The beacon is situated in a loft space of Old Bransfield House at Rothera Station (WAP GBR-12), Adelaide Island, British Graham Land. The transmitter is the original Pye transmitter which Laurence ‘Flo’ Howell first made VP8ADE out of (in 1978 approximately). It has a new keyer based on a PIC to replace the original G8AGN diode matrix keyer which broke down.
Here aside, is a picture of Flo and antenna on the tower; below is Flo in the loft with the beacon.
Feb 2024 – Flo KL7L, the beacon’s founder, has confirmed via contact with R that the beacon is indeed online, producing 10W up the pipe into an antenna. Surely not the same bamboo & wire effort from 2010…!
Sep 28 2023 – VP8ADE identified & recorded by F5MTH listening via a webSDR which was located in Brazil
Sep 27 2022 – VP8ADE identified by F4CXO in JN26PP
Nov 29th 2019 – VP8ADE recorded & confirmed in Tierra del Fuego by LU1XU.
Nov 2016: VP8ADE confirmed operational by the WONDERFUL Bonner Babe at Rothera, still transmitting through the old bamboo antenna!
Oct 2011 – across Northern Europe has VP8ADE been heard, in particular by Arvid Husdal, SWL, in Kristiansand, Norway.
Oct 2010 F5OUX Cyril and other French hams successfully recorded VP8ADE.
VP8ADE‘s antenna is now a vertical quarter-wavelength of wire supported on a bamboo, mounted on the balcony around the ops tower. In the background of the pic here aside, the rotatable log-periodic HF antenna used for HF SSB comms with aircraft and sledge parties can also be seen as well as are marine & aeronautical VHF and an Iridium satellite antenna on the tower.
VP8ADE is the only Amateur radio beacon in Antarctica.The most likely point of failure is the vertical bamboo antenna……
The Old Timers will certainly remember Laurence ‘Flo’ Howell, who use to operate as VP8SB from Rothera Station (WAP GBR-12) on Adelaide island
His QSL card, did report among the list of Flo callsigns, over 40 years ago did report among the list of calls used by Flo, the VP8ADE’s beacon callsign as well!
TNX Flo KL7L & Olivier F6EPN (Spratley Woody)