TopBand: Palmyra and Kingman Update

[RandyMartn@aol.com]

I just got this information from Mac, WA4FFW, who was operating KA4IST/KH5 on
17 meters today (Wednesday) at about 2330Z.

Chuck, N4BQW, will activate Kingman Reef starting hopefully within the next
hour.  This will only be a 24 hour long operation.  I have suggested to the
local big guns here on our cluster that they lay low and let the new DX crowd
work him unless it is a new band or mode.  Don't look for big things from the
low bands.  This will probably be a mainly 15/20/40 meter operation only.  I
have no information on what antennas, rigs, etc. that Chuck took with him.  I
sincerely doubt that you will see much 80/160 activity.

Mac will try 160 meters for the next few nights on 1827, using a wire antenna
that NH6UY is constructing.  They have a force 12 DXpedition antenna for top
band, but must reserve it for operation from Howland beginning around March
5th.  Note: they were originally scheduled to go to Baker Island, but USFAW
has changed their mind and the group will now activate Howland.  Lets hope
they can put on a good show from there.  Be mindful that this is a group of
novice DXpeditioners...try to be understanding and don't be too hard on them,
especially during the first days of operation.   USFAW (U.S. Fish and
Wildlife) insisted that all items being taken to Howland be frozen for 48
hours, or be high pressure washed, to prevent the spread of foreign plants and
bugs.  We were under similar restrictions when we activated Howland in 1993 as
AH1A.  Thus, any equipment that has been earmarked for Howland cannot be used
on Palmyra.  Several other antennas from the K7K operation are going to be
used from KH1, including a force 12 80M vertical and force 12 yagis for 20-10
and the WARC bands.

*******

I still plan on providing a summary of all the electric fence information I
received. Have just been swamped with other things here, including the ARRL CW
contest!

********

If anyone has good connections with the ZL7DK boys, could you request that
they stay further away from 1830?  1828 was a good frequency.  1829.5 is
almost on top of some AM broadcast intermod at 1830 for a bunch of people (me
included!).

*********

73,

Randy K0EU

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