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Topband: FO0AAA update and final results!

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: FO0AAA update and final results!
From: bogus@does.not.exist.com ()
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 10:31:43 EST
Hello Topband enthusiasts, 

     I have been back from the Dxpedition to Clipperton Island (FO0AAA) for 
about a week now and have had time to go through the mail and for my bed to 
stop moving like the boat, Shogun...the return trip from the island was the 
longest 6 days of my life !!!

     I thought you'd like to hear the final results of the 160m effort and 
some details of the setup and the operators. The location of the CW operating 
site was on the Southwest part of the Island and separated from the 
Phone/RTTY/6M site by about a 5 minute walk.  They were situated near the 
beach landing site near the break in the reef. That break in the reef allowed 
carefull passage in and out and was our link to the Shogun for daily meals.

     As you may know, Clipperton is an atoll with a completely enclosed 
freshwater, stagnant lagoon in the center.  Of course, the Pacific ocean 
surrounds the island.  We set up the Battle Creek Special on a slightly 
raised part of the island roughly half way between the two bodies of water 
and the 2 operating sites.  It was probably 75 yards to water in each 
direction.  Due to the islands location at 10 degrees North of the equator 
and the high likelihood of QRN, we used a receiving antenna that was designed 
by ON4UN, computer optimized by Earl K6SE and installed by Mark ON4WW.  It 
was a triangular loop, 17 ft high at the apex supported by a line over as 
coconut tree, 22ft on each downsloping side and 28 ft across the bottom.  It 
was fed at one corner and terminated at the other corner with a 950 ohm 
resistor. (I am sure that Earl K6SE would provide more details, OK Earl?).
The BCS was a superb transmit antenna once again (I had used it at 
AH1A, XR0Y, and VK0IR), with what appeared to be very strong signals 
worldwide.  The QRN was a problem and I used the RX antenna almost 
exclusively on weaker East Coast and Europe.  It improved the S/N ratio, and 
for my ears, helped a lot.  Interesting, Charlie, N0TT, did not find it 
useful and used the BCS for receiving during his topband operation.  
Equipment was a brand new IC-756 PRO and an Alpha 99 that had just returned 
from XZ0A.  We ran 400 watts, as that is the legal limit.
  
      Our operating schedule was set by James Brooks, 9V1YC (who did the 
scheduling for the record setting ZL9CI operation).  The Topband world was 
fortunate that there were several operators along who had a real interest in 
Topband.  Charlie, N0TT, Mark, ON4WW, Doug VE5RA (SSB), and myself, Bob 
K4UEE.  As you may know, that is unusual.

     We began our operation at 0236Z, March 3rd.  I called CQ and only one 
station called me, VE1ZZ.  I wonder how long his experiencd ears had been 
tuned to 1828.5. HI  The next 5 QSOs were: K7CA, W8JI, W4DR, W6BTO and KJ9I.  
Thanks guys for getting this thing off the ground!  That night, we worked 
533 stations including our first European, DJ6RX.  We now knew that we could 
indeed work into Europe and conditions improved sreadily over the next 4 
nights, culminating with 73 European QSOs the last night on the air.  That 
brought our Dxpedition total to 152 Europeans for the 5 night effort.  Our 
last QSO was W7LR and he closed us out at exactly 2000 topband QSOs.  
Included in this total were 276 SSB QSOs contributed by VE5RA who visited us 
from the SSB site.  Doug had specifically requested some 160 SSB time and it 
really paid off.

     Here's the bottom line:
     Total QSOs         2000  (1852 unique callsigns)
     SSB QSOs            276
     Countries            56
     Continents          All
     Europe              152
     Japan               242
     Operating Nights      5

    Final comments:  I was once again caught up in the "magic" of Topband.  
It is truly amazing what can and does happen on 160 m.  I'll never forget the 
thrill of having Europe break through the USA pileup...WOW.... JA stations 
20db over S9...WOW...working W6 stations running 5 watts...WOW...working my 
Heard Island buddy, Ghis, ON5NT the last night...WOW...hearing so many new 
callsigns on Topband...WOW... and lastly, knowing that to you and me a QSO on 
160m means so much more than a QSO on any other band...WOW...THE THRILL IS 
NOT GONE !!!

       For the 160m operators of FO0AAA
                                                                               
                 Bob, K4UEE

                                                            

  
     



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