CQ WW CW 2001 - MZ5A - Shetland
Ian G3WVG working outside on the MZ5A antennas in the windy sub-zero temperature.

Note the gin-poled 40ft mast [for the 4-el 10m beam] ready in suspension in the background.

The take-off over the sea from MZ5A was to the South.
Ian G3WVG putting the finishing touches to the 4-el 10m beam (and rotator) at MZ5A before being gin-poled to its final position at 40ft agl.

With the continuous gales and low temperatures, hats and gloves had to be worn outside at all times while doing antenna work.

The direction seen across the sea in this photo is South-West.

Although everything appears 'calm' in this photo, there was in fact a howling gale blowing at the time.

The direction of the gales varied from North-West through West to South.
Click here to see the MZ5A QSL .... !
All the MZ5A equipment was transported to Shetland in one car with a trailer.

Here the trailer is seen in dramatic lighting conditions, with a dark rain cloud overhead but with the sun peering through from the horizon.

Photo taken at Sumburgh Head the southerly most point on Mainland.
Nigel G3TXF with the A3S tri-bander just prior to it being gin-poled to 40ft.

The well-equipped and cosy rental cottage (Braewick) - seen here -was used both for the two GZ7V CQWW SSB operations (Oct '00 and Oct '01) as well as for the Nov 2001 MZ5A CQWW CW operation.
The shack for the mini Multi-Multi CQWW CW operation by MZ5A consisted of two stations:

one with an FT1000MP and VL-1000 Amp and the other with a TS-930 and an Alpha 86 Amp.

Both stations were linked using K1EA CT and the laptop located between the two stations provided the Telnet link to the DX-Cluster.
Ian G3WVG operating theTS-930/Alpha 86 combination [Arguably still the best CW Full Break-In combination ever!] takes an energy-boost while operating MZ5A in CQWW CW 2001.

Note the GZ7V QSL on the desk.The very same room had been used by the GZ7V CQWW SSB Multi-Multi operation just a few weeks before.
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