Wieslaw SP3FLY
It was my first and unforgettable visit to Cyprus. Even before the trip, I had planned to meet Valdas. I’m very happy that I had the chance to meet him and shake his hand. Valdas is incredibly friendly and positive, the owner of a place where every radio amateur would love to spend time. The location is over 400 meters above sea level! The equipment is impressive, as is the entire infrastructure around it. Once again, thank you very much for the meeting, the QSL card, and I hope to return someday for a longer stay.
Best regards,
Wieslaw SP3FLY
73 to all!😊
Goran YT7AW and Co. – CQ WW CW 2025 – P3CR
As there was an empty slot, we got an opportunity to operate P3CR during WW CW 2025, and entered the MS/LP category.
5B is a nice place that time of the year, sunny and still warm enough for a dip in the sea, or just getting tanned in a cosy garden at Valdas’ place.
Equipment ran smoothly with no issues, although 160 and 80 were a bit of a challenge with LP. We also added a 3rd station for inband with an additional antenna, which worked ok.
The only true stretch was the accommodation capacity before and after the contest, as the home is most suitable for two. Something to have in mind if you plan a team activity.
Valdas is a great host, supportive and curious to harvest station improvement ideas.
73 de Goran YT7AW and company
Paula, OK2YL and Vlad, OK2WX
We spent a wonderful week at Valdas’ QTH during our holiday in Cyprus. The antennas and well-equipped ham shack are a real dream for any radio amateur, but even beyond that, everything was perfect. The room was small, cozy, very clean, and had a kitchen, plus a beautiful terrace where we enjoyed breakfast and dinner.
Valdas is an amazing host – always ready to help with anything we needed. The location is great too: less than half an hour to the nearest beach with sun loungers and restaurants. The village of Anogyra is just a 10-minute walk and has two lovely tavernas with excellent food.
We absolutely recommend staying here and would love to come back soon !
Vy 73 de Vlad OK2WX and Paula OK2YL
Uwe, DL8UD and Mark, DK8MM – WAE SSB 2025 – P3CR
That was a Trip with DK8MM Mark and me Uwe DL8UD for the WAE SSB 2025 best choice ever. Valdas support and Station are very very nice. Help Info´s question very Quick answer. We can see the Trip was perfect. Tnx Valdas for those nice Days.
vy 73 de Uwe DL8UD
Fudo, F4WEJ / E72T – WAE CW 2025 – P3CR
The week we spent in DX holiday shack of Valdas 5B4AOF was one of the most beautiful so far. An ideal combination for people who want to enjoy the charms of Cyprus, while being able to be active on the Ham radio bands.
The radio shack is so cozy, practical and everything is accessible and within reach. There are great antennas to choose from, rotators and also linear amplifiers for power lovers.
Our host is a wonderful person full of understanding. You can count on him and his support at any time.
Participating in the contest was a real pleasure because everything worked flawlessly. Unfortunately the DX propagation itself was not good due to solar activity.
In any case, I highly recommend this place whether you want to participate in the contest, DX work or simply spend nice moments.
Best regards 73
Fudo F4WEJ / E72T
Dave, WJ2O – IARU CW 2025 – 5B/WJ2O
“I recently stayed at the rental contest shack owned by Valdas, 5B4AOF. To call it a shack would not be proper because it was more like a palace. Everything was neat and orderly and first class.
The radio set-up was superior as Valdas thinks of everything. He’s a great host. It was perfectly set-up with SO2R even though I did not use that feature. Having a choice between a Yagi and Quads offered interesting results depending on conditions.
Valdas’ XYL sure can cook. She made an excellent breakfast meal each morning.
I highly recommend operating from this location. Although I tend to never go to the same place twice, I may make an exception for this QTH.”
Dave, Wj2O
Borut, S50B – C40C in CQWWSSB 2024
“In January 2024, strong winds reaching up to 180 km/h destroyed nearly all of my antennas again. At that point, I decided not to reinvest in new ones. While considering my options, I came across Valdas’ QRZ.com page with details about antenna rentals. Without hesitation, I reached out to him, and after exchanging several emails, I booked time for the SSB part of the CQWW contest in October 2024. My plan was to participate in the contest first, then spend a few extra days with my xyl, Anita, exploring some of Cyprus tourist sites.
Valdas was exceptionally kind and helpful, assisting me with all the information I needed, including obtaining my personal call sign, 5B4ARP, and later a special contest call sign, C40C.
The setup exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed using the SO2R system from Hamdevices and the BPF from VA6AM. The antenna farm was impressive, with the Optibeam Yagi and a 2-element quad performing admirably. The FT-3000 and TS-590 radios worked flawlessly, and there were no issues with the internet, Wi-Fi, or power supply. I’m also considering trying the remote operation option in the future.
Throughout the contest, Valdas provided invaluable support. His xyl also treated us to delicious Thai dinners, and during our stay, my wife and I always had fresh tangerines and eggs available, adding a delightful touch to our meals. Valdas encouraged me to stay through the contest, even when early propagation wasn’t ideal. Competing in the SO ALL LOW Power Unassisted category was challenging, especially with the European distance. Contesting from 5B4 feels quite different from operating in Central Europe.
On behalf of my wife, Anita, and myself, I extend our sincere thanks to our host Valdas and his wife for a wonderful time in Cyprus. We also appreciate the support from the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society and its president Nestor 5B4AHZ.
We’re already looking forward to returning to Cyprus—its food, people, and landscape were simply splendid.”
Borut S50B and Anyta S50GA
Juha, OH9MM – Virtual holiday – 5B/OH9MM in SAC 2024 SSB
“I had the pleasure to use this station remotely as a first user. I was active in SAC (Scandinavia activity contest) with 100w SSB. Specially the quad worked nicely on 20-15-10m.
This was my first time to play with Kenwood TS-590SG and Kenwood remote program. In my opinion Kenwood has great audio quality both rx and tx. Setting up the remote program and use was easy. The connection stayed up for hole contest without any problems.
At home I had only mobile network but even with 4G connection remote operating worked quite good. However if you have chance to use fixed lan connection it would be even better.
Valdas was a great host! It was a pity that the activity from Scandinavia was not the best. “
Juha, oh9mm
Dave, MM0TDS
“I arrived at Valdas’s QTH which was very easy to find coming from my location in Paphos and was met by Valdas and greeted with a friendly face and handshake. We chatted a little about the antennas I could see outside before we went into the shack where I was greeted with an impressive station.
With a quick tutorial from Valdas I was able to operate both radios and amplifiers with ease and was very intuitive even though it was the first time I had seen the set up. With both antennas operated by one big antenna switch and with the use of the too radios it was easy to search the bands.
I was not operating a contest so I just used one of the radios.
The radios are a TS590 and a FtDx 3000. Both are great radios with quiet front ends. The antennas are a large 4 band Optibeam 17- ele and a 2 element 5 band quad.
I started operating at 10am and the bands were a little quiet due to a few flares but by 12.30 the bands had opened up and I started working the world. I was mainly on 10m and 20m and ended up working a lot of Asia which was very enjoyable. I stopped operating at 3pm but I could have stayed there a lot longer as i was a very comfortable operating there.
I hope to return to this QTH and take advantage of the custom built QTH for staying and playing radio.
I wish to thank Valdas for his hospitality and the use of the station and hope to visit again soon. “
MM0TDS/5B4ARO
———————————————————————————————————–
Thomas, F4HPX
“I found an advertisement from Valdas 5B4AOF on the QRZ.COM site: “DX Holidays in 5B” and immediately thought of HF contests when I heard in France several contest stations from Cyprus that scored very high or often won contests.
The geographical position is very favorable here because Cyprus, although being one of the European Union countries, is attached by ITU to the Asia zone, which automatically plays the role of a multiplier.
Moreover, it is an island, and the sea around helps lower the departure angle of the waves, thus favoring DX contacts. After seeing the description of his station, I contacted Valdas by email and was able to book a short stay in a small bungalow that also contains his radio shack.
I have to say that the station is well equipped and well organized, allowing SO2R with two transceivers/two amplifiers with complete automation of antenna selectors and bandpass filters. The antennas on towers promised good performance.
Valdas explained well the operation of the station, and I became autonomous within minutes. Quickly, a call on a band generated a pileup coming from Europe, and it was a pleasure to be chased like a DX instead of chasing other DX.
Everything worked perfectly, I was able to contact all continents with disconcerting ease, and I received very often unsolicited reports about good modulation and signal strength of 59 to 59+20 and thousands of kilometers from here.
The station is located 450m above sea level.
I was very happy with this “DX” part and Valdas’ warm welcome on site. I think I will return, maybe to participate in an important international contest.
For the “Holidays” part, Cyprus also offered many historical sites to visit, and the weather at the end of September was very pleasant: blue skies every day, temperatures around 30°C, and the warm sea inviting for swimming.
Greek cuisine is to enjoy too in the many restaurants in the coastal towns.
In one sentence an experience to be repeated!”
Thomas, F4HPX
————————————————————————————————————
Dimitry RA3CO/PZ5DX, P3CR in WAEDX SSB 2024
“I recently operated from Valdas’ and his club maintained Ham Radio station in Cyprus as a guest in WAEDC SSB contest using their club station contest call P3CR and it was an excellent experience.
Overall Experience: The station is well-maintained, offering everything needed for a smooth and successful contest effort.
Equipment: The setup includes two high-quality transceivers, a Yaesu FTdx3000 and a Kenwood TS590SG, both of which performed flawlessly. Valdas’ station automation is top-notch. Any antenna can be connected to either radio, filtering is great. During my SO2R operation (albeit low power), there was no inter-station interference—everything worked seamlessly.
Location and Setup: Situated on a quiet hill in a rural area, the location offers good take-off angles for most directions. There is a slight elevation to the north, but it didn’t significantly affect signal strength. The station features two multiband antennas: a 2-element quad for 20-10 meters (including WARC bands) and a multiband Optibeam for 40-10 meters. Both performed well.
Host and Support: Valdas is an attentive and helpful host. I had no technical issues, and he regularly checked in to ensure everything was running smoothly. He kindly kept me fed and produced an awesome iced tea with coconut milk during the contest.
Value for Money: The accommodation and the access to the shack was an excellent value, considering the quality of equipment, location, and support.
Contest Performance: Despite a solar disturbance during the contest weekend, the station performed reliably, and I managed to submit a score that is a claimed Asian all-time record for SOAB LP.
Amenities: The accommodation is new and comfortable, featuring a radio room and a living quarters with a couch and a small kitchen. While the shack can get warm during the day, separate air conditioning for the shack and living area keeps everything comfortable. The internet connection was stable and reliable.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this station for both casual and serious contesters. The combination of excellent equipment, a quiet location, and Valdas’ support makes it an ideal choice.”
Dimitry, PZ5DX
————————————————————————————————————
Yuri VE3DZ, P3D in CQWW CW 2023
“I am very happy to be the first one to give 5B4AOF (P3C) station a serious “ride” in one of the most important Contests – CQ WW DX CW.
Station is engineered pretty well to suit either SO2R or Multi-Single operation. “Double L” band decoders and automatic antenna switches, and band pass filters by VA6AM makes it really simple and productive. With more low band antenna improvements the station should play real well.
The owner of the station Val 5B4AOF is very experienced HAM. Him and his lovely XYL Araya are great hosts.”
Yuri, VE3DZ