I'll publish information here in diary form as I receive it from the team on St Brandon. The only means of communicating with the team (apart from radio of course!) is by a slow data link on an Iridium satellite phone, so please do not expect a large amount of detail. I'll tell you what I know!You can contact me at 3b7c@g3wgv.com. I will consolidate any feedback I receive into a daily e-mail for transmission to the team, which will necessarily also be brief.
This material is the copyright of FSDXA. You are welcome to republish short extracts of these reports provided that full credit is given and this web site is mentioned as the source. Please do not copy material wholesale! Point your audience to this web site instead.
73, John, G3WGV/N3GV
3B7C Pilot
News 24-Aug-2007 to 10-Sep-2007
|
10-Sep-2007 @ 19:00 UTC |
| |
Some important messages from the team:
- North America west coast: Long path openings occur 02-04z on both 30m & 20m... and 12-14z on 40m through 20m (even longer on 20m, up to 16z). Signals are good here but few people are calling us. We will continue looking for west coast long path at these times. A brief skew path 80m opening around 13z occurs, and we will be looking for 160m openings as well at this time to west coast. Please report any other long path or unusual openings to the Americas.
- Pirates: At least two pirates were operating this past weekend on 40m. Now that logs have been uploaded, DXers are encouraged to verify contacts especially on this band.
- Generator shutdown will be shifted to 04z in future days, typically 1 hour. A longer shutdown for oil change is required on Wednesday and every fourth day thereafter. Shutdown will be after the last North America low band QSOs.
- Relatively poor propagation has heavily favoured Europe over Japan... and North America has been even more of a struggle. DXers in Europe may be asked to QRX while we try to work the weak, short openings to North America and Japan. Thanks for everyone's patience. Let's hope conditions will improve.
- 160m CW will shift to 1821.2 to avoid a carrier bothering Europe.
The on line log has all QSOs up to today at 08:00Z, 23,598 in total.
I am receiving lots of requests to check and/or correct QSOs in our log. Please note that I cannot do this for you. Please see FAQ # 4 for more information. |
| |
|
10-Sep-2007 @ 09:00 UTC |
| |
I have received the logs to 08:00Z yesterday and will have them on-line very shortly. K3NA advises me that 3B7C shuts down for an hour or two at 08:00Z each day. This is for necessary maintenance on the generators and it also provides a suitable time for the team to have its daily meeting. It's a time of relatively little propagation, so there is not much impact on QSO totals.
The team has asked specifically for reception reports:
- ANY long path openings: we need to know when to move antennas.
- Times when band is open to the Americas, especially if op on duty seems unaware of opening. We will update propagation crib sheets accordingly.
|
| |
|
09-Sep-2007 @ 16:00 UTC |
| |
The first tranche of logs, 6,068 QSOs up to 12:00Z 08-Sep-07 is now on line. We've resolved most of the communications difficulties and the log updates should flow more freely from now on. |
| |
|
09-Sep-2007 @ 13:00 UTC |
| |
Hurrah! I at last have effective e-mail communications with the team. Eric, K3NA hopes to upload the first tranche of logs later today. Some feedback:
We are uncertain if our 80m SSB array is working properly. If any comparisons can be provided [relative to 80m CW signals], that would be helpful. All transmit aerials are up. Low band beverage for EU/NA in use on 160m... and K9AY loops on 80m CW and 160m positions. Today (Sun) the JA beverage was built. Beverages only available on 160m to date as we haven't installed the splitters yet. |
| |
|
09-Sep-2007 @ 08:30 UTC |
| |
3B7C has been very QRV. I've already received reports of QSOs with stations in EU running just 10W to a vertical and a USA mobile working them with just 80W to a Hamstick whip antenna. I have yet to receive the first batch of logs or any reports from the island but hopefully something will arrive today. Meanwhile, I have passed on concerns about USA General Class and 160m JA band plans to the team. Please see the new FAQ section for more information. |
| |
|
08-Sep-2007 @ 09:30 UTC |
| |
3B7C appears to have been QRT on all bands since around 08:00Z this morning. I have no information as to why they might be off the air. If I hear anything I'll let you know.
Update at 10:45Z - they are back on, at least on 15m CW. Hurrah!
Update at 11:10Z - just worked them on 12m SSB. Confirmed that they were off for about 2.5 hours fixing some sort of problem but all is now OK and they are fully QRV again. |
| |
|
07-Sep-2007 @ 20:05 UTC |
| |
3B7C is QRV! I worked them on 40m CW within 2 minutes of their planned startup time of 20:00Z and have since heard them on 20m. They have already been spotted on 160m. So a huge WELL DONE to the team for turning up exactly on time and good luck to everyone who wants to work them. |
| |
|
07-Sep-2007 @ 19:00 UTC |
| |
I've not heard anything from the island but equally I have no reason to suppose that they will fail to show as planned at 20:00Z this evening. As soon as I get any definitive news I'll post it here. There have been a few spots for 3B7C on 20m this afternoon but I am almost certain that they were pirates. I would strongly suggest that anyone who thought they worked the team this afternoon work 'em again after 20:00Z this evening! |
| |
|
05-Sep-2007 @ 09:00 UTC |
| |
The team has arrived on Isle du Sud and is busy erecting antennas. Apparently the boat trip wasn't very pleasant due to high seas but the team is in high spirits and raring to go! |
| |
|
04-Sep-2007 @ 10:00 UTC |
| |
Although I've not heard from the team yet, I do know that everyone arrived in Mauritius a couple of days ago and that the ship was loaded with all the kit, ready for departure yesterday. They should be very close to the island by now and will soon be busy setting up all the stations. |
| |
|
| 24-Aug-2007 |
| |
The team is ready to go - and the boat is ready in Port Louis, Mauritius. Our container is in Port Louis and our generators are already on the way to Isle du Sud. Fuel supplies have already been delivered to the island. Team members will be meeting in Port Louis from 1st September onwards, and the boat sails to St Brandon on 3rd September, with an arrival time expected at St Brandon of 11.00Z on 4th September. Operations will begin around 20.00z on Friday 7th September, when all 12 stations are expected to be operational. |
|
|