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
- Official RSGB IOTA Web site: www.rsgbiota.com
