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Districts and Castles of Kaliningrad oblast, Russia

Alexander's UA2FT photoreport

Click on any photo for a detailed view

At last we found time for activation on the air new districts on the RDA list. We start Zhuravlevka - Mamonovo route at 4 UTC.

Road to Berlin! Road proper to the left of asphalt in the shape of flagstones. We have turned in the direction of Ladushkin.
The lightning from the last thunder-storm "has undressed" a tree.

Mamonovo - RDA: KA-25.

There's no room in the town to stay therefore we go to the gulf (to outskirts) where one can install antennas.

Antenna installation.

Result is Delta loop with top feed for 14 Mhz and Inverted-V on 7 Mhz by means of parting of conductors in different directions. At the beginning I tried not to part conductors in different directions and simply to break off loop in the centre underneath (as write in the literature), but on resonance SWR was anyway big, therefore such variant was refused.

My shack in the car (prepared UA2FT/m does not correspond to real/P a little - I thought would get the antenna on a magnet). So all is installed, CQ and immediately answers RU4SS - things began to take off. So changing mode from CW to SSB and band from one to other has flown by an hour and a half. It is necessary to go further or I would not have time to fulfil promised obligations.

Local botany.

The following district is Bagrationovsky - RDA: KA-11 and the medieval Balga Castle located in its territory, or rather - Castle ruins. We go there.

The road passes through fantastic beauty forest. It seems, the clank of knightly horses horseshoes who have galloped before us is still audible.

The first fortifications have arisen here as far back as V-th century. At those old times the peninsula was separated from continent by small strait and represented the island. In XIII-th century when the strait has grassed and has turned into a swamp, crusaders have come here.

And in the XXI-st century when have made road here we have come here too for Castle activation on the air.

Buttresses leaving to water have been revetted with bricks. Some of them are intact, part of fortifications which have been washed away by a surf has fallen in the sea.

High trees allow to do without mast installation but there are also negative moments in that.

The only QSO with DL1ATR/P after CQ on 14 MHz. After that I shouted into emptiness more than five minutes - may be trees absorbed everything? I change mode to CW - here is better a little. Glad to give to castles fans a new reference - Castle Balga COTA-RU: C-201, WCA: UA-00032.

During WW2 the castle has suffered from shellings. Under some data, when Germans taken away values from castle, some part of them they have hidden in castle undergrounds. After war was tried to find the Amber Room in castle territory and use drilling for this. It was a cause of more intense castle destruction.

It is known that in 1993-1995 German side offered the financial help in preservation and the partial restoration of Balga but offers were refused.

Occasionally walking tourists with curiosity listen CW trills and CQ shouts. But the people waiting КА-24 Ladushkin and we go further.

We drive some times through small town till find the road leading to kitchen gardens.

I get into a body, having tried at the same time to eat a piece of sausage. I make first call … UA2FF - RU4SS - RA3RGQ - RW3XZ - RU3EJ … Well, all familiar persons!

The last QSO at 18:00 by local time with UA4LL, it is necessary to pack up and reach home still. Yes, very long time I did not go anywhere.

Even got out of the habit of pile-ups. Thanks spotting, calling, listening, driving away, and especially to Oksana for her help in antennas installation and a photos from which expedition become unforgettable.

73! de UA2FT

Alexander's UA2FT photoreport


Click on any photo for a detailed view
At last we found time for activation on the air new districts on the RDA list. We start Zhuravlevka - Mamonovo route at 4 UTC.

Road to Berlin! Road proper to the left of asphalt in the shape of flagstones. We have turned in the direction of Ladushkin. The lightning from the last thunder-storm "has undressed" a tree.

Mamonovo - RDA: KA-25.

There's no room in the town to stay therefore we go to the gulf (to outskirts) where one can install antennas. Antenna installation.

Result is Delta loop with top feed for 14 Mhz and Inverted-V on 7 Mhz by means of parting of conductors in different directions. At the beginning I tried not to part conductors in different directions and simply to break off loop in the centre underneath (as write in the literature), but on resonance SWR was anyway big, therefore such variant was refused. My shack in the car (prepared UA2FT/m does not correspond to real/P a little - I thought would get the antenna on a magnet). So all is installed, CQ and immediately answers RU4SS - things began to take off. So changing mode from CW to SSB and band from one to other has flown by an hour and a half. It is necessary to go further or I would not have time to fulfil promised obligations.

Local botany.

The following district is Bagrationovsky - RDA: KA-11 and the medieval Balga Castle located in its territory, or rather - Castle ruins. We go there. The road passes through fantastic beauty forest. It seems, the clank of knightly horses horseshoes who have galloped before us is still audible.

The first fortifications have arisen here as far back as V-th century. At those old times the peninsula was separated from continent by small strait and represented the island. In XIII-th century when the strait has grassed and has turned into a swamp, crusaders have come here. And in the XXI-st century when have made road here we have come here too for Castle activation on the air.

Buttresses leaving to water have been revetted with bricks. Some of them are intact, part of fortifications which have been washed away by a surf has fallen in the sea.

High trees allow to do without mast installation but there are also negative moments in that. The only QSO with DL1ATR/P after CQ on 14 MHz. After that I shouted into emptiness more than five minutes - may be trees absorbed everything? I change mode to CW - here is better a little. Glad to give to castles fans a new reference - Castle Balga COTA-RU: C-201, WCA: UA-00032.

During WW2 the castle has suffered from shellings. Under some data, when Germans taken away values from castle, some part of them they have hidden in castle undergrounds. After war was tried to find the Amber Room in castle territory and use drilling for this. It was a cause of more intense castle destruction.

It is known that in 1993-1995 German side offered the financial help in preservation and the partial restoration of Balga but offers were refused. Occasionally walking tourists with curiosity listen CW trills and CQ shouts. But the people waiting КА-24 Ladushkin and we go further.

We drive some times through small town till find the road leading to kitchen gardens. I get into a body, having tried at the same time to eat a piece of sausage. I make first call … UA2FF - RU4SS - RA3RGQ - RW3XZ - RU3EJ … Well, all familiar persons! The last QSO at 18:00 by local time with UA4LL, it is necessary to pack up and reach home still. Yes, very long time I did not go anywhere. Even got out of the habit of pile-ups. Thanks spotting, calling, listening, driving away, and especially to Oksana for her help in antennas installation and a photos from which expedition become unforgettable. 73! de UA2FT