Lighthouse Utlängan
This weekend 22-23 August is the "International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend 2020". I have nice memories from another weekend in 2008 when Karlskrona Radioklubb KRK, SK7FK activated the lighthouse Utlängan.
The island Utlängan is located in the southern part of Karlskrona archipelago in Sweden. It is difficult to navigate because of many grounds. Not far away, in 1981, the Soviet submarine U137 carrying nuclear torpedos stranded close to the island Sturkö. This triggered a serious situation between Sweden and the Soviet Union. Despite speculations the incident was most likely caused by heavy alcohol consumption.
The lighthouse is located at the southernmost tip of Utlängan. The island is connected by a sandbank bridge to the island Stenshamn, where the ferry lands.
On the mainland at Yttre Park I, then SM0FOB, and my brother Leif ,SM7EQX waiting for the ferry to Stenshamn.
The island Inlängan was the first ferry stop.
At Stenshamn we were picked up by Roland Karlsson with his ATV for a 2 km long drive to the Utlängan lighthouse. The 13 m lighthouse is re-built and was automated in 1919. First lighthouse was built in 1883.
Roland Karlsson arrives with Bengt, SM7FCU.
Roland Karlsson is a farmer and is the only inhabitant together with his wife on the Utlängan island.
Uno Svensson circling around the lighthouse with his ultralight aircraft, a Flight Design CTSW.
Close to the lighthouse is this house from 19th century that was the home of the lighthouse keeper. The house owner was very kind to us to let us use the veranda as a radio shack for me and my brother. A longwire for the HF bands was attached at the veranda to the top of the tower. Outside was an HB9CV antenna attached to a spotting tube tripod for the 144 and 432 MHz bands
Johnny, SM7UCZ and Leif, SM7EQX at the barbecue table. Johnny was the expedition leader and had done a lot of preparation work incl. many recognation trips. He is a member of the Swedish Lighthouse Society.
In a few minutes Bengt, SM7FCU set up his dipole, for the 40 m band, between the tree and the lighthouse.
Bengt, SM7FCU operates his CW QRP station standing on his knees!
The sleeping quarters of SM7EQX and SM0FOB.
Johnny, SM7UCZ´s nice radio and sleeping hut close to the beach. The antenna is a horizontal 80 m long loop on bamboo poles for the HF bands.
The SM7UCZ radio station
Another station in the hut was a working WW2 spy agent replica built by Johnny, SM7UCZ.
Inside the veranda . The station is a 100 W Yaesu FT-857D transceiver used for SSB QSO´s.
This is the Utklippan lighthouse 10 km away as seen through a telephoto lens. The white blink comes from a LED lamp designed and built by Johnny, SM7UCZ. The lamp consists of 720 LEDs producing a luminous intensity of 100,000 Candela.
Bengt, SM7FCU embarked on the ATV with all equipment for the return trip. The rest of us had a very wet and windy one hour walk to the the ferry harbour on Stenshamn.
In total we had about 75 CW QRP QSO´s and about 25 SSB QSO´s. This was the first time the Utlängan lighthouse SWE-406 was activated by radio amateurs.