This time should be the nice one ! Having the possibility to make trafic from a real exotic place it is the dream of every HAM. So for the 25th Anniversary, me and my wife decided to go in the best place we went: MALDIVES !

For this occasion I bought a nice case from RGCASES, real heavy rugged cases that was perfect for my purpose. Few day before the trip, I made a general test; I decided to do not bring my GO-BOX as in this case I should bring a much bigger case to properly protect the transceiver …. Then I was also thinking that bringing the IC 7300 would be a better choose as to bring the ICOM 706 MKIIG included in the GO-BOX … never a decision was so wrong , but I will tell you later why.

At the arrival at Fashmendoo Island at “our” Overwater Villa I was super excited ! The villa was absolutely astonishing, and for my antenna I could install it on my super big veranda with no problem ! After few minutes, while my wife was openning the baggage, I was already building up ! I got with my my Rybacov, loyal companion of all my dx-ped, and also an Enfed Antenna as alternative.

In less then 30 minutes I was ready to CQ from 8Q7TD ! But observing the band with the IC 7300 spectrum, I’ve got a bad surprise… all over the bands I got S9 noise … take a look to this video how was the situation …

I tried to make some calls, and I could listen on the bottom lot of people replying me … so my antenna system was working good… but was so difficult to codify some signal…. In the evening I tried again, and I was able to run several people, but with great difficulties, and I was forced to let repeat almost every callsign .. just who was really coming with high signal was easy to understand.

In the following days I tried and tried to understand, and finally I discover the problem…. the Resort produce fresh water from salt water, and to pump this water all over the village several time… before send the clean water to the Villas, then send the grey water back again… so probably very close to my antenna there was this pump, generating the noise I was hearing in my Icom.

I tried to move the antenna, I changed from the Rybacov to the Enfed (trying several configuration), but nothing seem to help. At the end I decided to start some FT8 traffic, and in this way I got some results… also in CW I made some calls, and the emotion was really great… it was enough to make 2 calls to getting back the “wall of calls” … also with difficulties I got really lot of fun.

Well, at the start I mention that not bringing my GO-BOX resulted a wrong choice…. the point is that in my GO-BOX I have added a Noise Killer very effective, and for sure could be of any help … but I left it at home, as thinking to Maldive I imagine to have no noise at all…. really wrong thounght !

At the end of everything I was able to run about 1300 qso, 70% in FT8 and FT4, the rest on SSB and CW… I would say the digital mode are not my favourite way to make traffic, but in this case I was forced to make this, the alternative was a very poor operation….

Thank you all for having the patience to work me in these difficult condition, from now on, wherever I will go, I will never ever let the compelte GO-BAG at home! For sure having with me the noise killer could been an helps…. here you have the LOG ON LINE.

See you again on the air from the next adventure.