The JT1/K4ZW LF DXpedition to Mongolia 

 

Summary by Phil Catterall G4OBK with an emphasis on 160 metres



Article originally published in CDXC Digest

 

 

 

LF Enthusiast Ken Claerbout K4ZW had planned to visit Chak JT1CO in Mongolia during the early autumn, however after the atrocities of 7/11the trip was postponed until the latter part of November 2001. This delay of some two months became an enabler for many more LF QSOs by lengthening the darkness path for many EU/NA stations.

 

Ken has had a penchant for operating from Zone 23 for many years and the well-known operator Chak JT1CO invited him to stay and operate from his QTH 25Km North West of Ulan Battar. Chak was active last winter on 40m and 80m but had done very little on 160m. The objective Ken set himself therefore was to install an efficient LF antenna for Chak to use, and if there was sufficient spare time left, to operate himself on 80 and 160 Metres.

 

Ken arrived on the 18th November and after spending a day settling in, sorting out Chaks TH11 multiband yagi and then finally erecting the Titanex 3 band vertical, he was ready for some DX action on the 19th. One of the first EU stations in the Topband log was Mark ON4WW, however most UK stations had to wait a few days for a QSO. 80m and 40m were much easier and a number of CDXC Members were in the log on those bands on the first night. Ken found that Chaks QTH, well away from the city was an excellent receiving site on 160m. On the 20th Ken’s good friend Baatar JT1BG came over to provide some useful assistance in setting up the Titanex – this was the time Ken suffered an RF burn while working at the base of the Titanex when something was lost in the translation between the English and Mongolian of the term “stop transmitting”!

 

The amplifier in use at JT1CO is a Tokyo Hi Power – capable of well over 1 Kw. The problem was that it only ran around 600w on 1830 KHz due to the excessive grid current being drawn. Later, Ken discovered that the amp was built originally for the JA market. Readers may recall that the old JA window for transmitting was around 1905 KHz. The majority of DX working was therefore previously done split frequency, with the DX transmitting around 1820-1835 KHz.  Ken ran a test and found that the Tokyo Linear produced it’s rated power around 1905 KHz so he made an on-the-hoof (and excellent) decision to transmit up there and listen around 1822 KHz. That was great news for the Topband enthusiasts throughout the world chasing Zone 23.   

 

Within a couple of nights Ken was working real DX and picking off the stronger EU stations, he was also doing his best to work the USA and as usual finding a few EU stations that were just not playing the game by standing by while he concentrated on getting a few USA stations in the log. He named and shamed an OZ3 a DL1 and a DL8 as the "bad lads" in one of his daily updates on the Topband reflector. After one long period of calling when Ken was specifically and clearing listening for USA, the DL8 station added insult to injury by starting to call CQ on 1821 KHz just to finish off! It had to be heard to be believed, a shocking way to operate on the amateur bands.

 

The final stats for Ken’s operation are as follows, based on his time spent as a guest of Chak JT1CO from 18th Nov – 29th November 2001. The best time for a QSO with the UK was around 2000z which was local sunrise at the JT1CO QTH:

 

160 Meters - 428 QSOs          48 Countries     (Including CQWW 99 QSOs   13 Countries)

80 Meters   - 565 QSOs          57 Countries     (Including CQWW 258 QSOs  43 Countries)

                                                                                                                       

          G4OBK looking pleased after his

                                                                                                                      Topband QSO with JT1/K4ZW in Zone 23:

 

Ken worked the following UK stations on 160m:

 

G3FPQ   G3KMA   G3KZR   G3LAS   G3LZQ   G3NAS   G3PQA 

G3WGV   G3WPF   G3XGC   G3YVH

G4DBN   G4ERP   G4OBK   G4SOZ   G4VGO   G4XOL 

GI3OQR   GM3YTS   GW3JXN   GW3TMP 

 

Ken also wished to congratulate W8JI and K9DX who were the only two stations east of the Mississippi River to complete a Topband QSO, as this was

one of the most difficult areas to work on 160m from Mongolia. To sum these
were Ken’s comments:                                                                                                                        

 

 “In closing, I have been just as excited about working everyone, as I'm sure you have been working us.  There are many others I wish could have made it into my log but I knew from a realistic standpoint that would not happen in just 10 days.  JT1CO is very excited about his new toys so you will no doubt be hearing from him.  Mongolia has been a wonderful country to visit. A lot has changed here in the last 10 years or so.  Some of the vestiges of the past can still be seen but so too can the many people that are now running around on the streets with cell phones and other new technology.  We stopped at a local department store, which had just about anything you could imagine, and I was amazed at the pile up of locals in the cell phone department.  It's not uncommon to see a Land Rover or BMW on the streets of Ulaanbaatar.  As a sit here and type this, we're getting a nice dusting of snow.  It's a real picture perfect scene with the mountains and a great last visual of this beautiful country."

Thanks to everyone who made contributions to this project and helped to
make it a success.  I expect QSL cards to go out sometime after the
Christmas holidays.  For those that need to reach me, please do so now at my
home address K4ZW@staffnet.com.  I don't want JT1CO to have to forward a
bunch of e-mail.  Now to get home and work JT1CO on 80 meters, my last zone
for 5BWAZ.

73
Ken K4ZW  “

 

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