TO5RZ - St Barts.
2008 March 27
17 Responses
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- C2.7 flare from Sunspot 1024 took place earlier.
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congratulations !!!
73!
i0djv Aldo ..from Frascati Italy
Nice to work you,tnx!73’s,Jim W8JWA
MANY TX FOR 7 BANDS..NEED 12 AND 10 METERS.
FINALLY WKD TONITE ON 160..QRM IS RUFF.
MANY TX FOR THE NICE OPERATION.
73s JERRY N4JF
Congrats for DXpedition. I work you in four bands but need 80, 40 and 10 mts. I hope find you soon.
73s de Jose/ EA7OH
Thanks for a great operation, and I worked you on 8 bands ( more than all the other operations put together. Sadly I didnt get you on 10 meters- nor even hear a decent signal there. Also missed getting a RTTY contact. Maybe next time!
tks for contact good luck best 73
John G4EIM
Despite logging you on five bands, I was frustrated by this operation. This is the fourth St. Barts operation worked since its emergence as a DXCC counter and–although FJ is only 3800 miles away–not one has put a topband signal into California. I commend you for at least trying, but not a dit has found its way here on 160m, despite postings of success from Europe, and the east and gulf coasts. I did manage 80CW before the WPX, and 80SSB during WPX, but topband is my passion. I would appreciate knowing what antenna and power were used on 160 and what geographical limitations may have been encountered. I would also like to know which CA stations made it, if any. (My location is near San Jose.)
Thank You Guys for 160m efforts, QSO in my log , GL@73
Jacek SP5DRH
Big compliments for this nice activity, I wish wish you a lot of satisfations with us.
73s from Luciano in Italy (IZ7DEW)
Thanks for 20/40/80 great signal into Newfoundland 5/9+ on 80M..Hope you guys enjoyed it and travel safely 73 Brett VO1BBN
Thanks for the new one.
Very nice signal into North West NJ
Have fun all.
Best 73 Thanks for being there.
John N2KPB
Thanks for new one on low band (cw ssb).
Nice signal into West Poland 73 Jerry SP3BHG
Thanks for an enjoyable expedition. I did not try to work you on all bands and modes, but did bump into you on 5 bands and two modes. I especially appreciated the QSO on April 1 when you QSYed up to 7.239 and worked SSB simplex in the US phone band. Bravo! We finally got the same treatment that Central Americans get frequently when a DX station is booming in! Thanks again. Well done!
Thanks so much for a new DXCC Country!! I had followed your activity throughout the WPX and tme you were there, but never could find an opportunity to have propogation to you. Then, last night, the DX Summit had you of 40M, but still no copy. I listenned for hours, and suddenly you came up out of the noise and It was so wonderful and exciting to work you!!!!! It was a true miracle, as I have a very modest station and only a G5RV for an antenna. This is so wonderful and I do thank you for hearing me! Hope you had fun, you made me and alot of the rest of the world very happy and grateful!!! 73
Well boys.. good activity from the Club I hope that in the future you are also so active and particularly careful to the openings with us European especially in the low bands.. Thanks still and talk to you soon.
Thanks for all the nice comments. Here is a short narrative of the DXpedition. While Bob-WB2NVR and I were ready to do WPX from 6Y1V, Mike WA2VQW was sure we could pull off the effort to put FJ5 on at least 8 bands and if the sun cooperated, 9. So Mike and I designed and Mike built the 7 antennas that would need to fit in a suitcase. All the antennas were home brewed. We did not want to complicate operations by using amps, so everything was barefoot from an IC7000, IC706 and my FT-10000MP. We got everything to fit in 8 50 LB checked and 4 carry on bags. With no room to spare
We had a spare 7000 but I much prefer my MP over those little training radios.
The 160 and 80 m antennas were based on Spider beam 60′ push up masts.
For 160 we used base, linear and center loading to resonate at 1.830. Mike and I wanted to make a big effort on 160 as we both enjoy the band at home. We spent a lot of the prep time designing building and testing the 160 antenna. The antenna worked well for about 400 qso’s. I made about half of them. QRN was very bad, and QSB was like I have never heard. 599 then gone…but mostly what I heard I could work. Typically the qso’s on 160 were either 599 or 229. I know many others were calling but between QRN and QSB it was very difficult to pull anything out of the noise. Bob Wa2NVR and myself traded off on 160 as the noise was really hard on the ears. I think we made about 12 SSB qso in WPX. Mike had problems using his 706 as it would put out spurs everywhere whenever he tried 160 . The MP was Flawless.
Just a simple 1/4 wave vert on 80 with 3 radials and a little base loading with some adjustable “C”. The 60′ mast was guyed in three places (1 set across a road) to keep it up during some very fierce winds. We were about 450′ ASL so the winds were whistling through the 80 and 160 antennas for much of our stay.
On 40 Meters and 30 1/4 wave vert with 4 bent radials based on 33 foot push up masts.
0n 20 meters was a 4 el wire LPA based on the the handbook design. It was up only about 20′, supported on one end by the 80m push-up. It was pointed to EU
0n 17 we used the 80m vert and also the 30m vert with a tuner
on 15 we had a loop built on the 40m vert push up.
on 12/10 we had a vert dipole supported by the 160m mast
We were blocked to W6 for angles below about 15 degrees. The island is hilly to the extreme and we were lucky we had as much unobstructed horizin as we did. We had a clear shot over salt water to EU and pretty good path to NAE but W6 was poor. I remember the QSO with WA6MHZ on 40m. I was the last station still operting and was getting some flak to QRT but there were still QSO’s to be made, but we needed to pack tonight as we leave in teh mid AM. I worked till the lasrt possible second, got requests for more 40m for EU but sadly had to pull the plug…
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what it was like to work a real pile from the DX end. My ears are still ringing…WOW
Just a note on what made it easy for me to copy a call in the pile. DON’T BUNCH UP. When someone worked me i would almost always need to move because the din that followed made on freq made it impossible for my ears to copy. Having a storng sig helps but I worked more stations that were off freq than were on. For me, a 800 hz or 200Hz note was easy to copy over the strongest sigs at 400Hz, because there were just so many. Its like trying to get the grapes back out of jelly….We all agreed that those off freq are the people easiest to copy.
Bob -N2DVQ
just recieved your qsl card, very nice, this is a first for colombier, st barts!!!
Thanks, KCOPKA