[SEDXC] Re: Barbados Trip Dec 10-17, 2002

[John Laney]

Hi Paul:

No problem.  I will be "majoring" on 160, 6, and WARC bands, nearly all
CW except as specially requested.  If you don't run into me before,
check in on one of the 14Z skeds on 21375 and we can QSY to 18 and 24
afterward.  That's probably too late for 10 mhz, but maybe not.  At any
rate, if we don't make it otherwise, I could QSY there from one of the
80 meter net skeds with no problem.

Here is my usual pattern:  Sunrise in Barbados:  3505 khz.  Up to 10
mhz.  10 mhz is usually unproductive at that time, so go to 40 and then
20 CW until the high bands open.  Go to 18 and then 24 as high bands
open to Europe.  Keep the 6M rig on monitoring 50.125 and go to 6M if
there is any sign of a signal there.  Then the 14Z sked on 21 SSB.  Then
24 and 18 CW all through the day.  Early afternoon (19 to 20Z), 10 mhz
cw and sometimes low end of 40 CW working Europe (and states of course)
until the LP opens to Japan.  Work Japan long path on 10 and/or 7 mhz
until that begins to fade. Then start on 24 mhz looking for Asia and
change to 18 mhz when 24 fades.  Of course, whenever I am doing this, I
am beaming right across the US.  If the WARC bands are unproductive, I
will try for Asia on the top three 10-15-20 wherever I can get a good
run going.  If there is a "spot" frequency on those bands, it would
usually be about 025 khz. up from the bottom except if there is a rare
DXpedition using or expected to use those frequencies.  

After the Asia openings fade, I usually make the early GSN sked at 00Z,
then run the low end of 80 CW and 160 CW until the late GSN sked and
will go back to 10 mhz CW if the low bands are too noisy.  

This will be the same pattern Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Monday.  Except I
will probably not be too active Sunday night (early Monday) after the
early GSN sked right at the end of the contest.  Of course, this is not
a 48 hour contest (single ops are limited to 36 hours, but the band is
generally dead during the night anyway), so I may do some 80 and 160
Sunday night.  

I will be leaving the QTH about 6 AM Tuesday, so I will probably pack up
everything Monday night, so I won't be QRV after 03 or 04Z Monday night
usually.  Once, I decided to stay up all night, so I wouldn't sleep too
late and the bands were good through the night, but that is unlikely
this year.  I guess packet spots might be a good way to check also.

This year, before the contest, I will no doubt be spending some time
checking out 10 meters, CW and SSB, to make sure everything is ready for
the ARRL 10M contest, but I won't spend excessive time there.  Probably
the best thing to do is to minimize actual QSOs from the target country
before the contest, so there might be a bit more demand on the weekend. 
Best frequencies to check on 10 are probably about 28025 and 28490.

I'll put this on the reflectors too, so that other SECC and SEDXC
members can have a general pattern to try to find me.

Sorry not everyone was able to make it to the SEDXC Christmas Party at
Ken and Trish Byers' beautiful home last night.  Many thanks to them for
their FB hospitality.

73,


John, K4BAI/8P9HT/8P9Z.