Hello everyone. A few of us are planning an operating event at a nearby lighthouse that might be of interest to you.
There are a lot of Hams around the world who like to collect QSL cards from lighthouses. I checked the figures, and discovered that Nova Scotia has more lighthouses than any other province or state in North America (312 lighthouses!). The Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society has assigned identifying designators to those lighthouses, and gives awards in several categories for working lighthouse stations.
Fort Point lighthouse and bell tower with ARLHS radio antenna.
To quote their website: “The Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amateur radio equipment at or near the light. Collecting lighthouse QSLs is popular for some amateur radio operators.” http://arlhs.com/
Despite having so many lighthouses, very few have been activated in Nova Scotia, and consequently many of them are in high demand. A few of us intend to activate the Margaretsville Light on Sunday 25 September (http://www.nslps.com/dir_AboutLights/LighthouseSingle.aspx…). We will set up in the small park next to the lighthouse late in the morning, and operate for several hours in the afternoon. The station will be housed in my cargo trailer, and we will use dipole antennas held up by aluminum masts. A small generator will provide power.
This will be a low key, low stress operation. The emphasis will be on having fun while practicing some of the skills we would need in an emergency.
Everyone is invited to drop by on the afternoon of Sunday 25 September! You are welcome to operate or just socialize. To gauge the level of interest please let me know if you intend to participate.
73
Al, VO1NO / VA1AVR
I went out and took some photos of the site. They’re in the Photos section in an album titled “Margaretsville Light Recce”. There is a rocky outcropping in front, a small flat grassy area to the west that I believe is lighthouse land, and a larger area (part of the “driveway” loop) south of the Light.