Charte

The Swiss LightHouse Activity Group,

with the amateur radio station call sign HB9LH, is an no profit associtation with members having interest for amateur radio (Ham) activities and espacialy for activities concerning lighthouses activations.

Activations mean that operators install and exploit Ham radio equipements near a lighthouse (< 300m) and establish contacts with others amateur radio sations all around the world. During the contact, information like quality of receiving signal, location, operator name's are given and also the reference code of the lighthouse from which the activation occurs.

The most part of lighthouses around the world are referenced at the ARLHS (Amateur Radio Light House Society) and each of them receive a reference code.

This kind of activity has the following reasons to exist:

  • the possibility for other people around the world to know the local lighthouse heritage
  • the fact to keep in mind that these maritime heritage have to be preserved because have been used to save lifes and continue to do it even the navigators use new technologies. Especialy because the problem of the maintenance of the lighthouses is increasing (high costs, abandon, automatisation, etc.). The most part of the lighthouses around the world are now equipped with remote command systems and the lighthouse guard function is by electronic devices replaced. It means that lighthouses become no more lights over the seas but just ghosts in the darkness.
  • to honor the memory of the people who have worked (and sometimes are died) in hard conditions to build the lighthouses
  • for the amateur radio operators, it's always a technical and human challenge to install and exploit radio / antennas equipments near a lighthouse
  • To valid a contact, amateur radio operators exchange cards which are called QSL-Cards. Usually, on a QSL-Card take place one or more pictures of the lighthouse where has occurred the activity and also some technical informations. This QSL-Card is the confirmation that the contact has been really established.

    Through out our activities we hope to contribute to transmit, in our way, a bit of the story of the lighthouses and also to contribute to their preservation.

    This web site would be a window for you on our activities, on the Ham radio world and on the forgetted sentries of the seas.

    Thank you for visiting our website - The Swiss LightHouse Activity Group