[SEDXC] VP6DX Ducie News

[billn4nx at alltel.net]

Bernie, W3UR has authorized general release of this daily DX News Flash!

73
Bill N4NX

 
> From: "Bernie McClenny, W3UR" <bernie at dailydx.com>
> Date: 2008/01/13 Sun PM 03:29:47 CST
> To: "The Daily DX mailing list" <dailydx at kkn.net>
> Subject: [The Daily DX] VP6DX News #6- 2008, January 13th
> 
>  
> 2008 Ducie Island Expedition: VP6DX 
> (for immediate release – please feel free to forward this information to
> interested parties)
>  
> News #6- 2008, January 13th 
>  
> Highlights:
>  
> ... Equipment arrives in New Zealand...
> ... WA6CDR to depart for New Zealand on Thursday...
> ... On-line QSL request explained...
> ... Background information: Ducie Island radio site design...
>  
>  
> 1.  Recent events:
>  
>    All equipment that was shipped from Germany and the USA has now arrived
> in New Zealand, and everything except the last air freight shipment
> (laptops, microKeyers) has cleared customs in Auckland.  This equipment is
> now traveling by truck to Tauranga, the home port of the "Braveheart".  
>  
>    On Thursday night this week Robin WA6CDR flies from Los Angeles to
> Auckland with the radios and a few other last-minute items.  Robin will sail
> with the "Braveheart" when it leaves New Zealand January 21st. During the 2
> weeks of the voyage from Tauranga to Magareva, Robin will work on
> consolidating all the different shipments into the needed order for orderly
> transport to shore.  Lets hope the sea weather is kind!
>  
>    The expedition team also wired funds due under its contract with the
> "Braveheart" management company for fuel, use of the ship and crew.  During
> 2007 oil prices have increased substantially on world markets, and the US
> dollar has declined in strength on world currency markets.  These two
> changes have increased the cost of the DXpedition, in US dollar terms, by
> US$20,000.
>  
> 2.  QSL Information:
>  
>    On-line QSL information has been added to the website, www.vp6dx.com.
>  
>    No need to fill out a card or write a letter... and no need for
> self-addressed envelopes!  Just fill out an on-line form to request QSLs.
>  
>    Donors will receive accelerated, automated processing of their request. 
> Verified contacts will be confirmed promptly as soon as printed cards are
> available after the expedition.   LOTW confirmations will also be
> accelerated.
>  
>    Non-donors will have their requested and verified contacts confirmed with
> a printed QSL card, sent via the bureau, and a LOTW entry at a later date.
>  
>    For people who prefer not to use on-line forms or make on-line donations,
> the website explains how to submit a paper request.
>  
>    Thanks to DL1MGB, DF3CB and OM1AVK for the implementation of on-line QSL
> processing.
>  
>  
> 3.  Site Planning:
>  
>   The "Braveheart" is permitted to carry 13 passengers.  With careful
> scheduling, 13 operators can staff 7 operating positions 24 hours per day. 
> Each operator will be on-air 12-13 hours per day, typically in three-hour
> shifts with breaks of one hour for meals and other camp jobs.  By avoiding
> long operating shifts, operators will be more alert and logging accuracy
> should improve.
>  
>   Given likely propagation, how can 7 operating positions be best used? 
> Late at night 160 through 30, and perhaps 20m, may be the only open bands.
>  Our solution: two operating locations, separated by about 1.5 km.
>  
>    The west site will host three operating positions, plus these antennas:
>    -- 75m SSB and 40m: 4-squares.
>    -- 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10m: 2-element vertical dipole arrays.
>  
>    The east site, near the only safe landing point, will host four operating
> positions plus these antennas:
>    -- 160m: one or two element verticals.
>    -- 80m CW, 40m, and 30m: 4-squares.
>    -- 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10m: 2-element vertical dipole arrays.
>    -- 6m: 5-el Yagi (we will try vertical polarization).
> The east site also contains our sleeping tents and eating/relaxing area.
>  
>    With the exception of the narrow 160m and 30m bands, the large separation
> between sites should permit us to put two stations on any LF/HF band.  The
> actual hour-by-hour allocation of stations to 
> bands/modes depends on:
>  
>    -- propagation: priority given to "edge" bands with the most difficult
> propagation.
>    -- geographical balance: priority given parts of the world
> under-represented in QSOs made to date on a particular band-mode.
>    -- mode balance: priority given to modes under-represented in QSOs made
> to date during band's opening with a particular region.
>  
>    Low band receiving antennas will be midway between the east and west
> sites. These will be reversible beverage arrays, with each antenna split out
> into a separate 160m, 80m CW and 75m output (W3LPL bandpass filters).  The
> low band operators can choose their listening antenna independently via a
> remote controlled switching up.  DX Engineering pre-amps boost the signal
> from the selected antenna before it travels down the long coax run (750m) to
> the operator's K3 radio.  The pre-amps are protected from the low band
> transmit signals through a combination of bandpass filters, custom notch
> filters (for example, to reject the 80m CW transmitter on the 75m SSB
> operator's antenna), physical separation from the transmit antennas, and
> other measures.
>  
>    A sketch of the site layout will be posted to the website shortly.
>  
> 73
>  
> Carsten, DL6LAU and Eric, K3NA 
>  
> 
> 
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