Lighthouses galore for this radio amateur The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend held next month has a registration for Cape Nelson in Victoria from Ian GW0VML / ZL1MVL, who has been at close to 200 of the structures. Since 2002 he began activated lighthouses in Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Based in Whangarei on the North Island of New Zealand as ZL1MVL for more than four years, he has kept the callsign GW0VML for lighthouse activities. This will the 3rd year in VK-Land, having been guest operator at Macquarie, Barrenjoey and last year at Ballina Head and Cape Byron. Ian VK3 / GW0VML will be at Cape Nelson in south-west Victoria with an ICOM IC7000, 20 and 40 metre mono band dipoles on a 5.4 metre tall army racal mast. He is also the Association of Lighthouse Keepers and the World Lighthouse Society's Australia & New Zealand area representative. Often not highlighted in the event is the lightvessel, or lightship, that has warned ships of dangers in place where construction of a lighthouse is unsuitable. These floating lights are mainly in Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the USA and Wales. While most are now moored or part of a museum, several others serving as floating restaurants have been restored, preserved and saved from become scrap in the junkyard. More than 240 registrations have so far been received with them listed, and simple guidelines for the fun-event on August 19 and 20 are on the website illw.net Jim Linton VK3PC http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2017/july/lighthouses-galore-for-this-radio-amateur.htm
