KL7UW
KL7FF VHF DXPEDITION
PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA
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Here are copies of e-mail from Paul, K7CW with details on his upcoming Dx-Pedition to Prince of
Wales, Island in SE Alaska during the June 2007 VHF QSO Party:
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Subject: [PNWVHFS] Re: June Contest Trip to SE Alaska
To: PNWVHFS@googlegroups.com
Kevin, KL0RG and I look forward to working as many
Alaskan stations as possible on both 2-meters and
6-meters. With SSB, CW and WSJT capability, we should
be able to make a number of contacts.
Ed will be taking on a lot of work by making the
Alaska VHF Up Group an official organization and by
taking the further step of affiating the Group with
the ARRL, so that they can enjoy the advantages of
affiliation, including being able to submit club
entries in ARRL VHF contests. Kudos to Ed for taking
all this on.
We hope to lay out a plan of activities on Prince of
Wales Island soon.
73,
Paul, K7CW
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Subject: [PNWVHFS] June Contest Expediton to Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
To: kl7uw@acsalaska.net, pnwvhfs@googlegroups.com, vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu,
vhfcontesting@contesting.com, w3zz@arrl.org, n6cl@fuller.edu, n0jk@arrl.net
Cc: kl0rg@arrl.net, k7cw@yahoo.com
Hello Everyone,
Well, Kevin, KL0RG, and I were finally able to get
together to check out possible sites for our
multi-limited effort in the 2007 ARRL June VHF QSO
Party. Kevin met me at the airport in Ketchikan,
Alaska on 14 May and that same day we caught the ferry
to Prince of Wales Island. It's a 3-hour trip, one
way, so we spent the time in the aft lounge planning
for the contest.
We decided to check out POW island because it offered
the possibility of getting away from the mountains
that would certainly block any attempt of working most
of the USA and Canada if we operated from Ketchikan.
After a lot of internet searching and telephone
calling, a site was located that appeared to present
reasonable take-off angle for sporadic-E in most
wanted directions. This cabin is located near the
south shore of Thorne Bay on the eastern side of POW
island.
We visited the site on 15 May and other places on the
island on 16 May. We returned by ferry to Ketchikan
and I caught my flight back to Seattle on 17 May.
The research paid off. It turns out that there is a
decent window from east to south. It also appears that
there is a reasonable window to the northwest. These
windows will allow us "see" essentially all of Canada
and the USA, as well as areas of Alaska to the
northwest. Unfortunately, it does not appear that we
will have a shot at Europe if the band were to open in
that direction, as there is a mountain close by in
that direction. Working Japan seems to be out, as
well, for similar reason. There are mountains in the
distance in all directions, as this is a fact of life
in Southeastern Alaska, but you can see in the photos
that the launch angle will not be too bad.
The shot in the direction of Anchorage, Alaska would
be over the roof in http://www.qsl.net/k7cw/Alaska07/AnchorageShot.jpg
The shot in the direction of Seattle, Washington would
be over the roof in http://www.qsl.net/k7cw/Alaska07/SeattleShot.jpg
Prince of Wales Island can be seen in the background
of this photo taken on the ferry ride back to
Ketchikan: http://www.qsl.net/k7cw/Alaska07/FerryBack.jpg
Finally, a computer-generated equidistant map from the
site grid locator, CO35rp, is here: http://www.qsl.net/k7cw/Alaska07/ThorneBayMap.gif
Kevin and I will have only two bands: 6-meters and
2-meters. 6-meters will have an IC-756ProIII driving
an 8874 tube for 600 watts output. The antenna will be
an 8-element yagi at appropriate height. At the
2-meter position will be an IC-706 and 400 watt brick
with 9-element yagi. We will have WSJT capability in
addition to CW and SSB on 2m. The WSJT will enhance
our ability to complete some meteor scatter contacts
via FSK441.
We are going to make an effort to work as many Alaskan
stations as possible while, at the same time, getting
our call, KL7FF, into as many logs as possible. There
is a high-speed satellite internet hook-up at the
cabin, so we will likely be available on the
Ping-Jockey web site for skeds. Folks may also send
requests for 2m skeds to me.
Our plan is to arrive sometime during the day on
Thursday, 7 June and be on the air by afternoon, 8
June. We will operate the whole contest period and
tear down on Monday. We will stay one more night and
leave for Ketchikan Tuesday morning, 12 June.
Hope to work as many of you as we can. We could use
some intense sporadic-E and and strong dose of aurora
on Sunday night for a kicker. Point your beams at
Southeastern Alaska during the contest. Listen for
KL7FF in CO35.
73,
Paul, K7CW
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Subject: [PNWVHFS] Re: June contest and meteors
To: cte57827@centurytel.net, pnwvhfs@googlegroups.com
Cc: ECole@cispri.org, kl0rg@arrl.net
Hi Jim and interested members of the Society:
Thanks for the plug. I was just getting ready to
remind everyone that we will be in CO35, an easy
meteor scatter distance to many members of the
Society. It's also an optimum distance to South
Central Alaska, and we will be attempting to work some
of the gang in the Kenai-Anchorage area. I agree about
meteor scatter being a great producer during the June
contest, especially on 6-meters.
So far, nobody has asked for a 2m meteor scatter sked.
I know that many of you have not worked KL7 on 2m yet.
I remember when I worked KL0RG a couple of years ago
during the Leonids Meteor Shower. I got so excited
that it was like my first contact on ham radio. Not
everyone will be equiped to run WSJT, so we can try CW
or SSB, as well. We will have 400 watts and a
12-element M-squared yagi.
I will be leaving for Alaska on June 5, so you can
contact me here for a sked until the 4th. Kevin and I
are hoping to be totally set up by the afternoon of
the 8th, but I believe we will have internet access by
the evening of the 7th.
Meteor scatter is best in the morning hours, so I
suggest a sked during that part of the day. We can do
CW, SSB and FSK441, but I believe FSK441 offers the
best probability of success. Before the contest, we
will also be available on N0UK's Ping Jockey web site.
I will also check my email address periodically during
the contest, in case someone has something they want
to tell us.
I hope we work a lot of folks in the PNWVHFS as well
as the Alaska VHF Group. Please contact me if you have
any questions. Again, our callsign will be KL7FF in
grid locator CO35rq.
73 for now,
Paul, K7CW
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***NOTE*** Earlier Schedule e-mail deleted
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Subject: [PNWVHFS] KL7FF Sked List as of 0500 UTC, 04 June
To: pnwvhfs@googlegroups.com
Hello Everybody,
I have most of the stuff that I'm taking boxed up now.
I went down and bought all the non-perishable food
that I will need since it's much cheaper here and
won't cost extra to take on the ferry. Kevin and I are
going to buy our perishable food in Klawok, on Prince
of Wales Island. I would like to have driven to Prince
Rupert, BC and then caught the ferry to Ketchikan, but
ferry schedules would have made the trip 5 or 6 days
longer. Sorry about not being able to pass out those
rare grids on the way.
Here is the list of skeds for KL7FF (CO35) as of 04
June, 0500 UTC:
144 MHz skeds:
W7EME (CN85) 10 June 0300-0330 UTC 144.143 MHz
FSK441a KL7FF xmit 1st
(alternate time: 10 June 1400-1430 UTC) Watch for
VE7DXG (CN88) to tail-end the 0300 UTC sked.
K7IEY (CN88) 10 June 0400-0430 UTC 144.143 CW KL7FF
xmit 1st & 3rd
VE7DXG (CN88) 10 June 1200-1230 UTC 144.143 FSK441a
KL7FF xmit 1st
W7GLF (CN87) 10 June 1230-1300 UTC 144.143 FSK441a
KL7FF xmit 1st
K6MBY (CN88) 10 June 1300-1330 UTC 144.143 FSK441a
KL7FF xmit 1st
KL7UW (BP40) 10 June 1430-1500 UTC 144.144 (birdie on
.143) FSK441a KL7FF xmit 1st
NL7OW (BP40) 10 June 1500-1530 UTC 144.180 SSB KL7FF
xmit 1st & 3rd 15 seconds
K7ND (CN87) 10 June 1630-1700 UTC 144.180 SSB KL7FF
xmit 2nd & 4th 15 seconds
KE7SW (CN87) 10 June 1700-1730 UTC 144.180 SSB KL7FF
xmit 2nd & 4th 15 seconds
Skeds to be set later with VE7SL (CN88) and W7IUV
(DN07).
Watching for K7MAC (DN13), K0DI/6 and W7MY (DN06) to
tail-end after skeds on 144.143.
Watching for WA6KLK (CM89) each hour and half hour
when possible, CW tropo, starting at 0100 UTC 144.190
(bearing 162.6 degrees).
50 MHz skeds:
W5WVO 50.103 MHz 0300-0330 UTC 9 June CW, KL7FF 1st &
3rd 15 seconds (before the contest)
NL7Z 50.095 MHz 1800-1830 UTC 9 June CW, KL7FF 1st &
3rd 15 seconds
KL7UW 50.103 MHz 1500-1530 UTC 10 June SSB, KL7FF 1st
& 3rd 15 seconds
NL7OW 50.103 MHz 1530-1600 UTC 10 June SSB, KL7FF 1st
& 3rd 15 seconds
Note: Tail-ending after a successful sked is
encouraged. We will be watching for calls.
When things are slow on 50 MHz, we will have a CQ loop
going on 50.103. We will be listening for calls on the
same frequency. Call using CW or SSB. We will not be
using WSJT on 50 MHz.
Please email me for a sked. We will be on Ping Jockey
before the contest, as well. I will be able to accept
sked requests until Monday afternoon. When we get
online in Alaska, I will again be able to accept sked
requests.
73,
Paul, K7CW
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KL7UW and NL7OW both worked Paul at KL7FF on Friday evening at 1959
with S9+ signals. Six Meters was open to the pacific and west earlier.
NL7OW worked Prince of Wales Island on 6m during the contest several
times but KL7UW did not hear them. He did complete a 2 meter meteor
scatter contact Sunday morning 0700-0800. Using WinGrid with BP40IQ
and CO35RQ grids the 2m MS contact was 761.7 miles.
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Subject: [PNWVHFS] 2m QSOs in Contest - KL7FF
To: pnwvhfs@googlegroups.com
Here's the list of successful 2m QSOs with KL7FF:
W7IUV DN07
W7MY DN06
W7EME CN85
WA7GSK DN13
AL2P CO45
VE7ISL CN88
W7GLF CN87
WA7BBJ CN97
K6MBY CN88
KF7CQ DN13
KD7OWT CN97
VE7BBG CN88
KL7UW BP40
K7MAC DN13
K7ND CN87
VE7SL CN88
I looked again at the sked sheet and see that there
were two skeds that we did not complete. Both were on
SSB.
73,
Paul
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