DXpedition to JO49ML by LA0BY and DL3YEL

(Aug. 11-14, 2002)

LA0BY/p wkd on 144 MHz MS:

2002-08-11
1710 1740  OH8K      KP45CB  27  27  16b  4p 15s  C
1800 1900  RW3TU     LO25BR                       NIL
1810 1835  UA1AFA    KO59EV  27  39  11b  3p 10s  C r
1835 1902  RU1AA     KP40XD  39  27  mni b+p      C r
1900 2000  RA3DQT    KO95HK                       NIL
2000 2035  RW3PF     KO93CD  27       2b          NC
2035 2047  RA3IS     KO76WT  37  26   3b          C
2100 2145  UT5ER     KN78ER  27  27   6b  4p 15s  C 2018km
2145 2157  RX1AS     KO59FX  27  39  mni b+p      C r
2200 2232  YU7KB     JN94XX  27  27  28b 12p 90s  C
2235 2300  YU7AZX    KN04AX  38  27  11b  4p  8s  C r
2325 2340  S51AT     JN75GW  27  37   6b  2p 20s  C r
2315-2327  OK1UAK    JO70MB  26  27   7b 15p  1s  C r

2002-08-12
0000 0022  I5TWK/8   JN70GR  38  26   9b  1p 20s  C 2120km
0018 0035  I4XCC     JN63GV  28  38  15b  6p  3s  C r
0035 0050  HA6NY     JN98WC  27  27   5b     10s  C r
0050 0102  S57TW     JN75EX  37  27   7b      3s  C r
0100 0115  F5LRL     JN26MV                       NIL
0115 0135  DF1BN     JO31GD  37  28   7b  7p  7s  C
0210 0237  PE1HWO    JO21GV  28  27  20b  8p 30s  C
0300 0327  GW8IZR    IO73TI  26  26  10b     20s  C
0345 0357  ON4AVJ    JO11UB  28  27  10b 22p 12s  C r
0400 0427  IZ4AIK    JN63HV  27  26  mni b+p 40s  C
0430 0450  DL3HRT    JO61AB  26  26   3b 14p  7s  C r
0500 0522  EI5FK     IO51RT  26  26   7b 19p 12s  C
0525 0540  G1HWY     IO90UV  46  27   5b  9p 50s  C
0600 0612  HA5OV     JN97NJ  27  38  mni b+p 10s  C
0709       F6CBH     JN19BH  27  37   1b          C r SSB
0714 0729  F6FHP     IN94TR  37  37               C r SSB
0726 0734  IW2HAJ    JN45NO  37  37               C SSB
0738 0746  DL8GP     JN39LH  37  27               C r SSB
0744       F6DRO     JN03TJ  37                   NC r SSB
0753       IZ4BEH    JN54WL  38  38   1b          C r SSB
0754       F5JNX     JN37PV  37  27   1b          C r SSB
0759       F6DKW     JN18CS  39  39   1b          C r SSB
0800 0840  EA6VQ     JM19HN                       NIL
0840 0850  DF8IK     JO30JT  27  27   5b  7p  2s  C r
0908 0917  IW2DAL    JN45NN  49  59               C r SSB
0926       HA2RD     JN87WB  37  37   1b          C r SSB
0926       F5VHX     JN04FT  39  27   1b          C r SSB
0930 0934  S55AW     JN75DS  38  37   6b     10s  C r SSB
0939       S53J      JN75EV  38  37   1b          C r SSB
0941 1000  S50C      JN76JG  39  27   8b          C r SSB
0952       S51MQ     JN75NT  38  39   1b          C r SSB
1007 1042  EI3GE     IO63XD  28  28   8b          C r SSB
1056 1101  G4ASR     IO81MX  39  27   4b          C r SSB
1101       G4KWQ     IO92AQ  27                   NC r SSB
1123       DL8UCC    JO71EO  37  26   1b          C r SSB
1151 1154  OK2ZW     JN89HI  27  37   3b          C r SSB
1154       OK2BVE    JN99    26  37   1b          NC r SSB
1202       IW2BNA    JN45ON  37  27   1b          C r SSB
1202 1206  OK2BVE    JN99    26  37               C r SSB
1206       OK2VSO            27  26               NC r SSB
1218       DL5ROB    JN68HG  27  38   1b          C r SSB
1232       OM3TZZ    JN88    37  27   1b          C r SSB
1233       SP3VSC    JO92DF  38  37   1b          C r SSB
1456       HB9FAP/p  JN46EW  27  37   1b          C r SSB
1603       LZ2FO     KN13KX  37       1b          NC r SSB *1 1960km
1617       S52EZ     JN86DT  27  27   1b          C r SSB *1
1627       DG2KBC    JN58MI  38  27   1b          C r SSB
1651       I8MPO     JN70FP  38  27   1b    120s! C r SSB *1 2128km
1658       9A7D      JN95EH  39  39   1b          C r SSB
1732 1750  G0FIG     IO90UU  27  37   5b          C r SSB
1750 1800  DK3XT/p   JN49?   37  36   1b          NC r SSB
1826       OE8HBQ    JN76KP  39  26               NC r SSB *1
1848       S54G      JN65TM  37  27               NC r SSB *1
1917       9A2SB     JN95GM  37  27   1b          C r SSB
2057 2103  G8VHI     IO92FM  27  27   3b  5p  8s  C SSB
2114 2204  F4CKV     JN16NM  37  37               NC r SSB *2
2126       DK5TE     JN58BG  39  39   1b          C r SSB
2144       DH3IAJ    JN48HD  38  38   1b          NC r SSB
2222 2223  OM5CM     JN98DF  28  38   2b          C r SSB
2251       DJ1OJ     JN58SE  28  27   1b          C r SSB
2252       DH0GHU    JN38VN  37  38   1b          C r SSB
2252 2259  DG3GAG    JN48NB  37  38   1b          NC r SSB
2259 2306  9A1CAL    JN86EL  38  27               C r SSB
2308       DG1VL     JO61VC  39  39   1b          C r SSB
2308       DK5YA     JN49NX  39  39   1b          C r SSB
2319 2318  T94DU     JN94IR  49  59   5b          C r SSB
2318       IV3NDC    JN65RV  39  29   3b          C r SSB
2319       9A4EW     JN95KG  37  38   1b          C r SSB
2319       HA4WQ             28  27   1b          NC r SSB *2
2327       IV3GBO    JN66OA  28  26   3b          C r SSB *2
2331       HA5UK     JN97OM  49  57   1b          C r SSB
2331       S51WX     JN75OS  38  39   1b          C r SSB
2331       S51ZO     JN86DR  39  39   1b          C r SSB
2333 2338  I2FAK     JN45PB  39  39   3b          C r SSB
2339 2355  DJ5BV     JO30KI  37                   NC r SSB
2348       S50C      JN76JG  27  37   1b          C r SSB
2351       DL5GAC    JN47UT  39  39   1b          C r SSB
2355       DL3IAE/p  JN49?   37  39   1b          NC r SSB
2357       YU7ON     KN04AX  28  27   1b          C r SSB

2002-08-13
0004       DL3IAE/p  JN49?   37  38   1b          NC r SSB
0006 0017  IK1MTZ    JN35UB  39  37   5b          C r SSB
0009 0017  HA8MV     KN06HT  37  37   3b          C r SSB
0017       HB9BQU    JN37VD  38  39   1b          C r SSB
0024       DL3IAE/p  JN49?   39  38   1b          C r SSB
0048       DH8IAT    JN49GC  39  38   1b          NC r SSB
0100       HB9DFG    JN37SM  39       1b          NC r SSB *2
0118       IK0BZY    JN61GW  39  59   3b          C r SSB *1 1965km
0151 0200  DB8AT     JO51DS  37                   NC r SSB
0200 0235  IZ1BPN    JN35VG  26  37   7b 14p 20s  C
0300 0322  I5WBE     JN53BR  47  27   mni b 100s  C
0400 0430  OK1DRY    JN79OW                       NIL
0510 0525  I5YDI     JN54BB  27  37  10b  6p  2s  C r *3
0655 0732  OH9NDD    KP26UM  27  37   9b 23p 25s  C r
0800 0840  EA6VQ     JM19HN                       NIL
0900 0922  G4YTL     IO92MB  27  37               C SSB
1022 1041  DC6RN     JN59WK  37  26               C r FSK
1052 1110  OK1UAK    JO70MB  27  27               NC r FSK
1111 1121  S54M      JN86    37  27               C r FSK
1121 1128  DF1IAZ    JN49LD  27  37               C r FSK
1134 1145  OK1UAK    JO70MB  26  37               C r FSK
1151 1157  DJ5BV     JO39KI  27  26               C r FSK
1202 1208  DF2ZC     JO30RN  28  37               C r FSK
1215 1222  9A1CAL    JN86EL  27  26               C r FSK
1225 1228  OE5KE     JN78DF  29  26               C r FSK
1230 1247  DL4ANT    JN49LF  26  27               C r FSK
1303 1335  IK0BZY    JN61GW  38  26               NC r FSK
1403 1422  RA3DQ     KO85US  26  27               C r FSK
1450 1457  HB9SNR    JN36MQ  27  27               C r FSK
1506 1517  F6FHP     IN94TR  27  27               C r FSK
1524 1550  PE1GNP    JO31IX  26  27               C r FSK
1554 1614  OE6IWG    JN77PK  28  27               C r FSK
1743 1830  UT5JCW    KN64SN  26  27   2b  2p      NC r FSK 2333km
1836 1847  9A1CCY    JN85OO  36  27               C r FSK
1908 1928  IC8FAX    JN70CN  36  27           4s  C r FSK 2135km
1937 1949  S53VV     JN65UM  27  28               C r FSK
2003 2027  I4LCK     JN45RK  27  27               C r FSK
2030 2047  IW2BSQ    JN45UJ  26  27               C r FSK
2100 2122  LY2BIL    KO24PQ  38  26   2b  4p  8s  C
2127 2150  LY2SA     KO14LL  27  27               C r
2200 2220  UT5DL     KN18EP  47  27   5b     20s  C SSB

2002-08-14
0000 0030  YU7BCL    KN05FN  26  27  11b 14p  6s  C SSB
0100 0141  G0XDI     IO91RP  27  28  mni b+p  6s  C SSB
0141 0154  G7RAU     IO90IR  28  29   3b  8p  3s  C SSB
0200 0300  SM2CEW    KP15CR                       NIL
0300 0330  RV3IG     KO87OT                       NIL
0400 0427  IW2DVK    JN45MQ  27  27   9b 14p  2s  C
0500 0515  IZ5EME    JN52NS  27  26  mni b+p  2s  C 1865km
0537 0553  F1FIH     JN23GS  37  27               C r FSK
0600 0625  F9IE      IN86WW  27  26               C SSB *2 
0700 0732  EA3DUY    JN12LD  26  27               C FSK *2 1973km

Comments: 
*1 on 144,200 MHz 
*2 applied wrong procedure
*3 on 144,100 MHz

Ulli DL3YEL joined me again for the trip to Lifjell. We were at 
815 m asl (according to his GPS receiver) and housed in a 
comfortable cottage. The equipment was the same as last year 
(IC-821H, PA 2 x 4CX250B, 2 x 9-ele-yagi), but we set up some 
70 cm gear as well (for the Nordic Activity Contest).

The Perseids were clearly weaker in 2002 than in the previous 
years. One reason was probably that the shower was below the 
horison during the predicted maximum (early evening on the 12th 
for Europe). It should be better next year! Perhaps the bad 
weather situation with major flooding in central Europe also 
contributed to the low activity. We did not identify a single 
maximum, but had particularly good periods from 07-12 UTC on 
August 12, and 23-04 UTC in the following night.

Nevertheless, we made many nice contacts on both SSB and HSCW, 
and for the first time also on FSK441. The maximum QSO distance 
was equal for all three modes, about 2130 km to JN70 (I8MPO, 
I5TWX/8 and IC8FAX). Generally, we stayed on 144,188 MHz for 
HSCW and SSB all the time. When working SSB, we sometimes 
monitored 144,200 MHz when there was no response on our 
frequency. Sometimes we called QRZ on 144,188 MHz in our RX 
period when we observed good reflections on 144,200 MHz, and 
attracted some stations who were standby. We even answered a few 
calls on 144,200 MHz but never called CQ there. Most impressive 
to receive I8MPO at 1650 UTC for 2 minutes (!) at 59+20dB. Lucio 
was surprised to hear us through "the wall of Germans" as he 
called it. Later in the night he again came up this strong, 
together with IK0BZY and IW6CVN/6. 

We operated FSK441 only for a few hours in the afternoon on the 
13th, when SSB and HSCW activity had gone down. We were calling 
CQ QSY 388 on 144,370 MHz and this worked fine. It was amazing to 
see how many stations were still on, and how quickly contacts 
were completed. Lots of garbage is received though, so that one 
has to receive the details several times in order to be sure they 
are correct. I think FSK441 is a good supplement to HSCW and SSB, 
however it does not appear equally exciting to me. I would not 
spend all the effort going on expeditions for working only FSK441 
but it seems great as a "gap filler". Too bad we did not finish 
with UT5JCW, who we received a good burst from over a distance of 
2330 km! The only sked was with EA3DUY and easily completed. 

The random HSCW activity on 144,100 MHz was extremely poor. It 
seems that everybody who used a computer for CW keying has now 
moved to FSK441. One may like it or not but random HSCW appears 
almost dead.

QSO statistics:

Mode      HSCW   SSB   FSK
Sked      18     8     1
Random    14     52    20

This gives a total number of 113 complete contacts which probably 
is not bad. We had many NC contacts in SSB this time because 
reflections on the average did not last as long as in previous 
years. Also many callers did not follow the procedure what makes 
it difficult to complete over several bursts. I hope that some of 
those with a NC mark in the last column will make sure they 
exchange the final RRR next time. I admit it may be confusing 
when we call many different stations in short time, but that is 
the nature of working SSB MS. It is just not efficient to continue 
with one station when we have good bursts from many others.

As we had quite good horison, we also worked many stations on 
Tropo. Among them were DG5CST and DL2ARD in JO60, DD3SP in JO72 
and DL8EBW and DK5DQ in JO31.

Now I am running out of good locations in new squares in Southern 
Norway. Perhaps Ulli found something suitable in JO39? Who knows?


© Stefan Heck, last updated 17 August 2002.