3Y1VC 1979 Bouvet Island

This email is being sent to W1GUD, who I worked last Saturday (August 2012) in the NA Contest ... K8ZH, who I saw last Thursday, and K8CX, the creator of Hamgallery.

Maybe this will awaken some memories?

The 3Y1VC - Bouvet operation in early 1979 by LA1VC produced somewhat over 2000 QSOs, and made a lot of guys happy with a new one. Among them were K8ZH and me. Here is a little more background, which may be worthwhile to preserve on hamgallery.com.

In late 1978 I received a phone call at work from Ragnar Otterstad - LA5HE. Rag got right to the point of the call. He said that LA1VC would be going to Bouvet shortly, but all he had were a couple of small 100 watt transceivers. Rag noted that I lived fairly close to Dentron Radio in Twinsburg, and wondered whether I knew the "people in charge". "NOPE", I said, "but what can I do for you?". Long story short, Rag wondered whether Dentron would be willing to loan 3Y1VC one of their MLA-2500 amplifiers and one of the MT-3000 antenna tuners. Well, I called Dentron and Warren - WA1GUD (now W1GUD) answered the phone. Remember, he didn't know me from the "man in the moon", and vice versa. I explained the situation, and Warren, to my amazement, said, "We can do that." Then I explained the "rest of the story", which was that the equipment would have to be air freighted within 2 days to a port in Norway. Again the answer was "No problem.". Dentron came through like a champion, the equipment arrived in time, and it contributed to the success of the 3Y1VC operation. A few years later I was at the OH0 - Aland Island location of OH2BH, and the Dentron equipment was there. Apparently it had been designated for future DX operations out of northern Europe.

When I got my 3Y1VC QSLs, the operator also sent me this photo, taken in his Bouvet shack. The Dentron equipment is on a shelf not shown in the picture.

Shortly after my 14 January 1979 QSO with 3Y1VC, I met K8ZH for the first time at the Wooster, OH post office. Rick must have seen my call letter plates, and remembered that he had heard me work 3Y1VC. We have been friends ever since. 73, Don K8MFO

QSL from the estate of W9ABB / W9HK
Info & Photo courtesy of K8MFO