Tokelau DXpedition Set For April 2013

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DL2AWG, DL6JGN to active Tokelau on April 25, 2013

Guenter, DL2AWG and Hans, DL6JG will be operating ZK3N from Nukunonu (IOTA OC-048) in the Tokelau Islands. They will be operate from April 25, 2013 to May 8, 2013.

Activity will be on 80- 10 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. They will be using a Kenwood TS-590 HF transceiver with a Tokyo Hy-Power solid state amp. Antennas will include a Hy-Gain AV620 six-band vertical and ground-plane antennas for 30m, 40m, and 80m.

If a reliable Internet connection is available, they will upload their log to Clublog on a daily basis. Otherwise the complete log will be uploaded upon our return. QSL via DL2AWG.

Nukunonu is one of three Tokelau islands, 300 miles north of Samoa, about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii.The coordinates: 09°12’02” S, 171°50’53” E.

Nukunonu was originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups. The Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand in 1925.

For more information, visit the Tokelau 2013 website.

Scots to Travel to Tuvalu March 13-23, 2013 – Tuvalu DXpedition

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Scots to Travel to Tuvalu March 13-23, 2013

On March 13, 2013, four seasoned Scottish DXers will activate T2GM on the island of Tuvalu. The team includes:

  • Gavin, GM0GAV (previous VP8GAV, VP8SDX, IoTA Contest Winner – GM5A, S79GM and 7Q7GM etc).
  • Clive, GM3POI (previous 3B7C and T32C).
  • Rob, GM3YTS (member of the Voodoo Contest Group – previous winners CQWW CW – VP8SDX, S79GM, YK9G, 7Q7GM etc).
  • Tom, GM4FDM (previous IoTA Contest winner Expedition Section, VP8SDX, T33C, 3D2DM, V8FDM etc).

Tuvalu is an independent constitutional monarchy in the southwest Pacific Ocean between 5°S and 11$deg;S and 176°E and 180°E. Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, in terms of land area. The country name roughly translates to “eight standing together”. This refers to the eight traditional islands of Tuvalu.

Operating from the Vaiaku Lagi Hotel on the lagoon side of the island of Fogafale, DXpedition team will operate two, 500 w stations consisting of the Elecraft K3 and Microham interface units. They will be using vertical antennas, placed either in or at edge of the lagoon.

For more information, visit the T2GM DXpedition site.

BS7H – Scarborough Reef DXpedition Video

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When I started Amateur Radio Supplies one of the initial product offerings I was so excited about were the great DX videos being made.  James, 9V1YC and Bob, K4UEE were each making their own videos of their fantastic adventures.  The 9V1YC videos are akin to documentaries you would see on television.  Bob’s videos are much more oriented, I feel, to the hard core DXer that can appreciate grainy footage or sub-optimal video conditions.  Regardless of production quality, these video collections are awesome.

bs7h-dx-dxpedition-scarborough-reef

Last night I hand the chance to watch the BS7H video.  I have always had a sort of odd fascination with Scarborough Reef.  I never really thought of it as a country – even for DXCC purposes.  This video does an excellent job of breaking down the DXCC rules that enable it to, in fact, be a DXCC entity.  On Club Log, BS is still a respectable #22 most wanted at this moment in time.  I now understand the two sides of the Scarborough argument – on one side are practical, pragmatic folks that think this group of super small rocks that are barely above water at high tide can’t possibly be counted as “land” or an “island” and certainly not a DXCC country – while on the other side of the coin are equally practical and pragmatic folks that think this group of super small rocks are within the letter of law when it comes to DXCC.  I actually don’t care who is right and who is wrong – the presence of hams occasionally on Scarborough Reef makes all over lives more interesting from time to time.

The video itself is marvelous.  Politics. Global Intrigue. Frantic Pile-Ups and the most bizarre landscape for a DXpedition you could imagine.  At one point OH2BH, Marti is alone on his rock and some fisherman climb up onto his operating platform. You could see he was visually shaken.  You don’t expect visitors on rocks miles and miles from civilization (they arrived in a motorized canoe).

Did you work BS7H Scarborough Reef? What were the pileups like for you?

Regardless of what you think of Scarborough – you will enjoy this video.  It will also make a great gift for a ham.  This is such a unique and seemingly strange part of our hobby.

bs7h-qsl-card

Z6/LA4MIA and Other DX

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12/5/2012

Yesterday proved the old idea that it pays to tune the bands slowly.  I was extremely happy to catch Z6/LA4MIA, Stein, calling CQ on 15m SSB.  He was 59+ and located in Pristina, Kosovo.  This was my first contact with the Z6 prefix.  It was great fun to just catch something new with no pileup and no waiting.  I will send for his QSL right away.

A little lower in the band was 5T0SP, listening up 8.  He was also had on the first call.  Excellent operator.  I have worked 5T a few times – particularly 5T0JL, Jean on CW many times.

One of the lessons learned for this DXer is that given our state of technology when it comes to spotting DX on CW (namely, the Reverse Beacon Network)  - there are still great finds to be had on SSB just by tuning around.  Point your beam along the equator and tune the 20m or 15m SSB bands slowly at sunset!

7P8D – Great Work From Lesotho

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It was an absolute pleasure to work 7P8D easily on two bands the other day.

7P8D Website
7P8D Clublog
7P8D on QRZ 

I never remember 7P being a particularly easy entity  - but I was able to grab these guys on 2 bands with relative ease on 20 and 15m.

The picture of Lesotho on their homepage is intriguing.  I really would like to learn more about this entity.

With two days left in expedition, I would love to try and work them tonight on 30m or 40m,