Ameritrom Al-1200 amplifiers, workshop with all sorts of tools and 7 radios inside their own private storage containers. On the walls all around have awards plates with the majority of them world records.
Don Guido was very active with sailors crossing from Panama to Galapagos and to the Marquesas. After we met, he invited us to spend some time at his farm and for me to play radio. My working conditions at the farm was a Kenwood TS-930S with 100 watts. To move around the different bands, one simply turned a switch. I called CQ, my call sign in the Galapagos was VA7DIN/HC8. The pile up was almost instantaneous and nothing prepared me for the amount and intensity of the calls that came into the air. I worked all over Europe, USA, Canada, South America and even a Romania Maritime Mobil going around Cape Horn. After 2 hours I threw my towel into the ring defeated. I made 134 contacts, a good ham operator will do that in a half hour, but I pure and simply did not have the experience to control a pile up of that magnitude.
For anyone that wishes to see the station you can contact Guido Rossio on 593-5-2520414 or email him at super.g.c@hotmail.com
"Thank you very much Don Guido for your invitation and allowing me to work from your station, your hospitality and to your wife for the lovely supper she had prepared for us"
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