US Islands Awards Program

Susie Coleman

The Adventure to Goat Isl. AL029L

Published Oct 3, 2008 | By Susie Coleman

by KG4RWZ with K9TEN (Ottis and Craig)

In May of 2008, I was looking through the contest season calendars and noticed the US Islands contest in mid-October. Reading further, I realized that the only real way to compete with any dignity would be from a qualified island location. I started looking through the list of islands in North Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee to find a suitable island to visit for the contest, but found only one island close by. That island is accessible via road and doesn’t appear to be much of an adventure to access. I also noticed that a very popular and well-known island, at least to the locals, is near a friend’s house on Smith Lake had not been qualified. So the quest began to find some friends to go play radio with me on the island.
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DXing with Polar Bears

Published May 6, 2002 | By Susie Coleman

Featured in QST May 2002, by John Reisenauer Jr, KL7JR/VE8JR

The author’s self-described “best trip to date” involved a rare island, a rare county, 10-10, contesting, Northern Lights and polar bears. For a dedicated Arctic ham-traveler, it doesn’t get any better than that.
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The Activation of Boyd Isl. TN025R ~ 27 April 2002

Published Apr 27, 2002 | By Susie Coleman

by Mike Gardner, WU4I

BOYD, oh BOYD, oh BOYD! How absolutely quiet! I mean, nothing stirring but some birds. I was looking at the boat ramp, and on over to Boyd island in the Holston river just east of Knoxville. Boyd island is a large plot of land, as far as east Tennessee goes, near the Forks of The Rivers, and the Holston, French Broad, and the Tennessee all meet there.

With only about one-hundred feet to traverse to the island, from the ramp, I decided to bring along the fast-becoming-famous “S.S.S. Minnowette”! I am sure some of you sea Captains are wondering what the heck “S.S.S.” is, so let me explain: “Surely Sinking Soon” Continue reading →