DX-Pedition to Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, septembre 2003
Introduction
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago is a little island group with 11 islets,
sited in mid of atlantic ocean, aproaching of 0o 55' N and 29o 20'W. Geologically,
the island rise with as a solid rocks of upper mantle between the oceanic plates
of America and Africa, in age still undefinided but between 180 and 25 millions
of years. The island is formed by peridotite, a kind of rock found in earth
mantle and in some places of earth surface, associated with others rocks. But
is in Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the only evidence in oceanic regions. So,
this island not was make by voucanic activity as the all oceanic island but
by tectonism, as a unique process in all earth. In island have a lot of sea
birds, some bushes and no natural shadow under the hot sun. How your situation
in oceanic ridge, sometimes happeness some earthquake, and bad weather with
rain and waves hitting the rocks.
The island was place of many historical events, so your strategical place. Charles Darwin stop in, to a stage of study about the evolution of species. In II war, was used by germany submarine as advanced basis. some ships sink in the rocks but the most part fall until the 4000m deph, today is possible view only 2 or 3 around the island.
Not knows right who discover the island but since 1929 it appear in maps. About the name, nobody hahe true about origin but believe in some navegators call of Saint Peter Island and others of Saint Paul. The name Saint Peter and Saint Paul was in use in 1738, as found in the Laperouse registers, french navigator.
Today, The Brazilian Navy have a permanent scientifical basis, as part of Programa Arquipélago, that have a excellent ifra-estruture of support to 3 or 4 researches who are changed at each 15 days. They are living in a confortable house sited in the mais island (Belmonte) well designed and without many impact in local enviroment This habitable condition, give the condition of Archipelago replacing the name rocks, ised in a period when no habitability condition has exist.
I am amateur radio since 1988, and ever love the DX, until I take place in some DX-pedition in 1994 promoted by Natal DX Group. Since 2001, I am going to PY0S as I am geology research and work in SPP island investigation of origin, under the my university research.
The 142 Expedition
Each expedition that goes to Archipelago, receive a serial number since june
of 1988. This is the 142th since then. This expedition begin with the meet of
4 researches in Base Naval de Natal, to a little trainning about tecnics in
rigs operation of Scientifical station. With me, the crew was formed by Claudio
Amorim and André Giskard, friends of university and Mateus Kitter, oceanografer
from south Brazil who work with sea birds comportament. We take a fly to Fernando
de Noronha to wait the Transmar III, boat that will transport us to Saint Peter
and Paul Island. 2 days trip is need to arrive in island. In morning of september
2th, we are disbarking and change the crew who are return to home.
In Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the things funcion better if have cooperation of all, main in difficults activitys as boat manouvres, cleaning of Scientifical Station and solar panels and the research works. In this trip, Matheus and André was choice the chief cookers, because yours habilities in make cake, bread and good eats.
Some aspects are caracteristic of archipelago, as the fecal bomber of Atobás (booby) in flight or stayed in turk (the precisoin of hit is excelent!). The atobás also make a difficult way at night when piak our legs in way from house to pier. Sometimes the viuvinhas piak our head in flight. Well they are in his right, we are the invaders! Sometomes the waves hit the rocks and pehaps of contention wall, some waves hit the house with power.
Some thigs hapenes to break the monotony, as the visit of fishers from boat, the arraias swinming, some whales near the rocks, views of stars, planets (is possible see uranus in darkness in nacked eye), the satellites including the ISS and Iridium flares. Sometimes I pass some movies that I have in computer memory, and i can talk that this was the first movie section from Saint Peter and Sain Paul Island.
In september 17th, after be changed by 3 others persons, we returning to Fernando de Noronha in Transmar II, other boat that substitute the Transmar III in mid of season.
The radio operation
At same day of arrive, after the providences, I begin the assemble of radios
starting by antennas, power, etc. I was use as main rig a TS-140S tranceiver
(Kenwood), and a laptop Pentium II computer to generate the AFSK and PSK modulation
to radio trough a home-made cables conections. The antenas was a DXV-4 (Electril)
to convencional HF bands and a trifilar drop dipole to WARC band. After all
assembled, in a anex of Scientifical Station, I begin the RTTY operation with
a General CQ in 20m at afternoon of same day. quickly formed a great- pile-up.
The medium power was 50W to save batery power, but was suficient to be received
with 599 in japan. The operation was follow in spare times and in frequencies
of better propagation. The bands more used was the 15, 17 and 12 at day and
all others at night. The 10m band not was used because the bad propagation condition.
Not was reported QRM with another radio of Scientifical Station. In the choiced
place, the ticks and bad sea force-me to move to inside of house. sometimes
the operation was sudden break to solve some problems. Is importatt to talk
the help of some hams in spot the frequencies and times of operation.
I work in the HF frequencies between 7 and 24MHz, with more then 3000 contacts with 1810 stations of around the world. This stations was contacteds 1000 in 20m, 523 in 30m, 474 in 15m, 405 in 17m, 377 in 12m and 267 on 40m, in RTTY (2762 stations), PSK-31 (274 stations), SSTV (5 stations) e SSB (5 stations).
76 countries was contacted, most part from USA (626 stations), follow by Germany (173 stations), Japan (159 stations), Italy (127 stations) and anothers countries contacteds with less than 100 stations worked each of 725 stations at all.
In this expedition was used the didital modes because the large search by this mode from place and in complementation to the before operation in april, working anothers station and anothers bands (WARC). The mais mode was the RTTY and PSK-31. The digital modes come turn more popular because the facilities in use with low power and simple computers with soundcards. Also, the mode is silent, and not disturbing the others persons "no hams" in the little house at night. The MMTTY and Winpsk softwares was used and is good because your macros facilities and anothers resources.
In futures operations I am planning use DSP filters in receiving signals, and solve the QRM problem, since the digital tranceivers have less selectivity and suffer interference from adjacent frequencies. In RTTY, the QRM effects was minimum.
In this trip have some dificulties that was solved wiht more or less dificulties. The vertical antenna was damaged by heavy sea birds with broke the 40m stage, but was solved with introduce a aluminium tube inside of break place. The top hat was changed by copper wires to avoid the seabirds to rest over the top. the rough sea make a salth crust in antenna but a wash and oil was used to solve the bad contact problem. the same problem with waves occour with the WARC band without problem. others problems with salth water sprayind the rigs not do serious damaged then.
I am want to return soon to island to continue the operation in SSB and possible CW. Not have prevision but soon I finish my university work, as I am in end of geology course, I will have more time to return to PY0S.
Thanks
I want to give my special thanks to NCDXF by the sponsor, in first place, follow
by NADX, GDXF. Thanks also to Marinha do Brasil, SECIRM and all institution
who give conditions to live in island and research work, and thanks to all donations
from dozens of Hams and him personal contribuition.