E51AND, Andy Duncan says he is QRT-ing now, with the Oceania CW contest just behind us.
He has been active for five years with a kilowatt to a long-boom 5-element 20M monobander 70 feet high, a Tennadyne T7 for 17-10 at 80 feet, and a variety of slopers, dipoles and verticals for the low bands, putting out a consistently big signal.
KL7SB with the E51RAT callsign had the E51AND station on these last couple days.
Andy and his XYL, E51CK, Kathy, prefer ragchewing but have hosted visiting DXers and contesters from around the world, with hundreds of thousands of QSOs made over these years.
They have also helped with holiday style expeditions and DXpeditions to Manihiki and Pukapuka in the North Cooks.
In moving to Rarotonga five years ago and selling their house in Oregon, Andy and Kathy planned to stay permanently.
But public pressure, says Andy, has caused the government of the Cook Islands to put a moratorium on residency applications, and Kathy's teaching contract is expiring, so they face a substantial pay cut and a loss of medical benefits.
Andy says their lives are "at a crossroads."
They have "no desire to leave paradise," but need "a place to call home."
Last month they visited Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick, three provinces in Canada, and have presently chosen Fredericton, New Brunswick as their next home, finding it lovely, a city of 60,000 people on the St. John River, with friendly people, a vibrant and healthy community, and house prices affordable.
They see the move as their next great adventure.
Andy says, "Listen for Andy and Kathy from VE9 land in the New Year."
In the meantime, this is Andy's email: <Kiaorana@ymail.com> and his mailing address:
Andrew (Andy) N. Duncan, E51AND
P.O. Box 518, Avarua
Rarotonga
Cook Islands
He has been active for five years with a kilowatt to a long-boom 5-element 20M monobander 70 feet high, a Tennadyne T7 for 17-10 at 80 feet, and a variety of slopers, dipoles and verticals for the low bands, putting out a consistently big signal.
KL7SB with the E51RAT callsign had the E51AND station on these last couple days.
Andy and his XYL, E51CK, Kathy, prefer ragchewing but have hosted visiting DXers and contesters from around the world, with hundreds of thousands of QSOs made over these years.
They have also helped with holiday style expeditions and DXpeditions to Manihiki and Pukapuka in the North Cooks.
In moving to Rarotonga five years ago and selling their house in Oregon, Andy and Kathy planned to stay permanently.
But public pressure, says Andy, has caused the government of the Cook Islands to put a moratorium on residency applications, and Kathy's teaching contract is expiring, so they face a substantial pay cut and a loss of medical benefits.
Andy says their lives are "at a crossroads."
They have "no desire to leave paradise," but need "a place to call home."
Last month they visited Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick, three provinces in Canada, and have presently chosen Fredericton, New Brunswick as their next home, finding it lovely, a city of 60,000 people on the St. John River, with friendly people, a vibrant and healthy community, and house prices affordable.
They see the move as their next great adventure.
Andy says, "Listen for Andy and Kathy from VE9 land in the New Year."
In the meantime, this is Andy's email: <Kiaorana@ymail.com> and his mailing address:
Andrew (Andy) N. Duncan, E51AND
P.O. Box 518, Avarua
Rarotonga
Cook Islands
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