Tuesday, October 22, 2013

You Are Closer to 100 IOTA QSOs Than You Think

The RSGB Islands on the Air (IOTA) program gives you exotic location QSOs, great looking QSL cards and a worldwide following of fellow hams. Awards can be obtained by working as few as 100 IOTA locations.


Getting 100 island QSL confirmed QSOs isn’t as hard as you might think. You may already be halfway there without knowing it. Remember that many “islands” are homes of many hams and Big Stations, for example Australia counts as OC-001.


With my Silicon Valley location, about 50 miles south of San Francisco, I have 234 IOTA conformations using only 100 watts, and either an old AEA Iso-Loop ground mounted antenna, Vertical antenna or 12-foot high Buddipole antenna.


My west coast QTH gives me an advantage in working many Asian and Pacific island locations, but if you live on the East Coast, you will be able to work many more European and  Mediterranean islands.


From my West Coast USA perspective here is a list of IOTA locations that you may already have in your confirmed QSL list. Many of these also count as DXCC countries.


The IOTA program breaks the world down into seven regions. Full details are available on the RSGB IOTA web and in their IOTA guide, which is well worth having.


Asia (AS)



Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
AS-006
Hong Kong
Main Island and other islands
Yes
AS-007
Honshu Isl.
JA1, 2/3/4/7/9
Yes, counts as Japan
AS-018
Sakhalin Isl.
Big Russian stations
Yes, Asiatic Russia
AS-020
Taiwan

Yes
AS-076
Shikoku Isl.
JA5
Yes, counts as Japan
AS-077
Kyushu Is.
JA6
Yes, counts as Japan
AS-078
Hokkaido Isl.
JA8
Yes, counts as Japan
AS-031
Chichi / Haha / Muko Islands [ AKA Bonin Islands Ogasawara ]
JD1
Yes, Ogasawara
AS-019
Singapore Island
9V
Yes, Singapore

Europe (EU)

Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
EU-004
Balearic Isl.
EA6
Yes
EU-005
Great Britain
England, Wales
Yes, Multiple
EU-008
Scotland

Yes
EU-021
Iceland
Rare but possible, TF
Yes
EU-025
Sicily

Yes
EU-115
Ireland

Yes
EU-116
Isle of Man

Yes


Oceania (OC)

Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
OC-001
Australia
Yes, it is a big island!
Yes
OC-006
Tasmania
VK7, Often overlooked

OC-009
Palau
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-010
Pohnpei
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-011
Chuuk Is.l (Truk Isl)
V63
Yes, Micronesia
OC-013
South Cook, Rarotonga Isl.
E51
Yes
OC-015
Tuvalu
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-016
Fiji
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-017
West Kiribati/Gilbert Isl.
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-018
Banaba
Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-019
Hawaii

Yes
OC-026
Guam
KH2
Yes
OC-028
Kwajalein
V73
Yes, Marshall Isl.
OC-032
New Caledonia
FK
Yes
OC-034
Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
P2, YB9
Yes
OC-036
New Zealand: North Isl.

Yes, New Zealand
OC-040
Niue
E6, ZK2
Yes
OC-042
Luzon Is.l (Philippines)
DU1-4
Yes, Philippines
OC-043
Central Kiribati/Phoenix Isl.
T31, Look for DXpeditions
Yes
OC-045
American Samoa
KH8
Yes
OC-046
Fr. Polynesia
FO, Windward Islands
Yes
OC-047
Solomon Isl.
H4
Yes
OC-048
Tokelau
ZK3
Yes
OC-049
Tonga
A3
Yes
OC-073
Minami Torishima
JD1
Yes
OC-086
N. Mariana Is. , Saipan
KH0
Yes
OC-088
Borneo
9M8, V85, YB7
Yes
OC-097
Samoa , 5W
5W
Yes
OC-134
New Zealand: South Isl.
ZL
Yes, New Zealand




Africa

Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
AF-003
Ascension

Yes
AF-004
Canary Is.
Big stations. Dxpeditions
Yes
AF-005
Cape Verde

Yes
AF-016
Reunion

Yes
AF-027
Mayotte
Pretty rare so check your logs.
Yes
AF-013
Madagascar

Yes

Antarctica

Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
AN-010
South Shetland Isl.

Yes
AN-016
South Shetland Isl.

Yes


South America (SA)

Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
SA-006
Bonaire
PJ4
Yes
SA-036
Aruba
P4
Yes
SA-099
Curacao
PJ2
Yes




North America (NA)



Island Number
Name
Comments
DXCC Country
NA-002
Caicos Islands
VP5
Yes
NA-005
Bermuda
VP9
Yes
NA-015
Cuba, Guantanamo Bay
CO, KG4
Yes, 2
NA-016
Cayman Is.
ZF2
Yes
NA-018
Greenland
OX
Yes
NA-021
Barbados
8P
Yes
NA-022
Anguilla
VP2E
Yes
NA-023
Br. Virgin Islands
VP2V
Yes
NA-024
Grenada
Rare
Yes
NA-025
St. Vincent
J8
Yes
NA-026
Long Island (Not Manhattan or UN Bldg)
1 call area
Yes, USA!
NA-027
Newfoundland
VO
Canada
NA-032
St. Pierre and Miquelon
Rare
Yes
NA-080
Bahamas, Grand Bahama Isl.
C6
Yes
NA-096
Hispaniola
Haiti or Dominican Republic
Yes
NA-097
Jamaica
6Y5
Yes
NA-099
Puerto Rico
KP2
Yes
NA-100
Antigua and Barbuda
V2

NA-101
Dominica
JT5
Yes
NA-102
Guadelupe

Yes
NA-104
St. Kitts and Nevis
V4
Yes
NA-105
St. Martin
FS, PJ7
Yes
NA-106
Virgin Islands
KP2
Yes
NA-106
Bahamas
C6
Yes
NA-107
Martinique
FM
Yes
NA-108
St. Lucia

Yes
NA-109
St. Vincent
J8
Yes
NA-145
Sint Eustatius & Saba
PJ5
Yes


References
  1. Official RSGB IOTA Web site: www.rsgbiota.com