Now QRT with 5149 QSOs in the log

Hi everyone after a very tiring, hot, humid and demanding DXpedition in the tropics I am back on the mainland. Due to bad weather we were delayed on Wednesday the 18th and landed late in the day and so there was no time to put up the Spiderbeam yagi for 10m-15m-17m-20m. The weather was bad but I was able to quickly string up the 12m Spiderbeam fibreglass pole next to my hut and put the 24 MHz vertical dipole up before it got dark and worked 200 stations before 12m closed. So instead of 6 it was only a 5 day operation and so I'm pleased with the 5149 QSOs with a single person effort. Much more than my previous highest DXpedition QSO total of 3925 QSOs as VK4LDX/P on Horn Island OC-138 done last year.

I'll do a day by day write up on the blog over the next week or so.

This afternoon now that I'm back on the mainland I've noticed people sending emails to me during the DXpedition but please understand I had no internet access on the island that would enable me to look at emails. On a few occasions during the day I would walk up a big sand dune in the oppressive heat and humidity of the tropics and get 'one bar'of mobile phone reception to send a spot on the cluster but the phone reception was sporadic and unreliable at best, I wasn't even able to SMS my wife to say I had arrived safely on the island until the second day. Today on the phone she said she knew I was OK as I showed her how to monitor VK8BI on the DX cluster - hi hi! So for those who were emailing me, please understand that Bremer Island is remote with no electricity or mobile phone coverage, it's barely on the fringe of the mainland network.

Conditions were spectacular to Europe in the evening but I spent lots of time looking for North America with only moderate success. On four evenings I left and QSY'd in the middle on monster pile ups to Europe on 15m or 17m (I'm sure much to their disappointment and annoyance) and went to 20m calling CQ to North America only without much luck, it was good on only 2 out of four evenings and only lasted 60-90 minutes (I'm sure much to their disappointment and annoyance). I was beaming to North America on 15m in the 2300-0100 UTC period and calling CQ with only a small number of QSOs to North America. So I was trying for North America during the likely times/bands but that's just conditions unfortunately. Anyway as I said I'll do a day by day account my adventure on the blog site soon including my highs, lows, successes, failures and so forth of each day.

73's de Craig VK8BI ................need sleep...........................

Arrived in Gove. Next stop Bremer Island.

I’ve arrived in Gove (Nhulunbuy) in East Arnhem Land which is the town that I depart to take the boat to Bremer Island. Before I was an amateur radio operator I worked in Gove for a few years so I’m familiar with this crazy remote part of Australia. This certainly helped in the preparations for this trip as I knew what services were and weren’t here. All of my equipment including the 10m Spiderbeam aluminium mast, linear amplifier and 12m fibreglass Spiderbeam pole (for the 12m vertical dipole) that I sent last month has arrived. The Icom IC706MKIIG, 2 power supplies, computer and headphones were taken as carry on baggage. The checked in baggage included the Spiderbeam tribander.

So I’m ready to depart the island tomorrow morning. Hope to work you on the air for a new IOTA. If you have any questions I’ll be checking my emails at vk8pdx@yahoo.com.au until around 2200 UTC Tuesday (7:30am Wednesday local time).

VK8BI operating schedule......not long to go now!

I’ve spoken to the boat operators and I should arrive on Bremer Island on Wednesday April 18 around 0300 UTC or 12:30pm local time. I’ll spend the afternoon setting up the 12m vertical dipole, 10m-15m-17m-20m Spiderbeam yagi, generator and radio equipment in the hut and familiarising myself with the island.

I’m aiming for the operation to be in full swing at 1000 UTC where I’ll be beaming short path North America on 14260 kHz (+/- QRM).

As I’ll be using a 12m vertical dipole for the first time you may find me calling CQ before 1000 UTC on 12m 24960 kHz using the vertical to see what propagation is like to Asia, Europe and Africa. I know what to expect on 10m, 15m and 20m from previous IOTA DXpeditions. This is the first time I’ll be using the 12m vertical dipole so I’m keen to see how it performs.

So don’t worry I’m not ‘starting’ the DXpedition on a WARC band which would be odd because not all people have access to 12m and everyone’s best antennas are usually for 10m/15m/20m. I’m just looking there first to test band conditions to Europe and Asia so that I can plan my choice of operating bands for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday afternoons.

I’ll probably do a similar thing and check out 12m and 17m short path to the America’s on my first morning at 2200 UTC to see what conditions are like. I’d say over the five mornings in the period 2200-0300 UTC that I’ll be spending 75% of my time on 15m, but I’ll try 12m and 17m on the first morning just in case they prove productive.

Remember I DO NOT have internet access at my operating position so please don’t send requests on the DX cluster when I’m operating. I’ve had to adjust my operating frequencies a little to ensure I keep away from the Spratly 9M0L DXpedition announced frequencies on their site.

A fellow IOTA chaser Mike VE3VHB has let me know that 14260 is a bad frequency for North America due to net activity in their mornings. So in the 1200-1400 UTC period look for me between 14220 to 14260 in case there is bad QRM on 14260.

Operating schedule Wednesday April 18 (frequencies are +/- QRM):

0300 to 0600 UTC – Arrive on Bremer Island and set up station.

0600 to 1000 UTC – sometime during this period there will be operation on 24960 on the vertical antenna to test conditions to Asia, Europe and Africa. Sometime during this period I’ll have a short break for an evening meal and do final checks on the generator. It may take longer to set up the antennas depending on the weather, people available to assist me, etc. But I do hope to be calling CQ on 24960 +/- QRM by 0600 UTC or 0700 UTC at the latest before things get into full swing at 1000 UTC.

1000 to 1400 UTC    – 14220 to 14260 (short path North America)

1400 to 1700 UTC    – 14260 (short path Europe/Asia)

1700 to 2200 UTC    – break for sleep, breakfast, generator check, etc

2200 to 0000 UTC    – 18150, 21260 (or 21290*), 24960 or 28460 (short path North America)

    * to take into consideration US Generals

Operating schedule Thu April 18 to Mon April 23 (frequencies are +/- QRM):

0000 to 0300 UTC    – 18150, 21260 (or 21290*), 24960 or 28460 (short path North America)

    * to take into consideration US Generals

0300 to 0500 UTC    – break for lunch, generator check, etc

0500 to 0900 UTC    – 14260 or 18150 (long path Europe) or

                                    – 18150, 21260, 24960 or 28460 (short path Europe/Asia)

0900 to 1200 UTC    – 18150, 21260, 24960 or 28460 (short path Europe/Asia)

1200 to 1400 UTC    – 14220 to 14260 (short path North America) or

                                        14260 or 18150 (short path Europe/Asia)

                                         (only if there is no propagation to North America)

1400 to 1700 UTC    – 14260 (short path Europe/Asia)

1700 to 2200 UTC    – break for sleep, breakfast, generator check, etc

2200 to 0000 UTC    – 18150, 21260 (or 21290*), 24960 or 28460 (short path North America)

    * to take into consideration US Generals

Latest update on preparations

Hi Everyone

All of the equipment that I can’t fit on the plane has been sent to Gove ready to meet me for the boat ride over to the Island. I’ve been in touch with my Gove contact and the people on Bremer Island and everything is going to plan thus far.

There is no reliable internet connection on Bremer Island and so I won’t be doing any log uploads. Apparently there are spots on the beach where I may get mobile phone coverage which means during daylight hours I may be able to do the occasional announcements or spots on DXSummit and then I’ll walk back to my operating position. So it’s best to assume that I’ll have no internet connection and I definitely won’t have access to internet in my shack so please don’t send requests to me on the DX cluster while I’m operating as you’ll be just wasting your time.

Operating frequencies will be (+/- QRM):

14260

18150

21260 *

24950

28460

* In the 2100-0300 UTC period I‘ll try and be anywhere between 21270 and 21300 and listening up 5 to take into consideration the US Generals.

I know as an IOTA chaser myself I only worry about working a DXpedition once just to get the IOTA number. I might work them on a second band in case I wasn’t 100% confident about my first QSO. I understand that with the IOTA DX Marathon that you need up to three bands logged per island. Considering that OC-185 was last activated in 2004 and before that in 1999, we can assume that this will be the only OC-185 DXpedition for the DX Marathon period.

So I’m expecting many people will be trying to log me on three different bands which mean those operators with low power and modest antennas screaming into a pile up to get their first QSO can get very frustrated and disheartened.  Please rest assured I’ll be on 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m and 20m as often as possible (up to 16 hours per day) as per the schedule in an earlier blog posting.

Just before I go to the island I’ll put a blog up saying my schedule for the first evening on Wednesday April 18 and I’ll confirm my operating schedule for the rest of the week to assist you in finding me.

Thanks, Craig vk8pdx@yahoo.com.au

8 weeks to go and counting…….

It’s been six months since I announced that I’d be conducting another IOTA DXpedition, this time to Bremer Island OC-185. I’m delighted to say that everything is going to plan. The flights are booked and paid for. The charter boat, accommodation and generator have all been arranged and confirmed.

In May last year my wife and I moved back to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and so I became VK8PDX again. After doing four IOTA DXpeditions as VK4LDX/P from October 2010 to April 2011, I decided that before I embark upon on another IOTA DXpedition that I really needed to upgrade from the Standard to Advanced licence.

On previous IOTA DXpeditions the 10m, 15m and 20m propagation to Europe and Asia was fantastic and the pile ups were huge and lasted many hours. However I did tend to struggle at times with North America and the pile ups were small didn’t last long. Although on my last trip to Magnetic Island I did have more success to that part of the world thanks to better conditions and a water take-off that wasn’t blocked by steep hills as was the case with Fitzroy Island and the first Magnetic Island trip in December 2010.

In late January 2012 I passed my Advanced Licence exam. This means being able to use more bands and higher power. I’ve bought a small solid state amplifier which should arrive sometime in late Feb/early March. The amp will produce 400W and so I figure that boosting the signal from 100W to 400W will ensure a more even spread between Europe, Asia and the Americas. I’ve added two 17m elements to the Spiderbeam so that it covers 10m, 15m, 17m and 20m. For 12m I’m experimenting by using a vertical dipole up on a 12m Spiderbeam pole. I’m doing this so that I don’t have to worry about beam headings on 12m when I operate there during the daylight hours when the band could be open to all sorts of different beam headings.

My operating schedule tends to run from 2100 UTC (6:30am local time) to 1630 UTC (2:00am local time). This is a gruelling schedule but it is possible for a short period of time – I’ll be operating for 5½ days – plenty of time to sleep on the plane flights home!!! I’ll probably take a lunch break and do equipment checks once the higher bands close to North America around 0300 UTC (12:30pm) and before long path Europe opens on 17m & 20m around 0430 UTC (2:00pm).

I’ll be focussing on three main parts of the world – Europe, Asia and North America. Judging from previous DXpeditions, this is your best band/time to work me:

North America

2100 to 0300 UTC – 10m, 12m, 15m and 17m (short path)

1200 to 1400 UTC – 20m (short path)

This 1200-1400 UTC period was a good path in April last year on Magnetic Island from East to West coast, so hopefully it will be open again. Sometime from 1200 - 1230 UTC I’ll try propagation here.

Europe

0500 to 0800 UTC – 17m and 20m (long path)

0600 to 1200 UTC – 10m, 12m, 15m and 17m (short path)

1400 to 1630 UTC – 20m (short path)*

*If there is no propagation to North America at 1200-1400 UTC on 20m, then I’ll be beaming to Europe short path from 1230 UTC onwards on 17m or 20m

Asia

Whenever I’m beaming short path North America or short path Europe, I can easily work JA. For the rest of Asia east of JA, it’s easy to work me whenever I’m beaming short path Europe. 12m will be no problem as I’ll have a vertical.

South America

2100 to 0300 UTC – 10m, 12m, 15m and 17m (short path)**

1200 to 1400 UTC – 20m (short path)**

**During these periods I’m normally beaming to North America, despite this I’m still able to work into Central America, the Caribbean and places like Colombia and Venezuela. On 12m I’ll have a vertical. If there are any specific bands or periods of time where you find you’re hearing VK’s over the next 8 weeks, send me an email before April 14 at vk8pdx@yahoo.com.au and I might set some time slots and dates where I beam especially to South America.

Southern Africa

If there are any specific bands or periods of time where you find you’re hearing VK’s really well, send me an email before April 14 at vk8pdx@yahoo.com.au and I might set some time slots and dates where I beam especially to southern Africa.

The next IOTA DXpedition

I'm pleased to announce that my next IOTA DXpedition will be to Bremer Island OC-185 on April 18 to 23 2012 and the antenna will be a Spiderbeam 10-15-20 tribander on a 10m Spiderbeam mast.

When we were living in Townsville in north Queensland it was a great launching base for doing four DXpeditions to three different VK4 IOTA’s as VK4LDX/P:

• Fitzroy Island OC-172 (October 2010)
• Magnetic Island OC-171 (December 2010)
• Horn Island OC-138 (March 2011)
• Magnetic Island OC-171 (April 2011)

Now that we've moved back to Alice Springs, Northern Territory I'm looking forward to operating from a VK8 IOTA.