Living and working in the Solomon Islands from 1978 until 1985,
using the callsign H44PT, I was hooked on 6m. 50MHz is still my favourite band
and pretty much the sole focus of this site.
In my 30+ years in the telecommunications industry I have been fortunate to work
throughout the world, including extended periods in Thailand, Australia, Solomon
Islands, California and Korea. Great for Ham Radio! More recently I have been
using my project management and technical skills planning and installing VSAT
systems for a major bank across Africa from Botswana to Uganda and from Ghana to
Seychelles and Mauritius. But not much time for ham radio - Ah well.
Why Solomon Islands?
In the beginning...
7 years living and working in Solomon Islands in the
early 80s made a lasting impression on me. Professionally it was my first overseas assignment - a two year
secondment that grew to 7 years. An assignment that started with establishing a
Telecommunications Training Centre and ended with modernisation of the national
telecommunications network.
The capital, Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, was a great
place for my kids to grow up - they made many friends - both Solomon Islanders
and other expats. So did we!
I was fortunate to be able to return to Honiara on business
several times in the late 80s and was also able to keep in touch via bush
telegraph (now using TCP/IP!!!).
For Ham Radio it was just fantastic. Although involved in HF
comms professionally, I have no interest in the HF bands for ham radio. On
432MHz and 144MHz Oscar 10 and other AMSAT satellites proved to be great fun. I
was certainly in demand as "DX" but was also able to use AO-10 for
regular skeds to the UK.
 |
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| As we were at
the peak of Solar Cycle #21 |
The Magic Band Bug Bites!
Within 6 weeks of setting up home in Honiara I was on 6m. 6
watts from a Kenwood TV506 to a quad loop slung in a tree. This was VHF like I
had never heard. A good solar cycle, an excellent tropical location
and a sea path to Japan combined to entrap me for life! 50,000 JA QSOs later and I
was still looking for more.
My Millennium Project
Seems I'm a "when we" - always talking about
"when we were in Honiara.....". Towards the end of 1998, my XYL Jackie
suggested that I plan to go back to Solomon Islands as a "millennium
project" to meet old friends and play radio for a while. Having just
escaped from full time employment in global telecommunications I was unable to
refuse! Year 2000 seemed so far off that it didn't seem real anyway. I blinked
and it was March 2000 and I was on my way.
Take a look around
So, this site has historical sounds and pictures from my times
in H44 in cycle 21, plus all the latest from my April 2000 DXpedition and
finally, a 50MHz H44 Firsts List (updates and corrections welcome).
Take a look around, listen to the DX both here and on my other
site. Please e-mail me if you have any recordings, comments,
suggestions etc.
I hope to work you soon on 6.
73 Peter
G8BCG / H44PT
So where is Solomon Islands anyway?
In the SW Pacific, East of
Papua New Guinea and NE of Queensland Australia.
Click
here
for a map of Solomon Islands and
here
to zoom in to Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal.
Year 2000 DXpedition Cycle 21 Activity H44 50MHz Firsts 1983 World Communications Year First Day Covers 50MHz QSL Gallery H44PT 50MHz DXCC Sound Archive AMSAT OSCAR-10 H44PTs Guestbook Archive Table of Contents
