This Event has Concluded

Event Summary:

The Beavertail Lighthouse Activation was carried out as planned.  Operations as W1SYE began with the first log entry at 1006 EDT and the last at 1558 on Saturday.  Operations on Sunday began a bit early, at 0850, and concluded at 1258.  Over 150 QSOs were completed (and the log will be posted).  Almost all QSOs were made on 20 meters on 14.260 MHz.  On Saturday there were multiple solar flares around 1300 which disrupted the band for an hour or more.  In fact there was Aurora activity later that night which was visible as far south as Vermont.  Sunday was the better day propagation wise.

Beavertail Lighthouse Activation 60′ Vertical on Left, Oil house in front of light tower

The photo above shows the 60′ base-loaded vertical tower used during the activation.  A SGC autotuner right at the base of the antenna helped keep the SWR low on the 150′ run of coax used to reach the Oil House.  The other antenna was an experimental Fan-Dipole that was being tested for Field Day use.

Inside the Oil House: John K1JSM on left, and James K1SD on right

In addition to John – K1JSM, and James – K1SD, shown above, other operators during the event were:  Jim – KA1ZOU, Steve – KC1AQQ, Rick – N3RWB, Julian – N1UHP, Willy – W1LY, and Bob – WB4SON.

Event Description:

Beavertail Lighthouse , lighted in 1749, was the third light built in what would become the United States. Originally known as the Newport Lighthouse, it guided pre-radar shipping in and out of Narragansett Bay. The light is recognized by the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW # US0156), and Conanicut Island is recognized by both Islands on the Air (IOTA # NA-031) and US Islands (USisl # RI007S).

The W1SYE station will operate from the oil house and tower shown here. This is a beautiful rocky shore with a 300 degree view of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. The public and fellow hams are welcome and encouraged to visit and if you wish, try your hand at making national and international contacts with a coach to guide you.

Beavertail Lighthouse Oil House and Tower