With the start of the charter flights into Heraklion during April, and the nice warm WX, the tourist season is now really getting going. We certainly notice this because parking in Elounda is getting difficult again!
Below is another view of Elounda Bay, but looking towards the QTH, which is just over yonder hill. Elounda Bay has been quite famous in its time, not only for the setting of The Island or ‘Who Pays the Ferryman?’ and ‘The Lotus Eaters’ (remember them?) but also for the visitors who have passed through, including the likes of Winston Churchill and Ghandi. But why would two such famous people travel through Elounda, which you must admit, is quite a bit off the beaten track?
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The answer lies with Imperial Airways and the flying boats they used on the route to and from England. From early in 1930, to the outbreak of WW11, Elounda was one of the refuelling stops between the UK, India, South Africa and the Far East, and planes used to land in Elounda Bay (or Mirabella Harbour as it was known then) and refuel while the passengers were taken off by boat and taken to the Imperial offices in, what is now, El Venizelos Street in Elounda for a wash and brush up or an overnight stay (there being no night flights in those days). The offices are still there, as is the Imperial Airways sign outside. However, passengers were not the main source of income for Imperial Airways on these routes – it was mail.
Imperial had the contract to move the Royal Mail between England and her Colonies and used a fleet of small flying boats as these could land almost anywhere on route. Note that the hotels in the foreground of the picture above were not there back in the days of Imperial Airways!
However, there was an accident in the bay on 26th August 1936 when a plane (G-ABFA) en route from India had a hard touch-down and the nose dug into a wave and the plane upended killing the two crewmen on board. They are buried in a small cemetery just off the road to Pano Elounda.
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On the radio front, I followed Dave, MØTAZ’s exploits on 60m with interest. We do not have 5 Mc/s out here but there is talk of us being given the ‘band’ sometime this year. I have listened from time to time of the spot frequencies but have heard nowt. Maybe this is job for my UNUN and some wire! I was also intrigued by Dave’s Spiderbeam Pole. This seems to be a decent height but, and this is a big but, I do not think it would survive the winds out here without guying if it were raised to anything like full height. Further investigation is currently being undertaken . . .
Meanwhile I have put up a loop for 21Mc/s. This is a manageable size being only abt 48 feet long and in a triangular formation, it works out at abt 16ft each side. This was fed at one corner via a 4:1 Balun and so giving low angle radiation. As my first three QSOs were with JA, it seems to be working.
I tried for some CW contacts on World Amateur Radio Day but blew out, so went onto PSK31 and worked more than the required number of QSOs quite easily. The Loop worked quite well on 15 but really needs to be fed through an ATU to get it working spot on. Just an advanced warning here that World Amateur Radio Day in 2012 will be on Wednesday 18th April.
Meanwhile, I am gradually working my way through the Members of the Club! While on 18 Mc/s I was called by Richard, 2EØXRS, who was a cracking signal.
Over the Easter break I reached 500 Russian Districts with a CW QSO with RUØZM who is way over on the Kamchatka Peninsula. This was done on the new 15m Loop and running abt 40 watts. Getting to 500 RDAs was very pleasing and so now I only have about another 1,900 Districts to chase!
Cheers!
Dick. SVØXBN/9
