The QSL designs for the recent DXpeditions are coming on well. Cards will be printed very soon.
9M6XRO/8 & 9M8Z/P Pulau Satang Besar IOTA OC-165 – KH0/G3ZEM Northern Mariana Is OC-086 – T88ZM Palau OC-009 – V85/9M6XRO & V85/9M8Z Brunei Darussalam & ZL/GD3OOK Waiheke Island OC-201.
QTH: Ostend, Waiheke Island. Loc: RF73MF
Delayed Start
I had a delayed start due to an oversight on my part. I didn’t know that ZL uses a different type mains plug from Malaysia and the U.K. so when I set up my rig I could not plug anything in! It was next day before I could find an adaptor on the island and get powered up, so I caught up on my rest the first night on OC-201. If anything, the bands in ZL are even quiter than in Borneo during daylight hours so once I had mains power I had to twiddle my thumbs waiting for the bands to open. Waiheke is a beautiful island and I thoroughly enjoyed walking and taking in the scenery when the bands were dead.
Solar Disturbances
All’s well that ends well they say and I ended up with 1275 Q’s which I am quite happy with especially after getting back to the mainland and discovering there were solar flares and disturbances during my brief operation. I decided to go for 20m SSB the last night but a flare had taken the band out completely! Still, particularly pleasing were comments like “big signal” from the U.S. East Coast and S9+ on the DX Cluster from Europe since my antenna was a simple W3EDP 84 ft long slung over a tree in an inverted vee configuration, with a maximum height of around 35 ft, and a single 17 ft long radial. The rig was a mixture of old and new – an IC-7000 driving a 30+ year old Loudenboomer linear (using four TV sweep tubes, remember them?) to about 300 watts. The antenna was made from very thin copper wire salvaged from old TV tube focus coils, and fed through a Daiwa ATU which matched it up on all bands from 80-10m although neither 10 or 12m showed any sign of life with precious little on 15m either come to that.
I have attached a photo of the “Bach” I stayed in – quite a contrast to the accommodation recently on Pulau Satang Besar OC-165. It was luxury by comparison!
Log is now on the online log search. LoTW will be uploaded on Monday. QSL card will be designed very soon.
A planned short operation by John 9M6XRO, as ZL/GD3OOK from Waiheke Island OC-201 New Zealand,between March 7th to 11th using a linear and wire antennas.
QSL Direct via M0URX and LoTW.
Bureau by OQRS Only!
Please do NOT send your card Via Bureau. ONLY use OQRS. Thank you.
If you do send Via Bureau it MUST have QSL Via M0URX clearly marked.
John, 9M6XRO, and I got back home just after dark on 3 March after a nearly 3000km round-trip – Borneo is a BIG island. That’s about 1km of driving for every QSO made!
Murphy
Murphy was very much with us on this trip. The first casualty (not serious) was my watch, the nearly new battery of which failed between Brunei and Kuching. Then my digital camera, which had worked perfectly the day before we left, also failed. John’s wife had his camera and he was relying on me to take all the photos, so that was mini disaster number 1. Fortunately we had three local hams from KK with us, and two of them had cameras. They flew to Kuching and we met up with them there and we went out to the island together. They did not want to do any operating, just came along for the experience. (Photo above: 9M8Z/P Steve & 9M6XRO/8 John, on Setang Besar Island. Photo by 9M6GY Godfrey)
Bad Weather
We were lucky with the weather both on the trip out to the island and the way back, which was pretty calm and clear in both directions. The weather on the island was appalling, though. We had more than 24 hours of rain – not just drizzle, but a continuous tropical downpour. It was windy too, so the rain was blowing in to the shack, which had no door and mainly open windows. Add to this a couple of thunderstorms. I was amazed how cold it could be only 1 degree from the equator! All our clothes, everything, were cold and damp for pretty much the whole time we were on the island.
Hill Blocks Europe!
Conditions were poor too. One problem was that because we wanted to operate two stations we had the two antennas as far apart as possible. I had bought a 100-yard length of RG58 coax the last time I was in Singapore, and we used this for the Butternut HF6V, with a short additional length joined on so that it could be put up on the beach. However, the line loss on this length of cable was so great that our signal was well down. This coupled with a nearly 1000ft high hill immediately behind the antennas in the direction of Europe meant our signal was not as good as it should have been. The hill is in the worst possible direction for working EU. On the first day, though, I did have a good run working Europe on the long path on 20m, so we were getting out reasonably well towards the south. The VKs and ZLs were loud too, but there aren’t that many of them.
Generators
Another problem was the generators. We had been told there were three 3kVA diesel generators on the island. This was my main concern before the trip but we had received messages from the island owner that the generators had been maintained and were OK. When we arrived we found there were only two working – not a problem, two 3kVA generators should be ample for what we wanted to run. Initially we tried to run both stations off one generator but this proved impossible – every time John transmitted my linear tripped out. OK: plan B was to run one station off one generator and the second station off the other generator. Neither generator was regulated so whenever a load was put on, the voltage dropped dramatically. The solution was to increase the volts to around 270V off load so that when on load the volts would be around 220V. This worked OK for a while but then my MFJ switch mode power supply blew up – too high input voltage!
One Station QRV
From this point on (the second morning) we were down to one station only, and we were careful not to put too high a voltage to that one. This meant the power output, which should have been around 500W from John’s IC-2KL, was generally only around 250 or 300W at most and at times far less.
One positive effect of this, though, was that because we now only had one station, on the last day we moved the Butternut to a location much closer to the other antenna, using a much shorter length of feeder, and this definitely seemed to make a difference – signals were now better.
One other minor equipment problem was the spindle in one of the fans in John’s IC-2KL had become loose, causing it to rub against the PA compartment, making a nasty grinding noise. We operated the whole time in Brunei on the return journey with it sounding like this. Fortunately the fan was still working, so there was no danger of the amp overheating as a result.
So that’s it: a trip with Murphy very much in attendance. I was very disappointed by the number of QSOs made. V85 was OK, though we were only on for a few hours on each occasion. On the island I spent a lot of time calling CQ and not getting replies; a combination of poor conditions, the screening effect of the big hill and the attenuation on the long run of coax.
Thank you to 9M6DXX / 9M8Z Steve Telenius-Lowe for the above report. QSL cards will be designed soon.
IOTA Ref: OC-165 Pulau Satang Besar,
John, 9M6XRO, and Steve, 9M6DXX, will operate as 9M6XRO/8 (CW) and 9M8Z/P (SSB) respectively from Pulau Satang Besar, OC-165, from 25 February until early GMT on 28 February 2011,
Using two stations with linear amplifiers to a Hexbeam and verticals located on the ocean.QSL
Both 9M6XRO/8 and 9M8Z/P via M0URX, direct or Via the bureau, or LoTW. Alternatively, QSLs may be requested using M0URX’s OQRS
BRUNEI, V85
John, 9M6XRO, and Steve, 9M6DXX, will operate from Brunei, V85 (IOTA OC-088), for 2 days, on 22 February and 2 March, while travelling to and from OC-165 (see above). Callsigns are V85/9M6XRO and V85/9M8Z. QSL
Both callsigns QSL via M0URX, direct or Via the bureau, or LoTW. Alternatively, QSLs may be requested using M0URX’s OQRS
LATEST NEWS 22/02/2011 – Steve informs me that due to high S9 noise floor that there will be no 160m activity tonight from V85/9M6XRO.
LATEST NEWS 27/02/2011 – One PSU has blown. Down to one station QRV.
VK8DX is the new call sign “On Air” from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Oliver Bross, MW0JRX / OM0ARX recently moved to Darwin and can be found calling CQ on HF.
QSL Via M0URX. Please be patient as we have yet to design and print the QSL card!
10,000’th OQRS Request
I introduced the Online QSL Request System (OQRS) in September 2008 and since then 10,000 OQRS emails have been processed. Thank you for using this system which does save huge amounts of Bureau resources in both money and time. However, still far too few Radio Amateurs are bothering to check QSL information on QRZ.com, resulting in many thousands of Bureau cards being sent through the Bureau that should have used the OQRS.
The whole idea of using an OQRS is that for many DXpeditions and some DX calls, the DX operator does not need to collect the QSL cards, he is an “activator” and for these contacts a simple OQRS is all that is needed to get your Bureau QSL fast and efficiently.
Responsible Bureau Use?
We have to be more responsible against wasting money. It costs huge sums of money to ship tens of thousands of Bureau cards around the World. Many people think that the Bureau QSL is free! It is not free. In the case of QSL cards that are sent out from here, all costs are paid for by the generous donations paid by Direct QSL users that support the Bureau system for everyone to use. Also of course the time of dedicated volunteer Bureau staff around the World. Sadly I have to admit, that a lot of money here is spent retrieving Bureau QSL cards INCORRECTLY routed through the Bureau system by the sender.
RSGB Bureau puts restrictions on cards!
I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the RSGB QSL Bureau over the last few months I have been informed that the RSGB will not accept high quality QSL cards, too heavy. Will not allow contest call signs to be sent Via M0URX. These HAVE to be sent to the contest Sub manager instead. QSL Cards “Via” it has been announced are not welcome.
Support
I will always support and honour Bureau QSL requests, but I would ask you to think BEFORE you send another shipment of QSL cards to the Bureau. If a QSL from you is required from the activators that use my system you can be sure that I will ask you to send your card too.
Log Update
If you request a OQRS for Bureau, then you must update the QSL SENT field in your log with QSL Sent. This way, when you get the QSL you will understand that I do NOT need yours! “Thanks QSL” on my QSO report label should be a hint!
T88ZM & KH0/G3ZEM OQRS requests will be processed when the logs arrive from Bob Henderson.
New Topband Website
Nick UY0ZG writes in to inform us of a new website, “Ukraine Topband” dedicated to the 160m enthusiast. The site is in Russian language, Google Translate is a good way to read in your local language.
QSL Cards arrive!
A 40 kg box arrived from the printer this week with the latest batch of QSL cards. Among them was VE2CSI QSL card, for the Association de Radioamateur Sept-Iles. Direct QSL cards have been posted this week.
9M6DXX, 9M6XRO, M0URX, MW0JZE, VK8DX & VK8NSB will be operating from Timor-Leste (East Timor) between 16 and 26 September 2011. The location will be Atauro Island, OC-232, 30km north of the capital, Dili.
The group is working closely with the Timor-Leste licensing authority and the DXpedition callsign will be announced soon.
There will be three stations, two using full licensed power linear amplifiers, and a third running 100W. Antennas will mainly be quarter-wave verticals and vertical dipoles, all located within a few metres of the ocean. For 160m an inverted-L will be used.
Activity will be on all bands 10 – 160m using CW, SSB and RTTY.
Atauro Island was chosen in order to provide a quiet location, well away from the electrical noise of down-town Dili. The beach-front site will allows the group to put up vertical antennas right by the ocean, providing additional low-angle gain. In addition, the island counts as OC-232 and is part of a very rare IOTA group, having being confirmed by only 18% of active IOTA participants.
Accommodation on Atauro Island is very basic and the team will be in beach huts with no mains electricity or running water. All power for the DXpedition will be provided using hired generators. As such, the group will be requesting donations. A website will be available soon and further details will be published on the website.
QSL via M0URX, direct (SAE plus 1 IRC / $2), via the bureau, or LoTW. Alternatively, QSLs may be requested using M0URX’s OQRS form.
KH0/G3ZEM
Following his trip to Palau, Bob 5B4AGN will be QRV as KH0/G3ZEM from the Saipan Rental Shack between February 9 – 16 2011
Again active on CW only, HF bands.
DIRECT QSL via M0URX
Bureau ONLY Via Online QSL Request System.
QSL cards will be sponsored by United Radio QSL Bureau.
Please DO NOT send cards through the Bureau for this activity. USE OQRS Thank you.
OY1OF Ólavur Frederiksen emailed today “I am now able to work from my car, I am using a FT-897, but right now only on 70cm, 2m, 10m,next week I hope to have antennas for 6m, 15m, 17,
We did have a strong Aurora last night, and I was out taking some pictures of it”
Ólavur thank you for allowing us to see these stunning images of last nights Aurora, quite breathtaking! 
