PRESS RELEASE #8

To: DX Editors
From: 3B7C 28th September 2007

3B7C closed down on schedule on Tuesday 25th September with a total of 137,500 QSOs in the log (subject to final checking). The return journey went without a hitch although once again we had something of a rough crossing! The QSO total makes this expedition 3rd only to D68C and 3B9C, and perhaps we might claim a new DXpedition record for QSOs made with zero sunspots!!! This was also a new record for a generator-powered expedition.

We are very happy with the final outcome. Some of the statistics (subject to a final tidy-up of the log) appear below, but a band-by-band commentary reads something like this:

160m: We exceeded our 3B9C QSO total on this band and were pleased to make over 400 N. America QSOs on the band, including two West Coast. The overall total includes 276 SSB QSOs. Antenna was a Titanex 87ft vertical, with Beverages, K9AY loops and other receiving arrays.

80m: We were delighted that our attempt to run simultaneously on SSB and CW was successful. This was achieved by separating the two sets of antennas (a phased pair of quarter-wave verticals for each end of the band) by some 500m and by the use of custom-built bandpass filters. The result was a QSO total that was considerably in excess of what we have previously achieved on the band, including 3580 with North America (over 400 of which were with the West Coast). A surprising finding was how propagation varied between the 3.5 and 3.8MHz ends of the band, with the latter often opening significantly earlier and closing later than the CW end.

40m: Once again 40 proved to be a true workhorse, open long-path to North America some two hours before our sunset and closing two hours after our sunrise. The elevated 4-square worked as well as ever, and we were very happy with the overall results.

30m: This band is always consistent, though it closed for a while each night as the MUF dropped below 10MHz. Nevertheless, we are able to claim a new DXpedition record for this band. Antennas were a full-size 2-element Yagi at 40ft and an elevated quarter-wave vertical.

20m: We had two stations running on this band whenever it was open, offering CW and SSB or CW and RTTY. Not surprisingly, it gave us more QSOs than any other band. We made a particular effort to check for General Class licensees, both on SSB and CW, though it is impossible to know how successful this proved (simply because licence class cannot be deduced from callsigns). Antennas were two 3-element monobanders at 40ft, separated by some 300m.

17m: This band proved second only to 20 for putting QSOs in the log and stayed open well into our evening on most days, with good propagation across much of the USA. A good example was when we were able to work KF7E/M (AZ), running 100 watts to a Hustler mobile whip. The antenna was a 4-element monobander at 40ft. At times, when signals were strong, we were able to run a low-power second station into a vertical dipole, but interactions prevented this when signals were weak.

15m: Propagation on 15 was patchy, as was only to be expected at this stage of the cycle, and the North American QSO total is well below what we achieved on 17. The antenna was a 4-element monobander at 40ft and, again, we were able to run a second station on a vertical dipole when signals were strong.

12m: Great signals into Europe and Japan when the band was open, but only a handful of North American QSOs. The antenna was a 4-element monobander at 40ft. 10m: We had expected very little from 10, but enjoyed a few great openings to Europe and Japan. Amazingly, we also experienced some brief openings to North America, especially to VE, perhaps aided by E-skip, but very much along a greyline path. The antenna was a 6-element monobander at 40ft.

6m: This band was our greatest disappointment, with no QSOs despite running the beacon 24 hours a day and attempting some skeds with nearby stations (such as VQ9LA). As we had been uniquely licensed for the band (6m is not normally authorised from the 3B entities) we had hoped to achieve at least some "firsts". But it was not to be. The antenna was a 7-element long-boom Yagi at 40ft.

RTTY/PSK: We made a conscious decision not to run RTTY for the first few days, partly because the pile-ups were so huge on the other modes. Once we started on RTTY the demand exceeded our wildest expectations and despite making over 6,500 QSOs on the mode (not too far short of the N8S record) we were constantly getting request for RTTY right up to closedown. As previously announced, because of this demand we felt it was inappropriate to offer PSK, as this would almost certainly result in making datamode "dupes" with those who had already worked us on RTTY, while others were still wanting an RTTY QSO.

WEB SITE: We have already received many favourable comments on our website, especially the various innovations regarding QSO lookup and propagation data. The band-slot game generated a lot of interest, and there are some high totals. All these features seem to have been very popular. We will be posting DXpedition photographs on the site very soon. We also note that there are already many write-ups on other websites as well as a number of videos on YouTube showing QSOs with the expedition.

WHAT NOW? The first 3B7C presentation will be at the RSGB HF Convention in two weeks' time. We expect to feature at other events during the coming year such as Visalia, Dayton and Friedrichshafen. Various magazine articles are in preparation and we will also be producing a video in due course, details to follow.

QSLs: We expect QSLs to start going out in 6 to 8 weeks' time, once the design has been finalised and the huge number of cards printed (with thanks to Yaesu who are sponsoring the cards). As with 3B9C, QSLing will be handled by a team, to speed up the process, so we should quickly catch up with the backlog. The log will be uploaded to LoTW in due course, as with previous FSDXA expeditions.

THE NUMBERS

Total QSOs: 137,500

(Note: these add up to 137,520 but we are aware that there are a handful of void QSOs in the log)

All in all we feel that 3B7C was very successful, though we were amazed at how the pile-ups continued throughout, reinforcing our view that the demand for a DXCC entity such as 3B7 is very much greater than some of the surveys would suggest. If 10, 12 and 15m had been open, it is easy to envisage a QSO total in excess of 200,000 without exhausting demand from the Deserving.

SPONSORS: As always, we wish to recognise our many sponsors, without whom a DXpedition of this scale would not be possible. Yaesu, our principal sponsor, loaned the FT-2000 radios and VL-1000 amplifiers, all of which performed faultlessly. Martin Lynch and Nevada of the UK also provided significant support. From the USA we thank the ARRL Colvin Award and NCDXF, along with many other organisations and individuals. A full list of sponsors appears on the website.

We also recognise the enormous support we have received from the various Government Departments in Mauritius, the owners of the FV Sainte Rita, Rafael Fishing and particularly to the staff resident on Isle du Sud for the duration of our stay. We also relied on the support of many home-based amateurs who have played an important part in making this all happen. Their help has been invaluable.

Don Field, G3XTT
3B7C Press Officer
28 September 2007
Mauritius