Here's the answers to various questions that are cropping up on a regular basis in my 3B7C mailbag.
| Q1 |
Can I arrange a sked with 3B7C? |
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We're sorry but it isn't possible to arrange skeds. My link with the island is just an Iridium phone and it's simply impractical to make the arrangements. The DXpedition is QRV for almost three weeks and within the first 12 hours they worked stations in the USA running 100W to a mobile whip. We feel that anyone who tries should be able to get through on at least one band. Towards the end of the DXpedition we would expect to be able to work people running 10W or less. |
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| Q2 |
What about 3B7C working USA General class, JA on 160m, etc? |
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Our published frequencies are our transmitting frequencies. As the pileups subside, the 3B7C operators will be listening up well into the General Class segments. Remember that we want to work as many stations as possible, so of course we will work General/Novice class, just as we did at D68C and 3B9C.
The team is also aware of the 160m CW band limits for JA stations and will be sure to listen within the JA band regularly. |
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| Q3 |
Can you check if I am in the log? |
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I am hoping to get logs off the island roughly once a day and they are then automatically uploaded to our log search database. You can use the log search engine to check your own entries.
Please do not ask me to search or edit the log for you. I only have the minimal QSO data required to operate the log search engine and the full logbook is 6000 miles away, on the island. It simply isn't possible for me to edit the log and it is a time consuming job for me to search it for you. |
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| Q4 |
I'm not in the Log! Please edit your log! You've busted my call! What should I do? |
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Work us again! It may just be a busted call or you may have thought you worked us when in fact we were working someone else. Or it might even have been a pirate (see FAQ 13 below). We will not edit our log but if we do bust a call then we'll deal with it in the QSLing process. Please see the QSL page for more information on how we deal with busted calls. The log we upload to LOTW will, of course, be corrected as a result of QSLing activity. |
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| Q5 |
When will you be doing digi modes? |
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Not for at least a week. We have to work the pileups down on the main modes, CW and SSB first otherwise we won't be able to work everyone on these modes. There will be plenty of digi mode activity, just as we had at 3B9C.
Update: The team has announced that it will start data operations on Saturday 15th September. |
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| Q6 |
Will you be uploading logs to LOTW? |
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Yes but not until the team is back in the UK and maybe not even then for a while. We have to take a view on whether to upload them early, with the inevitability of some busted calls in the data, or wait until some proportion of the QSLing activity has reduced the number of errors somewhat. |
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| Q7 |
When are the logs uploaded to the search engine? |
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The first batch was uploaded within 36 hours of the start of operations. Generally the logs are sent to me during the early morning each day (my time) and cover the 24 hours up to 04:00Z that day. I upload them to the server as soon as I can. |
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| Q8 |
How do I tell who the operator was at 3B7C? |
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Enter your callsign, then when the band/mode matrix appears, just move your mouse over the band slot you are interested in. The callsign of the 3B7C operator will pop up. |
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| Q9 |
What is the IARU Locator (grid square) for 3B7C? |
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LH93SE |
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| Q10 |
What is the IOTA reference for 3B7C? |
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AF-015 |
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| Q11 |
Will you be QRV on PSK or FM? |
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No, sorry. The team has decided that as pileups on CW, SSB and RTTY remain considerable they will concentrate on those modes. The DXCC program does not separately recognise PSK as distinct from any other data mode, nor does it separately recognise FM. We are sorry if this means that your favourite mode is not available but we feel that it is the correct thing to do given the huge pileups. |
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| Q12 |
How are the on-line log leader board positions determined? |
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For people with the same number of band/mode slots, the position is determined by the average time taken to get all slots. So someone who works several slots in the first few days then works one more slot towards the end of the DXpedition will be ahead of another person who didn't work any slots for the first week then worked his last slot in the middle of the DXpedition. In other words, it is not a first past the post system. |
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| Q13 |
Has there been any pirate operation that you are aware of |
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Sadly there does seem to have been some pirate operation. In particular, we are aware of several QSOs apparently made with 3B7C on RTTY before the team started digi modes. Also, a number of RTTY QSOs on 18MHz were made with a station signing 3B7C at times when the team was not QRV on that mode. We are not specifically aware of pirate operation on other modes. We are sorry if QSOs that you made in good faith with a station signing 3B7C turns out not to have been with us after all. |