Vintage & Military Amateru Radio Society member Robin Maddison and his wife were enjoying a break in NE Spain. Whilst away Robin enjoys keeping in touch with his friends back in the UK, and also to see what other interesting stations that he can work from his Spanish holiday QTH. On the 25th April 2015 International Marconi Day, he was tuning around the 14MHz band, when he came upon the Marconi Special Event Station GB2GM working from the Marconi Museum at Poldhu in Cornwall. Marconi made his first trans-Atlantic transmission on the 12th December 1901 from this exact location. GB2GM linked up with IY4FGM the Italian Marconi Memorial station located in the grounds of Villa Griffone in Pontecchio Marconi – Bologna.
Marconi’s 85 year old daughter Princess Elettra Marconi Giovanelli happened to be visiting the Italian station along with Marconi’s Grandson Guglielmo Marconi. Princess Elettra was handed the microphone and exchanged goodwill messages with the Poldhu station. On the microphone at the Poldhu end was no other than ROA member David Barlow, who has also had the privilege to have met the Princess Elettra and her son on two occasions when they visited the Poldhu Marconi Museum, and also the Lizard Wireless Station. David spoke to both Princess Elettra and also Guglielmo Marconi surrounded by other members of the Poldhu Radio Club on this momentous occasion.
Robin quickly realising the historical implications of this QSO recorded part of the exchange on his mobile phone. Equipment used at his QTH in Spain comprises of an 1980 Icom IC-735, MFJ-941E Versatuner II, a Larkspur tub-clamp with a rubber aerial base, this supporting a four section Larkspur 15′ 6″ vertical whip with 4 X 6 zip radial wires.
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