07沖縄特集

I have read about the articles in CQ magazine written by JHIHUK Mr. Oshima who reported DX expedition by 430MHz from Kita Daito Island, Okinawa*1. At that time, I was not so curious about the DX by UHF frequency, however the story was so impressing for everybody if he was a radio operator.

When I first planned my CB operation in Okinawa, the memory kept in my mind made me try to plan the CB operation from Daito Islands, however, for me who is a poor corporate employee who cannot spend consecutive but only a day of paid leave, Daito Island was too hard to get to due to inconvenient flight access. Then I decided to plan an operation at Hateruma Island, thinking, if I were going to Okinawa, I should make it in the southernmost place in Japan, which was the Hateruma Island. On the other hand, I thought there would be a high risk that I would not be able to make any QSO, if I operate all three days in Hateruma, because QSO by 500mW QRP with use of rod antenna*2 had to rely on occurrence of Es (Sporadic E Region of Ionosphere) to be successful. I scheduled a plan to operate two days in Okinawa Island, plus one day in Hateruma and other useful time in Ishigaki Island. Because last year (2006) I made QSOs from Onnason in Okinawa Island with stations in 2, 3, and 0 Areas*3 in Honshu (main land of Japan), it seemed there should not be any risk at least from Okinawa Island to communicate with Honshu stations.

How should I travel to Okinawa? It was clear I would lose precious operation time in Saturday if I flew from Centrair Airport*4 because the earliest flight for Okinawa departs at 9:50. Then I thought I should try to get on board the first flight from Haneda, Tokyo, which was 6:20. If I would take the JAL flight, I must stay one night on Friday in Tokyo or take a night train.

Friday night of June 22nd, I started out my home in Nagoya, making a feeble joke to my family, ”I would go to Okinawa by train, ‘Moonlight Nagara’.”
Although the train departing Nagoya at 23:55, was marked as a simple regular, ‘Rapid’ night train, the cars were as comfortable as those used for ‘Limited Express’ train. Although it was a Friday night, next seat on the right was vacant and time went by just relaxed and at ease.

Around 4 O’clock in the morning, dawn was succeeding the night and the train was passing over Sagami River. The sky with beautiful orange I have never seen before struck me in the unclear consciousness just out of the shallow sleep. Transfer at Shinagawa and Hamamatsucho stations allowed me only 4 minutes each, which made me nervous as I carried a small-size suit case, duffel bag, and fishing rod case.

The small Boeing 737 for Okinawa*5 departing from Haneda was completely occupied. For me it was always a sleeping time to sit in the airplane, whatever the travel is business or any other. After a while of sleeping, the airplane was arriving at Naha Airport without recognition. It would be such a loss of time to rent a car. After getting rice balls and a bottle of cold tea for lunch, I immediately moved to taxi area and started out. The destination was Azama Sun Sun Beach located in Nanjo City. After about a 45 minutes ride, it was around 20 minutes past 10 when I arrived at the beach. I already noticed in the taxi some CB station posted in the Web board of ‘11m Real Time QRV information‘, “…have been waiting for Okinawa station coming, but cannot yet hear. How about other watching stations?” It was more than 20 minutes of delay as I intended to be QRV from 10:00.

There spread a Prussian-blue sea and white sands symbolic of Okinawa in Azama Sun Sun Beach under the heavenly clear sky. People gathering in the beach were quite few: it was completely different from the similar scene in Honshu. It seemed a shame that only few people came for swimming in this beautiful waters. I was directly walking to a breakwater jettied from the beach, hauling a small suitcase. I felt a lifeguard giving a stupid look on me, but I was in completely another world. Restraining myself from hurrying, with a long sleeve shirt, trousers, sun glasses and a cap, which were totally mismatching with the beach anyway, I opened the luggage, took out an 87R and started watching.