ZD8SIX on Ascension
	Monday 6th November

A slow day AGAIN on the radio front. I had a half-hour opening to YO and LZ at 11:00. This does seem to be the shifted pattern now so I’ll stay around and listen again tomorrow morning. Dead in the evening until a CQ at 23:00 brought out an S9+ J87AB and several other Caribbean stations together with a number of stations from Columbia.

I decided to have a lazy day today and rest my extensive number of mosquito bites garnered on my travels of the last few days. There are quite a few mosquitoes on the island but they do not carry malaria I am told. But I can tell you that their bites really really really itch!

The Two Boats Club

Johnny, ZD8KW came to pick me up at lunchtime and we went up to the Two Boats club for a beer and a sandwich. We had quite a natter about this, that and the other and he agreed that if we were to send down a new beacon antenna down to the island, he and Lenny would put it up and repair the mast itself. This is good news for all of us. If I had known it was in such a bad state I could have brought one down with me on this trip.

More good news! Johnny is keen to resurrect the Ascension radio club and is busy looking for a suitable location. This sounds like a great idea as I think that many hams would consider visiting Ascension to activate the ZD8 prefix if only there were local facilities. The old club was located at Wideawake airfield (Wideawake terns are birds by the way and the derivation of the name is pretty obvious I guess!) and became defunct several years ago.

We visited Johnny’s home and shack which is located at Travellers Hill camp and saw the pride of his equipment – a 7-element 6m beam built by Ian, M0BCG. Ian seems to be very active in helping guys get onto six metres and Johnny confirmed that he wouldn’t be on if it were not for Ian’s continual pestering. Well done Ian!

Johnny, ZD8KW at his shack at Travellers Hill

I had a super time at the Island’s Historical Society this lunchtime. Their photographic history of the island displayed at Hayes Fort is very impressive, interesting and informative. The island has an intriguing history dominated as it was by Cable & Wireless, RAF and the USAF. The island itself is littered with early radio sites such as those set up by Marconi earlier this century. If only I had more time, I would love to go and search out all these radio architectural sites. There is a really great 40 page pamphlet entitled "An Introduction to the History of Ascension Island" that has just been written by Graham Avis who has now left the island. This tells the history of the island in a very readable and informative style. The pamphlet costs six pounds sterling including postage and can be obtained on the island from Stephen Fowler or via e-mail to stephen.fowler@atlantis.co.ac (or visit the website). Stephen runs the in the Ascension Historical Society. I am sure he would be happy to send one out by post. I would recommend everyone to buy a copy as the proceeds go towards maintenance of the museum.

Umm? I wonder what this shack is used for?