The Enduring Signal of La Palma: Inside EA8RCP

VILLA DE MAZO, LA PALMA — In the shadow of volcanic ridges and under some of the clearest skies in Europe, the Santa Cruz de La Palma section of URE, known by its callsign EA8RCP, has been transmitting a legacy since 1958. One of the oldest amateur radio sections in the Canary Islands, it is a living testament to the endurance of radio culture on a remote Atlantic outpost.

From Capital City to Villa de Mazo

Although originally established in Santa Cruz de La Palma, the club’s spiritual and operational heart now beats in Villa de Mazo, a quiet municipality perched above the sea. Here, in a modest yet welcoming building on Calle Maximiliano Pérez Díaz, 3, radio operators gather each Tuesday at 20:00, maintaining a rhythm as constant as the island's trade winds.

With its well-known call sign EA8RCP, and secondary calls for special operations—ED8YAH, ED8YAJ, ED8YAK, and ED8ZAJ—this club balances history and modernity, contesting and camaraderie.

High Altitude, High Engagement

The geographic advantage of La Palma—elevation, low RFI, and clear tropospheric paths—has made the island ideal for VHF, satellite, and HF DX. Yet it’s the community spirit, not just the altitude, that elevates EA8RCP. Their presence on Facebook and QRZ.com offers a window into local initiatives, portable activations, and island-wide outreach that goes beyond logging QSOs.

Visitors, locals, and newly licensed operators are warmly invited to attend the Tuesday meetings, unless they’re off activating a summit or operating a field event elsewhere—always with a radio in hand.

An Island, Transmitting Since 1958

Few clubs can boast both historical roots and consistent engagement like EA8RCP. In an era when many amateur groups fade with the analog past, this La Palma station continues to thrive—a signal of continuity, community, and curiosity from one of Spain’s farthest-flung provinces.