>>> đ§NEW ONE SIBA 2025 đ§<<< 165DA/M004 Budelli Island IOTA EU041 (Grid JN41QG) (by 165DA101 Alex) / 5 POINTS./ DATE: 30 july 2025 start @ 09.00 to 15.00 UTC / Freq. STAY TUNED ON “SIBA NEWS” WHATSAPP chat / PROVINCE 113 (Gallura)/ Historical Region HR27 (Gallura) / Municipality E425 (La Maddalena) (Second Time on 11 M Band!)
ANT: 3 EL. BIRD YAGI / PW 270W
*SIBA IOTA ACTIVATION REPORT* 165DA/M004, Budelli Island
The idea to activate Budelli Island in late July arose from an unmissable, last-minute accommodation opportunity in Palau. My wife and I had first visited Budelli in 2019 during an organized boat excursion. We were captivated by the breathtaking beauty of Spiaggia Rosa (Pink Beach) and the compelling story of Mauro Morandi, the island’s sole inhabitant and guardian, who sadly passed away recently. After activating Caprera Island for SBA in October 2024, our first island in the La Maddalena Archipelago, Budelli simply had to be next!
A dear friend pointed us to Paolo as the right person to take us there and advised us on how to contact the management of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park to obtain the necessary authorization for the operation. Once we got the green light, we set July 30th as the activation day, given the favorable wind and sea conditions forecast.
Our meeting with Paolo was at La Maddalena tourist port at 08:00. We took the ferry from Palau at 07:30 and arrived punctually. Paolo greeted us warmly, like old friends. We loaded all our gear onto the boat and set off. The journey took about 20 minutes, and the sea was moderately choppy.
Upon arriving near Budelli, we had to implement a Plan B for docking because the boat’s engine lift wasn’t working. We carefully approached a rocky area with a suitable seabed that allowed us to get close. We began unloading our equipment onto the rocks, said goodbye to Paolo, and started the transport phase. We quickly realized we’d need at least two trips.
During the first trip, we got closer to Spiaggia Rosa and were dazzled by its beauty. We couldn’t resist taking some photos. Our goal was to bring the equipment near the former guardian’s house. We waited a few minutes for the park guides to arrive for final instructions on where to set up the portable station. We met the guides, who were also very friendly, and identified the ideal spot for the station: a secluded corner in the house’s garden, sheltered by a maritime pine. This proved to be an excellent choice, allowing us to stay in the shade for the entire activation, and more importantly, offering a breathtaking view of part of Spiaggia Rosa on one side and the charming guardian’s house on the other. In this way, beyond conducting the radio activation, we also spent several hours experiencing the emotions and sensations the guardian must have felt living in that placeâa beautiful and unique immersive experience.
Fortunately, setting up and positioning the portable station posed no particular difficulties. In fact, I managed to mount the antenna close enough to control its rotation simply by extending my arm. Finally, at 08:45 UTC, I officially began the activation. The first QSOs logged indicated a good short skip opening for Central and Western Europe, covering divisions 30, 31, 14, 19, 26, 108, up to 109, and 45. After about an hour, I managed to make the first QSOs with division 1, taking advantage of very brief, low, and unstable short skip openings. Throughout the activation, the notable absence was the usual long skip opening for South and Central America and the resulting backscatter phenomenon for closer countries. Around 10:00 UTC, the surprise contact with 153DA181 Fred indicated there was likely a good long skip opening towards the east. About an hour later, the day’s biggest surprise was 43U045, operator Grant, with a 5/3 signal. Roughly two hours after that, 91EK181 Nicky, came through with a strong 5/9 signal, indicating excellent propagation to Oceania and Asia, though there were few operators on the air at that moment.
Around 13:00 UTC, I received a call from Paolo, telling me to start preparing to leave early because a thunderstorm was approaching. The activation concluded at 13:06 UTC with Jean Pierre 14PAT062. I totaled 170 QSOs, 26 countries, and 3 continents (Europe, Asia, and Oceania)âa quite satisfactory result considering the less-than-optimal propagation conditions.
We then began dismantling the station, gathering our equipment, and moving it towards our meeting point with Paolo. While transporting the gear, we could still admire the stunning and beautiful color contrasts on the crystal-clear sea kissing Budelli‘s coast, with the backdrop of dark, menacing storm clouds approaching. During the boat trip back, we had to contend with rather high waves and a lot of spray that hit us and soaked us completely! But for such a fascinating activation, we gladly endured these discomforts.
165DA/M004 was therefore a satisfactory activation both in terms of connection results and emotional fulfillment. We will forever cherish the beautiful memory of the air we breathed on this splendid island and the fantastic colors of the wild nature that enveloped us. Of course, we hope it’s a “see you again!” Thank you, Budelli!
ALEX 165DA101.
We’re truly proud to announce this activation! There’s only a trace of a previous activation on the island of Budelli, exactly 28 years ago, by the Lima Delta group (now extinct), so it’s likely this will be a NEW ONE for many of you!
In the extreme north of Sardinia, near the Bocche di Bonifacio, among the islands of the national park, there is an inaccessible paradise, a mirage to be admired from afar but which reveals the wild nature of one of the worldâs most beautiful beaches
Even from afar, it displays its entire beauty with sensational colours. Budelli is one of the brightest gems of the Maddalena Archipelago, famous for its turquoise waters and for the Spiaggia Rosa, the Pink Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean. Its pink colour is derived from ground shelled microorganisms called Miniacinia miniacea, that live among the posidonia and are transported to the beach by the currents. At Cala Roto, where the beach is located, in 1964 Michelangelo Antonioni shot the scene of the girlâs fable in âRed Desertâ, capturing the nature of this place in its full spontaneity. Formerly private property. Budelli became part of the national park in May 2016. Today, protected by environmental regulations, you can admire it from afar as a masterpiece of nature, accompanied by the parkâs guides, without setting anchor, swimming in the sea or even stepping on the beach. Even from afar, the island is fascinating. Together with Razzoli, Santa Maria and nearby Spargi, it makes up the wildest part of the archipelago. It totals 12 kilometres of coast and a territory of 25 hectares, inhabited solely by the islandâs custodian.
The view from the top of Mount Budello (87 metres) is breath taking: granitic rocks and lush vegetation hide coves of fine sand and blue sea, such as the Spiaggia del Cavaliere beach to the northeast. It is a marvellous cove of light, impalpable sand, embraced by golden and pink rocks covered by the scented Mediterranean scrub. The sea that bathes it is of an almost impossible blue. No wonder it is also called âthe Madonnaâs portâ (or mantle). Behind the beach there is a pond populated by little egrets, herons, coots and mallard ducks. The âCavalieriâ are protected as well: boats are not allowed nearby, but you can set anchor from afar, within a delimited area.
To get to Budelli, try a guided tour and rent a boat leaving from the Emerald Coast, La Maddalena, Palau and Santa Teresa Gallura. The seabed of the entire archipelago, also known as cetacean sanctuary, is perfect for diving. Do not miss the Washington shallows between Budelli and Spargi. https://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en/explore/budelli.
Are you in the Log? Click below.
| LOG |
| 14DA496 Marino 14AT371 Michel 14PAT1191 Manuel 19AT515 Ron 19AT112 Rob 19LR1 Ger 26DX47 Darran 30AT252 Pepe 14AT75 Georgette 14GT44 Pierrot 30DA202 Javier 29AT38 Tim 161IR112 Pawel 14PAT928 Bruno 35RC1 Hannes 30AT349 Andre 13OT1 Mario 14DA49 Fred 165AT131 Riccardo 165PAT104 Pierpaolo 13AT289 Jakob 14HF2 Bruno 14SD501 HervĂ© 14AT129 Guy 327PX11 Roman 14AT145 Philippe 13AT285 Tommy 14AT661 GĂ©rard 29LR49 Michael 14DA62 GĂ©rard 14DA20 Pascal 14AT16 Bruno 14DX19 Chris 161EX16 Mariusz 35SSB79 Björn 109CT473 Zolee 26OP11 Barry 29AT57 Noel 26AT95 David 161EX15 Jurek 14/19AT325 Willem 161AT18 Peter 161AT478 Airon 14AT23 Jean Marc 14AT417 Bernard 14DA21 Phil 14RC729 Jean Francois 1AT127 Luciano 14AT401 Jean Pierre 19AT161 Carlo 14JK4701 Bruno 13AT715 Bruno 1DA6 Sergio 16AT128 StĂ©phane 14AT29 Thierry 14VD66 Christophe 1RIR5 Dario 14EK114 Jean Claude 14RC226 Jean Pierre 13SKD306 Stephan 13SE88 Enrico 1PAT198 Maurizio 13IR102 Lars 13RC312 Kay 30SS140 Oscar 153DA181 Fred 14TW69 Jean Pierre 14AT61 Leo 14AT461 Ludo 26AT16 Paul 14AT259 Allan 14EK997 Hartmut 1AT14 Vincenzo 13TW227 Frank 13AT217 Tino 14AT268 Alex 14DA70 Franck 14DA28 Philippe 14AT369 Alain 14AT47 Yohann 26AT561 Peter 13CT139 Dejan 13SD208 Wolf 153AT777 Jan 14DA181 Marc 13VOG17 Billy 14GT54 GĂ©rald 14DM35 Arnaud 14RC216 Christophe 14HR62 Roger 45PAT2011 Matej 14CI312 Cesar 14AT177 Manu 14EK62 Pascal 14AT824 Philippe 14SD1007 Hubert 14TW2 Stef 19LV3 Wim 14DF1 Val 14ED38 Eric 14FDX70 CĂ©dric 14AT224 David 161SD176 Paul 14DA29 Pat 14AT269 Franck 14HDX80 Claude 14SR117 Daniel 26AT169 Bill 161KPI1 Waldi 16PAT201 Terry 45SO30 Lav 19AT32 Menno 26RC123 Colin 54WP5 Pierre 26AT352 Paul 161WE50 Andy 19RC161 Jack 13IR121 JĂŒrgen 161IB1 Irek 13AT13 Steve 26EK22 Pete 109HA648 Feri 14AT114 Allan 1RC118 Vittorio 14EK620 Pierre 14CI177 Olivier 26RTI13 Ken 1EK156 Mauro 1ALE13 Alessandro 43U45 Grant 13OP20 Martin 26AT27 Paddy 108AT41 Grant 26AT17 Nash 104FDX12 Fred 108CT338 Kenny 161KCR16 Marian 161DA15 Janusz 26CT5136 Paul 13OT33 Frank 26MT101 John 161SD104 Janusz 102EK101 Bader 26AT23 Ian 1RC111 Gabry 47AT818 Johnny 68AT121 Robert 13AT555 Marcus 31AT183 Nuno 161TRK72 Darek 30RC13 Fran 1AT771 Marco 14AT832 Christian 26AT239 Tim 68AT108 Richard 328/161DA135 Sylvester 30DA21 Andoni 30DA555 Maria 1AT311 Enrico 91EK181 Nicky 14DA64 Bruno 14CD1 Delphin 14DA17 Pat 163SD2 Ian 30DA12 Bernardo 16ID64 Isabelle 14RC590 Claude 30DR1 David 30AT198 MoisĂ©s 14PAT62 Jean Pierre ———————————————— 14DA496 14AT371 14PAT1191 19AT515 19AT112 19LR001 26DX047 30AT252 14AT075 14GT044 30DA202 29AT038 161IR112 14PAT928 35RC001 30AT349 13OT001 14DA49 165AT131 165PAT104 13AT289 14HF002 14SD501 14AT129 327PX011 14AT145 13AT285 14AT661 29LR049 14DA062 14DA020 14AT016 14DX019 161EX016 35SSB079 109CT473 26OP011 29AT057 26AT095 161EX015 14/19AT325 161AT018 161AT478 14AT023 14AT417 14DA021 14RC729 1AT127 14AT401 19AT161 14JK4701 13AT715 1DA006 16AT128 14AT029 14VD066 1RIR005 14EK114 14RC226 13SKD306 13SE088 1PAT198 13IR102 13RC312 30SS140 153DA181 14TW069 14AT061 14AT461 26AT016 14AT259 14EK997 1AT014 13TW227 13AT217 14AT268 14DA070 14DA028 14AT369 14AT047 26AT561 13CT139 13SD208 153AT777 14DA181 13VOG017 14GT054 14DM035 14RC216 14HR062 45PAT2011 14CI312 14AT177 14EK062 14AT824 14SD1007 14TW002 19LV003 14DF001 14ED038 14FDX070 14AT224 161SD176 14DA029 14AT269 14HDX080 14SR117 26AT169 161KPI001 16PAT201 45SO030 19AT032 26RC123 54WP005 26AT352 161WE050 19RC161 13IR121 161IB01 13AT013 26EK022 109HA648 14AT114 1RC118 14EK620 14CI177 26RTI13 1EK156 1ALE013 43U045 13OP020 26AT027 108AT041 26AT017 104FDX012 108CT338 161KCR016 161DA015 26CT5136 13OT033 26MT101 161SD104 102EK101 26AT023 1RC111 47AT818 68AT121 13AT555 31AT183 161TRK072 30RC013 1AT771 14AT832 26AT239 68AT108 328/161DA135 30DA021 30DA555 1AT311 91EK181 14DA064 14CD001 14DA017 163SD002 30DA012 16ID064 14RC590 30DR001 30AT198 14PAT62 |
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