LOGISTICSBecause of the lengthy
plane flights, in addition to lengthy layovers, a few
days are required for traveling and then setup. Many of
the flights are at night and I am traveling across 9
time zones to the east, so it may seem like I am getting
their quickly but a large problem will most likely be
jet lag! I should be able to update this page
daily with progress reports and stations worked and
will also be sending out the same updates to the
Magic Band EME email group. I will try
to check in from time to time on the ON4SKT EME CHAT
page. I expect to have access to the internet at the
operating site.
EQUIPMENT
My equipment
is described in detail here.
As you can see from reviewing the results on my web
pages from previous 6m EME DXpeditions, many contacts
have been made with single yagi horizon-only
stations. The smallest station contacted from all
the DXCC so far was N3CXV with his single 6M5X yagi (and
8877 amplifier) and extremely short, low loss
feedline. If you have a good yagi, good ground
gain, a quiet QTH, good power and lots of patience, we
should be able to complete, even if you are a
horizon-only single yagi station!
OPERATING SCHEDULE
My tentative operating schedule as an Excel
spreadsheet is here, in pdf format is here.
The moon position from FH during
the DXpedition is shown here. As shown in the
planned schedule, operation is not planned when the
moon is below 30 degrees elevation during my moonrise,
or when the moon is greater than 65 degrees elevation.
This schedule assumes that all
the flights remain as booked, and I am able to get
all my gear on each flight with me. All I can say
is that I will TRY to be QRV for as much of the
published operating schedule as possible. Please
try to work me quickly when I do finally get set
up.
If you copy me, please spot me on the DX Cluster so people will know the correct grid locator, as well as the frequency and my status. I will diligently try to be QRV during all my moonsets as published on the operating schedule. The antenna will be installed at a height of 67' above the ocean, and it will soon become clear after a few moonsets which elevations are best for my ground gain lobes and what effects, if any, the local trees have on my signal. Please watch the ON4KST EME CHAT page and/or the DX Cluster for updates on what people are copying and when. Please keep calling me even if you copy me working someone else, or even if you don't copy me. As long as you are not on the same frequency as the other station, you will not be interfering with them, and your call and offset frequency will be added to the Q65 AVERAGE. Please coordinate your calling frequency with others on the ON4KST EME CHAT page to prevent interfering with each other - ideally, stations should be spread out every 100 Hz. I try to decode all callers every receive sequence, and I make a note of each caller and their DF (or "offset:") so I can reply to you as soon as I am able, or use that frequency to identify you later if you are copying me (by sending me reports - see the special DXpedition QSO Procedure links above). Therefore, NEVER change your transmit frequency after you start calling - pick a clear frequency nobody else is using, stay on it, and don't wait until you see me before you start calling! I will try to contact any callers I can copy, but first priority will be given to people who are copying at that particular time, contributors, and stations with shorter common moon windows. I also will be giving priority to those stations who have demonstrated their unselfish commitment to 6m EME by their willingness to accept schedules as requested by other DXers who still need their DXCC. NOTE TO ALL STATIONS: Remember that I am using a single yagi, and it can be elevated only to a maximum elevation of 65 degrees, and if the guy ropes are wet, the elements are shorted out causing high SWR, making operation impossible. I have a lot better success when my elevation is below 45 degrees. So....even if you figure we have plenty of common window time, PLEASE don't wait until my elevation is too high to work you - if you are horizon-only, I encourage you to try to contact me when my moon is lower than 50 degrees elevation if at all possible! If you are in NA or EU and you have a 6m EME array with elevation, PLEASE call me before my moonset! I will be giving priority to Region 2 stations during their moonrise. There is lots of time to work EU while we are both elevated and/or during your moonset - MNI TNX!!! On the above tentative operating schedule spreadsheet, I have indicated times when the elevation is over 65 degrees by marking the time periods with red cells. I plan to go QRT when the moon is above 65 degrees. Please check on the ON4KST EME CHAT page for updates regarding my activity during such periods. Please also note that heavy rains can create a 1.5:1 SWR on the antenna, which is high enough to shut down the amplifier, and static crashes may make decoding difficult. So, I may have to be off the air at times. Please just keep watch on 50.190 and I will try to stick to the published schedule as well as I can. I hope you will make the effort to look for me! CONTACT INFORMATION
As explained above, I expect to be able to send out daily updates to the MAGIC BAND EME email group and revise this website daily with a list of the stations worked; please watch the MAGIC BAND EME email list for updated information. Please also share any updates with others on the ON4KST EME CHAT page. If there is some question regarding a contact, please DO call again. However, once you have confirmed a contact with me, please do not call for a second contact - some of the common moon windows during my moonset periods are extremely limited, and many stations are expected to be calling during those short windows. QSL INFORMATIONI will
be making full color photo QSL cards and also will
submit my FH log to LOTW. If we have made a
non-EME contact and you want a QSL card, please QSL
DIRECT with SASE (foreign stations include a current
IRC or $2 USD for postage) direct to:
Lance Collister, W7GJ P.O.Box 73 Frenchtown, MT 59834-0073 USA If we have completed an EME contact, I am happy to QSL direct to you for free to your QRZ.com mailing address. However, I will very much appreciate receiving your card and a self addressed envelope to relieve some of the burden of looking up all your addresses! MNI TNX! FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE For EME, I plan to operate on
50.190, the frequency I always use for my 6m EME
skeds, and will always transmit in the first
sequence. I plan on using
Q65-60A mode in WSJT-X and will transmit on an
"offset" of 1500 Hz. With the "Wide Graph"
of WSJT-X, and my wide, flat bandwidth receiver,
I should be able to see callers from an offset of
about 200 to 2600 Hz. However, remember there could be
a 100 Hz doppler shift on your signal, so please don't
try to get too close to those band edges, or I may
never be able to find you! Here is how you
spread out with Q65 mode:
http://www.bigskyspaces.com/Q65%20Offset%20Guide.pdf Please check the ON4KST EME CHAT page for news from other hams in case I have to change this frequency due to receiver birdies at my end ! If you should copy me on some ionospheric mode while I am pointed at the moon and calling CQ on Q65 mode, please wait until after my moon sets to call me! It is very inconvenient for me to switch modes while I am calling CQ or working EME stations with very limited common moon windows on Q65 mode, so please do not call me on CW, SSB or FT8 and expect me to switch over to answer you. When I am not aimed up at the moon, I very well may be on FT8 mode. For FT8, I will be using WSJT-X on 50.313 or 50.323 MHz, and I expect I will be active on FT8 during times of the day favorable for ionospheric propagation. CONTRIBUTIONS It is
extremely expensive to haul a 6m EME station halfway
around the world. Too
many times, we hear DXpedition stations say they can't
take a 6m beam and/or amp because "they are already
overweight and cannot afford the excess baggage
fees". If you want to do a good job and are
committed to going halfway around the world to succeed,
this unfortunately is a large part of the necessary
expense. Although I always try to keep my costs as low
as possible, my travel, excess baggage, and
lodging costs to activate a rare DXCC far exceed
contributions. Therefore, any contributions toward
the DXpedition are greatly appreciated! If you
would like to contribute, please send your contribution
by check or cash to my QRZ.com mailing address, or
directly via PayPal (please remember to designate it for
"Friends and Family") to my email
address, which is my current PayPal account.
I am only able to do these long distance 6m EME
DXpeditions every year because of the continued support
from the 6m community and I am extremely indebted to you
for your continued support. I have the time and
equipment to go more often than once a year to new rare
DXCC, but I just don't have the finances
available. Many thanks to the following hams
who recognize that a large percentage of the costs
are incurred before leaving, and have already very
generously contributed to this DXpedition to Mayotte:
G8BCG,
K2ZD, K5XI, ZS4TX, N0TB, OH7KM, JG1TSG, N7IP, KJ9I,
W8OI, K7CW, JA7QVI, GM3POI, K4ZOT, ZL3NW, N7NR,
N3XX, I4YRW, N8GTI, W8PAT, W9JN, G8VR, K5NA, K5DU,
N8RR, JR3DVL, F5LNU, SP7VC, N1DG
PHOTOS AND UPDATESTue Sep 6 Wed Sep 7 Thu Sep 8 Fri Sep 9 Sat Sep 10 Sun Sep 11 Mon Sep 12 Tue Sep 13 Wed Sep 14 Thu Sep 15 Fri Sep 16 Sat Sep 17 Sun Sep 18
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Revised 6 May, 2022 |
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