One of my favorite things about our hobby is that there are so many rabbit holes you can run down. Whatever your interests are, there is a niche in amateur radio to “scratch that itch.” I can often be heard saying to my club, “If you can’t find your rabbit hole in this hobby, you had better check your pulse!”
Among those niches is the “Special Event” rabbit hole. I love getting that “Clean Sweep” certificate. But as my grandpa used to say, “That and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.” Nonetheless, it is fun and challenging.
A really interesting special event has lit the way for on-air excitement in August since 1998—International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW).
On Aug. 16-17 this year, amateur radio operators around the world will once again head out to their nearest lighthouse or lightship for a weekend of portable operation, contacting lighthouses and lightships around the globe and making QSOs with other amateur radio stations. Complete details can be found at the ILLW website.
This event is a bigger deal to my local club than Field Day. We start the planning in late spring. For years we have activated the Marblehead Lighthouse, located on a narrow strip of land which juts into Lake Erie.
Our club in Huron County, Ohio, obtains a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to set up in the park and remain for the duration of the event.
They have been very gracious in allowing us to stay even after the state park closes.
We will have three stations set up so we can operate for the duration of the event regardless of weather.
- There will be a phone station in an RV using an Icom IC-7200 and a full-sized G5RV.
- I will have a phone station in a pop-up shack using a Yaesu FT-891 HF/50 MHz All Mode Mobile Transceiver with an Alpha Antenna HF/VHF/UHF MagLoop EmComm Antenna (below).
- Lastly, we will have a CW station set up in a pop-up shack using an Elecraft KX3 and a homebrew vertical antenna.
Any time I can get out and operate portable is a great time, but to do it with other club members is a bonus. We use the event as a POTA activation as well. Everyone brings some food to share and it’s a great time.
Additionally, having three stations set up around the lighthouse draws a lot of curious people. It is a great opportunity to talk about what we’re doing with visitors who may have never even heard of amateur radio.
Finally, the reason for the weekend is to make contacts. For me this often takes a back seat to the social aspects at this point in my life. I have made contacts over the years with lighthouses in Scotland, Cuba, Italy, and Turkey to name a few. And there are always a ton of domestic lighthouses on the air. Check out the current list of lighthouses that will be active here.
So, if you’re in need of a ham radio activity to do the third weekend in August, find your way to the nearest lighthouse or lightship and GET ON THE AIR!
73 from AC8OW
