In August 2010, I had the pleasure of combining a family holiday with some amateur radio operation from the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal. We stayed at Villa Feliz, nestled in the hills just inland from the coastal town of Carvoeiro. The elevated location proved to be an excellent spot for radio operations, offering a good takeoff angle for my antenna.
My portable setup consisted of my trusty Yaesu FT-857, a versatile rig that's perfect for travel, paired with a Buddistick vertical antenna. The Buddistick, being compact and easy to deploy, was ideal for operating from a holiday villa without drawing too much attention or taking up excessive space.
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| Buddistick antenna |
Despite being on holiday, I managed to squeeze in a significant amount of radio time, logging well over 100 contacts during my stay. The majority of my operation was on the 20m, 15m, 17m, and 30m bands, which offered a good mix of long-distance and European contacts.
RTTY was my primary mode of operation during this trip for which I employed the excellent Airlink Express software from Alex KR1ST. I do prefer FSK RTTY but as this wasn't supported by the FT-857 I used AFSK which worked perfectly well.
While RTTY was my main focus, I did mix things up with some PSK31 and PSK63 (both modes also supported by Airlink Express), and some SSB which allowed for some nice rag-chewing type contacts.
Operating as CT7/G0RIF, I found myself on the receiving end of a few modest pile-ups, particularly when working into North America.
It was a nice change to be the DX station for once, and it gave me a new appreciation for how the other side operates.
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| The view from the 'shack' |
The 30m band was particularly interesting to work from this southern European location. Being a WARC band, it offered a different mix of stations and a generally more relaxed pace of operating compared to the busier contest bands.
There's something special about setting up a simple station in a new location and reaching out to the world, especially given the idyllic nature of this balcony operating position. The combination of the FT-857 and the Buddistick worked well, and the Airlink Express software did a great job.
As the holiday came to an end, I was really quite pleased with the radio aspect of the trip. Over 100 contacts in the log, a mix of modes, and the experience of being the DX station – it had been a successful and enjoyable portable operation.
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