Heavy Metal at S9SS

[Gary - WA4IAM]

After a long day at work there's nothing like spending the time on the commute home working a little HF. I was on 20 meters last evening with my FT-857D while on the way home when I came across S9SS running a pileup. After a few calls I managed to work the station, who's op is named Charles. I didn't know the significance of the catch I had made until I checked his listing in QRZ.COM this morning.

The QTH of S9SS is the island of Sao Tome, 200 miles west of Gabon off the coast of Africa. Turns out that Charles Lewis, a native of North Carolina, is the station manager of the Voice Of America transmitter site there on the island. Take a look at the URL link listed below. After looking at the initial page, click on "pictures" on the left hand side of the page and take a tour of the VOA transmitter site on the island. Ye gods! I've never even seen a megawatt dummyload before. Read up on the solid state modulator for the 600KW transmitter. YIKES! There are 7 pages of photos for the site tour alone (click on the drop down menu that says "page 1"). Lots of photos to enjoy of the transmitter site and the beautiful island. Enjoy!

Am I going to QSL this guy? YOU BET!! 

http://groups.msn.com/s9ss/s9ss.msnw 

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Gary,
      What a catch, especially for a mobile! I've never even heard of the place and the prefix. Congradulations!

BTW, how are you making out with the RA-250? What parts do you need for it? Send me an email to: n3ibx@verizon.net with the items you need and I'll try to help you out.

Best Regards and congradulations again on the FB DX catch.
Joe Cro N3IBX

[w3jn]

When I was posted to Manila I had to go to the VOA sites at Poro Point and Tinang every once in a while to help them out with their security equipment.  What setups those were.  At Tinang, they had a special room for spare toobs with a chainfall attached to the ceiling to pull the final toobs out of their crates.  Acres and acres of curtain antenners, a whole slew of 500KW xmitters (can't remember the brand now, probably Continentals?). 

73 John

[W1ATR]

And who says the band is dead, it still has it's moments.

What does anyone think Mr. Hollingsworth would have to say if someone were to drop that awesome 600kW bomb on the QRM'ing slopbucketeers that like to stay a little too close to 3885?

Man! Talk about "Bringing down the Thunder".

[WA1GFZ]

I notice that he uses a T on 160. I was at a HF site in Bermuda and the guy there told me thier best low frequency ant was the t.
Some guys have all the fun................