for radio station rates and availability
Please include your email address, dates you want, and specific questions about the radio station.
Villa availability and rates are available on the “Rates/Availability” page.
A world-class station
This is a single or multi-operator, single radio/contest station (it cannot be used for multi-operator multi-radio contests), with excellent propagation to all parts of the world. The placement of the villa near the top of the mountain ensures plenty of activity and contacts!
The radio station is only available for rent along with the rental of Villa Grand Piton as the equipment is inside the house. We are progressing on the construction of a stand-alone radio building so the rest of the party is not disturbed (target completion date: 2Q 2024).
Our signature "Take Care of You" treatment
Like everything else we do at Villa Grand Piton, we try to make things easy for you.
We can gather your information and have your J6 license prepared for you when you arrive at the villa (a nominal fee applies). Please allow six months for this process – things don’t move quickly in the Caribbean.
All you need to bring is:
✦ Headphone-microphone to operate voice modes
✦ Your key paddle if you would rather use yours
✦ Thumb drive to take your log home
✦ Your patience… as YOU are now the DX in very large pile-ups!
The radios
✦ Two Elecraft K4D’s, new, fully-loaded, “every option”
✦ Two Elecraft K3’s as backup radios
✦ Separate receive antenna input selection
✦ KPA1500 1500 watt amplifier for DXing
✦ Two Alpha 87A Amplifiers for contesting
✦ ICOM 9700 VHF Radio
✦ ICOM 910 with 2M/432
✦ W6PQL Solid state 1.2kW amplifier for 2 meters
✦ Henry 3002 Amplifier
✦ Beacon transmitters for 10, 6, and 2 meters (100 watt, 10 watt, 1, watt increments). Beacons are off when the band is in use
The antennas
✦ A 60 foot Rohn 55G tower, base positioned 650 feet directly above the ocean
✦ Dipoles for 80 & 160 meters
✦ Hygain Hytower Vertical for 160-10M
✦ Steppir DB42 antenna three elements on 30/40 meters, five elements on 20/17/15/12/10 meters, and eight elements on 6 meters, integrated SDA100 controller.
✦ Steppir 4EL antenna with one element on 40/30 meters, four elements on 20-10 meters, and six elements on 6 meters fixed on the USA
✦ M-Squared 18XXX eighteen-element Yagi at sixty-eight feet for 2 meters (36.5 foot boom)
✦ M-Squared RC2800 rotor and RC-21 Green Heron rotor controller with USB connection
✦ Directional DX Engineering 4-square receive antenna system for 160 and 80 meters with a phaser and offset antenna for noise null
✦ 401A automatic antenna switch for HF & 6 meters with a separate feedline for 2 meters
✦ Verticals for the 10 and 6 meter beacons
✦ Eight 5-element Directive Systems phased Yagis for the 2 meter beacon
Other items
✦ Twelve-volt, thirty-amp power supplies with several spares
✦ Automatic radio transmit lockout for contests
✦ Beacons. The beacons are active only on demand, and are perfect for determining propagation paths and openings
✦ The J68HZ CW/RTTY and WSJT on-island skimmers; the feed is available at the radio operating position via the internet
✦ Generic keyer paddle
✦ Twin-Twenty-four inch monitor, keyboard, mouse, Ethernet, and 4 GHZ quad-core Dell computer with N1MM+, MTTY, and internet access
✦ On-Site NTP Time server
✦ Simple manual with station operating instructions