Story 161DX/J180 Story from 161DX/J180 activity. 2014 Island Festival, story related to 161DX018 & 161DX037 4 iwi’s activation. Hi IOTA & IWI Hunters, As usually since few years, together with Greg 161DX037 we took decision to participate in Island festival. After few trips into North direction, this time we have decided to activate few IWI from Poland. After investigation we have found Wulpinskie lake with 8 IWI’s. It is big lake, over 706ha, where IWI’s takes 26ha. You can imagine what does it means for us having only rowing boat. We have decided to activate during Island Festival islands as below: J-073 HERTA island, J-180 TOMASZKOWA island, J-503 LUK island, J-504 Bumerang Of course all 4 islands with access by boat only. The rest of Wulpinskie lake islands we kept mainly for Monday after Island Festival ( J-024 OKRETOWA, J-178 MAJDZKA, J-179 KROLICZA and J-502 JEZIORNA). After arriving to our destination J-024 OKRETOWA we have started as always with antenna installation. Greg is perfect in this activity and few minutes later 1st iwi was on the air. Up to the late evening around 40 stations were logged. Our activity on this island wasn’t high, we were requested by Peter 161OD002 to let him activate J-024 and J-178 1 week later as he has booked small house on J-178 (we were located on J-024). Time goes very fast, we have started preparations to get 1st iwi – J-073 HERTA island. We have loaded into boat whole equipment with Kipor power generator, fuel, cables, antenna, radio, amplifier and power supply. After 50 minutes we have got the island and install whole equipment, not so easy during night, but the weather was very good and thank to the Moon and our torch all was ready as always. Propagation wasn’t bad, first station in the log at 00:00am was our good friend Ludo. The last one station, after 10 hrs. was logged at 11:48. Next destination was J-180 TOMASZKOWA island which we have got after 50 minutes. Equipment was ready on the boat, firstly antenna was installed 10 mts. from the island shore and we were active once again. First logged station this time was 47DX101 John. It was good time on another island, we were active up to the moment when propagation went down and around 15:30 after over 80 stations logging we took decision to go back to our base. Okretowa island was achieved safely after 1,5 hrs. It was time for refreshment after over 18 hrs. out of home and time for lunch of course. This year Greg was our chef. I put him testimonials- he was very, very good. Few hrs. for us and around 1:00GMT we have started with our rowing boat to get next island, this time J-503 LUK. Island we have got around 2:30GMT and from 3:00GMT were waiting for propagation. First station from Sweden – 21DX116 Chris came at 5:14. Another good day with the weather and propagation, after logging over 170 stations we took decision to go to the last one iwi for festival- J-504 BUMERANG. Fortunately it was short distance for rowing boat, The island was achieved after 40 minutes and after raising up antenna on the island immediately we have started activation- whole equipment was ready on the boat on small table. Fortunately we have found free place under trees, the weather was very good over 30 degrees. On this island we have spent little over 3,5 hrs. with small break for lunch in our base station. Time goes very fast, 48 hrs. was over, in our logs little over 400 stations. We had very good fun, but we took decision to buy on Monday electrical engine to our boat – Wulpinskie lake is silence zone and standard engine for fuel is forbidden. Thank you very much to Festival organizers for good spirit, good weather and propagation. Coming weeks we will start preparation to the next year Island Festival. Thank you very much to all logged in our logs. Best 73’s 161DX018 Slawek and 161DX037 Greg return