H44DA - 50MHz, January 6-16, 2011

[VK4KHZ]

VK4KHZ will be active as H44DA operating from Honiara, Solomon Islands from 6th January 2011 until 16th January 2011.
I will be using my Yaesu FT847, 100 Watts and a three element yagi and expect to be active on the 6m band daily - propagation permitting. If I have internet access I intend to be on this logger from time to time.

Regards

Shane
H44DA
VK4KHZ
VK7KHZ

[VK6OX]

FB Shane, will keep an eye (and an ear or 3) out for you from the West Coast.

[DUPA0HIP]

Will be looking for you too Shane. Distance between us is "only " 4500 km or so ,
By the way, if you will be in Honiara your grid locator should be QI90XN and not QI83JB as listed in your profile.
Have a nice trip and stay
Willem DU7/PA0HIP

[VK4KHZ]

Willem
Thanks for the correct grid locator info. I will listen out for you.
Adrian VK4OX has convinced me to take 2m also. I am unsure yet if I will have access to internet/logger.
Regards

Shane H44DA / VK4KHZ / VK7KHZ

[VK4KHZ]

Update:
All is still on track for arrival in Honiara on 6th January 2011 - Assuming the rain eases and we can get out of Glenden.
At the request of Adrian VK4OX I have also included a 2m yagi antenna in the luggage and hope to be able to squeeze my 144Mhz 300w amp in the case also. Currently I have 64kg of baggage (~40kg of excess baggage) so space is at a premium.
At this stage 6m will be my primary band of interest but I will also be listening/calling on 144.100 of a morning. We also expect to be fairly active on HF as time permits.
For those of you that have asked this is not a full-on DXpedition but a holiday with radio equipment, HOWEVER there will be three licenced and keen amateurs with access to the equipment so the chances of a contact should be high.
We are unsure if we will have internet/logger access at this point but be assured, if we do have we will be on the VK LOGGER for sure.

Regards

Shane VK4KHZ / H44DA

[VK2CSW]

40 kgs of excess baggage?

I hope you packed a whole bunch of spare cash to pay for it!!

[VK4WDM]

Hi Shane

The path to from Honiara to Townsville is not very good. Any chance of you taking your 2m gear over the mountains to the "weather coast"? I have heard its a very nice hike!

Good Luck! 73.

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK4KHZ]

Wayne
There is some possibility - we have no firm plans of our activities when we arrive - keep an eye on this logger and if our existing plans change I will endeavour to post an update.

Regards

Shane

[VK4WDM]

Only joking! I have been up into the mountains from the Honiara side. Very rough country.

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK4TIM]

As for a trip to the Weather Coast, I have been to Avu Avu, and you would have fun bringing gear there, and even more fun trying to power it.
There is no mains power at all around the weather coast, and the place where I spent 10 days there was a 4 hour walk to the nearest place you could post a letter.

For HF and 6m, it would be a very RF quiet location, but as I said, you would need solar power and battery backup.

To fly to Avu Avu, it's about a 35 min flight on a twin otter aircraft, and you'd be very limited in what baggage you could take.

Honiara is an interesting place. Good luck.

[VK4KHZ]

Tim
Thanks for the comments - I think it will be unlikely we will venture too far from Honiara for radio operations. First time to the Solomons for me so it will be a bit of an adventure - just hope the rain stops long enough to allow us access out of town.

Regards

Shane VK4KHZ
H44DA

[VK4WDM]

Its a fascinating place if you are interested in WW2 military history. You land on the original Henderson Field where the control tower is still standing. The Seventh Day Adventist School has a collection of WW2 artifacts including aircraft bits, and their is a war museum out past the prison that has some almost intact aircraft. There is a couple of companies that do a tour of the battlefields including the infamous "bloody ridge" and red beach. You may even get a kid offering a grenade or ammunition for sale - don't buy them, or handle them obviously!

I am not a diver, but its said to be quite good, but not as good as Gizo to the north.

Honiara is fairly safe but i would avoid the China Town area at night.

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK3ZAZ]

Shane Good luck and FYI.
H40FN Temotu was heard in VK2 3 4 around turn of UTC day Jan 2nd.
You need to decide on what frequency you will use and try to stick to it.
The debacle when someone moved VK0 down onto the H40 who was on 50.100 CW was terminal.
Like Willem on 50.105 after calling on 110, nominate a frequency maybe 50.115 or 50.125 and stick to it.

[VK4KHZ]

Steve
Thanks for the advice I know what you mean. I will initially call on 50.110 and then QSY to 50.125

Regards

Shane