UPDATE – I deliberately didn’t tell Antoine about this little historical story as I knew he reads DX-World, so was even more delighted when he replied overnight with the following words and new pictures 🙂

Wow! I am really sorry to have forgotten that we used to communicate back then! Surely I must have your letters as well somewhere in my files. I will try to find them 🙂 Thank you very much for posting that, I feel honoured!

Matts SM7PKK, Tony 3D2AG, Marti OH2BH, Wayne N7NG – Suva 1990

Raj 3D2ER, Matti-OH2BH, Wayne-N7NG – Suva

As an SWL in the late 1980’s / early 1990’s, I used to write letters (not emails, but actual airmail letters) to Antoine 3D2AG. He most probably has forgotten we used to write to each other every few months, but I never did. Just today, in a garage clear-out, I came across a box of old QSLs, photos and letters mostly from Antoine; they make interesting reading and I may share in another post one day.

As a young kid back then I was still learning about the hobby and found it fascinating that radio signals could be heard from Fiji into my central Scotland QTH using a 100ft long-wire for listening. Propagation was also exceptional then with strong Pacific signals coming through every morning on 20m, for example.

One particular letter that Antoine sent me was full of info on Rotuma & Conway Reef, with some photos included.

Everything is shown below in its original (raw) format. 

73 Col, MM0NDX @ DX-World

3D2AG/P Rotuma QTH (1992)

Antoine 3D2AG/P (1992)

Conway Reef 3D2AM team 1990 (SM7PKK, N7NG, OH1RY, VE7SV, VE7CT, OH2BH & JG2BRI).