TopBand: 9M0C (LONG)

[Bill Tippett]

Here's the latest on the Spratly expedition from G3XTT.  I edited the
appendices for 160 content but I'm sure the full text will be available
in many places both online and published.  73,  Bill  W4ZV.

CDXC 
(Chiltern DX Club)
The UK DX Foundation
Spratly Islands 1998
12-24 February 1998

A multinational group of DXpeditioners, primarily members of the UK's CDXC
(Chiltern DX Club), the UK DX Foundation, will operate from Layang Layang
Island in the Spratlys in February 1998. The operation will run from 12th
to 24th February 1998, allowing two full weekends on the island and is
timed to take place soon after the island re-opens to visitors following
the typhoon season, in order to maximise the opportunities for good LF
propagation. It is also hoped that sunspot numbers will by then have
started to increase, and that the expedition will enjoy favourable HF
propagation.

The team is expected to include G3NUG G3OZF G3SED G3WGV G3XTT G4JVG G0OPB
K5VT VK2BEX 9M2OM(G3NOM) and 9M6SU. It is planned to keep four stations on
the air round the clock, to maximise band openings. All HF bands will be
activated, on SSB, CW and RTTY, and the group will also have equipment for
6 metres. The team will use a wide selection of monoband and multiband
antennas including four-square arrays for both 40 and 80 metres. The
callsign will be 9M0C.

Layang Layang (also known as Swallow Reef) has been the location for a
number of Spratly expeditions, including 9M0S and 9M0A. The island has been
developed by Malaysia as a dive resort, and has permanent accommodation,
mains power and an airstrip. The Spratlys currently rank at number 25
worldwide in the latest (Jan/Feb 97) DX Magazine poll, and 12th for East
Coast USA. They also rank 18th in the digital "Most Wanted" list (AA5AU).
Layang Layang is also in Zone 26, one of the rarest zones on the LF bands,
and therefore in great demand. The Spratly Islands count for AS-051 in the
RSGB's popular Islands on the Air Programme.

The DXpedition team includes veterans of many DX and contest operations,
with wide experience of both the LF and HF bands, and of all modes. It is
intended to make significant use of computer and Internet technology to
make information available about the expedition and to expedite QSLing
after the event. QSO data will be uploaded to the Internet while the
expedition is in progress. A Web page is available at
http://members.aol.com/spratly98 with up-to-the-minute expedition news.
Pilot stations in Europe (G3ZAY), the US (N1DG) and Japan (to be announced)
will act as an interface to the team, in line with the recent practice of
other major expeditions. Phil Whitchurch G3SWH will be QSL manager, and
QSLs will be available through the bureau or direct. Phil's address is 21
Dickensons Grove, Congresbury, Bristol, BS19 5HQ, England. Bureau cards
will also be answered 100%.

We are delighted that Yaesu have already offered the use of HF and 6m
radios. We will be taking 4 FT-1000MPs and 2 FT-920s. Yaesu have also
helped with UHF transceivers for the packet network we are developing for
the island, to link the operating positions. AEA Timewave and Nevada
Communications have helped with TNCs for the packet network, and NI6T, a
veteran of several major DXpeditions, will loan a specially-modified PK-232
for HF RTTY. Cushcraft, via Nevada Communications, will be providing the HF
antennas, which include beams for 10, 15 and 20 metres and for the WARC
bands. Gladiator will provide verticals for the low-band arrays. Leading UK
amateur radio dealer, Martin Lynch & Son, will be supplying Westflex cable
runs. The team has also accepted the offer of a Battle Creek Special
antenna for the LF bands. Dunestar will be loaning us three sets of filters
for all nine bands. The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board has kindly agreed
to help with the printing of QSLs and will sponsor a series of prizes and
awards in connection with the expedition, details of which will be released
later. Sabah Tourism Promotion Board and Reliance Pacific, owners of the
Layang Layang resort, are also helping to support the operation. 

In addition, a number of Clubs, DX Foundations and individuals have already
made generous donations, and others will very much be welcomed to offset
the substantial budget for the expedition (including aircraft charter to
the island). The early supporters include the Radio Society of Great
Britain, Northern California DX Foundation, Clipperton DX Club, JH1AJT,
INDEXA, the Central Arizona DX Association and the European DX Foundation,
to whom the team extends its thanks. All individual and corporate sponsors
will be acknowledged on our Web pages and elsewhere.
 
Further details about the operation will be sent out as it becomes
available. Additional sponsorship is being sought, and donations can be
made to K5VT (USA), VK2BEX (Japan/Oceania) and G3WGV (elsewhere). If you
wish to be e-mailed directly with information as it becomes available, send
a message to the expedition's publicity officer Don Field G3XTT at
g3xtt@lineone.net

Date issued: October 1997

160 Operators:

M Devereux (G3SED) British, is internationally known for his 34 yrs work on
160 mtrs and more recently 6 Mtrs. He was part of the team that activated
Jordan on 6 metres for the first time as JY7SIX in 1994. Mike was a member
of the Camel Trophy Expedition Team providing global communications from
remote parts of the world. During the past five years he has operated 160,
HF and 6 metres from 9M6, LU, CE1, V31 and Jordan as JY8ED. Mike is a keen
CW operator and member of the prestigious First Class Operators' Club.
Professionally he is managing director of a UK based communications company
and the publisher of a monthly Hobby Radio magazine.

D I Field (G3XTT) British, an internationally-known radio amateur, and
mateur radio writer.  He has taken part in amateur radio operations from a
umber of countries in Europe, Africa and North America, and also holds a
US amateur radio licence.  Don Field is also a member of the RSGB
Management Committee, and an experienced contest operator. He is a senior
manager for BT (British Telecom), in an international business development
role.

Dr V Thompson (K5VT) US citizen and internationally-known DXpeditioner,
Vince Thompson is the fourth member of the team who was also on the 1993
Mellish Reef DXpedition.  More recently, he was amongst the first radio
amateurs allowed to operate from Myanmar.  Dr. Thompson is a leading
gynaecological surgeon, specialising in oncology.

Equipment & Antennas: 

Yaesu are supplying six transceivers for the use of the DXpedition. There
will be four main operating positions, each equipped with an FT-1000MP, and
Dunestar filters to limit inter-station interference. Each operating
position will also have  a PC for logging purposes, linked by low power UHF
link to the main log server (see Annex F for further details of the
innovative software system to be used). One of the four main operating
positions will be equipped with a modified PK-232 terminal unit for RTTY
operation, and second PK-232 will be available for back-up.

A second FT-920 will be available as a back-up radio for any of the
operating positions.

The 160 antenna system is expected to consist of the following:

Battlecreek Special vertical, which will also be a back-up antenna
for 80 and 40 metres.

Antennas will be spaced as widely as possible to minimise station
interaction and, in some cases, allow simultaneous operation on both CW and
SSB on the same band. Something like 1km of co-axial cable will be used! 

Band Plans

The following frequencies should be used as guidelines, and all are +/-
QRM. In any case, these frequencies are subject to comment by the DXing
fraternity, and may be changed before the DXpedition commences.

160:	CW 1824, 	SSB 1845 

Expedition Philosophy

The 9M0C DXpedition is being planned with the intention, to borrow a phrase
from a well-known beer advertisement, of "reaching the parts which other
Spratly expeditions have not reached". By taking the latest equipment, a
substantial amount of antenna hardware, and making effective use of
computer systems and the Internet, the target is to make at least 40,000
QSOs, with particular emphasis on specialist bands and modes, and on
reaching parts of the world (such as east Coast US) which have a difficult
propagation path to Spratly.

The operators will use split-frequency operation at all times, unless
pile-ups become minimal towards the end of the operation, and there will be
no list or net operations. The operators will endeavour to use best
practice at all times, including frequent station identification.

Logs will be posted regularly on the Internet (with help from Don
Greenbaum, N1DG) which, it is hoped, will minimise the problem of
"insurance" contacts.

QSLs will available at the earliest opportunity after the DXpedition, and
will be available direct (for direct requests) and via the bureau (for
cards received via the bureau). SWL cards will also be answered.

Special Interest Focus

The CDXC Layang Layang expedition plans to pay particular attention to
special interest activities including the low bands, the WARC bands, 6m,
and RTTY. With the potential to run 4 HF stations plus 6m simultaneously,
we should be able to accomplish this while, at the same time, satisfying
demand on the bread-and-butter bands of 20, 15 and 10 (which we hope will
be open to a number of parts of the world by then).

LF Bands
We have several team members with extensive LF experience (G3XTT, for
example, has 220 countries worked on 160, and holds several records for CQ
WW Phone and CW contesting on 160). Although space on the island is
limited, we believe there is room to set up a four-square antenna for 40
etres, another 4-square for 80 metres, and a reasonable
vertical/inverted-L for 160.

We have paid particular attention to the successful LF activities of a
number of recent expeditions, especially the VK0IR operation, using
four-square vertical arrays from Gladiator, and several operations (P2 S2
VK9) by a German group using Titanex verticals, and intend to emulate their
success. By scheduling our operation early in the year, we expect good LF
propagation to all parts of the world, and expect to cover all sunrise and
sunset openings on all three LF bands throughout our stay on the island.
Beverage antennas will not be used as the layout of the island precludes
their use in the main directions. However, we are looking into other types
of directional receiving antennas for 160 metres.

SPRATLY DXPEDITION SERVER
As part of the DXpedition's programme to optimise technology, the entire
area of logging has been examined closely.  It is intended that all QSOs
made during the DXpedition will be immediately logged to computer and
innovative techniques have been devised to manage the logging process and
provide information in real time to the operators.  


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/topband.html
Submissions:              topband@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  topband-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-topband@contesting.com