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French Polynesian
DXpedition July 2003
Diary
Latest information
and operating details of the DXpedition on
Tubuai, Mangareva, Tahiti and Great Barrier Islands
CONFUSION REGARDING THE G3SWH CALLSIGN!
The advertised G3SWH, as it should have been, was issued on paper as G35WH and is being copied as such on CW.
The website has been updated to reflect the actual callsign being used.
Friday 11 July 2003
10 July: The group left Fort Meyers and arrived in Polynesia. They immediately started setting up the station and hoped to be transmitting by the evening of the 10th, earlier than expected.
11 July: The pilots W0DM & KH6FKG were on from 0530z on 14190.
W0DM worked Phil FO/G35WH on 10104 CW around 0630z.
Both sides of this QSO could be heard in Cape Town.
Barry was on 14200 at 0824z as seen on the DX cluster.
It appears the DXpedition is now fully operational on Tubuai Island.
Saturday 12 July 2003
Pilots Harry KH6FKG & Don W0DM had contact with Barry G4MFW/FO/A on 14190 at about 0700z.
Pilot Dennis ZS1AU got a call from W0DM shortly after, beaming 315 degrees he made contact with Barry G4MFW/FO/A on 14270 at 0726z. Signals were weak 3 x 2. The solar flux figures SF 122 A 40 & K 5 today.
Sunday 13 July 2003
Barry G4MFW/FO/A will be on 7095 khz at 0500z, calling first, looking for ZS1 stations and then for further contacts. Later at 0630z will be on 14190khz & then QSY.
Phil is on CW with the call G35WH FO / A
Please listen to instructions from Pilot stations KH6FKG & W0DM who are in easy contact with Barry, Deon & Phil. The Pilot for Europe is another Don, G3XTT.
Later in the day: Today was washed out for those in ZS as the IARU world wide contest took place & most of the designated frequencies were occupied with contest stations. Solar flux figures improved but will have to improve more for those in ZS to hear the team any better than 3 x 2 which is the best so far on 14mhz
Monday 14 July 2003
Their 40m & 80m antennae blown down in a wind & rain storm !!!
After experiencing QRM etc etc Barry has found it necessary to alter frequencies slightly at times to avoid operating problems.
They will use 14260 and, if occupied, 14270. At one stage they had to settle for 14250 working split 2 to 7 up.
Operation in the 40m band on 7095 & also listening 7.153 to 7.183 for USA & in the 80m band on 3799.
The Solar Flux figures are still very high & conditions to certain parts of the world are very poor. It is therefor necessary for the pilot stations, especially those in the PACIFIC to be allowed to use the frequency for passing QSP's to the operating trio as there are no other comms available.
The DXpedition trio left Tubuia at 2200z on 14 July for Mangareva ( OC 063 )
Tuesday 15 July 2003
Barry & Co arrived on Mangareva Island OC-063, in the Gambier Island group. The station hopes to be operational again on at 2000z.
Stations in EUROPE are requested to ease the pile-ups by operating with discipline so that each station has a QRM free chance when in contact with the DXpedition. Please remember that these operators have gone to lot of expense & hard work to give those DXers around the world a chance to work a very rare DXCC entity & IOTA . Please help to ease the strain & be patient.
This is primarily a ZS DXpedition & these fellows together with Phil G35WH are travelling many thousands of miles to give you a new country, so it will be appreciated if you can respect their effort.
There appears to be confusion regards the callsign G3SWH being issued as G35WH & being copied as such on CW.
Wednesday 16 July 2003
The station is set up in a private house. The callsign allocated for this Island is FO / G4MFW / P. The P being for portable, as required by the authorities. It must be known to you all that the confusion with Phil's callsign is as a result of the authorities on the Island writing a 5 instead of an S. As a result Phil preferred to honour the privilige of operating from the Islands by leaving this "unique" callsign as it was issued. !!!! They have been heard & their operating times & freq's appeared on the DX cluster.
It might be serving to advise future DXpeditions, to think carefully about a callsign that cannot be left to confusion.
A short callsign would be preferred & this would make it less complicated to send on CW, aswell as on SSB.
Don G3XTT the pilot in Europe reports that FO/ G4MFW has been heard & worked. Don is handling the e-mails in Europe & his e-mail is g3xtt@lineone.net
Harry KH6FKG in Hawaii has very good comms with Barry & Co mainly on 20m. His e-mail is kh6fkg@aol.com
It is reported that the DXpedition members are all in good shape & having pile-ups into the USA as well as Europe.
Dennis ZS1AU, would be pleased to hear from other parts of the world who are able to copy FO / G4MFW / P with freq's & times.
For those of you who are wondering about the G4MFW, it is Barry's G callsign which he has used all over the world on previous DXpeditions & is well-known by now.
The Pilots Harry KH6FKG & Don W0DM arranged a sked with Pilot Dennis ZS1AU with Barry & Co on Mangareva for 1600z, 1630z & 1700z on 14270 & Barry suggested beaming over South America from Cape Town South Africa. 200 degrees. On the dot of 1600z Barry was calling contact was made at 1602z. Soon after Louis ZS1LVH, made contact with Barry FO / G4MFW / P. It appeared as though condx were improving with time so a sked was set for 1700z, on 14270. Condx were slightly better & contact was made by Carl ZS1KC & Oliver ZS1OLI. I asked about Deon ZS1ZL & being early morning there Barry was on first & Deon came on the rig shortly after to register his first QSO with his home town & what is more with his brand new callsign which he obtained 2 days before his departure on this DXpedition. !!!!!
Thursday 17 July 2003
Next Pilot Sked at 0645z 17th July 20 meter band over USA, 300 degrees from Cape Town at 1630z it is hoped that Andrew ZS1AN, our CTARC chairman will try a CW contact at 1630z on 20 meters.
The morning sked at 0645z on 14190 did not take place but KH6FKG was heard in Cape Town on 14270, very weak & no doubt beaming towards Barry & Co. At 1608z Barry was heard calling ZS1AU & after abrief QSO & as the condx seemed to be improving into ZS we decided to sked at 1645z & while we were hoping for better readability, there was no reqal improvement. However we could communicate clearly enough to carry out some propogation tests, both of us beaming over the North Pole & also due West from Polynesia to ZS, but nothing doing.
We went back to the Great Circle bearing of 200 degrees from Cape Town & this was the only path to Polynesia at R 5 x S 2. Unfortunately a NW rain storm was brewing here in CT, & the QRN was making readability difficult at 1700z when we went QRT. Several locals, ZS1BW, ZS1QO, ZS1LK & ZS1MJJ were on 14270 but there was no copy.
The DXpedition will still run for another 10 days.
Friday 18 July 2003
Nothing to report as nothing was heard from pilots in hearing range of Barry & Co. We in ZS have been monitoring but the specific frequencies have been occupied by DX stations which made life a bit more difficult.
It has been suggest that, where possible, stations report the spotting of Barry & Co to the DX Cluster for all to see. Please consult the frequencies listed on the website. Those of you in various parts of the world are requested to please let us know if they are hearing G4MFW & G35WH. Please contact the pilots, e-mail addresses listed above, to help you.
Saturday 19 July 2003
Please note: Mixed mode or mixed location QSL cards will not be answered. In other words, SSB contacts with FO/G4MFW must go to ZSIFJ.
CW contacts with FO/G35WH must go to G3SWH.
SSB contacts with FO/G4MFW/P must go to ZS1FJ. CW and contacts with FO/G35WH/P must go to G3SWH.
Also, due to antenna problems, there will be NO RTTY or 6 meter operations. It will be announced if they get it fixed and
opertional.
Sunday 20 July 2003
Sched for 20 Jul is 0700 (1st try) then 0730 (2d try) on 14.270.
Conditions were very poor today. Nothing heard in ZS land. Other parts of the world are doing much better, although no specific news from other pilots has been received.
Monday 21 July 2003
Please take note that MIXED MODE Qsl cards will NOT be answered.
SSB contacts with FO/G4MFW goes to ZS1FJ
CW contacts with FO/G35WH goes to G3SWH.
The same goes for callsigns /P.
Also due to antenna problems there will be NO RTTY or 6 meter operations. It will be announced if they get it fixed & operational.
The DXpedition & also the pilots out of ZS are at present not being heard. The e-mails are still filling the gaps.
Tuesday 22 July 2003
Barry, Deon & Phil are due to leave for Tahiti at 2000z on 22 July and are scheduled to be on there from 23 to 24 July.
They then move on to Great Barrier Island ( New Zealand Group ) for 25 to 26 July.
Please check the DX cluster or contact KH6FKG, W0DM & G3XTT.
Unfortunately we have little or NO comms in Southern Africa.
Please keep an eye on the website for up-dates.
No futher news received.
Wednesday 23 July 2003
No news received.
Thursday 24 July 2003
No news received.
Friday 25 July 2003
No news received as yet, but it is still early in the day.
Saturday 26 July 2003
Things are almost over, but not quite !!!
There was nothing to report for the past few days as we had lost contact when they left Tahiti. Also e-mails were not available until this morning when Barry was again able to report that they were in Auckland, New Zealand, & on their way to Great Barrier Island OC-201 New Zealand Group.
It was reported that Barry & Deon were on the Island today & worked VK4CEJ om John. Barry was using his ZL
callsign ZL1MFW / P .
They will be leaving after this IOTA weekend contest & then go home which is Cape Town, South Africa, via Singapore, on Monday.
We are in contact with Barry via e-mail now & a full report will be on this website when they return home at the end of July.
There is achance to work ZL1MFW this week-end 25 to 27 July on the various bands 7 those in ZS try 14270 & 0600z to 0630z.
Sunday 27 July 2003
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