The Ohio/Penn DX PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 689
BID: $OPDX.689
December 13, 2004
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)
Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AB5K & the AR TelNet Clusters Network, K1XN & GoList, NG3K, N3SL, W3UR & The Daily DX, K4UUE, K4VUD, N4AA & QRZ DX, N4BAA, K8YSE, N8TT, NE8Z, DL1EK & The DX News Letter, EA5RM, EA7JX, EI3IO, F5CWU & La Gazette du DX, F5NQL & UFT, HS0ZAA/W2ZWW, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News, I1HYW, IZ8BRI, JI6KVR & JA-IOTA Islands News, OH2BN, OH9MM, ON4MA, ON5NT, PA7DA, PC0H and VA3RJ & ICPO for the following DX information.
DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT: According to the AR-Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 5th/December, through Sunday, 12th/December there were 228 countries active. Countries available: 3A, 3B8, 3B9, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 4J, 4L, 4S, 4U1I, 4U1U, 4X, 5A, 5B, 5H, 5N, 5R, 5T, 5U, 5V, 5W, 5Z, 6W, 6Y, 7P, 7Q, 7X, 8P, 8R, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9L, 9M2, 9N, 9Q, 9U, 9V, 9Y, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C3, C5, C6, C9, CE, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, D2, D4, DL, DU, E3, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EX, EY, EZ, F, FG, FK, FM, FO, FR, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, HA, HB, HC, HH, HI, HK, HK0/a, HL, HP, HR, HS, HZ, I, IS, J2, J3, JA, JD/o, JT, JW, JY, K, KG4, KH0, KH2, KH6, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PY, PY0S, PZ, R1FJ, S2, S5, S7, S9, SM, SP, ST, SU, SV, SV5, SV9, T32, T5, T7, T9, TA, TF, TG, TI, TJ, TK, TN, TR, TT, TU, TY, TZ, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V3, V4, V5, V7, V8, VE, VK, VK9N, VK9X, VP2M, VP5, VP6, VP8, VP9, VQ9, VR, VU, VU4, XE, XT, XU, XW, YA, YB, YI, YK, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z2, Z3, ZA, ZB, ZC4, ZD7, ZF, ZK1/s, ZK2, ZL, ZP, ZS
* PLEASE NOTE: The report "could" contain "Pirate/SLIM" operations or more likely a "BUSTED CALLSIGN". As always, you never know - "Work First Worry Later" (WFWL).
3Y, PETER I ISLAND (Update). NODXA and OPDX received the following update (Press Release #8) from Bob/K4UEE and Ralph/K0IR. "Counting the days": "The Peter I Dxpedition team members are counting down the final 30 days until their departure from home and their rendezvous with other team members in Punta Arenas, Chile. The 40 ft. sea container was loaded with the help of members of the SEDXC and is now just a few days away from arrival in Valparaiso, Chile. Upon clearing Chilean customs, the container will be trucked the 1500 miles to the port in Punta Arenas. The team will begin arriving Jan. 11 for a scheduled departure on Jan. 14th. Here is the itinerary for the Expedition:
Team Itinerary:
Jan. 12, 2005 Team meets in Punta Arenas, Chile
Jan. 13 Expedition equipment loaded onto the vessel Antarctic Dream
Jan. 14 Depart Punta Arenas goes direct Peter I.
Jan. 19-21* Arrive Peter I, move ashore via helicopter
Jan. 21-Feb. 4* Radio operations, ship stands offshore during entire
operation
Feb. 5* Depart Peter I
Feb 10 Arrive Punta Arenas
* Weather dependent
The Expedition website has been expanded and now includes pages with basic information for the non-ham viewer, information such as 'What is a Dxpedition', 'Prior Dxpeditions to Peter I', 'Tell me about Peter I Island', etc.. The idea is to help inform and interest others, outside the ham community, in our hobby and adventure. All the members of the team ask you to assist them in this regard: Talk to your local school, Boy or Girl Scout troop, Kiwanis Club, Rotary, the local press, etc. about the Peter I website. Encourage them to follow along as the Dxpedition unfolds - to the most isolated island on Earth. The website can be found at: http://www.peterone.com. Iridium Satellite, LLC has graciously agreed to be a sponsor of the Peter I Dxpedition and has provided equipment that will allow the team to stay in touch with home, provide daily uploads of log information, and daily updates from the team including pictures of interest. Also, the worldwide pilots, through our chief pilot, Don, N1DG, will have the ability to relay feedback from you about missed or unusual band openings, suggestions, and other timely information to help us get you in the log.
This is a huge undertaking and very, very expensive. The team members are funding 74% of the total cost and need your help with the remaining expenses. Your contribution will be very much appreciated. Send contributions to either: K4UUE, F2JD, JA1ELY or ZL2AL. Check the website for an easy to use donation form."
A6, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (IOTA Activity). Ghis, ON5NT, informs OPDX that after their A61AV/p operation (QSL via ON5NT) to AS-124 (which netted 3000 QSOs) in the beginning of December, they will be on the road again. Look for A61Q/p to be active from Jazirat Al Siniyah off the coast of the Emirate of Umm Al Qaywayn in the United Arab Emirates. This island has been approved for IOTA and counts for AS-021. With Abu Dhabi Island being deleted from the IOTA directory on February 1, 2005, AS-021 would become very rare. Only a handful of IOTA chasers worked A6XT in the 70's from Das Island. The operators will be Abdullah/A61Q, Mohammed/A61AV, Alex/RV6LNA and Ghis/ON5NT. Operators Abdullah/A61Q, Mohammed/A61AV and Alex/RV6LNA will arrive on Al Siniyah Island in the (local) afternoon of December 17th. Ghis, ON5NT, will join them in the (local) morning of December 18th. They will stay on the island until December 20th, around 1600 local time. The UAE/A61 is at GMT+4. They will be active mainly on 21260, 14260 and 7060 khz. Also look for CW on 21040, 14040, ± 10103 and ± 7003 kHz. QSLs for the A61Q/p operation from AS-021 are via ON5NT: Ghis Penny, P.O. Box 93, BE-9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium. Regular QSL cards for A61Q from his home still go via EA7FTR.
ANTARCTIC NEWS..............
THE BIG GUY TO BE ACTIVE. Yep, the word from our Finnish friend is that the real Santa Claus is to be active in December as OH9SCL (Santa Claus Land) before he makes his world-wide tour. Activity will take place from the Finnish Lappland, Arctic Circle, on all bands and modes. The "BIG GUY" will be active from the VERY NORTH! Special activity will take place December 17-19th. It is known that Santa is busy before Christmas, so he has N7NG, OH2BH, OH3BHL, OH9KL, OH9MDV, OH9MM, OH9RJ and OH9VC handling the radio traffic part of the preparatory activities! QSL via OH9UV.
FO/M, MARQUESAS ISLANDS. By the time you read this, operators Michel/F6COW, Dominique/F6EPY and Radi/F6GNZ should be active as FO/F6COW, FO/F6EPY and FO/F6GNZ, respectively from Hiva Hoa, Marquesas (OC-027), until December 23rd. They should have two stations active and are expected to operate mostly CW and SSB with some digital modes (PSK31, RTTY, SSTV). Activity will be on 80-10 meters, with some 160m if conditions allow, with a priority on the lower bands. For more details visit the following Web page at: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/dominique.auprince/. QSL via their home callsigns. Suggested frequencies are:
IOTA NEWS...............
KG4, GUANTANAMO BAY (Update). Jose Castillo, N4BAA, updates OPDX that the three member group from the VADXCC (VA DX Club) will activate KG4 (Guantanamo Bay, Cuba), January 15-22nd. Callsigns will be as follows:
Activity will be on 160-6 meters operating on ALL modes. Jose will have SSTV for those who desire it!
OH0, ALAND ISLAND. An international team of operators will activate OH0I in the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest (February 12-13th) as a Multi-Multi entry. QSL via OH3BHL.
OO, BELGIUM. Marc, ON4MA, informs OPDX that in the year 2005, look for Belgium operators to use the "OO" prefix during the entire year. This prefix is being used in celebration of 175th anniversary of Belgium's existence.
PJ4, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. Dr. Rick, NE8Z, will be active as PJ4/NE8Z from Bonaire, February 4-13th. Activity will be mostly CW/SSB on the WARC bands and 6 meters. Rick mentions that he will use a Kenwood TS680s with an Ameritron AL-84 Amp into a Cushcraft R-7 Vertical (40-10m). He will also use a Yaesu FT-857 into a Cushcraft 3 element yagi on 50 mHz. QSL via NE8Z: Dr. Rick Dorsch, P.O. Box 616, Hamburg, MI 48139 USA.
QSL INFO AND NEWS.................
S9A & S9BB WRAP-UP. The following is an excerpt from a press release received by Jarmo, OH2BN. It has been edited to fit this week's bulletin. The press release states:
"OH2BH and OH2PM now safely back home from Sao Tome, Africa, are busy changing their suntanned outfits to those that will be needed on the Antarctic Peter I expedition (3Y0X) within the next few weeks.
Sao Tome was fun, and with limited manpower they were able to push the QSO total to nearly 25,000. Conditions turned out surprisingly unstable, varying from day to day. The tropical noise came lower at times, allowing the team to make a number of 160M/80M contacts. In particular, 80M CW signals were easier to copy with sharp filters regardless of the noise. Congratulations to those who made it thru. The log search is up and running at: http://www.df3cb.com/logsearch/s9bb/
The statistics show reasonable results on all bands, probably providing at least one contact for those in need. See the log search website and judge for yourself whether Sao Tome might be your potential destination when spinning the globe in search of new adventures.
The group is grateful to Mike, K7IR at SteppIR for their support and to Charles, S9SS and Lesley, S9YL for their on-site patronage. Also, the crew at S9A & S9BB (OH2BH-OH2PM-OH2TA) wish the DX community a merry Christmas and good luck in contacting the ongoing VU4 expedition."
SPECIAL DUTCH ACTIVITY. Look for the following Dutch stations to be active during the last 2 weeks of 2004 from The Netherlands:
PA6EU - Amsterdam PE6EU - Valkenburg - Maastricht PB6EU - The Haque and Scheveningen PF6EU - reserved for Groningen PC6EU - Rotterdam PG6UE - Noordwijk
All these stations will be active because of the last final weeks of the Dutch EU-Presidency. QSL Manager is PA7DA.
SPECIAL EVENT. Look for special event station PC100H (Papa Charlie One Zero Zero Hotel) to be activated from 0700z, December 18th until 1900z December 19th, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Dutch Coastal Radio Station PCH/Scheveningen Radio. Activity will be on 160-10 meters including some WARC bands on CW/SSB/RTTY/PSK31. Also, 2 meters SSB/FM. Suggested frequencies are:
QSL via PA1HR. Further information (frequencies, modes and operating hours) will be available via: http://www.remeeus.nl/pch/pc100h/pc100h_uk.htm
VU4, ANDAMAN ISLANDS (Update). Early last week rumors were flying around stating that officials stopped the VU4RBI and VU4NRO operation. Naturally, these turned out to be just rumors. Jim, N8TT, was informed by Jose, VU2JOS, that "Our VU4 Dxpedition will continue till 31 Dec 2004 and there is no truth to the rumour that it has been stopped by officals." Meanwhile, the activity continues and John, HS0ZAA/W2ZWW, in Minburi, Thailand, states that he talked to Bharthi, VU2RBI, and was told there are 2 separate stations operating with 5 operators, and they are on the air 24 hours per day on the following frequencies:
Only the 5 operators are licensed to operate on these bands, and they will be listening up 5 or 10 kHz on each band. These above frequencies are still not written in stone, and it is recommanded to also watch QSNs on your local/telnet cluster. Reportedly, the team has one beam installed without a rotor.
Charles Harpole, K4VUD, will be traveling to Andaman Islands and should be there on December 14th. However, he states that he will be there as a tourist to photograph and video the VU4 Dxpedition. As a non-India citizen, Charles does not have an operating permit for that location. He does hold a one-year India license, VU3CHE, but it is licensed for operations in New Delhi ONLY. Charles does state that he will carry all the advice (he has received) on operating practices and propagation openings to the team." He will be there for 2 weeks. Charles also mentioned this past week that the reason the team is not using the announced frequencies has to do with "unusual odd noise QRM" on these intended operating frequencies. Remember, the NIAR is the ultimate source for news of this operation. Their Web is: http://www.niar.org.
ZF2, CAYMAN ISLANDS. Jim, N6TJ, will be active as ZF2TJ in the ARRL DX CW Contest (February 19-20th) as a Single-Op/All-Band/High-Power entry. Activity will be from ZF2NT's QTH. QSL via VE3HO.
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