KH8 - 50 & 144MHz EME DXpedition July 12 - 28, 2014

[VK4CZ]

Great news! KH8 will be activated in July 2014 on both 50 & 144MHz EME by Lance W7GJ and Bob ZL1RS.

Lance and Bob have teamed up previous to successfully activate Pacific DXCC on EME, and will no doubt deliver again from KH8.

Initial DXpedition details can be found at:

http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/AmericanSamoa2014.htm

[ZL1RS]

Barb (XYL) and I should actually be there from late June until early August (another tropical island house sitting assignment ... it is an ugly job, but someone has to do it. Oh the hardship ) If there is room left in the luggage after the 2m EME station is packed, I will include a small Yagi for 6m ... "small" to me means 5 or 6 elements

(hmmmm ... just had a thought, maybe some six meter band elements that will fit onto one of the 2m EME Yagi booms, because I will not be on 2m EME until the middle of July, and Lance will have the BIG 6m8GJ 6m Yagi up then).

However, I have not yet asked permission to set up a ham radio antenna at "the house sit", so don't count chickens .............

... 6m 'terrestrial' propagation to VK/ZL will probably stink in July anyway

73,

[VK2GOM]

Sounds good Bob. The moon would be in the only usable side of the sky for me. I am finishing my 2m DK7ZB long Yagi and I have a 12V satellite dish linear actuator on order to look after the elevation duties. Your DXPed gives me something to aim for!

Will hopefully hear your tones

73 - Rob VK2GOM/ GW0MOH

[ZL1RS]

Arrived in KH8 with the equipment after a series of disasters that we managed to over come ... just.
Moving to the house tomorrow. More later ...

73 de Bob KH8/ZL1RS

[VK4CZ]

KH8 2m/6m DXpedition Final Reminder!

Hello!

Just a friendly reminder of the upcoming DXpedition to put KH8 on EME for the first time ever! All our bags of equipment are packed, and we will be flying down there Friday at the end of this week.

If everything goes as planned, we HOPE to be able to set up all day Saturday July 12 and be QRV for our moonrise late Saturday afternoon (Sunday UTC). Since our internet hotspot and housing is an hour by car from the operating site, we don't expect to be able to provide updated status reports during setup on Saturday. I have elevation so I will be QRV during moonset for NA stations who are horizon-only. Of course, for EU, most of the stations will be aiming on the horizon during moonrise or moonset anyway, because of the very limited windows with distant KH8. However, our negative horizon aiming out over the Pacific ocean on both moonrise and moonset should provide the best possible
opportunities

Please watch for KH8/W7GJ on 50.190 (JT65A mode) and follow all the recommendations and procedures detailed on my website:

http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/AmericanSamoa2014.htm

I will also try to update the above web page on a daily basis with stations worked and additional information, although I will not be able to update it until after I leave the operating site each day.

ZL1RS is already down there and will be providing updated information regarding his 2m EME activities on 144.140 (JT65B mode) here:

http://www.qsl.net/zl1rs/kh8.html

Please spread the word, and we look forward to handing out a new DXCC to many of you! MNI TNX and VY 73, Lance

--
Lance Collister, W7GJ

[VK3DXE]

I've also had a couple of WSPR decodes from you on 20m Bob, are you running it on 6M or any other bands as well?

[ZL1RS]

Hi Alan. The radio is just running WSPR on 20m to a dipole hoisted into a 'flame tree' at the house while we wait for Lance W7GJ to arrive and we gain access to the EME site (US government site). Despite my best intentions, over-weight considerations meant leaving out many things I would have liked to bring (like a 6m antenna). I am not sure what Lance's intentions are for 6m outside of his 6m EME operation, but his 8 element 6m Yagi and 1kW would have a good chance with any 'terrestrial' propagation available. However, the EME site is 1 hour drive from the accommodation so I don't suspect we will be there much outside of 'the moon time'.

As it was, Virgin initially refused us any excess luggage at all (despite what their terms and conditions seemed to indicate). They even suggested the 2m EME antenna box be left behind in the Auckland airport luggage lockers They finally accepted that the reason for taking the trip in the first place required the extra case, that our total luggage was only 12kg over the allowance, and I kept repeating I'd pay the excess charge ... I've flown with them once before and didn't like 'the experience' then either, so this will be the last trip using that airline. Air New Zealand's excess luggage policy is very clear, their excess charges are set per piece (and much lower than Virgin's), and I have never had an issue with excess on AirNZ during more than a dozen flights with them to various Pacific Islands.

That excess luggage issue was not the worst problem we encountered. Despite having a booking, the flight from 5W to KH8 on Interisland Airways wasn't flying and we had to transfer to Polynesian Airline who fortunately had seats available. Interisland were no help at all in that process. A recent German DXpedition to KH8 used Interisland to get to their off shore island site but had to charter a fishing boat to get them selves back to Pago Pago as Interisland failed to show up for the return leg! Another airline to avoid. Lance has a side trip to one of the KH8 off shore Islands booked with them, so we look forward to the result of that at the time ...

73,

[VK2KRR]

Hi Bob,

FYI there has been excellent tropo from KH6HME beacons across to the mainland since you have been there for about 3 days in a row, though this may only exist at certain altitutedes.
Here is a video of KH6HME beacons at N6NB yesterday I think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQiTW8U_qD8
If you have ability to send 2m WSPR across while your waiting there are numerous WSPRers in California who are aware your over there, they may have contacted you already im not sure ?

I think Chris N3IZN is actually supposed to be going over there as we speak and was to set up some WSPR signals also, but I am not sure of his current movements.

Good luck with your EME, hope you have some good success.

[ZL1RS]

Hi Leigh,

Yes, N3IZN dropped me a line with his plans for KH6 ... apparently he is on the wrong side of KH6 for USA mainland, so he will be looking this way. We will see how it all fits in when we get to the operating site and get set up. Being 1 hour away from our accommodation might throw a spanner in the works regarding anything else but EME ... but let's see.

73,

[VK4CZ]

All the equipment arrived with us late Friday night July 11. Starting to get light now and we are heading out to the sight in an hour to start building antennas and assemble the station. WX looks great today! Hope to see you at moonrise tonight (Sunday July 12 UTC). VY 73, Lance

--
Lance Collister, W7GJ

[ZL1RS]

Both QRV on 6m and 2m EME. Lance had some transmitter/PSU problems last night, but we hope they have been resolved.

73,

[ZL1RS]

Hopefully this will be the last day of operation. I have worked out most of the 2m EME stations capable, including some great contacts with several VK stations ... and especially enjoyed following VK2GOM's exploits here on the Forum to copy my 2m EME signal with his single Yagi. These things make life interesting.

Presently the total 2m EME stations worked count stands at 255 ... maybe a few more will be added at moonset during the common moon window with Europe where there are still several stations wanting to get in the log.

The 2m station has performed flawlessly. Alas the same cannot be said for Lance's 6m station. He has had problems with the audio quality on TX (due to severely over-driving the compressor in an attempt to flatten out the very 'holey' TX passband of the radio), and the PA seems to have some mysterious issue where the over-temp trip out activates. The PSU also is over heating. These latter two items are being blasted with a 20" diameter household fan on maximum, and are just hanging in there despite being in an air conditioned room at just 22 degrees C.

There is a daily comment and some photos of the set up and equipment on my web site (link below).

73,