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4DØDBT CABALLO ISLAND – FORT HUGHES DXPEDITION, 1982 By: Mario “Ricky” Maipid, KB4SAD |
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CABALLO ISLAND, located at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines, is a 381-foot high, 0.8 mile long rocky bluff south of the east end of Corregidor Island. This was the location of Fort Hughes, part of the US Army’s harbor defense of Manila Bay in World War II. At the time of the 4DØDBT operation, and to date, the island remains an operational Philippine Navy base and is off-limits to the general public; special permission and security clearance is required to visit this facility; this operation is the first and only Ham Radio activity there on record. |
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During the week of May 31 to June 7, 1982, the Don Bosco Technical College Amateur Radio Club held its first DXpedition to Caballo Island – Fort Hughes, in commemoration of the Philippine Amateur Radio Association’s 50th Anniversary. Sponsored by the Philippine Navy’s Fleet Support Command through the kindness of Commodore Alfredo P. Protacio, the 13-man team consisted of Jun Bernad, Ski Cabrera, Noel Comia, Woodie Jose, Ricky Maipid, Al Protacio, Edgar “Bot” Quinto, Rene Ramirez, Roy Ruivivar, George Sanico, David Santiago, Jimmy Valdez and Casey Valino. Operating under the special call sign 4DØDBT, the main objective was to provide an exotic QSO (contact) for amateur radio operators throughout the world. |
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We left Manila before noon on May 31 for our rendezvous point at Fort San Felipe, Cavite City. After two days at the fort, we left for Caballo Island on a naval craft. Upon arrival, we set up a couple of ham radios and antenna systems in the island’s guest house. Five hours later our group’s two teams eagerly began calling CQ. Everyone was tense and excited during the early pile-up of QSO’s, one of these being a rare QSO with a Burmese XZ station. Although we had expected to maintain the initial impetus of our rate of QSO’s by the early evening of our first day, it became clear that unfavorable band conditions would force us to work only during the afternoons to early dawn. We also tried constructing several variations of antennas to see if the situation could be improved. Unfortunately, good conditions set in only on our last night, with European and Stateside stations coming in clearly. Despite this and other technical problems such as generator-caused interference, we were able to contact at least 50 countries and made about 1,500 QSO’s. |
