Amateur Radio
Licensed radio amateurs who wish to operate from Bonaire are welcome to stay at Kas Iguana.
You can enjoy big pile-ups on your own personal DXpedition or just chat to your friends back home. Or why not try a contest? Kas Iguana has been the location for several CQWW World Top 5 multi-operator entries on both CW and SSB, and CQWPX SSB World Top 2 single-operator entries.
Kas Iguana is most suitable for a single operator set-up, but small multi-operator stations can also be accommodated.
The following equipment is available:
- Yaesu FT-2000 transceiver
- Acom 1500 1kW linear amplifier
- Spiderbeam antenna for 10-12-15-17-20m
- 40m 2-element phased vertical array with elevated radials
- 80m full-size quarter-wave vertical with ground radials
- 160m inverted-L at 21m / 70ft high
- Yamaha CM500 headset
- Bencher CW paddle
- Yaesu G-800 rotator for the Spiderbeam
- MFJ 25A 12V power supply.
Other equipment or antennas may be available if required. Please ask!
You should bring your own computer for logging, interface if you want to operate on RTTY or other datamodes, a keyer for CW, and bandpass filters if you intend to use more than one station.
Cost: There is a small extra charge for the use of the equipment and antennas.
Licensing: if you hold a CEPT licence (e.g. from most of Europe or North America) no additional licence is required for Bonaire, you can operate as PJ4/your own callsign. If you are planning to operate a contest it is possible to apply for a PJ4 one-letter callsign. The cost is $56 and you should apply at least two months before it is required – preferably longer. (Please note that all 26 possible PJ4 callsigns have already been issued at least once, so you should make arrangements with the previous callsign holder or holders to re-route QSL cards sent to the wrong address.)
If you have any questions we would be pleased to answer them.
