Mysterious Easter Island. Think giant statues built by native peoples. They were immigrants from Polynesia, who first arrived by canoe somewhere around 1200. That’s 1200 AD, not time for lunch.

The natives named their island Rapa Nui (Great Rapa) or alternatively “Navel of the World”, which can also be translated as “the end of the land.” It was named Easter Island by the first European who landed on the island on Easter Sunday in 1722. The island was claimed by Chile in 1888 and the inhabitants were subsequently given Chilean citizenship.

The statues, called MOAI were sculpted from hardened volcanic ash, which is not very durable. Some MOAI are over 80 feet tall. So far, nearly 900 statues have been discovered. Some MOAI face the ocean and islanders differ as to how they got there.  One island tradition says they “walked” there. Others, suggesting the people may have used a series of ropes and log rollers. Some widely publicized “experts” at one time suggested extraterrestrial beings were somehow involved.

Figure 1 Moto Nui

For unknown reasons, a coup by native military leaders called matatoa had brought a new cult based around a previously unexceptional God Make-make. In the cult of the birdman, a competition was established in which every year a representative of each clan, chosen by the leaders, would swim across shark-infested waters to Motu Nui, a nearby islet, to search for the season’s first egg laid by a manutara. The first swimmer to return with an egg and successfully climb back up the cliff to Orongo ( a village on the tip of the island), would be named “Birdman of the year” and secure control over distribution of the island’s resources for his clan for the year. The tradition was still in existence at the time of first contact by Europeans but was suppressed by Christian missionaries in the 1860s.

Easter Island is one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands. It is Easter Island is located more than 2200 miles west of the Chilean coast. It is closer to Antarctica. Its closest inhabited neighbor is the Juan Fernandez Islands, 1,150 miles to the east.

The climate is subtropical. The warmest months are January through March, when the average temperature is 73 °F, and the coolest months are June through August, when the average temperature is 64 °F. Average annual precipitation is about 49 inches.

Easter Island boasts no natural harbor, but ships can anchor off Hanga Roa on the west coast; it is the island’s largest village, with a population of roughly 3,300. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage site. It is now home to a mixed population, mostly of Polynesian ancestry and made up of the descendants of the Long-Ears and Short-Ears. Spanish is generally spoken, and the island has developed an economy largely based on tourism.

Numerous DXpeditions, large and small have made their way to Easter Island to activate CE0. Almost forty are listed in QRZ. According to the Clublog DXCC Most Wanted list, Easter stands at No. 103 slot out of 340.

Reporting from the Dark Side,

Ron Litt, K5HM

Standby for Next Month’s Monster Article!

Where in the World is. . Duhacsek Park?

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Field Day 2019 Photos

See who you recognize…

Meeting started at 7:31 with the Pledge of Allegiance

Motion was made to accept the minutes of the Board of Directors meeting. Motion was seconded and voting approved the acceptance.

Discussion was open to investigate obtaining a storage facility for the club inventory. Since the unit would include items such as radios and other electronics a climate controlled unit would be preferred. A unit of either 5’X5’ or 5”X10’ would be sufficient to store all the items. A motion was made by Bob Bentley to authorize the search, seconded by Tom Greathouse and passed with a show of hands. Price range to be somewhere in the $30 to $50 per month.

Discussion was started about the next raffle for the Annual Christmas Party. Last year’s raffle of the ICOM 7300 was a success and comments were offered for the next raffle to possibly offer a different radio. Some suggestions were an ICOM 7610 or possibly an Elecraft product. This would pose a bigger investment by the club, which could be offset by offering tickets earlier. Some manufacturers offer a discount to amateur radio clubs as an additional incentive.

Presentation this evening was given by Ron Litt (K5HM) outlining the procedures for K3 radio operation and logging during the Field Day activities scheduled for June 22^nd and 23^rd, 2019. Ron went into detail how the operators would be able to make the contacts and log the contacts using the N1MM software which will be linked to the radio. All the stations will have computers networked to keep accurate information as contacts are being logged and recorded. There will be three modes of operation available across multiple bands, CW, SSB and FT-8. Ron explained the two main methods of operation, Running and Search and Pounce. Since it is a contest the number of contacts is very important. Finding an open frequency and calling CQ, waiting for stations to reply is Running. If contacts fall off or the band is not cooperating then searching for signals and attempting contact that way is Search and Pounce. Due to the quality of the Field Day setup and the various antenna arrays that will be in use, our location should be one of the strongest in the bands and we can use that to our advantage.

One new member was voted in. Brian Webster of Katy, TX, KI5CJO. Welcome to the Katy Amateur Radio Society Brian!

We have Net Control volunteers for:

6/18/2019 Scott Reeves KT5SR

6/25/2019 Bob Bentley WB3EWP

7/2/2019 OPEN

7/9/2019 Raul Ramos KD5RR

7/16/2019 OPEN

7/23/2019 OPEN

Treasury report: $4,644.73 with pending expense of $250.00 for Field Day Participation.

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Brunei, officially known as the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace. OR Negara Brunei Darussalam in Malay. It’s located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo. On three sides bordered by Malaysia and facing the South China Sea.

It’s a good place to live, with its principal product being oil. Considered a “fully developed” country by the IMF. According to Forbes Magazine it ranks as the fifth richest nation on the planet. The country has zero debt.

Brunei’s government is a constitutional monarchy. Under Brunei’s constitution, the Sultan is the head of state with full executive authority. Since 1962, this authority has included emergency powers, which are renewed every two years. The country has been under hypothetical martial law since 1962. The Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah also serves as the state’s Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Defense Minister. As Mel Brooks observed, it is good to be king.

Petroleum was discovered in 1926. Oil and natural gas have been the basis of Brunei’s development and wealth since the late 20th century.

This is a devoutly Muslim nation; land of gold-plated mosques and wooden water villages, a nation so rich from its oil and gas resources that no one pays tax. It is a seven-hour flight from Melbourne but Brunei is little known and very much underrated for travelers. Brunei is clean and virtually free of crime with pristine rainforests, palm-fringed beaches and palatial resorts.

In this land of over 400,000, there are approximately 400 licensed amateurs. According to Club Log, it is 109th on the Most Wanted DX entity, List

Reporting from the Dark Side,  Ron, K5HM