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ZD8SIX on Ascension |
Sunday 5th November |
I actually had my first DAYLIGHT opening today! The band opened between 11:46 and 12:58 and I worked throughout mainland Europe for the first time. New countries worked included: DJ, ON, OK, LX, PA, YO, GD and GW (no OZ though) bringing the country count up to 48. Absolutely so sign of any Gs :>( This was a much easier pile-up to work than the earlier ones as signals had no TEP flutter and there was little QRM! Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that my switching power supply for the amplifier creates an extra s-point of hash when the beam is pointing towards it making it more difficult to hear weak stations. The band is so quiet here compared to home that I didn’t notice it before. Looks like I’ll have to have a go at finding out what the problem is.
The band opened again briefly in the afternoon at 3 o’clock and 5 o’clock with some QSOs into France and Switzerland. Will it open this evening as well I wonder? I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
The band opened again at 23:00 to the Caribbean but there was no earlier European opening. Jimmy VP2MJJ was really pleased to hear me as they had not heard a thing all day and I was s9++. Worked VP2M, VP2A, KP2, FM, V44 and HK. Running a beacon on 50.123 has really paid off today.
Green Mountain with Two Boats in the foreground taken from Sisters
I can’t sit listening to noise all the time so I’ve had a good day in other ways as well. Early in the morning I went up to Two Boats and found the start of the track that takes you to the top of the second highest peak at 1400 feet on Ascension, Sisters Peak. I walked to the top, but boy was that a challenge! I think I did most of it on my hands and knees. The whole landscape was strewn with stones and boulders. Have you tried walking up a 40o slope on marbles? But what a fantastic view from the top, it was well worth the struggle. Right next-door is an extinct volcano complete with a perfect crater in the top. Coming down I was nearly blown off as the wind seemed to be funnelled to that particular spot half way between the two peaks of Sisters. I then drove on to the European Space Agency monitor site for the Ariane rocket on the eastern side of the island. There are some really excellent beaches over there but too dangerous for swimming. I’m also getting sunburnt as the weather has been brilliant today. Clear blue skies and a fierce heat. Very nice, especially when I hear that the weather in the UK is all gales and floods.
Looking towards Clarence Bay and Georgetown taken from Sisters
As I have now driven over every mile of surfaced road on the island it is now
the turn of the few unsurfaced ones. After the afternoon’s pile-up, I took a
drive over to Comfortless Cove for a swim. You really need a four-wheel drive
vehicle to take the unsurfaced road from Georgetown to the Cove I discovered. The road was
unbelievable as it was like driving over the surface of Mars with all the
boulders pushed to one both sides to make a road! Comfortless Cove got
its name from the 19th century when ships 
carrying yellow fever were quarantined
there. It was called Comfort Bay in those days. Even to this day there are sailor’s graveyards just behind the beach. The swim was great! I also noted
that Comfortless Bay was where the old 19th century trans-Atlantic
telegraphy cables were landed and you can see the small cabin and several old
rusted cables coming out of the beach. Long left to go derelict by the look of
them. A real pity!
There are seventeen documented 'letterbox' walks of exceptional beauty on the island and a booklet can be obtained from the travel office describing them. To make it more interesting, at the end of each walk is a 'letterbox' in which you will find a rubber stamp and you can stamp your book showing that you have completed the walk. The stamp on the left is the stamp from the top of the 1468 foot peak of Sisters Peak.
A panoramic view from the top of Sisters (Click to enlarge)
I went to the mess this evening for food. Seemed rather strange to be having a typical British Sunday lunch of beef, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire pudding in such sweltering heat.
