Topband: FO0AAA update and final results!
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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