[50mhz] [Magic Band EME] E6M DXpedition Final Advance Update

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

Well, all the equipment is now packed up! I really had hoped to be able to take my
great new KX3 and its tiny power supply, since weight and space are a huge issue when
carrying all the equipment for 6m EME along with you on a plane.  Wayne and Elecraft
have been unbelievably supportive, and much progress has been made over the last week
with the new firmwar. Although the KX3 now works great on JT65A on HF, I still have
some concerns about the frequency stability on 6m, so am biting the bullet and taking
my trusted and proven K3 again on this trip.  I am confident, however, that I will be
able to install options to make the KX3 equally as effective and quite usable on
future trips.

We fly out on Friday to Denver and then on to Los Angeles and finally arrive in
Auckland on Sunday.  We will eventually arrive on the weekly flight to Niue a week
from Friday.  Please familiarize yourself with the full details of the DXpedition,
which are here:

http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/Niue2012.htm

I expect to have slow, intermittent access to email, although I will be too busy when
I am on the air to be able to connect to the internet and check my email.   I also
hope to be able to update the above page once we arrive in Niue.  As before, I will
post the contacts after each day of operating in order to remove any doubts about a
station being in the log.  Please, no duplicate contacts - the windows are limited,
so let's try to leave an opportunity for anyone else who is interested in a contact ;-)

*PLEASE*, *PLEASE* use the ON4KST EME CHAT page to coordinate among yourselves and
*SPREAD OUT* every 200 Hz! I will be using my K3 again, so I have a GREAT bandpass
and will be able to see you within about 800 Hz of my frequency ;-) Remember, this is
what my SpecJT screen looks like:

http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/JT65Asample.jpg

The emphasis of this trip is on 6m EME, and I will be contacting stations on EME
using JT65A mode.  If you have a kw, good ground gain (flat, uncluttered terrain
unbroken by houses, hills, etc.) and a good yagi on 6m, please call me during your
moonset in the SECOND sequence (leave the TX FIRST box UNCHECKED) JT65A mode.  During
my past three 6m EME DXpedtions, I have completed with N3CXV (1500w and a 6M5X yagi)
during his moonset ;-)  Fingers crossed for a fourth new DXCC for him and many others!

Depending on ionospheric propagation, I may also beacon on either CW or ISCAT on
50.110 or 50.190. I also will be taking a dipole for 20m, so may find some time to
get on there when I am not busy calling CQ on 6m.

Good luck to all, and I hope to be able to give you not only a new DXCC, but also a
first E6 contact!

VY 73, Lance

-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ
(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ, E6M)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT   59834-0073
USA
TEL: (406) 626-5728
QTH: DN27ub
URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
Windows Messenger: W7GJ at hotmail.com
Skype: lanceW7GJ
2m DXCC #11/6m DXCC #815

Interested in 6m EME?  Ask me about subscribing to the Magic Band EME
email group, or just fill in the request box at the bottom of my web
page (above)!