VHF EXPEDITION TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

SUMMARY - YEAR 2000

Dates: June 25 through July 9, 2000

Location: Grid.fk78, June 25-28 Long Bay Beach Resort, June 29-July 10 The Sunset House, Tortola, BVI. Location provided ocean water view toward USA and Europe. Toward Europe, mountain started at 35 degrees from North…Altitude 200 ft.

50 Mhz. Equip: Icom 706, amp by k5and, ran 400 watts pep (country limit), Ant. 5 el. m2 (I could only erect ½ of ant.)

Countries worked: (24+) CT, DL, EA, EI, F, G, GU, GW, I, KP2, KP4, ON, OZ, PA, S5, SP, TI, VE, VP2, YV, ZF, plus 2 others to be confirmed.

Six meter contacts: 805 total qsos, 644 total stations. 60 European stations, 32 VE stations, 12 Caribbean stations (non USA).

Time of 5 European opening: 1920-2011, 2019-2133, 2030-2127, 2119-2220, and 1914-2127

Comments: Not having full antenna cost (3db) and effected European total…One ham emailed ”all the guys you worked were running over 400 watts, I only have 100”. Long distance multi-hop e needs gain and low angle of radiation… …3db more and I would have worked him and a lot more and faster. Location was horrible to put up antenna.

144 Mhz Equip: Icom 706, Mirage 160 watt brick, M2 2m18xxx

Contacts: 2 stations worked on eme plus 5 KP4 stations on non eme. 2 meter eme was a very low priority due to main amp. failure. On my two one-hour eme schedules, I copied W7GJ and W5UN every single 2 min. sequence. Two-meter eme signals are awesome if tip of antenna is over ocean water…

Some of you may have heard that during first 4 days, we lost power for 4 or 5 hours per day. I bought battery and charger and electricity never went out again…hi. Also during first days I was using ½ wave per side loop antenna…not beam.

Thanks to all for contacts and or for trying…will be out again in Oct./Nov. time frame.

Jimmy, w6jkv

10915 Bee Caves Rd.

Austin, TX 78733

USA.

Email: jimmyt@ausven.com